Gas industry will hurt area in long run
The Southern Tier of New York lies over two vast natural gas repositories, the Marcellus and Utica shales. Is shale gas a blessing or a curse?
Energy developers and landowner coalitions assert that a robust gas extraction industry here would bring prosperity to our region and reduce our nation's dependence on foreign energy supplies. For example, a commissioned report, "Potential Economic and Fiscal Benefits from Natural Gas Production in Broome County, New York" (www.energyindepth.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/broome-county-potential-economic.pdf) projects that this industry could bring a positive economic impact of up to $15 billion over 10 years to just Broome county.
Observers with fewer stars in their eyes cite a report, "Fossil Fuel Extraction as a County Economic Development Strategy" (www.headwaterseconomics.org/energy/HeadwatersEconomics_EnergyFocusing.pdf), which shows that counties hosting intensive oil and gas extraction performed more poorly over 35 years than similar counties where there was little or no drilling. "Energy-focusing" counties ended up with smaller economies, lower student graduation rates, and greater gaps between rich and poor residents.
Why are these two profiles so different? The former considers only the boom phase of industrial development while the latter takes the entire boom-bust cycle into account. Rather than supporting economic recovery, the gas industry appears to be one from which we would have to recover over the long term.
And that's before we consider the mess left behind.
I'm not so long of tooth or short of memory to only care about what happens to this community for the next 10 years. From where I stand, the shale gas industry is bad business for New York.
Dr. Ronald E. Bishop
Cooperstown
We must realize benefits have risks
The second front page on Jan. 16-17, clearly demonstrates a prevailing systemic malady affecting the future of central New York state: "Hyper ecoactivism."
The coincidental placement of articles demanding more control/regulation of natural gas-drilling and wind-turbine siting before we can take advantage of these abundant natural resources for energy, revenue and employment demonstrates symptoms of this disease. I'm certain waste to energy, hydro, nuclear or any other "dangerous" or disruptive technology would prompt the same reaction. In fact, Mark Simonson in his Jan. 23 Lifestyle column pointed out that a similar reaction existed in the 1930s in response to the proposed Oneonta tuberculosis hospital.
The effect of regulatory overreaction or project-killing delay invariably results in competitive disadvantage for our region. The net impact are missed benefits for our town and counties for fear there might be an environmental impact, accident, "quality of life" impact etc., etc. If the desired outcome of this activism is to regulate and control to the ultimate end of absolute safety and purity, the goal may be admirable but is unrealistic and unreachable.
Finally, a message for our central New York politicians and bureaucrats ... the time has come to move ahead and realize benefits come with risks. The cast majority of your constituents are not vocal activists, but we do vote.
Dave Parker
Worcester
Taxpayer funds not needed for donations
I'm writing in response to Ms. LaValley's letter of Jan. 15 in The Daily Star.
Ms. LaValley did not read and/or understand our letter to the editor regarding the CANY/Venison Donation Program. We have never overlooked the generosity of hunters. We are not against hunters, we are hunters. Hunters are the lifeblood of the CANY/Venison Program.
We are a program that costs the hunter nothing to process and donate his/or her deer. As far as the cost that the hunter has to endure, we all have the same costs. In these tough economic times, our state chose to raise the cost of a license by 30 to 50 percent. I know very few hunters who spend the money for a license, bullets, clothing, etc., and think they have to shoot a deer to survive. If you do, you should take all that it costs you and go to the grocery store.
We hunt in hopes of bagging our game, but why should hard-working people's tax money be paid to the hunter for doing what he or she enjoys, getting out in the woods, having some peace and quiet time and maybe, just maybe, bagging our game?
That's the problem with this country anymore. People think they're owed something. Well you're not! We at the CANY/Venison Donation Program for Delaware/Otsego County will have processed and or served 178,000 meals by May 1, at no cost to the hunter.
We totally agree hunters are good people. I also believe Sen. Schumer is not for the hunter. He is as anti-gun as any senator out there. He has voted for every anti-gun bill proposed.
Ms. LaValley is probably a good person, but you can be a good person and at the same time be wrong. I think she just proved that.
James Losie
Oneonta
Friends left out in cold by partnership
When reading a recent article (Feb. 2,) I was extremely disheartened to learn that the owner of the Oneonta Theatre has established a partnership with the promoter/ founder of "Cavestomp _ The Garage Band Festacular." An article in the New York Post quoted Mr. Weiss: "the music is blistering" ... "hard hitting, middle class, white, r&b with a serious '60s influence." I love rock and roll, but I am not sure if the Oneonta Theatre is the correct venue for that type of music.
Aside from that, what about the Friends of the Oneonta Theatre? That group, together with many community members, State University College at Oneonta students, Hartwick students and others, contributed many long and arduous volunteer hours doing demolition, cleaning, scrubbing, vacuuming and painting. They spent thousands of dollars (that they raised through many fundraisers and donations) on heat and utilities as they were preparing the theater for community use.
One late evening while finishing up painting, the group was told that they would no longer be in partnership, and therefore many of the community events that had been planned needed to find other venues. Additionally, FOTOT will still owe money for computer and telephone contracts, even though it does not have access to the theater.
I know business is business, but I felt that the community needed to know the major contribution that FOTOT members and supporters made in an effort to save Oneonta's historic theater _ one of the few remaining of its kind. I can only hope for FOTOT's sake and for the sake of Oneonta that those efforts have not been in vain.
Roberta Hohensee
Fly Creek
