San Benito was the first California county to decide to take the issue to the voters. Campaign ads bankrolled by the oil industry are filling TV and radio airwaves, claiming that a fracking ban would hurt the county's economy and trample property rights. And the issue is straining longtime friendships among farmers and ranchers.
Supporters of Measure J say they are frustrated that Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers have not banned fracking, a process that involves pumping water and chemicals underground to release oil and gas -- so they decided to go around them.
"I'm hoping every community in California will emulate this," said Andy Hsia-Coron, a retired schoolteacher in San Juan Bautista who backs the measure. "Too many decisions are compromised by money. We have more potential for democracy reviving itself at the local level."
More @ Mercury News
No comments:
Post a Comment