To the Editor:
(DeRuyter, NY – Jan. 2013) DeRuyter Citizens for a Voice recently held a fracking meeting Dec. 28 at the American Legion in DeRuyter from 6 to 10 p.m. Over 50 people attended the presentation even though it was during the holiday season and other activities were being held in the area at the same time. This event was free and open to all.
There were three presentations. The first was a slide program from two people and a Pennsylvania resident who traveled to view drilling operations in Pennsylvania. The second was another slide presentation from a man who lived in Pennsylvania and was driven out by the gas drilling. He now lives in Syracuse. The third was the viewing of the documentary Gasland.
Questions were not screened and all were answered. Missing from this meeting were any DeRuyter Town Board members, even after they were given an invitation with numerous postings of this event. Also missing was a news reporter and law enforcement.
Hopefully, Madison County Courier will put the minutes in the paper that someone is putting together at this time.
Joe Yankowski, DeRuyter
Editor’s note: The Courier has offered up to 750 words of space for the topic when complete.
Maybe your group should publish your own newspaper, since you gripe so much about not getting the coverage you deserve, you could call it “The Anti-Hydrofracking Gods.” You could distribute it for free to the Town Boards, or citizens, or whomever and they can then decide whether they wish to have it shoved in their face or toss it out in the privacy of their own home or office.
You think that because you send an invition to these people on the boards that they should drop everything in their work and personal lives to be there? These folks get many invitations to things people and groups would like them to attend and they often don’t attend other events for reasons unknown.
I’m trying to wrap my head around why you would need law enforcement there. Because you thought it would get out of control because someone who wasn’t a staunch “anti-fracker” might speak out? I can’t see where law enforcement works into this equation.
You all act as if you are better than any other group out there. Maybe you believe that your group is out there to help the public….so are the local churches, food bank, volunteers in local groups who are hands on with the people of the towns you guys are in, etc – I rarely see them get media attention as you. I can’t tell you the last time I saw any of them screaming “look at me, look at me!” or getting upset because everyone doesn’t drop everything to put a spotlight on their cause.
People have heard your “anti-fracking” points. There’s been enough coverage locally, in small papers, big papers, local news channels, national news channels that I think people get the point.
I think you need to stop taking things so personally.