January 17, 2016

Mayor Frank Ortis

10100 Pembroke Pines Blvd.

Pembroke Pines, FL 333026

RE: Go frack yourself? Some comments on your mini op-ed in today’s Sun Sentinel on undoing the Industrial Revolution.

Mayor Ortis,

Ideas have consequences

You say “fracking” is evil.

If that is so would not the tenets of modern American Liberalism demand that you forego its benefits?

I filled the tank of my gas guzzling, polar bear drowning, and ginormous carbon foot printing SUV on Friday last at $1.81 per gallon.

Here is today’s “water is wet; stones are hard” economics lesson. Since these things are foreign to you I’ll type slowly.

Oil sold above $100 a barrel less than 2 years ago.

By then, and in despite of Obama who is the most economically illiterate President since Carter, the near divine combination of slant drilling and fracking hit passing gear. The production of some hydrocarbons doubled, ironically on Obama’s watch. All of this has benefitted the American consumer greatly. No “shovel ready jobs”, no “cash for clunkers”, no never arriving “Summer of Recovery”.

Pay attention. This part is very important. It’s what makes the dog hunt.

“When eggs sell for $5 a dozen the rooster lays”

$100 oil and $13 per MM gas were the equivalent of $5 eggs.

More supply, coupled with the decreased demand, said demand decrease being caused by people who believe in taxing the country to prosperity, has produced oil at $30 a barrel and gas at $2 per MM cubic feet.

Am I going too fast for you?

Today’s History lesson now begins.

Here is a new term for you: the Theory of Nullification.

Put simply, and for you that is a very low bar, it says that a local government can undo the regs set by a larger government, be it state or federal because it doesn’t like them. We had this debate in our country a while back. It was settled at Appomattox, VA in 1865.

Pembroke Pines has several avenues of recourse open to them. They all involve political and judicial options. The first thing to do is elect more people who agree with you. Until the law is changed you ignore it at your own peril.

I suggest that if you don’t like fracking you should give up the benefits derived from same.

Let’ start easy.

Turn off all the A/Cs in public buildings.

Public transit only – no private autos – for city employees starting with you.

No hot coffee, no cold drinks at city hall.

If there are any ice rinks in Pembroke Pines ban them

Ban A/Cs in movie theatres.

 

Simple, right?

The people will rally to you, Trust me. It might get a bit lonely on the moral high ground but your cause is righteous. Show us the way.

Kevin Smith

PS – There is some good news to come out of this. You are hereby named

HORSE’S ASS OF THE WEEK.

         Wear your laurels proudly. You got them the old fashioned way.

YOU EARNED THEM