Opinion

Enhanced oil and gas exploration has resulted in a huge number of jobs for Americans, inexpensive natural gas, and cheaper gasoline than would be possible without EOE. Additionally, every dollar spent on domestic oil and gas is a dollar that will not go to fund terrorists.

While I am not a resident of San Benito County, I am concerned about the potential for fracking in your area. My friend lives in a very seismically stable area in Oklahoma that rarely experienced earthquakes. Since fracking began in her region, they routinely get quakes in the 3 - 4 range, and sometimes into the 5's. Her concrete kitchen floor has cracked so badly from all the earth movement that it must be replaced. I can't image how fracking would impact an already seismically unstable area. Do you really want injection wells lubricating your fault system?

Measure J on the current November ballot will prohibit “enhanced oil production” in San Benito County. In effect it will essentially stop oil production and future oil exploration in San Benito County. The impact will be marginal to most residents – a marginal, albeit very marginal, price increase in gasoline – but significant impact on those that currently own and operate oil production facilities since they will be out of business. However, San Benito County Taxpayers might have to reimburse them for their losses if Measure J does pass. The real intent of Measure J is to ban oil by outlawing the use of hydraulic fracturing or “Fracking” here as well as the rest of California. A win here by the anti-fracking, anti-oil group, is part of their strategy to eliminate petroleum as an energy source. The best way to do that is to make oil so expensive that no one other than the major backers of Measure J can afford to drive from their homes in Silicon Valley to their ranches in South County. To accomplish this, they have to ban fracking. The simple reason is that without fracking, gasoline would be probably double what we are paying today. Measure J states that banning fracking will protect their way of life-which is exactly opposite of the truth. How would residents of San Benito County “protect their way of life” who essentially rely 100% on the automobile for transportation with gasoline at $8.00/gallon?

Sick fact! Those who take oil deep in the soil are exempt from the clean water act! Meaning anything goes, deadly chemicals they don't have to expose, no wonder why several nearby had a serious bloody nose and ignited fire out of the hose!  Trillions of gallons have been used and abused of not just hot water, prepare for a great slaughter.  

I strongly oppose Measure J because it is a bait and switch initiative based on junk science and it’s bad public policy that could open the county to millions of dollars in lawsuits and payments.

Measure J , the controversial anti-petroleum production initiative on the county-wide November ballot, is based on fear, ignorance, hatred, elitism and egregious, counterproductive land-use planning principles.

The “NO on J Campaign” has tossed around a lot of misconceptions during this campaign cycle.