Peterson Comments on ANF Suit

From Congressman John Peterson:


U.S. Representative John E. Peterson, R-Pleasantville, Member of the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee – which has jurisdiction over the Forest Service and the Allegheny National Forest – issued the following statement responding to yet another baseless, fact less, frivolous lawsuit by radical environmentalists designed to destroy the economic engine of Northwestern Pennsylvania and prevent our country from producing oil and natural gas domestically:

“Today’s lawsuit filed in Federal Court by the Sierra Club and the Allegheny Defense Project – two of the most radical, misguided groups in the country – only further demonstrates their eagerness to increase dependence on foreign energy sources and ship good paying jobs overseas.

“Having represented the ANF first in Harrisburg as a state official and now in Washington as a congressman, I remain committed to a healthy environment, while at the same time ensuring mineral right owners access to the resources they rightfully own. Today’s lawsuit throws land owners’ rights out the window in an effort to bring responsible oil and gas production to a halt in the ANF.

“The only winners if this lawsuit proceeds are foreign energy producers who now supply roughly 70 percent of the energy we consume annually in the United States. The losers are the citizens, our struggling economy and workforce, U.S. energy independence and national security”

Comments

Anonymous said…
Anne, who's language is this:"responding to yet another baseless, fact less, frivolous lawsuit by radical environmentalists designed to destroy the economic engine of Northwestern Pennsylvania and prevent our country from producing oil and natural gas domestically". Did you write that or is that something you got from Peterson?
Anne said…
As the post says:

"U.S. Representative John E. Peterson ...issued the following statement..."
Unknown said…
Mr. Peterson clearly believes the American people aren't intelligent or resourceful enough to figure out a way to meet their energy needs without selling off the last of the beauty and wildness of their land to multinational corporations. I believe that earlier this month, the American electorate made a motion for Mr. Peterson and his ilk to stuff their arrogant defeatism where the sun don't shine. I'll second that motion.
Anonymous said…
The oil produced on the Allegheny N. F. is lubricating oil, not used for gasoline production; therefore it is irrelevant to the national "energy" issue. Not only that, but the amount produced is less than a drop in the proverbial bucket in the greater scheme of things. Peterson is just so much hot air. Good riddance to "elevator Pete" and Phat Phil English, both. Ordinary citizens are weary of being forced to look at clearcuts, oil wells, and roads. God's blessing on the groups who filed this lawsuit. It's about time.

"Fifty years a hunter"
Anonymous said…
Quote
Sierra Club and the Allegheny Defense Project – two of the most radical, misguided groups in the country – only further demonstrates their eagerness to increase dependence on foreign energy sources and ship good paying jobs overseas.

You must be kidding. These people want to SAVE the environment and move towards CLEAN GREEN ENERGY. Maybe if you didn't have your head buried so deep in the oil producers you could see this. But I bet it is so dark up there you can't see a blessed thing! We need to STOP destroying Mother Earth! We all have Children and Grand children lets save some of the beauty for them to enjoy. Lets invest in wind, Solar, Hydrogen, Etc. We are all sick and tired of being screwed by big oil.
Anonymous said…
John Peterson- "yet another baseless, fact less, frivolous lawsuit by radical environmentalists designed to destroy the economic engine of Northwestern Pennsylvania".

"the Sierra Club and the Allegheny Defense Project – two of the most radical, misguided groups in the country – only further demonstrates their eagerness to increase dependence on foreign energy sources and ship good paying jobs overseas".



He just don't get it! I can't believe that in this day and age a guy in his position can be that disconnected from reality.

Why would WESB ask the opinion of a has-been? Did you also ask about his "elevator escapades"?
Anne said…
I didn't ask for his opinion. His office regularly sends me news releases, which I publish unedited on the blog.

Is there anyone who hasn't already heard about the elevator escapades?
rmauk said…
Unfortunately, the words "yet another baseless, factless, frivolous lawsuit by radical environmentalists designed to destroy the economic engine of Northwestern Pennsylvania and prevent our country from producing oil and natural gas domestically:" appear in the first paragraph and are not actually attributed to Representative Peterson.

Unfortunatly, neither the 1490 Newsblog nor Representative Peterson mention the third party in the lawsuit, the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics. More radicals I presume.

Unfortunatly, Representative Peterson's claim that the "lawsuit throws landowner's right out the window" is not correct. For once, the landowner's rights may finally be protected.

And unfortunatly, Representative Peterson had a great opportunity for a legacy of additional Wilderness in the Allegheny National Forest, but will instead be remembered for his dogged support for the extractive industries at the expense of the Forest he claims to represent.
Anne said…
In fact, the original post -- http://1490newsblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/adp-employees-sue-usfs.html -- DOES mention the third party. And, for goodness sake, I'll change the friggin' post to make it more clear.
Anne said…
I wonder where all these comments were when I posted good stuff about the American Chestnut find?
Anonymous said…
Anne, I don't get it. What does Peterson chanting foolish rhetoric and the following comments have to do with Chestnut trees?
Anne said…
I'm just curious as to why no one commented on any of the other 71 posts about the ANF. I'm probably also being ultra-sensitive because of some of the comments I rejected --they accuse me of taking sides -- which I am not doing here. I simply copied and pasted a news release.
Anonymous said…
I'm just extremely happy that Peterson is leaving. I'm betting it wasn't his idea, but nevertheless--he's almost gone. Eighteen years of the grocery store groper who never saw a Forest industry meeting he didn't like; who virtually never held a public meeting unless he was "safe" from public scrutiny. Continually protected by the "good old boy" Republican machine. We have no idea what Thompson will be like, but since Pete endorsed him; we can probably expect more of the same. It seems to take forever to get rid of bad politicians, especially with the huge contrived congressional district we now have.
Anne said…
I think Thompson will be OK. I've talked to him a few times (besides interviews which, believe me, are way different than actually talking) and I got a pretty good vibe from him. Not that I'm always right about that kind of thing, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed this time.
Anonymous said…
For the record, the Allegheny National Forest was formed to "protect the Upper Allegheny watershed". It was not formed to "store resources". It is also not a tree farm. Pay close attention to POGAM's claim they are the "dominant" owner; particularly if you own private land sans mineral rights. What they are saying is this: If we own the minerals, then we own the land. That is what they are saying about the National Forest. Their intention is to impact as many acres with drilling as they possibly can, turning the Forest into an oilfield. I wonder how many landowners, when confronted by an aggressive stance like that would be sympathetic for that attitude?? Is that the reason we all improve our properties and pay taxes?? These people are pirates.
Anonymous said…
Gee Anne, you need to grow some thicker skin. How would you like to be me for a while and get frequent death threats for what I write?

Nobody is slamming you. It obviously looked to me and others that it was YOU or WESB calling the lawsuit baseless and frivilous. No big deal.

This insane ranting from Peterson, pushed a hot button that some of us did not appreciate!

Somebody should tell him a naked man (of his stature) living in a glass house, should not throw stones!

Obviously nobody responded to other threads becasue they did not care to.

I personally didn't even notice any other comments on stuff in the ANF. I found this off a link from the Bradford Today website.

What Peterson said or sent to you was way different from what he said in the Warren Times Observer the next morning. In fact, so much so I wrote some items about it.

On your site, it made that rude, disgusting, worthless congressman look even worse than we though he was capable of.

Thank you so much for running his press release and our following comments.

And any time you think YOU are getting critizied .... come see me! LOL!
Anonymous said…
The Kane Republican just ran this press release that Peterson sent out, but they titled it "Friends of OPEC" no doubt to slam my group, "The Friends of Rim Rock".

"Friends of OPEC"? Cut me a break!

OPEC is a republican thing that most of us liberal really hate. It was formed when all the mid east oil producers were cutting each others throats to lower prices. It was a repbuclican idea to bolster prices and to set a minimum selling price, and maximum production rate. It was a tool of the oil producers to keep the price from free falling. None of "us" likes OPEC on the left. Peterson or the Kane Repbuclian got that backwards! REPUBLICANS are friends of OPEC not liberals! WE want gasoline and oil prices as low as they can go. I want to see $10 a barrel oil again!

OR if the article is calling John Peterson and his Republican cronies in Washington, the special intrests of the oil producers, then YES they are "Friends of OPEC". Right on!


John Peterson: "yet another baseless, fact less, frivolous lawsuit" ... Hold on right there! YOU Mr. Peterson are a congressman. You should represent your consituannts and go right to that federal judge and tell him, ....no, DEMAND that he don't allow any "yet another baseless, fact less, frivolous lawsuits" in OUR federal courts! SHAME ON HIM! How did this get past the leagal clerk? "Another baseless, fact less, frivolous lawsuit". Demand Bush remove him from the bench! Problem solved!

"Radical environmentalists" LOL! I laughed off my chair! "Radical environmentalists", good one.

Actually, true conservatives wanting to enforce current laws to protect the environment. Care for what God gave us properly.

"Radical environmentalists" coming from a "RADICAL WANTON, RESORCE DESTROYER" himself! John Peterson was given a ZERO for his voting for the environment by various environmental groups. One respected and conservative group said he was the worst person EVER to serve in congress as far as the environment goes. One said he voted against the environment 100% of the time. George Bush would be a "radical environmentalist" to John Peterson!


"designed to destroy the economic engine of Northwestern Pennsylvania"

YEP! THAT is the master plan! Keep it secret ...The big western PA liberal conspiricy! They, or WE, hard-working, concentious, conservative, "working stiffs" that want to protect our precious federal lands want to "destroy the economic engine of Northwestern Pennsylvania".

Didn't BUSH and his fellow republican cronies not only wreck THIS area, but the whole dam country? And John Peterson, a republican has the nerve to say anything about destroying an economy in THIS day and age??? !!! LOL! DUDE! LOOK what the oil companies did to US! AND our country!

"And prevent our country from producing oil and natural gas domestically".

Wrong again! The idea of the lawsuit is that they produce oil and gas domestically according to applicable laws, rules and regulations. The same way you or I have to follow reasonable laws, rules and regulations, in many aspects of our lives.

"The Sierra Club and the Allegheny Defense Project – two of the most radical, misguided groups in the country". OOOHHH! The old "Sierra Club" and "ADP" boogie man again. John Peterson's idea of being misguided is wanting reasonable laws followed? This coming from a guy who I wouldn't let my daughter ride in an elevator with? LOL! "Misguided"!

"Further demonstrates their eagerness to increase dependence on foreign energy sources and ship good paying jobs overseas".

No, we want to be weened from foreign oil. Reduce our use, conserve what we have, and find alternatives. Our goal from the beginning.

WHO is shipping OUR jobs overseas? Surely he jests! Being a Republican and complaining about shipping our jobs overseas? LOL! Let's talk about John Peterson and ALL the jobs HE brought home to us!!!!

We are loosing jobs and people DAILY! How many jobs did John Peterson create, and how many were lost on his watch?

WE want more jobs, and as a very important study pointed out, TOURISM is our best shot at getting new jobs. Ruining our best attraction, (specifically by oil and gas extraction and logging the ANF) is inconsistent with attracting more tourism. We need better, wide ranging jobs, not a few sawers in the woods, lumber producers that ship our natural resources to other countries, and rough-necks in the oil fields. THE REST OF US WANT JOBS! What jobs are lost when oil producers are made to follow laws they follow in other national forests?

Cut the ridiculous empty rhetoric already!

“Having represented the ANF first in Harrisburg as a state official and now in Washington as a congressman".... it is YOUR fault the ANF is in the state it's in! YOU are to blame for making it into a poor producing oil field instead of a premier National Forest! We are on the down side of a boom and bust oil industry that was preferred over building a stable and long term tourism job base.

Instead of a diverse local economy built on a wide range of "mom and pop" businesses, we put all our eggs in the logging and mineral extraction fields. Just so a very few rich special interests could make even more money at the detriment of all the others around here. Thanks Petie!

"Today’s lawsuit throws land owners’ rights out the window". It absolutely does not! WE are the landowners in the ANF who wants OUR rights respected. It's as simple as that! WE the land owners want reasonable laws followed. WE the people own the land. "They" ONLY own the subsurface minerals and they must respect OUR land to harvest them IF they are to be harvested. IF it is real, commercial, for profit "property", TAX it as such! TAX the mineral ownership because our towns, municipalities, and school systems need the money NOW!

"in an effort to bring responsible oil and gas production to a halt in the ANF". ABSOLUTELY FALSE. This is a bald face lie! The lawsuit is to ask for "responsible oil and gas production" in the ANF!

What? If you tell a lie long enough, or enough times you think it becomes truth? It does not.

“The only winners if this lawsuit proceeds are foreign energy producers who now supply roughly 70 percent of the energy we consume annually in the United States".

It's AMERICAN refineries who decide where to buy oil from. They choose to buy mid-east oil, because it's a little cheaper to buy locally produced oil, or to develop more local production in already established oil fields or regions.

Where was Peterson and the Republican administration when it came to requiring the now failed auto industry to build high efficient vehicles?

Where was their push for conservation?

Isn't most of America sick of the Republicans waving a flag and blaming anything that went wrong on "those dam liberals"? Or that stupid claim "that dam liberal media"?

WE buy foreign oil because there is more profit for the oil industry in buying foreign oil!

Don't blame liberals, or environmentalist for the American Refineries buying mid-east oil so they can make obscene profits!

"The losers are the citizens, our struggling economy and workforce, U.S. energy independence and national security" ................ WE sure are aren't we!

Amen to that! We nearly didn't make it through the eight years of the republican bush administration!

So WHAT THE HECK is Peterson's inference here? That somehow if NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) is applied in the Allegheny National Forest that the "boogie men" will come over here and kill us all?

Our nation will be attacked if NEPA is applied in the ANF like it is in other similar national forests?

How much longer to we have to listen to John Peterson's BS? I'm counting the days, hours and minutes!
Anonymous said…
But alas, because of the huge jerrymandered 5th district, we were unable to overcome the failed Republican machine the rest of the country rejected.

I saw the release the Phil English (3rd Dist.) sent out after he was trounced in the recent election by Demo Kathy Dahlkemper. All District offices are closing except for his Washington office, which will remain open until Dec. 31. He advises constituents to contact Senators Specter or Casey if they need help. Oh, that we were able to do that here in the 5th. It seems that the prize plum remains the source of election money for the people like Peterson--the ANF forest industries. I predict more right wing rhetoric in our future unless we can all wake up in two years and throw them out.
The success of the NEPA lawsuit will be the bright spot in an otherwise gloomy future for those who love the land.

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