8/6/2019 Public Comment - Morgantown City Council COW - May 31 2011

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I am Jonathan Rosenbaum of Morgantown WV.

While I do support Don Spencer's two resolutions and greatly encourage their passage, I also recognizethat once again our city is bowing down to the same failed leadership in Charleston that will continueto ignore our pleas and requests.

Our Morgantown City Council has been a leader in requesting strong and sane regulation fromCharleston regarding the practice of unconventional shale gas drilling utilizing hydraulic fracturing.For over two years despite this growing emergency to the health, safety and welfare of our citizens,the majority of our legislature have refused to pass a single regulation. They are finding countlessexcuses while putting their own personal political objectives over the desperate pleas of citizens. Tome this is deplorable, but not surprising in our state.

The Declaration of Independence makes it clear that "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving

their just powers from the consent of the governed" and "That whenever any Form of Government

becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute

new Government." The Constitution of WV clearly establishes in Article III 3-3 that Government is

instituted for the common benefit, protection and security of the people, nation or community .. and

when any government shall be found inadequate or contrary to these purposes, a majority of thecommunity has a right to reform, alter or abolish it in such manner as shall be judged most conduciveto the public good.

Time is running out. I entreat our City Council that we no longer play the victim to the leadership in

Charleston who has repeatedly failed us by choosing the rights of corporate minorities, over the rights

of our own community majorities!

I request that we follow Pittsburgh's example by removing legal powers from gas extractioncorporations within our city borders combined with Wellsburg's example of calling on State Code 8-12-19 Extraterritorial exercise of powers and authority that empowers threatened cities to extend

their authority up to one mile beyond their own city limits.

Councilman Shields of Pittsburgh said after their own ordinance's passage quote "We are not a colonyof the state and will not sit quietly by as our city gets drilled" unquote.

Thenthere is our county. Even as we speak Northeast Natural Energy already prepares to commencedrilling in the abused, environmentally weakened region of Dunkard Creek. How could the DEP evenconsider to do this to us? Do we require any more proof about the depth of failure in Charleston?Have we become too tired and weak that we can no longer raise our heads against those who wouldsubject us to a rules that are only meant to protect the rights of corporations while denying self-governance to citizens?

I know we can do much better than this. Tyranny can disguise itself in many forms. This July 4th let'scelebrate our freedoms with another victory!