Efforts to protect quality of life in Fort Worth hampered by local newspaper
Yep, it’s official; what started as an effort to protect a grove of old-growth trees in our urban core from the business end of a bulldozer has turned into an all-out fight against urban gas drilling and a city policy that favors a private corporation’s profits over EVERY Fort Worth citizens’ right to have a safe and liveable city.
Just why exactly is the city government so eager to piss away our quality of life? What is the Star-Telegram’s angle in this debate? Do they really stand to profit from drilling, and is there really a proposal to drill in the heart of downtown? If it’s really about private property rights, why are private landowners being FORCED to allow the drillers to use their land, even though there are alternatives? Why are the driller’s property rights superior to the average citizen’s, ESPECIALLY in our urban core and public areas?
Mayor Moncrief and City Council: it’s time to put up or shut up. Do you REALLY want these things you claim in your “Strategic Goals,” or is that all just typical politician lipservice BS? I HATE it when government officials do things that jar me out of my idealism. I want to believe that people who go into public service are truly there to work for the people they represent and not just the people with the deepest pockets, but so far the only evidence I’ve seen of that here in Fort Worth is Wendy Davis, and she’s getting the hell out of Dodge. Please, if you have any shred of concern for maintaining or (heavens forbid) IMPROVING the quality of life in this city, get involved, vote for candidates who care about YOU and our city and not just lining their already well-lined pockets, and be aware of what’s going on around you and what you can do to make things better for everyone.
Technorati Tags: barnett shale, bernie scheffler, fort worth, gas drilling, star-telegram, trinity trees, wendy davis
September 10th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
Thanks Pete for your insightful questions. I think it’s remarkable how the Star-Telegram can take a position that is so out of step with the public, and so clearly against the public good.
I liked what Steve-o had to say about the S-T editorial this morning:
Their billboards may say its all about “U,” but it’s clearly all about “$.”
September 11th, 2007 at 9:24 am
If there’s actually a proposal to drill in downtown on Lamar near Lancaster, it must be stopped at all costs. A gas rig is TOTALLY incompatible with the downtown urban environment. This is especially outrageous so close to Lancaster, an area the city wants to see boom with urban redevelopment.
September 11th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Steve has updated his original post on the assertion by Don Young that the Star-Telegram was trying to get a permit to drill on their property downtown. It looks now like this assertion may be incorrect, but I don’t want to edit the original post because I think my comment on it is a valid question: “Is there really a proposal to drill in the heart of downtown?”