Measure P: Are You Kidding?

Are you kidding me?

The Independent’s lack of support for Measure P states: “If fears of climate change trump your concerns about good governance, vote “yes.” But if not, vote “no.” Since when is safeguarding our county from potential environmental disaster bad governance? Measure P not only preserves the status quo, i.e., allows for continuation of conventional oil/gas exploration (and therefore any moneys that it bestows us) but also mitigates the very real potential for huge fiscal outlays when future unconventional exploration both contaminates and depletes our water table thereby destroying our agricultural infrastructure and tourism. The millions of taxpayer dollars required to compensate and remediate those disasters will far outweigh any oil company litigation threats.

It appears The Independent has swallowed the Kool-Aid from climate change deniers who preach that protecting our environment is “too costly.” Tell that to our grandchildren when they face the fallout of your shortsighted action as they struggle to find food, clean water/air, and can no longer enjoy exploring unspoiled nature. What you have essentially said with this one sentence is that destroying our planet is good.

A “yes” vote for Measure P not only helps lessen our contribution to climate change but also paves the way for a prosperous, clean-energy county that can be a show case for the rest of the state.