I am aware that most of our neighbors were not aware of the terrible threats to the environment that horizontal fracking presents. When I tried to bring some up at one of the meetings, many people were interested, but I was ordered not to “hijack” the meeting, because the leader had “paid for it.” Hmmm.

No one in our group is accusing anyone in Otego of being greedy. We are neighbors, and we all wish that there was some truth to the gas industry’s Siren song of “found money.” I’d like to be in on some of that, too!

The truth is that the companies are greedy, and are playing on people’s natural fears of being left out. If you don’t think they are greedy, ask yourself why no one is happy with the default contracts except the fat-cats from out of state and overseas who would be happy to rape the land in our little community, far from their corporate headquarters, for their piece of the action.

Are these the kinds of people you want to make a pact with? The answer is “don’t give up!” Don’t assume that it is a done deal. In the words of Edmund Burke, “The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing.” Signing a pact with the devil not exactly doing something to fight him.

We are appealing to the good people of Otego to join with us in opposing any horizontal in our area until such time where the technology has been throughly tested, with satisfactory results. The onus should rest on the gas companies to come clean with all pertinent information. Their “proprietary recipies” for their toxic fracking sludge should not be considered more important that open and transparent oversight.

We must be assured that there will be adequate oversight and strict compliance, with meaningful (felony) punishment for abuses. Until that time, we are not willing to take a craps-shoot with our health and heritage.

We are not labeling anyone who doesn’t join or agree with us. This is Otego, everyone is entitled to their decisions. We just ask this:

Ostensibly, we stand to gain as much as you think you do, yet we are not signing. We have nothing to gain by not signing, except our freedom from very questionable environmental practices.

The gas companies and some of their “representatives” think they are going to make a lot of money off you and your property. They don’t care about your environment, and they have offered you a pitiful initial deal. Landowner groups are ostensibly offering you “some protections” and “a better deal.”

We have evidence that there are no adequate protection at this time, and that “better deal” is a pipe dream.

We have nothing to gain from you monetarily.

Why on earth would you trust them more than people who are only interested in the well-being of you, us and our area? If this was a decent deal, we’d jump at it just like you would.

Regardless of how we all feel, it’s important to remember that we are neighbors. I’d be very happy to listen to cogent arguments that refute mine.