Water is our most Precious Resource

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Why Should You Vote for David Sager?

Following is a letter recently posted that fully describes David Sager's agenda:

October 2010

Dear Friends and Supporters,

It's hard to believe it's already October with only two weeks to go until Election Day on November 2nd! The Sager for Senate Campaign is working hard each day, making huge strides in getting the word out to as many voters as possible about the reform platform of the Sager candidacy and the significant differences between David and his opponent, the ethically challenged John Bonacic.

It is becoming more and more obvious to people why they should vote for David Sager over an entrenched incumbent like John Bonacic but, we need your help to extend our reach. Your continued support and donations will help us to effectively execute our media plan through radio, print advertisements and mailings right up through election day.

David has traveled across the 42nd Senate District and has had the opportunity to meet thousands of wonderful and concerned residents. By now, many of you have had the chance to get to know David, and you have seen and heard what a great Senator he will be for us. The energy, passion, and issues he has defined as urgent prove that there is no substitute for hard work and integrity.

But, let's not kid ourselves. Forging a victory over an incumbent with a war chest the size of John Bonacic's won't be easy. We still have a lot of work in front of us reaching more voters.

In order to be successful on our road to the New York State Senate, we continue to need your help - It's as simple as logging onto and clicking the blue ACT BLUE button to donate on-line or please consider sending a donation to support David Sager for Senate. You can do this by mailing a check to: David Sager for State Senate, PO Box 295, Jeffersonville, New York 12748.

If you feel, as many New Yorkers do, that there is a difference between government as it is and government as it should be, then meet David Sager Democratic candidate for New York's 42nd Senatorial district.

ABOUT DAVID SAGER

David Sager has spent the greater part of his life in the 42nd State Senate District. He grew up in the Village of Monticello in Sullivan County, the son of a small business owner and an elementary school teacher. After graduating from Monticello High School in 1989, he went on to receive a degree as a Doctor of Chiropractic from New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls, New York, after which he returned to his roots in Sullivan County. It is in this rural agricultural region of Western Sullivan County that David lives with his wife Michelle and their two young sons, Owen and Dylan.

In 1999, David Sager became the youngest county-wide elected coroner in Sullivan County history and was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2003 to a second term. In 2007, he ran for the Sullivan County Legislature, where he has served for the past two and a half years. Now, in 2010, he is running as a Democratic candidate for the 42nd District Senatorial seat in Albany.

DAVID'S PLATFORM

ETHICS REFORM - David Sager believes in the law, good government and its ability to work for everyone. David will fight for tougher laws that govern both individual behavior and conflict of interest thresholds by politicians and stricter laws to govern campaign finance. Sager's platform is based on proposal forwarded by the Brennan Center at New York University.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - David Sager is an advocate for forward-thinking, and environmentally sound, regional growth. He believes in “smart growth” and development which both provides economic growth and appropriate and meaningful stewardship over our water and and land. He believes the 42nd Senate district can become an east coast Silicon Valley for alternative energy.

AGRICULTURE - As State Senator, he will work to make sure that farmers get the respect and compensation they deserve for the products they provide and vital role they play in our communities.

PROPERTY TAX REFORM - David Sager wants to fight to make significant changes in the way education is paid for through property taxes. He also wants to have an open discussion about the qualifications for tax-exempt status.

EDUCATION - David Sager believes that as global economic competition increases, education is paramount in providing our future generations with the proper tools for success. He believes we need to rethink some of our basic notions about what we teach and how we teach it. For instance, he asks, “Why are our schools not teaching Mandarin.?”

FLOOD MITIGATION/NYC WATERSHED - David Sager will work aggressively with the NYDEC to provide effective, lasting and environmentally sensitive flood relief to local residents while working with city and state officials, to bring everybody to the table in order to meet the challenges of providing safe water for everyone.

GAS DRILLING - David is willing to ask the most difficult questions not only about the environment and drinking water, but also about home rule and the right for towns to have a say in their destiny (including site plan review by local planning boards, infrastructure and road maintenance, and quality of life).

EQUALITY - David Sager believe in the rights of citizens to enjoy personal privacy and exercise their constitutional rights free from discrimination of any type, whether it be based upon age, color, creed, national origin, gender or sexual orientation is basic to every human being's right to secure happiness for themselves and those most dear to them. David supports marriage equality.

Vote for David Sager because Albany cannot change by itself!

Monday, October 18, 2010

MUST-SEE VIDEO!

Click Here to Watch the Video!

James Northrup tells New Yorkers exactly what to expect with hydrofracking, based on his career in the gas industry.

Fight Hydrofracking in the Voting Machine

The midterm elections are coming up very soon. This is one of our biggest opportunities to tell the New York Government: NO FRACKING WAY!! So make sure you know whether your candidates are funded by Big Gas/Big Oil, or are truly interested in representing YOUR health and safety!

I'll tell you right off: Jon Bonacic has flip-flopped on hydrofracking; he conveniently changed his position earlier this year but I can GUARANTEE you that he will flip back to the other side once these elections are over!!

On the other hand, David Sager is a die-hard "NO fracking unless you prove it's safe" candidate. He absolutely has our best interests at heart.

(If you're unfamiliar with the term HYDROFRACKING, please view my YouTube Channel which explains it, or watch GASLAND, an award winning documentary on this horrific practice which is all about GREED and annihilation)

Here's a critical issue. The Army Corps of Engineers has authority of the Delaware River Basin Commission, which is very quickly approaching a deadline where it will decide whether or not to continue a hydrofracking moratorium in the Delaware River area, which includes northern Pennsylvania and southern New York. The Army Corps of Engineer has said, "Go ahead and Frack." President Obama actually authorized this insanity! If you are one of 15 million people who rely on drinking water from the Delaware River (PA, NJ, NY), you need to take action NOW by following the steps below; your voice is critical!!

ACTION: Swamp the DRBC with postcards
Pick up 3 postcards from your post office and, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, mail them with brief handwritten messages (suggestions below) to:
- Carol Collier, Executive Director, DRBC
- Mark Klotz (NYS’ Representative on the DRBC)
- Brigadier General Peter DeLuca (Federal Representative)
C/O Delaware River Basin Commission
25 State Police Drive
P.O. Box 7360
West Trenton, NJ 08628-0360

Hand-write short, simple messages on the postcards such as the following:
“Please do not allow gas drilling in the Delaware River Basin to threaten the drinking water for 15 million people and turn this protected waterway and its basin into an industrial zone.” 

“NYC and Philly have passed resolutions for an extended moratorium to study first before drilling.  That's 10 million people making this request!  Can you hear us now?”

“Dear DRBC: don't make the Delaware watershed an experiment.  Study first before drilling.” 

“Protect our drinking water.  Let science guide policy.  Secure the results of the EPA hydraulic drilling study and the US Geological Survey study first before devising appropriate regulations for drilling.”

“What's the hurry?  No shale gas drilling job is worth the harm to one infant's brain development or one person's organ damage caused by fracking contamination.  Do you want their health (deaths!) on your head?”

ACTION: Write the President
Below is a sample letter on this issue to President Obama for you to add your name, address, and date, or to personalize and revise.  The President must hear from us on this issue and understand that gas extraction is not the path we should pursue when wind and solar energy are the future. (See recent New York Times front page article on the off-shore (East coast) wind energy transmission system investment by Google’s founder:   

Renewable Energy Now!

Sample Letter:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Obama:

I was deeply disappointed to read the article under the headline, “Obama Admin Rejects Timeout for Natural Gas Drilling in N.Y., Pa.” (New York Times September 22, 2010). Moreover, I was horrified to learn that Brig. Gen. Peter "Duke" DeLuca, commander of the North Atlantic Division of the Army Corps of Engineers, declined a request from Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) to use the federal government's vote on the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to seek a temporary ban on gas drilling in the Delaware Watershed until the Commission can complete the first cumulative impact study of drilling’s effects in the Basin.

This watershed provides drinking water to more than 15 million people who live in Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, and New Jersey — 5% of the country's population.

I ask for your commitment to (1) instruct Commissioner DeLuca to cast the federal government’s vote on the DRBC in favor of a gas drilling moratorium in the Delaware River Watershed until the EPA’s current study on hydraulic fracturing’s effects on drinking water, and a USGS cumulative impact study have demonstrated its safety; (2) work with Congress to sign The Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act (FRAC Act) into law to plug the “Halliburton Loophole” and restore EPA regulatory authority over hydraulic fracturing under the Safe Water Drinking Act; and (3) work with Congress to repeal all subsidies for oil and gas drilling and all forms of fossil fuels.

Many communities in Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Pennsylvania, among others, are already suffering from poisoned water supplies and severe air pollution caused by hydraulic fracturing. There have been numerous reports of serious health issues suffered by people in areas where hydraulic fracturing has taken place, and I am greatly troubled by the prospects for long term pollution and public health impacts from this hazardous practice. The majority of the toxic and carcinogenic fracking fluids remain in the ground to migrate potentially into faults, pristine aquifers, and our country’s water supplies.

This is unacceptable. The gas industry continues to tout natural gas a clean “bridge” fuel, even as evidence mounts that the flawed hydraulic fracturing process for extracting natural gas may actually be worse for the environment than coal. We must not sacrifice the health and well-being of future generations and our environment for an ill-advised, short-term energy fix. Instead, we should augment policies on which you campaigned that encourage energy conservation and provide incentives for the development of truly renewable and sustainable green energy.

Hydraulic fracturing and taxpayer subsidies to big oil and gas companies are important issues that have galvanized voters. I implore your Administration to prioritize the vital health and environmental interests of the American people over multi-national corporate drilling interests.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

IF you can take the time to perform these 2 actions, you might just be making an extraordinary difference in the outcome of the Hydrofracking Fight!

Thank you for reading!