Early Voting in Appalachian County Shows Strong GOP Turnout
GOP early voters are outpacing their registration numbers by nearly eight percent
Unaffiliated voters and Democrats accounting for less than half of ballots cast
LENOIR, N.C. – Republican Party voters in Caldwell County are starting off the 2018 election cycle as they ended it in 2016 – energized and voting.
Indeed, after only three days, of the 3,609 votes cast so far, 52 percent – 1,894 – have been by Republicans, a number that exceeds the number of GOP registered voters by about eight percent. It represents a burst of energy that began on the first day of voting this past Wednesday and has not subsided.
Democrats account for 909 votes, or 25 percent; and, unaffiliated voters have cast 798 votes, equaling 22 percent of the total, according to data provided by the Caldwell County Board of Elections.
Vote totals through Friday represent nearly seven percent of the 54,515 registered voters in the county. Republicans make up the vast plurality, accounting for 24,747 of the total voters, or 44 percent. Unaffiliated voters now outnumber Democrats. There are 15,867 unaffiliated voters, accounting for 30 percent of total voters, and 13,901 Democrats in the county, representing 25 percent of the voters. Less than one percent of voters are registered with one of the other political parties.
Voters have been turning out consistently since the first day, averaging about 1,200 early voters per day at the county’s two One-Stop Voting locations. In Granite Falls, 1,420 voters – 39 percent of the county’s total – have voted; in Lenoir, 2,188 have cast ballots, accounting for 61 percent of vote totals.
Analysis
Caldwell County Republicans are voting at a pace that could be record-setting, especially for a mid-term election. Unaffiliated voters, which Democrats are undeniably counting on this cycle, are not turning out, as their voting numbers are eight percent below their percentage of registered voters in the county. Democrats are holding steady with their registration numbers.
In a perfect year for Democrats, overcoming such registration numbers would be virtually insurmountable; ticket-splitting is virtually nonexistent today. So, while unaffiliated voters can be a wild card, those registered by party are counted upon by party officials to vote their ticket. There is no evidence to suggest this year will be any different.
Republicans are enthused; Democrats are not; unaffiliated voters are yawning. Since 2016, pundits and politicians on both sides have said that 2018 is, “The Most Important Election of our Lifetimes.” It’s rather obvious the Republicans believe so, but they would appear to be alone in that thinking, at least in Caldwell County.
© Michael M. Barrick, 2018
How and Where to Vote
According to the Caldwell County Board of Elections, here is what you need to know about voting this year:
If you have not yet registered to vote, you can register when coming to One Stop/Early Voting.
There are 2 One Stop/Early Voting Locations:
- Caldwell County Alden E. Starnes County Office Plaza
City/County Chambers
905 West Avenue NW, Lenoir - Shuford Recreation Center
56 Pinewood Road, Granite Falls
The One Stop/Early Voting Dates and Time:
Monday, October 22 through Friday, October 26: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday, October 29 through Friday, November 2: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 3 – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (the only Saturday)
The Last Day to Apply for Absentee Ballot – October 30, 2018
Click Here to See 2018 Sample Ballot
Memo to W.Va. Governor’s Lawyers: Buy a Dictionary
‘Reside’ is not a new word in the English lexicon
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – According to West Virginia Public Broadcasting, “Lawyers for the governor of West Virginia have told the state Supreme Court the meaning of the word ‘reside’ is unclear in a case regarding his residency outside of Charleston.”
From my 1997 copy of Webster’s Universal College Dictionary.
Isaac Sponaugle, a Democratic Delegate who represents parts of Hardy and Pendleton County in the state’s lower eastern panhandle, has asked the court to require Gov. Justice to do as the West Virginia Constitution requires and “reside at the seat of government,” – in the state capital of Charleston. Presently, Justice lives at his resort in Lewisburg.
Good grief, Charlie Brown!
Those who wrote the West Virginia Constitution did not need to define “reside” because they had dictionaries – regular old ones that average people can use. Indeed, “reside” is hardly a new word in the lexicon. It is late Middle English with roots in French and Latin.
My copy of Webster’s Universal College Dictionary” from long ago offers the following definitions:
- “To dwell permanently or for a considerable time; live”
- “To be present habitually”
The word games the governor’s lawyers are using – and the arrogant taunt to the people to “impeach him” if they don’t like it – is why average people have had it with politicians.
While we’re struggling to live paycheck to paycheck, or on fixed incomes, or affording to have our gallbladders removed or ruptured disc repaired or replace the old tires, mincing words is insulting and pathetically self-serving.
This is how the poor and vulnerable are greeted in Clarksburg, W.Va. by some merchants.
Jim Justice
So, Governor Justice, if you think the mansion overlooking the Kanawha River is beneath your lifestyle, go visit some of the struggling in the hills and hollows or the homeless in Charleston, Huntington, Clarksburg or Richwood. Then, get back to the “People’s Capitol” and get about their business. It’s what you signed up to do – “To dwell … and be present habitually.” Anyone that can read a dictionary understands that.
© Michael M. Barrick, 2018
Where are the Democrats?
Is Appalachia heading towards another red autumn?
By Michael M. Barrick
LENOIR, N.C. – If the Democratic Party is going to enjoy a “Blue Wave” in this year’s mid-term elections, it isn’t going to start in Caldwell County. That is if the campaign activity – or the lack thereof – by the Democratic Party and its candidates at the One-Stop (early) Voting location in Lenoir is any indication.
GOP volunteers work the Lenoir early voting location on the first day of voting, Oct. 17.
Also, the first day of early voting totals reveal an energized Republican base. At the county’s two early voting locations in Lenoir and Granite Falls, a total of 1,217 voters turned out. Of those, 632 were Republicans, making up 52 percent of the total vote. The 329 Democratic voters accounted for 27 percent of the vote, numbers consistent with their registration levels. Unaffiliated voters accounted for 251 ballots, making up 20 percent of voters. Less than one percent cast ballots as Libertarians.
Also of note is that of the total votes cast, 473 – 39 percent of the voting – took place in the predominantly Republican south end of the county at the Shuford Recreation Center in Granite Falls. The only precincts in the county that could be considered remotely favorable for Democrats are centered in and near Lenoir. Low turnout there combined with the absence of Democratic candidates and poll workers would not seem to lend itself to a Blue Wave anywhere in the county.
Also, in the year of the #MeToo movement, women were outvoted by men yesterday by about four percent. Women cast 48 percent of the ballots – a total of 580. Men cast 633. Blacks cast 70 ballots, nearly six percent, a number relatively consistent with population totals in the county.
Mark Cook and Sherri Yi campaigned for Kim Clark on the first day of early voting in N.C.
The Democrats did not have a tent set up as customary, and only two people were actively campaigning for a Democrat. Incumbent Clerk of Superior Court Kim Clark had two people volunteering for her, but they were both Republicans. And one was her husband, Mark Cook. The other was Sherri Yi.
Ironically, the only incident of acrimony I witnessed was when Cook and Yi attempted to hand some campaign literature to a voter wearing a Trump hat. Flipping his hand towards them like he would a bothersome cat, he grumbled, “She’s a Democrat. I don’t vote for Democrats.” Yi simply replied, “Yes sir,” and backed away.
Nathan E. Dula campaigns for School Board candidate Elaine Setzer-Maxwell on Oct. 17
School Board candidate Elaine Setzer-Maxwell had a campaign volunteer out, Nathan E. Dula. He had positioned himself under a small shade tree and was approaching potential voters alone without having to compete with other volunteers. Closer to the doors of the ground floor of the City/County Chambers on West Ave., though, no less than a half-dozen GOP workers approached every voter. Some voters strolled on by, but many stopped to chat and take a copy of the party’s sample ballot.
Speaking of which, when I went into vote, there was a Republican sample ballot in the voting precinct on top of the stack of county’s official ballots. The two look virtually identical. However only official ballots are allowed. It isn’t clear if it was placed there inadvertently by a voter or intentionally, but when it was pointed out to election officials, it was thrown in the trash.
The official ballot can be seen here. It is printed in yellow, as is the GOP sample ballot. So, look at the top of the ballot on the left-hand corner. It should have Sample Ballot, Caldwell County printed on it, with a bar code in the top right-hand corner. The GOP sample ballot has Republican in the top left-hand box and no bar code in the right. And, of course, they’ve marked the ballot for you. So, be on the lookout for that.
The Republican workers were jovial and talkative. When I asked where the Democrats were, they mentioned the name of one veteran Democrat, saying he had stopped by for a while. Meanwhile, the GOP workers had several of their candidates popping in and out.
Oh, and there was no shortage of poignant bumper stickers.
One day does not an election make. However, for a party that is supposed to be energized to send Freshmen legislators to Raleigh to help Gov. Roy Cooper and to break the 5-0 hold the GOP has on the county commission, one would expect to see a blaze of blue at the polling places. The only thing I saw blue was the clear sky above me – perfect for greeting voters.
How and Where to Vote
According to the Caldwell County Board of Elections, here is what you need to know about voting this year:
If you have not yet registered to vote, you can register when coming to One Stop/Early Voting.
There are 2 One Stop/Early Voting Locations:
- Caldwell County Alden E. Starnes County Office Plaza
City/County Chambers
905 West Avenue NW, Lenoir - Shuford Recreation Center
56 Pinewood Road, Granite Falls
The One Stop/Early Voting Dates and Time:
Wednesday, October 17 through Friday, October 19: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday, October 22 through Friday, October 26: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday, October 29 through Friday, November 2: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 3 – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (the only Saturday)
The Last Day to Apply for Absentee Ballot – October 30, 2018
Click Here to See 2018 Sample Ballot
© Michael M. Barrick, 2018.
Today, Help N.C. Advance Again
One Stop or ‘Early’ Voting Begins Today; Do Not Wait
“Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” – President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his first inaugural address in 1933.
By Michael M. Barrick
LENOIR, N.C. – One Stop or “early” voting begins today in North Carolina and runs through Nov. 3. Election Day is Nov. 6.
So, as you ponder when (or God forbid, if) you are going to vote, consider the echo of President Franklin Roosevelt’s words in your ears. We are not a fearful people! We are the children and grandchildren of the Greatest Generation. Sacrificing all, putting lives on hold for years, families disrupted and changed forever, they defeated Fascism and Communism.
In short, the Greatest Generation left us a legacy of courage and sacrifice. They were able to do so because they understood the consequences of defeat. They were inspired by their president, fearless in their determination to save the world.
Honor their legacy. Vote today!
But be ready.
The Republicans will have their fear peddlers working the polls; they certainly did in 2016. Ignore their cajoling threats of doom and destruction under the Democrats and wish them a blessed day. Then, bless our state and nation by voting Democratic.
The modern Republican Party insults the legacy left by our courageous parents and grandparents you see in those fading photographs on your wall. Look into their eyes. Do you see fear or determination? Do as they did; live courageously.
After voting, stop for a moment to talk to the Republican poll workers. Each one will likely identify as an evangelical Christian. Remind them of this verse: “Be strong and courageous.” It’s a command given to Joshua repeatedly by God according to the Old Testament. Thank them for their active citizenship and let them know you voted courageously – for Democrats. (I am close to digressing into a history of the song “Alice’s Restaurant” by Arlo Guthrie, but for now, just know that if we all stopped and repeated that scripture verse to every GOP poll worker, they’d wonder just what sort of movement is going on. That just seems like too much fun to pass up).
In any event, don’t argue. Just thank them, then talk to your neighbors, families and friends and “Speak out! Speak out against the madness. Speak your mind, that is if you still can and still have the guts to.”
Remember when our state’s teachers tried to get the attention of Republican lawmakers? Who will forget the image of those suits looking out windows at the throngs and cancelling short their session. Regardless of their excuses, men and women of courage don’t hide; they welcome their adversaries and seek compromise. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to function in a Republic.
You’ve seen Republican party officials and lackeys jerk the phones out of hands of college students. You have heard the constant drumbeat of fear, calling us – the people – a mob for opposing a rigged Supreme Court nomination process (I refer not just to Brett Kavanaugh; the stonewalling on Merrick Garland’s nomination was reminiscent of the former Soviet Politburo).
I’ll be writing more on their fear-mongering soon, but until then, remember what American Poet Carl Sandburg wrote. A winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Sandburg spent his career celebrating what he considered the attributes that made America great. Here is one brief sample from his poem, “I Am the People, the Mob.”
I am the people – the mob – the crowd – the mass.
Do you know all the great work of the world is done through me?”
So, we the people have a great work to do. You must convert retreat into advance. We can’t do that if we fall prey to fear.
Don’t allow it. We’ve been called a mob, whether protesting sexism, racism or bigotry – all on full display through the legislation of the GOP super majority in the N.C. General Assembly. So, let them call you a mob. Just show them what great work can be done through you – through me.
How and Where to Vote
According to the Caldwell County Board of Elections, here is what you need to know about voting this year:
If you have not yet registered to vote, you can register when coming to One Stop/Early Voting.
There are 2 One Stop/Early Voting Locations:
- Caldwell County Alden E. Starnes County Office Plaza
City/County Chambers
905 West Avenue NW, Lenoir - Shuford Recreation Center
56 Pinewood Road, Granite Falls
The One Stop/Early Voting Dates and Time:
Wednesday, October 17 through Friday, October 19: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday, October 22 through Friday, October 26: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday, October 29 through Friday, November 2: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 3 – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (the only Saturday)
The Last Day to Apply for Absentee Ballot – October 30, 2018
Click Here to See 2018 Sample Ballot
While voting, ‘Nix All Six’
Speaking of fear-mongering, the GOP has placed six “constitutional” amendments on the ballot to frighten – and hence – turn out their base. StrongerNC, Inc. has developed a website that explains the dangers inherit in every amendment on the ballot. They write, “These amendments will affect your rights and radically change the structure and separation of power in our state government indefinitely.” To learn why, visit their Nix All Six Amendments website.
© Michael M. Barrick, 2018. Flag photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash; Photo of girl hiding under sheets by Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash
Art Sherwood Seeks to Change State’s Direction in N.C. Senate
Retired biomedical engineer, active Baptist focused on education, healthcare, jobs and Voting Rights
Voting Begins Tomorrow!
LENOIR, N.C. – In late 2011, Art Sherwood retired from his career as a biomedical engineer helping veterans recover from spinal cord injuries. But he did not retire from his vocation of helping to analyze and solve problems. Indeed, after retiring, he immediately began devoting more time to politics until in 2016 he made his first run for public office, when he ran for State Senate in old District 45.
The reasons he ran two years ago have not changed; in fact, they’ve intensified, so he’s at it again, this time seeking to represent redrawn State Senate District 46, which includes Burke, Caldwell and Avery counties. He is looking to unseat Republican Warren Daniel.
Perseverance, it seems, is a family tradition. Sherwood’s great-grandfather, the Rev. James Justice Lafayette Sherwood, helped establish First Baptist Church in Blowing Rock and served as pastor at First Baptist Church in Boone twice, from 1893-1895 and 1904-1906. Like his great-grandfather, Sherwood is a man of active faith. He served two five-year terms as a trustee of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and he has provided leadership in local congregations wherever he has lived.
Following completion of his doctorate in biomedical engineering from Duke University in 1970, Sherwood devoted his career to helping veterans and others with spinal cord injuries maximize their ability to function independently. He worked for three decades in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, and concluded with a decade in Washington, D.C., where he helped formulate research policies to aid those who have sustained life-altering disabilities.
Sherwood has clearly devoted his life to helping others. And, being retired, he could do anything. Instead, he has decided to run again.
Why Run?
I was first motivated to seek election to the North Carolina State Senate so that I could be part of restoring North Carolina’s public education system to its former prominence and student-focused outlook. … I am further motivated by the GOP-led assault on Voting Rights in this state. It is shameful – and as the courts have repeatedly said – unconstitutional.”
In far-ranging discussions we’ve had during the past several months, I’ve asked Sherwood the first question I am sure his family members and friends asked – Why have you decided to run again? He explains, “I was first motivated to seek election to the North Carolina State Senate so that I could be part of restoring North Carolina’s public education system to its former prominence and student-focused outlook.” He continues, “I am further motivated by the GOP-led assault on Voting Rights in this state. It is shameful – and as the courts have repeatedly said – unconstitutional.”
Still, he was not inclined to run again. That is, until a call one late evening early this year from Governor Roy Cooper changed that. He told Sherwood that the Democratic Party was determined to compete for every legislative seat, and that Sherwood’s campaign in 2016 positioned him well for this cycle.
So, on the ballot he is. Sherwood argues, “My background, my family history, and my faith all guide me as I identify and work towards legislative priorities to offer solutions to the problems I’ve identified.” Still, he resisted prioritizing the many issues he wishes to address. “Trying to say one issue is more important than another is absurd. All are vital topics of the day.”
Sherwood also wishes to focus on how the local businesses and artisans can build a local sustainable economy that is immunized from the boom-and-bust cycles of the furniture, textile and other manufacturing enterprises.
Finally, as a person that has spent his life in healthcare – as has his wife, Gwen – he knows that people are suffering because they cannot access proper healthcare. As he notes, the United States doesn’t have a healthcare system; rather it has a health delivery industry. It is uncoordinated and profit-motivated, thus causing its ostensible purpose – to alleviate and heal the suffering of people – to be subverted to lobbyists for the pharmaceutical, hospital, insurance, medical equipment and related industries.
Voting Rights
There is nothing more fundamental to our Republic than the voting rights of her people. Without that right, we are mere pawns. … I will vigorously oppose gerrymandering by supporting the establishment of an independent commission to draw congressional and General Assembly districts.”
He pointed to the assault on Voting Rights as a classic example of the challenge of deciding which issue is the most urgent. He explained, “There is nothing more fundamental to our Republic than the voting rights of her people. Without that right, we are mere pawns. Therefore, I will work to ensure open and convenient access to polling places for all voters and eliminate burdensome requirements designed to suppress voter turnout. I will vigorously oppose gerrymandering by supporting the establishment of an independent commission to draw congressional and General Assembly districts. Republicans, including our own House representative, argue that gerrymandering is constitutional.
Sherwood argues, “Considering the many court rulings saying otherwise, Raleigh Republicans have forfeited their right to hold office. It’s not a stretch for me to promise voters I’ll protect their rights. I’m quite confident that is what people from our founders to Martin Luther King Jr. to those in the #MeToo and #IfIDieInASchoolShooting movements rightfully expect that of public servants.”
Education
“Regarding the many challenges facing public education, in particular front-line teachers, I will work to ensure that public schools are properly funded, teachers paid a fair and living wage, classroom management is not held hostage to standardized testing, and local control is restored. I will work to ensure adequate funding and forward-looking technical and liberal arts curricula in the district’s community colleges,” said Sherwood. He added, “It is time to develop a teacher pay structure consistent with that outlined by NC Policy Watch. It is time to provide teachers with the assistants they need to serve our children, and it is time to move North Carolina to the top of the nation in terms of per-pupil funding.”
HealthCare
It is understandable that a man who devoted his life to alleviate the suffering of others would have some expert insight into healthcare. “I support universal health insurance that will permit people to seek medical care in a timely manner, and to optimize the care provided at all stages of life, from prenatal to geriatric. I will work diligently to move us to a single-payer system to put the focus where it belongs, on improving the health of North Carolinians, which would also simplify and streamline the accounting, thereby reducing costs. And, I will work tirelessly to minimize government intrusion on interactions between patients and properly-licensed providers.”
The North Carolina General Assembly had a chance to expand Medicaid with federal funding and declined, leaving billions of dollars on the table and the people it was intended for in distress. Clearly, the Republican controlled super-majority in the General Assembly does not support affordable health care.”
He continued, “The North Carolina General Assembly had a chance to expand Medicaid with federal funding and declined, leaving billions of dollars on the table and the people it was intended for in distress. Clearly, the Republican controlled super-majority in the General Assembly does not support affordable health care.”
Jobs
On jobs, Sherwood argues, “Because of the damage done to the workers and families in the district by large manufacturers closing and abandoning the community, it is up to local leaders in the arts, nonprofit sector, towns and county to come together with a list of priorities for the legislature to support. Lenoir is quickly becoming known as ‘A funky little town’ because of our strong musical and arts heritage. We can and must continue to build on that. The same is true for Morganton and other towns in the district. And, it’s always good to have artists around, for they are the most fearless when it comes to speaking truth to power.”
He continued, “We also have to be judicious as we look forward. Many economic forecasters say that in roughly a decade, one-third of our nation’s workers will have to learn a new trade to remain employed. We need to prepare now by enhancing continuing education opportunities and providing broadband internet everywhere. Together with renewable energy jobs, that will provide a huge pool of good jobs to assure economic viability.”
The Environment
“We must protect our environment. That means acknowledging that Climate Change is real and aggravated by human activity. We need not waste time with attempting to change the minds of climate change deniers; in time, Mother Nature will do that for us. Instead, we must simply work to reverse the primary cause of Climate Change – our dependence on fossil fuels. That is why I support a moratorium on fracking and related pipeline development. I will fight to require municipal ownership of public water sources so that money is reinvested in infrastructure, not sent to out-of-state investors. And, I will work to re-empower the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to provide strong oversight of the fossil fuel industry in North Carolina. The presence of coal ash in our tributaries, streams and the Atlantic Ocean from Hurricane Florence is a sentinel call to our state to make ecological preservation a priority.” Sherwood notes also, “Our climate is ideal for solar and wind power. In fact, the solar industry now employs more people nationally than the coal industry. We must tap into that future. It is also the responsible thing to do to reduce our ecological footprint.”
Other Issues
Sherwood pointed to other issues that the General Assembly should address. “As we look at our abandoned buildings in the district, which distract from our region’s natural beauty and hard-working entrepreneurs attempting to revitalize the district, we must adopt a balance of tax incentives for these small, sustainable private entities and designate public funds to demolish or repurpose abandoned buildings.”
Suggesting a way to mitigate the impact of the box store and fast food cluster on U.S. Hwy 321 north of the Lenoir Crossroads, Sherwood shares, “We need to find a location to build a Visitor’s Center like the one recently built on U.S. 421 between Wilkesboro and Yadkinville. We can work with the Chamber of Commerce to promote the museum, the arts council, our natural beauty, Fort Defiance, the Wilson’s Creek Visitor’s Center, our ‘funky little downtown,’ and ideas just waiting to be developed by our artists and musicians.
Conclusion
Asked if he has anything else he’d like the voters of Caldwell, Burke and Avery counties know about him, Sherwood says simply, “I will strive to reverse decades of polarizing politics to find compatible folk on both sides to work with for the common good.”
Voting Begins Tomorrow!
One Stop/Early Voting begins tomorrow, Oct. 17 and runs through Nov. 3. Election Day is Nov. 6.
According to the Caldwell County Board of Elections, here is what you need to know about voting this year:
If you have not yet registered to vote, you can register when coming to One Stop/Early Voting.
There are 2 One Stop/Early Voting Locations:
- Caldwell County Alden E. Starnes County Office Plaza
City/County Chambers
905 West Avenue NW, Lenoir - Shuford Recreation Center
56 Pinewood Road, Granite Falls
The One Stop/Early Voting Dates and Time:
Wednesday, October 17 through Friday, October 19 : 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday, October 22 through Friday, October 26: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday, October 29 through Friday, November 2: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 3 – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (the only Saturday)
The Last Day to Apply for Absentee Ballot – October 30, 2018
Click Here to See 2018 Sample Ballot
© Michael M. Barrick, 2018. #MeToo photo by Mihai Surdu on Unsplash; photo of girl painting by Kasturi Laxmi Mohit on Unsplash; Star-Spangled music notes by Ministries Coordinator on Unsplash
Editor’s notes offered in the spirt of full disclosure:
- I served on the Caldwell County Board of Education from 1998-2001 while a Republican. I was the Republican nominee for State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2000 and a candidate in 2003 before dropping out because of a friend’s terminal illness. I have volunteered or worked as a paid staff member in no less than eight Republican campaigns from municipal to federal elections, not counting my own. Right now, the Republican Party is doing all it can to destroy our state government. I am ashamed of it and plead with moderate Republicans and unaffiliated votes (like myself) – to choose the best candidate. As a former candidate, I can promise you that Art Sherwood, Amanda Bregel, other Democratic candidates and their volunteers are among the hardest working people in North Carolina right now. For that determination alone they deserve your support. Most importantly, they represent true North Carolina values.
- I was the campaign manager for Art Sherwood in 2016. We have forged a relationship out of that battle that continues to this day. It goes beyond politics. We are friends. But he also knows this article wouldn’t be written if I didn’t believe in him.
N.C. Gerrymandering No Laughing Matter
Rep. Destin Hall’s vigorous defense of Republican gerrymandering causes stunned laughter from audience at NAACP forum in Lenoir
LENOIR, N.C. – Destin Hall, Caldwell County’s representative in the North Carolina General Assembly, was greeted with stunning, uproarious laughter from the audience at the NAACP candidate forum on Oct. 6 when he vigorously defended the Republican legislature’s gerrymandering of North Carolina’s congressional and state legislative districts.
Despite repeated court rulings that the gerrymandering is unconstitutional, Hall said otherwise. Fortunately, his remarks were recorded on video, which you can see here.
And I can tell you that the way the maps are drawn now are much, much, much more fair than they ever were.” – Destin Hall
He was asked by an audience member, “What would you do to fix the gerrymandering problem in this state?”
Hall responds, “So in my opinion, partisan redistricting is what the Constitution calls for.”
He then continues speaking, making unsupported claims of gerrymandering being historically constitutional, and essentially arguing that those opposing the GOP’s efforts in Raleigh are sore losers.
He also proudly states, “This is actually a topic I know something about.”
That’s because he, no doubt, like every Republican member of the General Assembly, saw no problem with drawing maps to exclude minorities and members of the opposition party. Hall’s comments that gerrymandering is legal is laughable, as you will obviously see in the video. More chilling though, is that Hall did what the GOP is becoming expert at. Telling the big lie.
He concluded his remarks by saying, “And I can tell you that the way the maps are drawn now are much, much, much more fair than they ever were.”
The audience wasn’t buying it, as they responded with uproarious, spontaneous laughter.
Unfortunately, it’s no laughing matter, but one can understand why the audience laughed in his face; it’s better than crying. Ironically, he smiles in response, either clueless or arrogant. The latter wouldn’t be surprising, as shortly after Republicans took control of the N.C. General Assembly in 2011, courts ruled they gerrymandered districts along racial lines. Then, earlier this year, by their own admission, Republicans were again found to have gerrymandered districts unconstitutionally, this time along party lines. Indeed, if you will look up the phrase North Carolina unconstitutional gerrymandering on the Internet, you will discover at least 86 articles written about these and other cases since the 2010 takeover of the North Carolina General Assembly by Republicans, including this one that ranks our state just above Cuba as a “deeply flawed democracy.”
This can be reversed though. Early voting begins next Wednesday, Oct. 17. It is time for our state’s leaders to live by its motto – “To be, rather than to seem.” The Republican Party in North Carolina clearly doesn’t believe that.
I think our people do though. If you agree, you might want to take a look at Hall’s challenger, teacher Amanda Bregel.
© Michael M. Barrick, 2018
Amanda Bregel Looks to Represent Caldwell County in NCGA
Fourth generation teacher motivated by concern for students and families, enjoys strong volunteer support
LENOIR, N.C. – Amanda Bregel, a teacher of English and Caldwell County Studies for sophomores at the CCC&TI Early College High School, is looking to unseat Destin Hall in the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA). Hall represents House District 87, which includes all of Caldwell County.
Bregel, a Democrat and quick learner supported by an enthusiastic group of volunteers, is undaunted by the task of trying to unseat a Republican incumbent in Caldwell County, where the GOP enjoys a significant voter registration margin. Referring to questions about her experience to challenge Hall and serve if elected, her answer could be that of any teacher: Anybody that can successfully manage a classroom of 20 students, work a 12-hour day and have a 10-minute lunch break can handle just about anything. Indeed, Bregel has proven she does indeed manage a classroom well, for she has been Teacher of the Year and earned a Teacher’s Fellowship.
Her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother were all teachers. In fact, her great-grandmother taught in a one-room school house. She emphasizes the importance of being a lifelong learner, so it’s not surprising that she had many thoughtful insights when I sat down with her earlier this week for the following interview.
Q: Why have you decided to seek this office?
A: I am running to stand up for my students and families because I spend everyday to help the children in our county. My fellow teachers and I do what we can to provide for the children with so little. I realized I could help them not only in my classroom, but also another way – by influencing the laws that impact our students. I have the knowledge about our needs and want to have influence on the state budget, as 50 percent of the state’s budget goes to education and 65 percent of the budget for Caldwell County Schools comes from the state.
I think a teacher’s perspective is needed on the floor of the House. Right now, they can just look out the windows at teachers as they did earlier this year. With teachers in office, they will have to listen to people with experience in the classroom.
Q: If elected, what would be your legislative priorities?
A: People. I am focused on supporting people, so I’m focused on education, healthcare, and rural support. We must also ensure that we have a transparent state government.
I would vote to expand Medicaid to help with the opioid crisis and address many of the health issues, such as cancer rates. To me supporting the rural community means paying attention to NCDOT decisions early and speaking up when laws favor big business. This means supporting environmental protections since so much of our county is rural, natural beauty.
Q: What would be your priorities for public schools, community colleges and our universities?
A: I will pay attention to their legislative priorities. I know the legislative priorities of CCC&TI and Caldwell County Schools (workforce development and teaching assistants, calendar autonomy, and money owed from the state). I support Governor Cooper’s initiative to make North Carolina a Top Ten Educated State by 2025 – emphasizing early childhood education, increasing enrollment in pre-kindergarten, improving our high school graduation rate and increasing the percentage of adults with a higher education degree. Although I work at the Early College High School, I do not believe all high school students in Caldwell County need to be enrolled at a four-year university after high school. We need to give teachers the breathing space to create relationships with students-at all levels so they can get to know children and help students figure out their strengths and possible career path. Apprenticeship programs are something so many businesses in this area are interested in, so why aren’t we developing these programs?
I think a teacher’s perspective is needed on the floor of the House. Right now, they can just look out the windows at teachers as they did earlier this year. With teachers in office, they will have to listen to people with experience in the classroom.
Q: Do you support term limits for legislators?
A: No. Term limits can be seen as a way to limit the people’s vote. The people aren’t choosing their representative if he or she is being forced to retire. What I really believe that legislators who have been in office should be doing is “building a bench” as they say or finding and strengthening the next generation of leaders instead of staying in office for so long. You don’t want all of your experience leaving office and leaving only the lobbyists, full of knowledge about their cause and no cap on their number of years in the job, ready to influence new politicians. I do support more voter education and new legislation on campaign finance and transparency.
Q: If you were to give a “The State of North Carolina” speech, what would you say?
A: The North Carolina Constitution directs the governor come to the legislature to “give to the General Assembly information of the affairs of the State and recommend to their considerations such measures as he shall deem expedient.” Right now, what would be really expedient is to support the people. We can only really support the people by working together. North Carolina is represented equally by both political sides. We should be a beacon of bi-partisanship. We must praise examples of bi-partisanship, reach out and stop blaming each other’s parties.
Q: What is your vision for Caldwell County and North Carolina?
A: My vision for Caldwell County is a place where we can preserve our heritage and natural beauty while also providing people with the tools and support they need to thrive. I want us to keep growing and improving. I tell my students that Caldwell County is a special place because there are so many people here working so diligently to improve daily life. My vision is a county where these hard-working visionaries have the tools they need from the state and county to complete their projects and we can foster partnerships to benefit the people.
Q: There is no denying that the furniture industry was the primary driving force in Caldwell County’s economic development during the 20th Century. However, it also created a mono-economy that essentially caused great distress to the county in the 1990s because of NAFTA and other trade agreements passed by Congress. What can you do in the North Carolina General Assembly do to insulate communities throughout our state from this happening again?
A: This ties into the education question because we need to emphasize a diverse education and completing a program that trains you for a job in our area. We must adopt Skills-Based approach to fulfilling workplace needs. There are jobs available here, but can we house people so they live in Caldwell and invest here? Can we train them to fill those jobs and be able to provide for their families? We can if we keep using incentives from the state to bring in businesses like the building reuse program, which has been used in over 30 projects since 2006 and the OneNC Fund from the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
Q: From its inception, when Lenoir was known as Tucker’s Barn, music has been an important part of the city’s culture and growth. Doc Watson was heavily influential in the city, and the city and county has and continues to produce hundreds of musicians (as demonstrated by the success of the Caldwell Traditional Musicians Showcase and Happy Valley Old-Time Fiddler’s Convention). Are you committed to champion and fund the arts community in the NCGA? How?
The creative industry contributes to North Carolina beyond our economy. Value creativity is essential to our quality of life, appreciation of our heritage, and pride in our community identity. The arts, history, and libraries are integral to our strong education programs and unique sense of place. So, I will strongly support the North Carolina Arts Council.
A: Yes. Arts in schools is a big need. We must protest when cuts to arts come up. We need to recognize the impact the arts have on our state’s economy. The creative industry contributes to North Carolina beyond our economy. Value creativity is essential to our quality of life, appreciation of our heritage, and pride in our community identity. The arts, history, and libraries are integral to our strong education programs and unique sense of place. So, I will strongly support the North Carolina Arts Council.
Q: About 20 years ago, the EDC brought in local consultants to help the county after the furniture industry abandoned it. One of the key points these outsiders identified was the appearance of the county, in particularly abandoned buildings. Yet still today, there are dozens of large abandoned factories and other businesses. It would seem this problem has been kicked down the road during that time. What can you do in the NCGA do to mitigate the effect of so many shuttered and dilapidated buildings and businesses?
A: A lot of our vacant buildings are superfund sites, so I support economic cleanup and environmental protections. They are dangerous and are health, safety and environmental concerns. I am proud that the City of Lenoir is working to get grants to clean up superfund sites. Still, vacant buildings are a concern, especially since it costs so much for a city to demolish a site and that’s taxpayer money for a site owned by a business or person. I’ve learned it costs about $10,000 just to demolish a vacant home.
As a member of the NCGA I would vote to re-fund the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and reinstate regulations that were rolled back the last few years. We can follow the lead of towns in other states that are using grants from environmental groups to knock down vacant houses. We can also capitalize on technology to find abandoned buildings and owners. We must make businesses responsible for the messes they make so that 50 years down the road the next generation isn’t dealing with the problems we are creating today like we are.
I tell my students that Caldwell County is a special place because there are so many people here working so diligently to improve daily life.
Q: Western North Carolina continues to grow as a tourist destination. What can you do in the NCGA do to ensure that it is a community that not only benefits from this growth, but helps facilitate it?
A: We should not always indulge the tourism industry right away. They don’t always have the best intentions for small towns like ours at heart. I will do all I can to make sure projects like the 321 superstreet doesn’t leave Caldwell behind. Becoming more involved with the NCDOT however I can is going to be a big priority. Communities know their needs, so as the representative I should vote for ours, not along party lines. Protecting our environment also helps with Western North Carolina tourism.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like voters to know that I have not asked?
A: Yes. I know as a teacher you never know what your day is going to bring. I’m not used to having a lunch break. I work every moment of my day for other people. Teachers work a 12-hour day. I will work!
Also, as a teacher I am a constant learner. You can only be a good teacher if you are constantly learning. The same is true with our state representative.
Want to know more? Visit:
amandafornchouse.org
facebook.com/abregel
© Michael M. Barrick, 2018
Monday Musings
Views on relevant stuff by the Curmudgeon-in-Chief
LENOIR, N.C. – Well, didn’t we have an interesting week last week? So, lets start with the obvious …
West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin Tosses Principles Aside – Again
After the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School several years ago, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin promised to work towards reasonable controls regarding access to guns, such as background checks at gun shows. That is until the NRA reminded him who was who in the zoo. So, he caved in, clearly more concerned about re-election than the lives of children.
Manchin
Well, he’s done it again in voting to seat Brett Kavanaugh on the U.S. Supreme Court. Manchin briefly achieved his objective – his poll numbers improved a bit in his re-election bid again Tea Party tool Patrick Morrisey. That won’t last though. He has betrayed the Constitution and spit in the face of women.
Manchin has made a terrible misjudgment. He thinks that by siding with Donald Trump – who visits West Virginia regularly to campaign for Morrisey – he will be re-elected. He won’t. Nor does he deserve to be.
His “family tradition” has not been to help the people of West Virginia. His daughter, Heather Bresch, is the CEO of Mylan Pharmaceuticals, the company that raised the cost of EpiPens by 400 percent. She would not have that job if not for her dad’s connections and a questionable resume. West Virginia University cast doubt upon her claim that she had a master’s degree from the state’s flagship university. You can read about it all here.
Manchin has a net worth of over $3 million and has investments in the coal industry. In light of today’s report that we are literally killing the world (and hence ourselves) because of our addiction to fossil fuels, his wealth and ties to the coal industry reveal a man devoted to one cause – himself.
Patrick Morrissey – like all Tea Party tools – is not good for America. They are the modern version of the Flat Earth Society.
Nevertheless, it’s time for the voters of West Virginia to retire Manchin. He certainly does not represent the people or state motto – Montani Semper Liberi (Mountaineers are always free). Indeed, the opposite is true. He is a slave to power; as such, he has betrayed his calling to represent the people of West Virginia.
Missing the Greatest Generation
I am again reading “The Greatest Generation Speaks: Letters and Reflections” by Tom Brokaw. The follow-up to “The Greatest Generation,” Brokaw said the second book came about because of “ … the avalanche of letters and responses touched off by that (first) book.” The generation of my late mom and dad truly was our nation’s greatest. What made them so? A common purpose. A belief that good must triumph over evil, but to do so requires tremendous sacrifice by people. It doesn’t just randomly happen.
My generation has, in short order, undone much of the miracles performed by our parents. We are not the greatest country in the world. Not even close. As we see in this iconic scene from the TV show “The Newsroom” starring Jeff Daniels, “It sure used to be … (but) America’s not the greatest country in the world anymore.”
We have failed our parents. We have failed our nation. We won’t sacrifice because we don’t even agree anymore what the United States stands for. As Abraham Lincoln said two years before being elected president, “A nation divided against itself, cannot stand.”
We owe our parents – and our children and grandchildren – more than “working for the weekend.” Leisure has its place. However, it can quickly devolve into apathy, especially if we allow ourselves to be distracted by the toys and gadgets we accumulate.
Enough. It’s time for us to grow up. That means we are going to have to fight evil just like our parents did. Only this time, the enemy is within – in the Oval Office. The first challenge is to recognize the evil. If you don’t see it, you’re not looking. The second – and this is imperative – is to challenge and defeat Donald Trump peacefully and constitutionally.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve wanted to pick up the phone and call mom or dad to seek their wisdom. But, there are no telephones in heaven. However, Tom Brokaw has done us a great service in capturing their voices and the sacrifices they made without complaint. I suggest you pick up a copy.
On the Brink
Speaking of books, one of my dearest and oldest friends makes sure my library continues to expand. So in my mail last week was, “On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity & Getting Old” by Parker J. Palmer. I have just begun reading it, and it’s slow going because of the time spent underlining sentences, circling words and writing notes in the margin. In it, Palmer writes, “When young and old are connected like the poles of a battery, the power that’s released enlivens both parties and helps light up the world.”
I can testify to that. Most of my friends are in their 20s and 30s, introduced to me by our 30-something children. They brighten my world. They challenge my thinking. They respectfully listen!
However, there is darkness in the conversations. They are concerned about the future. Again, as we learned today, we are on the brink of extinction if we don’t address climate change. Hence, we might be well served to ponder this insight from Palmer: “But isn’t it possible we’re on the brink of flying free, or discovering something of beauty, or finding peace and joy”? Though he is referring to our last season of life, he could just as easy be referring to our nation; we are indeed, “on the brink.” My artistic, musical and philosophical young friends understand that. They, as a lot, remain hopeful.
I, however, can’t say the same. Experience or pessimism? I don’t know. I would like to believe that the optimism in Palmer’s outlook is applicable to our current national crises, and is well-founded. That, however, requires the end of tribalism and an embracing – not just tolerance – of the “other.” There are few signs of that though. Still, I look for the signs of us being on the brink of a revival of civility and cooperation. But I do so with quite low expectations.
Such is the life of a curmudgeon.
© Michael M. Barrick, 2018.
North Carolina Law Enforcement Wrong to Target Pipeline Opponents
It is Duke, Dominion and EQT that are terrorizing people
By Michael M. Barrick
Myra Bonhage-Hale, then of Alum Bridge, W.Va. holds signs with questions she had for Console about pipelines. This “activist” eventually moved out of state.
RALEIGH, N.C. – The North Carolina’s surveillance and counter-terrorism unit has conducted a “threat assessment” of opponents to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP), which is scheduled to be built in eastern North Carolina, according to North Carolina Policy Watch: “State Bureau of Investigation unit prepared “threat assessment” of Atlantic Coast Pipeline protestors.”
According to the article, “The state’s surveillance and counter-terrorism unit, the Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAAC), warned law enforcement officials that the Atlantic Coast Pipeline could attract “violent extremists” who are opposed to the natural gas project in North Carolina … .” If approved, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline will run more than 170 miles through North Carolina roughly parallel with I-95 east of Raleigh.
The law enforcement analysis could not be more misguided.
Joao Barroso makes a point with neighbors in Randolph County, W.Va. He became an “activist” to protect hundreds of acres of his pristine land.
There are terrorists involved in fracking and related pipeline development – if that’s the word the law enforcement wishes to use – but they are not the opponents to the pipeline; rather the ones terrorizing people and the environment are the corporations building the pipelines. These include Duke Energy of Charlotte, Dominion Resources of Richmond, and EQT of Pittsburgh. The latter company is the primary developer of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), another controversial pipeline being built through West Virginia and Virginia.
The ISAAC would be well served to listen to this excellent interview of Ellen M. Gilmer, a legal reporter with E&E News by West Virginia Public Radio. Gilmer offers an analysis of the court battles involving both pipelines. One listening to it will see that pipeline opponents don’t have to resort to “terrorism.” Why? They are enjoying many victories in state and federal courts. Victories, in fact, that for now have shut construction of the pipelines down.
Opponents are not wide-eyed radicals and Gilmer knows it. How do I know? In 2015, I gave her a tour of the area in northern West Virginia where both pipelines originate. While living and reporting from there, I was covering construction of the Stonewall Gas Gathering line, a 36” diameter, 55-mile pipeline. Because it did not cross state boundaries, it did not need federal approval. Nevertheless, the pipeline’s builders were terrorizing people along the entire route.
Justin McClain (L) listens as his father, Robert talks about the damage to their crops done by the Stonewall Gas Gathering Pipeline
As I took Ms. Gilmer around, I introduced her to the people most impacted by that project and introduced her to others whose land is threatened by the ACP and/or MVP. You’d have to ask her yourself, but I’m pretty sure she didn’t meet anyone that could be construed as a terrorist.
But, this is what she did see (or hear about because of time constraints):
- A farmer in Doddridge County whose crops were destroyed because of improper erosion controls upstream during pipeline construction
- Sick people throughout Doddridge County
- The local newspaper is owned, literally, by gas and oil company owners
- Citizens injured and killed by industry trucks
- Residents leaving the state
These are just but a few examples. There are several more links at the end of this article. However, one moment stands out for me. It was at an event where the fossil fuel industry and law enforcement teamed up to intimidate local citizens simply curious about the pipelines as they were first announced. It was then that I knew the fix was in. The corporations got to the legislators, who then pressured law enforcement. Now it’s happening in North Carolina. It is beyond unnecessary – it is chilling.
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang word for hydraulic fracturing, the process of injecting a fluid consisting of water, sand and chemicals at high pressure into shale. This fractures the rock, releasing natural gas, which is then extracted. In West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania the Marcellus shale, a layer of rock 3,500 – 8,000 feet below the surface, is the object of fracking. The vertical depth of the formation is about 150 feet. Whether recovered or left behind, the frack fluid presents problems. The wastewater contains not only the chemicals added to the water, but also leaving minerals and radioactive materials recovered as part of the extraction process.
Failed erosion control on construction of Stonewall Gas Gathering pipeline in West Virginia Photo by Autumn Bryson
Pipeline construction
Fracking and pipeline construction are inexorably linked. Without fracking, there is no need for a pipeline. With fracking, all the risks associated with pipeline construction serve only to aggravate the impact of the process. So, there are many good reasons (see next section below) for people to oppose the ACP and MVP. The ACP is the longest, at more than 600 miles, terminating in Robeson County, N.C.
The companies seeking approval to build the ACP have harassed land owners wishing to protect their land from the devastation that would be caused by the ACP construction, not to mention the potential danger it poses for those living alongside of it. Having learned of what the people along the proposed ACP route have endured in West Virginia and Virginia, it is clear that the people of North Carolina need political leaders who will defend them, not consider them threats.
Fracking impacts and risks (Or ‘A Dirty Dozen Reasons to Oppose Fracking’)
Dead and injured workers (here and here), explosions on fracking pads (here), dead and injured motorists (here and here), destroyed wells and streams (here), dead livestock (here) and sickened residents (here) are just some of the public health and safety risks associated with fracking. Indeed, the list is rather long. The negative by-products of fracking include:
- Public Health Issues
- Water Use and Contamination
- Radioactivity
- Air Pollution
- Waste Disposal
- Site Development and Well Pad Activity
- Misuse of Eminent Domain
- Climate Change
- Traffic Congestion
- Potential Earthquakes
- Industry Instability
The people experiencing these events and tactics do not sound like terrorists. They sound like people who are being terrorized.
A convoy of gas trucks rumble through downtown Weston, W.Va. at lunchtime.
Crony capitalism
This is not new to the fossil fuel industry. A century ago, during the West Virginia Mine Wars, as the coal companies worked to keep the unions out of the coal fields, they hired Baldwin-Felts detectives to brutalize the miners and their families. The companies also ensured that local law enforcement did their bidding.
Perhaps the most famous of these “lawmen” was Don Chafin, the sheriff of Logan County, W.Va., during the Mine Wars. According to the West Virginia Archives and History website, “In 1921, he mobilized a small army of deputies – later formally organized into the militia by order of the governor – which met the union organizers in skirmishes at Blair Mountain on the Boone – Logan county border and in the Crooked Creek section. Thousands of shots were fired and much blood shed but there were relatively few casualties. Once source says 47 were killed and more than 100 injured.
“Mingo County then the center of organizing activity, was under martial law. Union miners in Kanawha heard rumors that their comrades to the south were being mistreated. That started their march south through Boone and Logan. On their way they planned to break down Chafin’s non-union stronghold. Their favorite marching song was “Hang Don Chafin to a Sour Apple Tree.’”
ISAAC’s snooping proves beyond any doubt that efforts by the fossil fuel industry to get the likes of Don Chafin to do their bidding here and now remains alive and well.
The proper response – A moratorium on fracking
Clearly, despite industry claims, it has much to prove before we can consider fracking and related pipeline development safe. So, the only option is to operate according to the Precautionary Principle. The Science & Environmental Health Network says about the Precautionary Principle: “When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically. In this context the proponent of an activity, rather than the public, should bear the burden of proof. The process of applying the precautionary principle must be open, informed and democratic and must include potentially affected parties. It must also involve an examination of the full range of alternatives, including no action.”
Based on this definition, the only proper response is a moratorium on fracking. A moratorium remains in place only so long as the burden of proof has not been met. Should the industry, as some point in the future, demonstrate that fracking does not pose a threat to public health and the environment, the moratorium could be lifted.
Children suffering nosebleeds is just one public health hazard in fracking zones
Add me to the list
I’m a pipeline opponent. I’ve never pretended otherwise. My writing has been focused on holding the fossil fuel industry accountable for the death and destruction it has caused in Appalachia and beyond. But, I’ve never touched a soul, never issued a threat, never trespassed, never polluted streams or any of the other numerous horrors the fracking industry has done.
What I have done is exercise my First Amendment rights. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Motivated and informed by my understanding of liberation theology, I have spoken and written against fracking and related pipeline development. I’ve been part of demonstrations of assembly. In short, I’ve been one of thousands of pipeline opponents who have legally and appropriately petitioned the Government.
So, if that puts me on a threat assessment watch list, then add me to the list and watch away. I’m quite familiar with the fossil fuel industry’s tactics. The ISAAC list is one I’d be proud to be on. But it won’t stop me or any other pipeline opponents. Why? Because we understand that it is time that the people – not crony capitalists – run our state and nation.
© Michael M. Barrick, 2018
About 50 pipeline activists gathered peacably at the Preserving Sacred Appalachia gathering in April 2015 in Charleston, W.Va. Here, Tierra Curry (L), Susan Hedge and Allen Johnson lead a discussion on the sacredness of Appalachia. Photo by Keely Kernan
Other articles I’ve written about the Fossil Fuel Extraction Industry
ACP Would Require Extensive Mountaintop Removal
Atlantic Coast Pipeline Costs Outweigh Benefits, Claims Independent Study
Breaking Ground, Breaking Hearts
Citizen Groups Organizing in Response to Fracking
Citizen Groups to Unite for Water Justice in West Virginia and Beyond
Clarksburg Newspaper Editorial an Affront to West Virginians
Dominion is a Bully, not a Community Builder
Environmental Scientists, Activist Applaud Mountain Valley Pipeline Ruling
EQT Letter Characterized as Misleading and Bullying
Factual Reporting is not Always Balanced
FERC Independence Challenged by Nonprofits
Fracking Forum a Time to Learn, Unify and Act
Groups Work to Bring the Public Voice into Gas Pipeline Projects
Health and Well-Being of Residents Being Subordinated to Fracking Industry
Incompetence and Complacency Increase Dangers from Fracking
Jury in Pennsylvania Fracking Case Sees Clear Value in Lives and Property
Lewis County Resident Issues a Plea: Wake up West Virginia
Natural Gas Industry Moves from the Absurd to the Profane
Natural Gas Pipelines, the Drumbeats of War and Our Sense of Entitlement
OVEC Publishes Newspaper to Reach 29,000 West Virginians
Pipeline Proposal Raises Questions that Beg for Answers
Pipeline Monitoring Group: FERC Not Doing Job on ACP
Poor Emergency Planning in West Virginia Puts Citizens at Risk
Proposed ‘New” Route for Atlantic Coast Pipeline no Better than One Rejected, Say Opponents
Putting Liberation Theology to Practice in Appalachia
Seeking Dominion over His Own Land
Unity the Theme at ‘Preserving Sacred Appalachia’ Conference
Virginia Officials Agree to Demands from Advocacy Group about Pipeline Deliberations
West Virginia: The Rodney Dangerfield of the USA
West Virginia Residents in Heart of Fracking Field Join in National Action
West Virginians and Pennsylvanians Standing in Solidarity Against Natural Gas Industry
West Virginia’s Top Story in 2015: People and Land under Assault
Virginia DEQ Ignores Requests for Pipeline Comments
Environmental groups accuse agency of ‘foot-dragging’
MONTEREY, Va. – The Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition (DPMC) has learned that the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is just now compiling the thousands of emails and other comments citizens submitted during the comment period that ended more than a month ago.
This outrageous foot-dragging fits a pattern DEQ has set for months and heightens the likelihood of further damage to state waters by the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) and the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) before the State Water Control Board has the chance to rule on the sufficiency of waterbody crossing reviews. The Board saw a need for this information way back on April 12, based on concerns that a blanket permit from the Corps of Engineers may not be adequate to ensure Virginia’s water quality standards will be met.
Source: ACP website
On July 3, with no commitment from DEQ as to when the comments would be available to all, DPMC decided to acquire them and provide them online. We filed a records request on July 3, 2018, seeking copies of all comments sent to DEQ. The law requires the agency to provide records within five work-days or explain why it is not “practically possible” to do so in that time period.
That deadline fell on July 11 and that day DEQ told us it would not get us the emails within the required time or tell us when it would be able to do so. They said the emails had not yet been compiled so they could be provided electronically, due to technical difficulties. We then insisted we be allowed to review the emails in person on DEQ’s computers and were told this too was not possible. We reiterated that the law required better and that we would not accept DEQ’s failure to comply.
Suddenly, just two days later on July 13, DEQ gave us more than 7,000 emails. Apparently, the technical difficulties that DEQ claimed may require more than two additional weeks to solve were now solved – but only under pressure from DPMC. Why had those difficulties not been tackled and solved in the three months since the Board ordered the public notice?
We and Wild Virginia will make all of the comments available online and publish a summary within the next week. Where the Department has failed, we will pick up the slack.
We call on the Board to use this information and hold a meeting well before the currently-advertised date of August 21st and on Governor Northam to order DEQ to now move quickly to do its job. The repeated promises of transparency and sound science by administration officials have not been kept. It is now time for our officials to restore integrity to this process.
Courtesy Submission
