Day 24
Reminder: DEC Commenting is open again until May 14th, 2015.
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Today is May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day. Having just paid your taxes, think about where you’d like your hard-earned tax money to go. Would you want it to subsidize the building of fracked-gas pipelines in New York? I didn’t think so. Read on….
Today’s Topic: The “Constitution” Pipeline would not bring substantial tax revenue to the communities along its route, as has been claimed.
Suggested Talking Points:
- Pipeline companies like to claim that great tax-revenue benefits await the needy rural communities in which their pipelines will be built.
- The fact is that communities will need to expend substantial tax dollars to repair local roads and bridges that are damaged by the pipeline company’s construction machinery and trucks.
- Properties that are difficult to sell because of banks unwilling or unable to provide financing lowers the value of those properties. This includes properties crossed by high-pressure fracked-gas pipelines.
- Property tax revenue collected by towns will be reduced once properties crossed by fracked-gas pipelines are reassessed at lower values.
- Pipeline companies in upstate New York have long histories of doing everything in their power to get out of paying the tax money they initially tempt our lawmakers with. Numerous lawsuits have been brought against counties to have these taxes reduced.
- Local governments in New York have resorted to giving these out-of-state corporations significant PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) tax breaks. This amounts to local residents subsidizing the construction of the pipeline and its related infrastructure.
- Ultimately, there is little, if any, net benefit to local communities. The profit from Constitution Pipeline will go to the out-of-state pipeline company. The damage left behind will be ours. The cleanup responsibility will belong to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). And the bill for the cleanup will go to the taxpaying citizens of New York.
- I’m asking Governor Cuomo to protect the economic viability of upstate New York communities by working to have his DEC deny the 401 water quality permits needed to construct the Constitution Pipeline.
Call today, call tomorrow!
Call, call, CALL. Governor Cuomo: 518-474-8390. Press #3 to speak with a representative.
If you are extremely shy or have already called and want to double the impact of your message…cut and paste the topic and bullet points above and email the Governor: gov.cuomo@chamber.state.ny.us
Last request: SHARE this email with everyone you know. Together, we will stop this pipeline AND the spread of fracked-gas infrastructure in New York State.
Make a Donation to help Stop The Pipeline
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- Call Governor Cuomo right now at 518-474-8390. Press #3 to speak with a representative. If you leave a voice message, be sure to spell your name and include your zip code.
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- Double your impact by sending today’s topic and bullet points to the governor
gov.cuomo@chamber.state.ny.us
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- AND to these decision-makers:
- Attorney General Eric Schneiderman
212-416-8000;
eric.schneiderman@ag.ny.gov
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- DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens:
518-402-8545;
joe.martens@dec.ny.gov
Dr. Howard Zucker, Acting Commissioner of Health:
518-474-2011
dohweb@health.ny.gov
Each weekday, from now until May 11th, Stop the Pipeline will focus on a different reason why the Constitution Pipeline would be harmful to New York’s land, water, air and people.
YOUR phone calls are what helped us win a ban on fracking in New York. YOUR phone calls will help us stop the Constitution Pipeline, too.
A Quick Snapshot
This 30-inch-diameter, 124-mile-long high-pressure pipeline would carry fracked gas from Pennsylvania, through the forests, farms, fields and front yards of New York residents, and on to Canada for export.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) can stop this Un-Constitutional Pipeline by DENYING the necessary permits.
How can you help?
Use the talking points in this email to tell Governor Cuomo and others why this project should be stopped.
Feel free to elaborate on how the pipeline would adversely affect you, your home, business, family, friends and neighbors.
Call Governor Cuomo right now at 518-474-8390. Press #3 to speak with a representative.
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