Archived Opinion

Letter writer had it wrong about GOP

To the Editor:

The letter on Oct. 15 from my friend in Franklin titled, “Why doesn’t the GOP protect our property rights?” is a bit ludicrous in that the GOP has stood over the years for the right of citizens to own, use and accumulate property to support their families and insure the payment of college expenses for dependents.

My friend is like many who have developed an affinity for the word fracking without researching this topic with any objectivity. 

No person or governmental entity can require any private landowner to submit to fracking, drilling, mining or any disturbance of the land. Where my friend gets this idea is alien to me. This concept of extracting gas from the shale has been in these United States for more than 40 years and there have only been a very few incidents below ground and these were remedied by the requirement that the responsible party pursuant to a large posted guaranteed bond make whole the contracted landowner. 

Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, lives among us and is as concerned about our environment as the letter write. I suggest that my friend quit yelling fire in the theater and work to unsure the inclusion of a large bond in all such drilling contracts. And need I remind the Franklin alarmist that Western North Carolina, according to geological reports, has no or a pittance of shale. I tell Mr. Stenger to check the facts before frightening a populace that just might believe a bit of his spilled ink.

K.G. Watson

Maggie Valley

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.