Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Fracking Industry Tries to Buy Democracy in Rural Illinois


Global Research | Mar 17, 2014 | Will Reynolds

Johnson County, IL has oil and gas interests panicked about a local effort to stop fracking. They’re spending tens of thousands of dollars in the rural county to defeat a referendum that opposes fracking and defends local rights.
The referendum reads:
“Shall the people’s right to local self-government be asserted by Johnson County to ban corporate fracking as a violation of their rights to health, safety, and a clean environment?”
The industry and their cronies recently realized that voters are siding with local control instead of handing their future over to Kansas-based frackers Woolsey Energy. A front group for the oil industry started professional mailings and robo-calls possibly funded by the Illinois Petroleum Council which complain about “out-of-state” interests. Additionally, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce spent $23,500 to promote fracking.

That’s a huge cash dump in a county where less than 3,000 people cast ballots in the last primary election.

Here’s a tip for the fracking forces: when you’re doing a mailing that gripes about out-of state-agitators, mail it from in-state. They should fire the consultant who had the bright idea of mailing it from Iowa.

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