Sunday, June 29, 2014

“Put the people before the profits!”

A company called Enbridge wants to expand a tar sands pipeline running through the state.  As the people of Jefferson were catching onto the peril they were being put in, Enbridge put together a PR stunt to connive the people into thinking that there was no need for concern.

The people didn't buy it and took over the meeting.  When put on the spot, the Enbridge people were unable and/or unwilling to answer the people's questions.

The results were predictable:
Residents brought up many valid reasons to oppose or question the pipeline expansion, but one thing was for certain; the entire room, with one visible exception, was opposed to the pipeline’s expansion or needed more questions answered. Not surprising for a project that would expand Line 61 to carry a far bigger tar sands payload than the Keystone XL, which itself has been delayed multiple times due to fierce resistance. Why then has there only been one public hearing in Superior, Wisconsin on Line 61? Because Enbridge doesn’t want this pipeline to be delayed the same way as Keystone XL so they’ve stealthily moved the pipeline forward in hopes of avoiding the same scrutiny. As the standing room only crowd at this hearing can attest, the people of Wisconsin are not happy about such corporate trickery, and are not about to back down. As Enbridge officials were wrapping up the event, a chant rose from the back of the room:

“Put the people before the profits!”
Not only was this a great showing for the people of Jefferson County in shining the light of truth on the pipeline, but it also shown the extreme importance for people to get involved in the happenings of their community. If people show this much more interest in their government - from school boards to municipal meetings to state legislative actions, we might be able to turn things around a lot faster and start restoring our state and our communities to the grandeur we once had.

2 comments:

  1. Great reporting, thanks.

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  2. Thanks for putting this up Capper. This is one way that change might be effectively initiated against "big money." Citizens signing online petitions to keep blogs like Progressives United afloat is educationally of value, but direct action is the key. Civil, fact-based and yes, we citizens do have a voice if we choose to use it.

    Related, citizen action in Albuquerque NM at the end of May, protesting US DoJ supported recommendations for subduing an out of control police force responsible for 40 executions without trial, of civilians since 2010 largely being ignored by their Mayor Berry (mayor or governor out-to-brownbag-lunch, NOl diff). Instant death without trial or slow death by excused environmental devastation through direct action initiated by our "Governor" and his hand selected cronies (Cathy Stepp). Albuquerque worth a listen and a lesson to be learned.

    Also a big acknowledgement and heartfelt thanks to Occupy Riverwest and their work to put together the submission to Popular Resistance Org.

    Worth a long look and study of several related posts:

    http://my.firedoglake.com/wendydavis/2014/05/09/citizens-have-been-showing-what-democracy-looks-like-in-abq-and-its-a-fine-sight/

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