I recently attended a Task Force on Local Impacts of Carbon Capture and Sequestration meeting. The meeting was set for the purpose of collecting information. I went in thinking I could provide an update. Unfortunately the only update is that citizens affected by these projects are still being shrugged off, laughed at, and mocked. It is sad that the people of this state have no support. Perhaps they should all get lobbyist credentials. Maybe then their voices would be heard.
As citizens poured their hearts out about their concerns and fears, lobbyists mocked them and laughed. If the goal isn’t to wage war on these communities, it may be time to try a different approach. One comment made about someone’s attire really bothered me. Are politicians really so out of touch that seeing someone in actual work clothes catches them off-guard? What did they expect to see when they invited property owners to speak?
If you listen closely you can hear some of the laughter in the video below.
Senator-elect Valarie Hodges had this to say about the laughing and mocking of her constituents:
All in all this meeting to gather information left citizens feeling more discouraged and unheard than before. Although valid concerns were brought up, there seemed to be a lack in interest from some of the board. Some citizens felt this meeting was only to say they went through the motions.
It’s a formality that the ones that want it are doing to say they did it. We are just the peasants close enough to the capital to show up all the other areas of the state have no voice. – Eric Harrell
The committee on local impacts of CCS seemed dismissive of the concerns expressed by the local citizens impacted by the project. – Caleb Atwell
