When the Koch brothers’ money came to N.C., as it did in the 2014 elections, citizens had to wonder what it wanted from favored elected officials. Time did not wait too long to tell. Koch industries are interested in offshore drilling along miles of pristine beaches.
Gov. Pat McCrory recently hosted a closed-door meeting with elected officials and oil industry representatives about the practice. Environmentalists and stakeholders were not invited. Dirty oil wants to explore below N.C. waters, touting many new jobs.
Anytime industries want to exploit the environment, there is the promise of jobs. Big money, big profit is to be made, and there has to be something in it for the little guy. The message of jobs is how polluting industries entice support for their dirty and risky plans. There will be thousands of jobs if people allow their environment to be compromised. The big oil money will return to the beach communities, and all will be well.
Who can turn down the promise of jobs? There will be thousands of new jobs in the year 2020. These jobs won’t pay anybody’s current bills; they are projected, mostly hypothetical. These jobs are part of the governor’s talking points. Understand that the oil industry is good, and its high-paying jobs will prove it. Understand there’ll be revenue.
Sometimes I think that Gov. McCrory isn’t at all happy with the state that he leads.
He always wants to do a makeover. Commercial fishing and tourism are successful industries in North Carolina. They take into account our bountiful and beautiful environment. He doesn’t take into account our clean ocean water and beaches. He wants the fossil fuel industry to put its grimy handprint on our best resources. Has he sold out to the highest bidder when it comes to what makes our state so special?
I think so. Offshore drilling is coming to N.C. There will be a phony debate, and the oil corporations will win. They will have their way despite protests from the public.
Environmentalists will come armed with facts about the authentic risks to fish and sea animals. Industry “experts” will assure safety. They will testify to the drilling’s insignificant impact on the environment. The rigs will eventually come and take the oil.
Unfortunately, we live at a time when public servants no longer serve the people’s interests. Politicians are bent on meeting corporate goals. The politicians believe that “money talks” more than any other time in recent history. The U. S. Supreme Court opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate campaign cash with “Citizens United.” Corporations run American politics; they control elected officials. Oil companies will dictate the future of our state, and the governor will go along. The people have lost clout.
Some could call it cynical to assert that the ordinary people no longer have a say in their affairs. It truly doesn’t feel good to think that. Yet, I believe that our state is in danger of becoming like West Virginia, a poor state that sold its great natural beauty to profiteers. Coal companies made all sorts of promises to workers. People wanted jobs. Now the state is dependent on coal, a dirty outdated energy source.
Oil offers a similar prospect. With man-made climate change, fossil fuel isn’t the future.
While I predict that the oil industry will prevail, the people, the environmentalists, the commercial fishermen, and the tourism industry should not go down without a fight. Corporations must know that many people care about offshore drilling and are aware of its risks. Corporate dominance must not stop the opposition from speaking out.
Kristine Kaiser is a writer living in Kernersville. Contact her for comments at: mmcclane4@yahoo.com. Representations of fact and opinions are solely those of the author.
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