Tom Shepstone
Shepstone Management Company, Inc.
The Rockefeller gang, in the guise of 350.org and its affiliates is trying hard to kill the NESE project by playing Andrew Cuomo. Or, is it the opposite?
It’s amazing how easy it is to manipulate New Yorkers and, especially, the New York press. There is a major move underway right now to kill the Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline project (“NESE project”) and the Rockefeller gang is orchestrating the whole, although it can be argued Andrew Cuomo and the Rockefellers are also using each other, both pursuing their own very special interests.
One of our loyal New York City readers (and occasional critic) sends along this:
April 18: March and Rally to Stop the Williams Fracked Gas Pipeline
WHAT: New Yorkers will rally at City Hall Park and march across the Brooklyn Bridge to urge Governor Cuomo to stop the Williams NESE fracked gas pipeline before Earth Day.
WHEN: Thursday, April 18, 2019; Assemble at 5:30pm, rally at 6pm, march at 6:30pm
WHERE: Rally at New York City Hall Park and march across the Brooklyn Bridge
(Photo by Erik McGregor)
WHO: New York Communities for Change, Food & Water Watch, 350Brooklyn,350.org, Surfrider NYC Chapter, Sane Energy Project, People’s Climate Movement NY, Seeding Sovereignty, Democratic Socialist of America Ecosocialist Working Group and more!
It’s the normal nonsense—a hyped event likely to be attended by dozens—that gets all kind of press coverage from in-the-tank, politically correct folks with bylines. There are three things that got my attention, though:
- Let there be no doubt this is about orchestrating an Earth Day denial of a water quality permit to burnish Andrew Cuomo’s environment street cred for an eventual run for the Presidency, Whether he’s pushing it, or they are, is irrelevant. He wants the excitement, anticipation and Earth Day connected headlines and that’s why he’s stretching things out as long as possible.
- The organizer of this event is the Rockefeller gang. How do we know? Because the designated contact is Lindsay Meiman of 350.org, which is funded by the Rockefeller gang and the Park Foundation, through the Sustainable Markets Foundation, another Rockefeller creation managed by Fractivist Rasputin Jay Halfon, who also serves on the boards of 350.org, the Park Foundation and Earthworks and who is intimately connected to NY-PIRG, the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and the Working Families Party. The Rockefeller gang also funds Food & Water Watch, another organizer of the event.
- The organizers are also pushing hard to get a decision before the one-year provided for a water quality certification under FERC rules. They say “In the past, New York has lost its ability to deny pipelines because the State waited too long to make a decision. That’s why New Yorkers are calling on Governor Cuomo to not delay and deny the Williams fracked gas pipeline by Earth Day.”
The first two points illustrate why it’s important for NESE project supporters to be out front on everything. This will be another political decision by an unusually Machiavellian politician. All are such to some degree—it’s the nature of the beast—but no one more so than Andrew Cuomo. Absolutely no good will can be assumed as was the case when Williams was snookered by Cuomo on the Constitution Pipeline. It’s also critical to remember the powerful special interest forces at work in the core of the Big Apple. They’re rotten.
The third point, though, indicates some weakness on the part of the opposition. The significance of the Hoopa decision, discussed at length here, and which gave new life to the Constitution Pipeline, is this from the court:
“while a full year is the absolute maximum, it does not preclude a finding of waiver prior to the passage of a full year.”
The court said, in other words, the one-year deadline isn’t automatic, especially if, as is the case with everything Cuomo, the state is playing games. I tend to think that may become very important down the road.
This post appeared first on Natural Gas Now.