"The Declaration (of Independence) specifically mentions three rights which human beings possess by birth or by nature-life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. No one may rightfully deny us these things. Nor, since they are "unalienable," may we rightfully surrender them.
It is worth remarking that the Declaration does not proclaim a right to happiness itself. Happiness is not something we have by nature. Rather we are born with minds and talents that we may use to pursue happiness.
The Declaration says that these three rights are "among" our natural rights. We have others in addition. Among the most important of these are the rights of conscience and property. These are among the rights specifically guaranteed in the Constitution's first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights.
The right of conscience means religious freedom. As explained in the Virginia Declaration of Rights of 1776: "religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience." Each of us has a right to worship God in his own way and time.
As for property rights, they were at the heart of the dispute which led to the American Revolution. When Americans at the time listed the rights of man, they often said "life, liberty, and property." Boston's 1772 "Rights of the Colonists" were typical: "Among the natural rights of the colonists are these: First, a right to life; secondly to liberty; thirdly to property." As with happiness, this is not a right to property itself, but a right to use one's talents to acquire property, and to use it as one sees fit, as long as one does not injure oneself or others." -- from The Claremont Institute website www.Founding.com
The argument for the Community Bill of Rights is based the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and the Bill of Rights which are the the highest laws of our nation and have precedence over state or local laws.
We, the people of Youngstown, have the right to define additional unalienable rights in order to protect our bodies and property from toxic trespass and the potential for financial harm that high volume slick water hydraulic fracturing (fracking) will cause to our local environment; to wait until our bodies or our property are irreversibly harmed would be irresponsible.
In the many communities that have enacted Community Bill of Rights laws or charter amendments over the last 3 years NONE have ever been challenged in court; to do so would require the plaintiff to argue that citizens do not have such rights.
Early voting has already started, please vote YES on the Community Bill of Rights; to protect yourself and your family.
As more and more scientific studies come out the evidence is overwhelming that slick water hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is dangerous and potentially deadly.
This is why we can not allow this activity in the Meander Reservoir Watershed.
"“We found measurable amounts of methane in 85 percent of the samples, but levels were 17 times higher on average in wells located within a kilometer of active hydrofracking sites,” says Stephen Osborn, postdoctoral research associate at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment. "
Why has the Vindicator chosen to ignore the President of Council race in Youngstown???? There is coverage of the Girard President of Council race, why are the candidates profiles not posted. Is this simply a case of inept civic duty, or is there a concerted effort to hide the challengers to the status quo from public view? What does it take to get fair election coverage from the Vindicator? How much advertising must a candidate buy?
"The Declaration (of Independence) specifically mentions three rights which human beings possess by birth or by nature-life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. No one may rightfully deny us these things. Nor, since they are "unalienable," may we rightfully surrender them.
It is worth remarking that the Declaration does not proclaim a right to happiness itself. Happiness is not something we have by nature. Rather we are born with minds and talents that we may use to pursue happiness.
The Declaration says that these three rights are "among" our natural rights. We have others in addition. Among the most important of these are the rights of conscience and property. These are among the rights specifically guaranteed in the Constitution's first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights.
The right of conscience means religious freedom. As explained in the Virginia Declaration of Rights of 1776: "religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience." Each of us has a right to worship God in his own way and time.
As for property rights, they were at the heart of the dispute which led to the American Revolution. When Americans at the time listed the rights of man, they often said "life, liberty, and property." Boston's 1772 "Rights of the Colonists" were typical: "Among the natural rights of the colonists are these: First, a right to life; secondly to liberty; thirdly to property." As with happiness, this is not a right to property itself, but a right to use one's talents to acquire property, and to use it as one sees fit, as long as one does not injure oneself or others." -- from The Claremont Institute website www.Founding.com
The argument for the Community Bill of Rights is based the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and the Bill of Rights which are the the highest laws of our nation and have precedence over state or local laws.
We, the people of Youngstown, have the right to define additional inalienable rights in order to protect our bodies and property from toxic trespass and the potential for financial harm that high volume slick water hydraulic fracturing (fracking) will cause to our local environment; to wait until our bodies or our property are irreversibly harmed would be irresponsible.
In the many communities that have enacted Community Bill of RIghts laws or charter amendments over the last 3 years NONE have ever been challenged in court; to do so would require the plaintiff to argue that citizens do not have such rights.
Early voting has already started, please vote YES on the Community Bill of RIghts; to protect yourself and your family.
Pittsburgh PA passed a Citizens Rights based ban on Hydraulic Fracturing in 2010 it is still in effect and has not been legally challenged by any company, existing businesses are still expanding and new businesses are still moving to Pittsburgh.
The Youngstown ban is a copy of the ban in Pittsburgh, so this groups claims that "The law... could be interpreted as outlawing aerosol deodorants, certain cosmetics, and existing gas and oil wells" are inaccurate at best and quite possibly bold faced lies.
The citizens of Youngstown should pay attention to the members of this group that are trying to take away YOUR RIGHTS!
Pittsburgh PA passed a Citizens Rights based ban on Hydraulic Fracturing in 2010 it is still in effect and has not been legally challenged by any company, existing businesses are still expanding and new businesses are still moving to Pittsburgh.
The Youngstown ban is a copy of the ban in Pittsburgh, so this groups claims that "The law... could be interpreted as outlawing aerosol deodorants, certain cosmetics, and existing gas and oil wells" are inaccurate at best and quite possibly bold faced lies.
The citizens of Youngstown should pay attention to the members of this group that are trying to take away YOUR RIGHTS!
Here is the section that amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to exempt hydraulic fracturing; which is often referred to as the "Haliburton Loophole".
[109th Congress Public Law 58] [From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[DOCID: f:publ058.109]
[[Page 593]]
ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 2005
[[Page 119 STAT. 594]]
Public Law 109-58 109th Congress
Subtitle C--Production
SEC. 322. HYDRAULIC FRACTURING.
Paragraph (1) of section 1421(d) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300h(d)) is amended to read as follows: ``(1) Underground injection.--The term `underground injection'-- ``(A) means the subsurface emplacement of fluids by well injection; and ``(B) excludes-- ``(i) the underground injection of natural gas for purposes of storage; and ``(ii) the underground injection of fluids or propping agents (other than diesel fuels) pursuant to hydraulic fracturing operations related to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities.''.
This is what a shale gas well site looks like in pre-production. Take an area the size of a football field and park about 100 semi trucks on it, the drilling rig is in the center usually so you might only see the tower portion. There are storage tanks for flowback that are open vented and emit VOC's into the air, from 10-20 huge diesel engines mounted on 40 foot trailers that emit the same amount of particulates and CO2 as 50-100 Semi-trucks at full power which are run 24/7 when the fracking process is occurring 5-9 days per frack and 6-12 fracks per well and up to 20 wells per site. As for noise think about living next to a busy downtown bus terminal, no not Youngstown or even Cleveland more like Los Angeles or NYC sized bus terminal running 24/7 without interruption for a week (unless there is an accident).
Lets do the math: 7days per frac times 10 fracs per well times 8 wells per site equals 560 days of heavy industrial activity
This is what you can expect to be in an urban or suburban neighborhood. In addition is has been estimated that for each fully completed well there will be approximately 3000 truck loads of equipment and supplies times 8 wells on avg. per site equals 24,000 truck loads times 2 for each round trip equals 56,000 trucks driving over city streets that were never designed for this kind of use.
Now lets take the 56,000 trucks and divide that by the 560 days of heavy industrial activity and that comes to 100 trucks per day that may be driving through your neighborhood, or past your children's school.
How exactly is this good for our communities?
When you consider that other counties that are a few years into this drilling boom are experiencing a 30% increase in emergency response calls and and a 10% increase in jail population (mostly Texas and Oklahoma drivers licenses) while seeing virtually no increase in revenues to the local government, what programs will have to be cut to fund this additional burden on our fire and police budgets?
Anti-fracking issue on May 7 ballot triggers controversy: Can it be enforced?
"The Declaration (of Independence) specifically mentions three rights which human beings possess by birth or by nature-life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. No one may rightfully deny us these things. Nor, since they are "unalienable," may we rightfully surrender them.
It is worth remarking that the Declaration does not proclaim a right to happiness itself. Happiness is not something we have by nature. Rather we are born with minds and talents that we may use to pursue happiness.
The Declaration says that these three rights are "among" our natural rights. We have others in addition. Among the most important of these are the rights of conscience and property. These are among the rights specifically guaranteed in the Constitution's first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights.
The right of conscience means religious freedom. As explained in the Virginia Declaration of Rights of 1776: "religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience." Each of us has a right to worship God in his own way and time.
As for property rights, they were at the heart of the dispute which led to the American Revolution. When Americans at the time listed the rights of man, they often said "life, liberty, and property." Boston's 1772 "Rights of the Colonists" were typical: "Among the natural rights of the colonists are these: First, a right to life; secondly to liberty; thirdly to property." As with happiness, this is not a right to property itself, but a right to use one's talents to acquire property, and to use it as one sees fit, as long as one does not injure oneself or others." -- from The Claremont Institute website www.Founding.com
The argument for the Community Bill of Rights is based the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and the Bill of Rights which are the the highest laws of our nation and have precedence over state or local laws.
We, the people of Youngstown, have the right to define additional unalienable rights in order to protect our bodies and property from toxic trespass and the potential for financial harm that high volume slick water hydraulic fracturing (fracking) will cause to our local environment; to wait until our bodies or our property are irreversibly harmed would be irresponsible.
In the many communities that have enacted Community Bill of Rights laws or charter amendments over the last 3 years NONE have ever been challenged in court; to do so would require the plaintiff to argue that citizens do not have such rights.
Early voting has already started, please vote YES on the Community Bill of Rights; to protect yourself and your family.
April 28, 2013 at 6:57 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Vote no on charter amendment
As more and more scientific studies come out the evidence is overwhelming that slick water hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is dangerous and potentially deadly.
This is why we can not allow this activity in the Meander Reservoir Watershed.
"“We found measurable amounts of methane in 85 percent of the samples, but levels were 17 times higher on average in wells located within a kilometer of active hydrofracking sites,” says Stephen Osborn, postdoctoral research associate at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment. "
http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/hydrofra...
April 28, 2013 at 3:38 p.m. permalink suggest removal
3 Dems are running in Youngstown mayoral primary
Why has the Vindicator chosen to ignore the President of Council race in Youngstown???? There is coverage of the Girard President of Council race, why are the candidates profiles not posted. Is this simply a case of inept civic duty, or is there a concerted effort to hide the challengers to the status quo from public view? What does it take to get fair election coverage from the Vindicator? How much advertising must a candidate buy?
April 28, 2013 at 2:39 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Vote no on charter amendment
"The Declaration (of Independence) specifically mentions three rights which human beings possess by birth or by nature-life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. No one may rightfully deny us these things. Nor, since they are "unalienable," may we rightfully surrender them.
It is worth remarking that the Declaration does not proclaim a right to happiness itself. Happiness is not something we have by nature. Rather we are born with minds and talents that we may use to pursue happiness.
The Declaration says that these three rights are "among" our natural rights. We have others in addition. Among the most important of these are the rights of conscience and property. These are among the rights specifically guaranteed in the Constitution's first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights.
The right of conscience means religious freedom. As explained in the Virginia Declaration of Rights of 1776: "religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience." Each of us has a right to worship God in his own way and time.
As for property rights, they were at the heart of the dispute which led to the American Revolution. When Americans at the time listed the rights of man, they often said "life, liberty, and property." Boston's 1772 "Rights of the Colonists" were typical: "Among the natural rights of the colonists are these: First, a right to life; secondly to liberty; thirdly to property." As with happiness, this is not a right to property itself, but a right to use one's talents to acquire property, and to use it as one sees fit, as long as one does not injure oneself or others." -- from The Claremont Institute website www.Founding.com
The argument for the Community Bill of Rights is based the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and the Bill of Rights which are the the highest laws of our nation and have precedence over state or local laws.
We, the people of Youngstown, have the right to define additional inalienable rights in order to protect our bodies and property from toxic trespass and the potential for financial harm that high volume slick water hydraulic fracturing (fracking) will cause to our local environment; to wait until our bodies or our property are irreversibly harmed would be irresponsible.
In the many communities that have enacted Community Bill of RIghts laws or charter amendments over the last 3 years NONE have ever been challenged in court; to do so would require the plaintiff to argue that citizens do not have such rights.
Early voting has already started, please vote YES on the Community Bill of RIghts; to protect yourself and your family.
April 28, 2013 at 2:23 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Shale drilling controversies — who's wrong, who's right
Pittsburgh PA passed a Citizens Rights based ban on Hydraulic Fracturing in 2010 it is still in effect and has not been legally challenged by any company, existing businesses are still expanding and new businesses are still moving to Pittsburgh.
The Youngstown ban is a copy of the ban in Pittsburgh, so this groups claims that "The law... could be interpreted as outlawing aerosol deodorants, certain cosmetics, and existing gas and oil wells" are inaccurate at best and quite possibly bold faced lies.
The citizens of Youngstown should pay attention to the members of this group that are trying to take away
YOUR RIGHTS!
April 6, 2013 at 12:50 a.m. permalink suggest removal
Group forms to fight anti-fracking issue
Pittsburgh PA passed a Citizens Rights based ban on Hydraulic Fracturing in 2010 it is still in effect and has not been legally challenged by any company, existing businesses are still expanding and new businesses are still moving to Pittsburgh.
The Youngstown ban is a copy of the ban in Pittsburgh, so this groups claims that "The law... could be interpreted as outlawing aerosol deodorants, certain cosmetics, and existing gas and oil wells" are inaccurate at best and quite possibly bold faced lies.
The citizens of Youngstown should pay attention to the members of this group that are trying to take away
YOUR RIGHTS!
April 5, 2013 at 10:49 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Group forms to fight anti-fracking issue
Here is the section that amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to exempt hydraulic fracturing; which is often referred to as the "Haliburton Loophole".
[109th Congress Public Law 58]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[DOCID: f:publ058.109]
[[Page 593]]
ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 2005
[[Page 119 STAT. 594]]
Public Law 109-58
109th Congress
Subtitle C--Production
SEC. 322. HYDRAULIC FRACTURING.
Paragraph (1) of section 1421(d) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42
U.S.C. 300h(d)) is amended to read as follows:
``(1) Underground injection.--The term `underground
injection'--
``(A) means the subsurface emplacement of fluids by
well injection; and
``(B) excludes--
``(i) the underground injection of natural gas
for purposes of storage; and
``(ii) the underground injection of fluids or
propping agents (other than diesel fuels) pursuant
to hydraulic fracturing operations related to oil,
gas, or geothermal production activities.''.
And here is the link to the full document: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-109...
April 5, 2013 at 10:34 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Major retailer in Liberty goes green with solar panels
It is Walmart, Would you expect them ti have anything that is not made in China?
October 23, 2012 at 11:45 a.m. permalink suggest removal
Do you believe fracking will occur on Mill Creek Park land?
That is a poorly worded question for a poll.
The question you should have asked the public is "Do you believe 'fracking' should occur in Mill Creek Park"?
This appears to be the question that the answers are reflective off.
October 23, 2012 at 11:43 a.m. permalink suggest removal
Drilling moves toward suburbia in Mahoning Valley
This is what a shale gas well site looks like in pre-production. Take an area the size of a football field and park about 100 semi trucks on it, the drilling rig is in the center usually so you might only see the tower portion. There are storage tanks for flowback that are open vented and emit VOC's into the air, from 10-20 huge diesel engines mounted on 40 foot trailers that emit the same amount of particulates and CO2 as 50-100 Semi-trucks at full power which are run 24/7 when the fracking process is occurring 5-9 days per frack and 6-12 fracks per well and up to 20 wells per site. As for noise think about living next to a busy downtown bus terminal, no not Youngstown or even Cleveland more like Los Angeles or NYC sized bus terminal running 24/7 without interruption for a week (unless there is an accident).
Lets do the math:
7days per frac times
10 fracs per well times
8 wells per site equals
560 days of heavy industrial activity
This is what you can expect to be in an urban or suburban neighborhood. In addition is has been estimated that for each fully completed well there will be approximately 3000 truck loads of equipment and supplies times 8 wells on avg. per site equals 24,000 truck loads times 2 for each round trip equals 56,000 trucks driving over city streets that were never designed for this kind of use.
Now lets take the 56,000 trucks and divide that by the 560 days of heavy industrial activity and that comes to 100 trucks per day that may be driving through your neighborhood, or past your children's school.
How exactly is this good for our communities?
When you consider that other counties that are a few years into this drilling boom are experiencing a 30% increase in emergency response calls and and a 10% increase in jail population (mostly Texas and Oklahoma drivers licenses) while seeing virtually no increase in revenues to the local government, what programs will have to be cut to fund this additional burden on our fire and police budgets?
October 14, 2012 at 9:39 a.m. permalink suggest removal