Lou Barletta Supports Gas Drilling…Maybe
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010Local blogger Gort42 has invited local politicians to provide statements on Marcellus Shale gas drilling. This is a pretty hot topic for the area, with a story about gas drilling showing up on an almost daily basis in local newspapers. Many residents and local governments are concerned about the environmental impact of the drilling. Others are hopeful that the gas reserves can provide a much-needed boost to the economy. As someone seeking to represent the 11th Congressional District, which is directly impacted by this debate, Lou Barletta’s stance on this issue is obviously of high importance to many people. This is why I was eager to read Barletta’s statement on gas drilling, which was posted to Gort’s blog.
After reading the statement, however, it became clear that Mayor Barletta was doing his best to offer a non-answer answer. Here’s an excerpt from the statement (the full statement can be found HERE)….
“The government and energy companies need to put all the cards on the table and proceed with full transparency. Residents and landowners should continue to express their concerns.
“Our region and our nation have been blessed with an abundance of natural resources. We should not turn our back on these blessings. We need to harness these gifts while continuing to be stewards of our land.
“If we can do this, if we can have the transparency and rational dialogue, we can move forward in a way that benefits the community, the nation and the world.”
As you can see, with this statement, Barletta is attempting to be all things to all people. The statement could have just read, “If government, land owners, and drilling companies all get together for a group hug and promise to be best friends for ever and ever, we can make this world a better place.” Barletta’s statement is so full of fluff and happy talk that he might as well have just submitted a crayon drawing of a smiley face to Gort. It would have been just as informative.
After reading the statement a few times over, and doing my best to read into what Barletta was trying to say, I think he’s trying to say he’s in favor of the drilling. Maybe. In his closing statement, I think Barletta says that he supports the gas drilling, although he does use the word “if” twice in that single sentence. So, does that mean that he supports the drilling but only if certain conditions are met? And if those conditions (transparency, rational dialogue, and being stewards of our land) are not met, does that mean that he would oppose the drilling? And is he saying that these conditions have already been met or is he saying that they haven’t yet?
I also find it interesting that Mayor Barletta is giving so much lip-service to being “stewards of our land” considering he’s the same guy who has championed shipping sludge into his city of Hazleton in exchange for cash and who has defended BP in the Gulf oil spill disaster. Considering his actions and past statements, it can be safely assumed that Barletta doesn’t give a damn about the environment. If he thought there was a way he could make money off of it, I could honestly see Barletta selling Bald Eagle beaks and Panda Bear coats out of the back of a van. But, still, I guess it’s nice that with this most recent statement, Lou Barletta is at least trying to pretend that he thinks being environmentally responsible is important.
Does Lou Barletta support Marcellus Shale gas drilling? Probably, but it can’t be determined one way or the other based on the statement that he released. If you are in support of gas drilling, you can not safely cast a vote for Lou Barletta and think that, as a Congressman, he’ll use his influence to support it. Likewise, if you are opposed to the drilling, you can not cast a vote for Barletta and think that he’ll stand up against the drilling companies. Based on Lou Barletta’s statement about his thoughts on Marcellus Shale gas drilling, no one can safely assume they know where he stands on the issue. And that is exactly what Barletta wanted. Mayor Barletta’s intentional ambiguity on this important issue is just one more reason why voters can not trust him and why he should not be elected to the United States Congress.
-Dan Cheek
www.StopLouBarletta.com
StopLouBarletta@gmail.com











