California:
The Democrats’ Big Gift to Big Oil

Sep 16, 2013

The Democratic-controlled California legislature passed a bill that allows unhindered fracking in the state for at least two more years. And a spokesperson for California’s Democratic governor said that the governor would sign the bill into law. The bill states that, until the state completes an environmental study on fracking, which is due July 1, 2015, state regulators are not allowed to block oil companies’ requests for fracking.

In fact, this is the opposite of what should be done: if there is ANY question of its safety, fracking should be halted until the study is completed!

Fracking, short for “hydraulic fracturing,” means shooting pressurized water, sand and toxic chemicals into the earth, in order to free oil and natural gas trapped under rocks. Oil companies have already been doing it in many states, including California, for years, and it is well-known that fracking contaminates the underground water in large areas and increases the risk of earthquakes–obviously a major concern for earthquake-prone California.

But once again, elected state officials put big companies’ profits above the interests–and health–of California’s population. Right before the Senate vote, Democratic politicians added the amendment that allows for unhindered fracking to SB 4–which the politicians, those shameless liars, had presented as a bill that would establish safeguards against fracking!

California Democrats hold super-majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, and they also hold the governor’s office. They were not forced to give this big gift to the oil companies–they did it voluntarily. They are as much at the service of Big Business as their twin brothers, the Republicans.