According to the Star-Telegram, there were over 200 extremely pissed off people at the West Meadowbrook neighborhood pipeline hearing last night. I was there even if caring about what happens in my favorite city makes me a radical knuckelhead.
Jerry Lobdill gave an excellent presentation, “Bringing Sanity to the Urban Gas Drilling and Production Mania,” and I just happen to have a copy that will be posted around the “Internets” soon.
Most touching moment #1 was when the mother of a young woman in Iraq, asked Chesapeake not to take her daughter’s house. Her daughter has been serving in Iraq for 6 years and is using the money she earns to pay for the house. Chesapeake is threatening them with eminent domain.
Most touching moment #2 was this woman, in the turquoise dress, 
telling Chesapeake that they can’t take the home she has lived in since she was 19 years old. She in now 72. Chesapeake is exercising eminent domain. She requested that they give her until after the meeting last night before she signed the paper (what amounted to a 2 day wait). Chesapeake refused.
Most confusing moment: Lon Burnham saying that we had a moral obligation to produce the gas.
How can a corporation take a citizens home under eminent domain for the profit of that corporation? How does that work?
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
- Web |
- More Posts(5121)
It’s not supposed to work that way. ID is only supposed to be used for necessary public projects. What really hacks me is that not only can your property be condemned but those taking it will set the “fair market price.” Nothing like having the buyer decide what your property is worth.
It’s outrageous. But its only symptomatic of what’s happening as big money and big business more and more dictate how we live our lives.
1st it’s eminent domain not iminent domain. 2nd – the price is determined by a commission/appointed by a judge, so vote the judge out if you are unhappy. Most people think it is slanted more towards homeowners, once it gets to that point, at least from a money standpoint. 3rd they usually don’t take all of your house, so Sharon you are also wrong/deliberately misleading people as usual.
Dear no neighbor of mine,
1. The lady in the turquoise dress received a notice this afternoon that her house is "condemned" per the Star Telegram.
2. When I repeat what the people said at the meeting–that Chesapeake was "taking" their homes–how is that misleading?
3. There have been pictures in the paper and posted at West & Clear of before and after pictures. In the before pictures, there is a home where people live. In the after picture, the house has been dozed off. Seems from 1 & 3, that "they" do take the entire home at least part of the time.
4. You consistently take the side of corprations over people.
All Concerned –
Please show up at Ft. Worth City Hall Council Chambers next Tuesday, August 5th 7pm in support of Jerry Horton and/or show of support for the neighborhoods of Ft. Worth and beyond. Show of support for the power of the People. We still hold the key when we show up in numbers!! Rock on Jerry!!
“They don’t take all of your house.”
They just take two walls and a roof?
“A judge” decides what your property is worth.
And how does he do this? How much you want to bet he relies on governmental “experts” to come up with a figure?
People should not have to give up their property for the benefit of a private individual or a corporation, period! I don’t care if the profits are made by Chesapeake or the Dallas Cowboys.
Or do you only believe in property rights for corporations?
I completely agree corporations should not be able to condemn your land for private purposes. This is is for a public use, as defined by state law. I did not say the judge decides I said a commission decides. Each side gets to present present their own witnesses/experts. I did not make the rules I am just trying to inform/dispute the so called experts. ST correctly states today it is a 20' by 100' strip being condemned & explains the process exactly as I did. Pictures in W & C are a house that Chesapeake PURCHASED not condemned. Try & keep up!
Would you want a 20 x 100 foot strip of your yard taken for installation of a gas pipeline? Would you want to live that close to one?
Some of the people are losing their homes.
The state law needs to be change! What use will the people in FW get from this? That gas will not be used in FW. This for for corporate profit no matter how you want to twist it
I live in a city. The city already has a 10' strip on 2 sides of my home that can & does contain all sorts of stuff that I have no control over. And I have to pay taxes on it (as well as mow)!
I agree the laws should change at least when they truly are for private companies. In this case you have no idea what the use ultimately will be. It may run an electric plant hundreds of miles from here. Just like wind power, every little bit used improves our air quality when compared to coal. Even if the power is used somewhere else it still benefits me. And it certainly benefits the hundreds of people whose gas is being sold.
I attended the meeting in Ft Worth. Chesapeke, city leaders, ind. experts and residents spoke.
They are taking as much as 40 feet of people’s yards. In some cases, they are taking the house and entire lot. They are cutting down 100 year old trees. Owners are not allowed to.plant new trees or ANYTHING over the pipeline area.
I do know, per what was said at the meeting, that the gas will be piped “far away to the north.” Chesapeake will profiit Hugely from that. The citizens are not interested in selling the gas because the cost is too great and the gain is very small.
Do not come here with that cleaner fuel crap! That is a lie.
OK coal is great, no one benefits from natural gas use, no one makes any money except the evil oil companies. You got me!
The tide is turning! If you look at the ST blog it is much more about how to get into the game/make the most money. The complaining crackpots have gone away, a majority now favors increased drilling, Congress is finally going to do something & Obama has seen the light. It is amazing how public opinion changes when we get hit in the pocketbook and not suprising when our politicians change their positions after such a groundswell of support!
The BS blog has always been pro drilling so not much change there.
Ft W residents are no longer pro drilling and are now calling fro a moretorium because they have learned what High Impact Drilling really means. You can learn about that too if you open your eyes and ears and stop viewing money as the only thing of value.
Obama is saying what he feels he must because the media is not telling the truth about continued drilling. I seem to remember another event in our recent history when the media and politicians mislead the public. The tide has turned regarding that event and it will turn on this one too.
Rumor has it that the lady in the blue dress has come to her senses and will sign the easement agreement for $12,000. She will still have her home, her trees and a check for $12K…while the pipeline is bored approximately 20′ below the surface — let’s limit the hysteria and discuss facts.
Ben? Is that you? Generally when someone says “Hysteria” it is someone in the industry.
I think your rumor is not entirely accurate, My Neighbor.
"How can a corporation take a citizens home under eminent domain for the profit of that corporation? How does that work?"
AH hahaha haHA!
Kelo v. City of New London–that's how!!
Your beloved four liberals plus Kennedy on the Supreme Court screwed you hard and you didn't even notice. And who was in dissent and would have voted to smack down this use of Eminent Domain? Oh, wait, those so-called "evil" conservatives!!
Who has been in charge in Texas for decades?