If I were to say, “Do you know that some politicians are in it just for the influence that gets them the money?” you’d laugh in my face. Of course you 
know that. There are two kinds of politicians: those who are in it to serve you, and those who are in it to serve themselves. Alas, New York State is rife with the latter, and one of the most blatant is state Senator George Winner (R-NY). While smiling in your face, he’s been double dipping in deals with both the hydrofracking drilling companies and the landowners who got duped by those companies into leasing out their precious natural resources. Read all about it here:
Conflicts of Interest – New York Style: Senator George Winner’s Shale Play
How did the New York State Senate vote a couple days ago on a moratorium on hydrofracking in this state? Take a look (taken from this site):
S8129B Summary
Suspends hydraulic fracturing for the extraction of natural gas or oil until May 15, 2011; suspends the issuance of new permits for such drilling.
S8129B Votes
Vote: Floor – Aug 3, 2010Ayes (48): ADAMS, ADDABBO, ALESI, BONACIC, BRESLIN, DEFRANCISCO, DILAN, DUANE, ESPADA, FARLEY, FLANAGAN, FOLEY, FUSCHILLO, HANNON, HASSELL-THOMPSON, HUNTLEY, JOHNSON C, JOHNSON O, KLEIN, KRUEGER, LARKIN, LAVALLE, LEIBELL, MARCELLINO, MCDONALD, MONTGOMERY, NOZZOLIO, ONORATO, OPPENHEIMER, PADAVAN, PARKER, Peralta, PERKINS, RANZENHOFER, ROBACH, SALAND, SAMPSON, SCHNEIDERMAN, SERRANO, SEWARD, SKELOS, SMITH, SQUADRON, STACHOWSKI, STAVISKY, STEWART-COUSINS, THOMPSON, VALESKY
Nays (9): AUBERTINE, GRIFFO, LANZA, LIBOUS, LITTLE, MAZIARZ, VOLKER, WINNER, YOUNG
Abstains (2): DIAZ, KRUGER
Excused (2): GOLDEN, SAVINO
My mother always said that you’re known by the company you keep. Makes me kinda wonder what the other “Nays” are up to. Why on earth would they trade whatever money is to be made today for the ruination of the natural environment for us, our children, our grandchildren? So much of New York’s income is based on its current ability to attract people to its natural beauty. Once the fracking jobs are gone, how are we ever going to get our drinking water and our natural environment back? How are we going to get our health back after exposure to all these chemicals?
What are they in it for?
I’ll be charitable and say that some of the “nays” may be principled people. I saw Aubertine in the “nays” group, and thought about that.
I would say that there are two possible causes. When jobs are scarce, many politicians will always “vote for jobs”, even if the jobs don’t do long-term good. This would supposedly serve their constituency and also give them popularity points with locals.
Or if I wanted to be more cynical, I’d say that maybe those like Aubertine and Winner voted that way even though they knew it was going to pass – this could give them a chance to pick up cheap political points with their constituency at little cost to themselves.