The latest television ads bought by the oil companies against Measure J really disturbed us. A man says he is an employee of a “local” oil business, speaks with an accent and claims that Measure J will leave him unemployed. But, according to the president of the local oil business Steve Coombs, of Patriot Resources, who described their oil recovery process to my husband and others at a meeting he attended; none of those practices that are currently being used would be banned by Measure J. Steve described needing to use acid to clean scale off an existing Class II injection well used for water flooding and waste water injection and to use acid to break up drilling mud in new well borers. These methods of acid used in well maintenance would not be banned by Measure J.
My husband and I have farmed organically in San Benito County for 25 years. We employ 50 individuals year round who earn good wages and have health care insurance provided. In addition to that, our workers have free access to the farm’s produce for their own use. Our employees own houses, send their kids to college and apparently value their jobs, as our turnover rate is almost none. Our farm also does business with other local venders and our employees eat, shop and pay taxes here, as do we.
If our water supply is diminished or polluted with harmful chemicals by the only three oil recovery methods that Measure J bans, we would go out of business and we would no longer be able to provide jobs. We would no longer be able to provide our fresh, local produce to the hundreds of customers that purchase our product each week.
The really appalling thing is that the oil companies are asking our friends and neighbors to vote against us in a way that can harm us and destroy our livelihood. We would never, ever promote a business practice that could ever endanger anyone else’s livelihood, their health or our environment. But that is the latest strategy of these out-of-town oil business people: to falsely let us think that the only good jobs for Hispanic immigrants are in the oil business and if this means destroying other legitimate businesses, it is a small price to pay to ensure that they have the “freedom” to do what they want; what is best for the oil companies is what is best for everyone. The truth is, and they don’t address it in the ad, the three banned oil recovery practices could threaten many other businesses, including ours.
If we were forced out of the organic farming business and had to lay off our 50 employees, would that be the best thing for our county? Please vote yes on Measure J.
Phil and Katherine Foster
