Portland, ME: Big Oil's Bid to Crush Small Town Stand Against Tar Sands

[unhappycamper]

Last edited Tue Oct 29, 2013, 07:38 AM - Edit history (1)

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/10/28-2



Protect South Portland rallies in favor of the Waterfront Protection Ordinance

Big Oil's Bid to Crush Small Town Stand Against Tar Sands
- Sarah Lazare, staff writer
Published on Monday, October 28, 2013 by Common Dreams

Big Oil is sparing no expense in its bid to crush efforts by residents of South Portland, Maine who are taking the fossil fuel industry head-on to save their waterfront from tar sands.

Campaign finance reports revealed Friday that the oil industry has poured over $600,000 into a campaign to defeat the Waterfront Protection Ordinance—a land-use zoning ordinance up for referendum in the November election, that is backed by grassroots organizations and would block oil industry efforts to build a tar sands export facility.

The oil industry is likely to break all records on campaign spending in this coastal town of 25,000 people, out-spending local environmental and community groups six-to-one.

"Oil industry spending is completely over the top," said Robert Sellin, from the group Protect South Portland, in a phone interview with Common Dreams. "Clearly they have all the money. We are talking about some of the wealthiest corporations in the world. They do not want a community to stand up for itself. They are going to do everything they can to squash our initiative and discourage other jurisdictions."

[riverbendviewgal]

1. ?? your link

[unhappycamper]

2. D'oh

[riverbendviewgal]

3. good citizens

Hope they succeed.. they have to fight apathy and greed. I hate the pipelines and fracking. But most people do not care at all. It is very disheartening.