Southern Tier Treatment as Sacrifice Zone Leads to Secession Petition
Frustrations over the delay on natural gas development in New York have reached a new high recently with some upstate residents in the “sacrifice zone” signing a petition to secede from the state and become a part of Pennsylvania.
It is no secret the landowners in New York are frustrated with the delay in their government making a decision on whether or not to develop natural gas , and they’re eager to find out if an announcement will be made tomorrow. Some, it appears, are outright fed up with the whole situation–enough so to start a secession petition to have the “sacrifice zone” become a part of Pennsylvania.
The message on the petition reads as follows:
The Southern Tier of New York State has been treated as a sacrifice zone by those other New Yorkers who would restrict us from developing our natural gas resources and revitalizing our economy. Those resources are ours and we are entitled to use them to save our farms, our families and our future. We, therefore, as residents of Broome, Chenango, Chemung, Delaware, Steuben and Tioga Counties, petition the legislature for the rights of Southern Tier counties to secede from the State of New York and join with the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania to be part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
I don’t know if the move to join the Twin Tiers under Pennsylvania’s government is legal, whether it’s politically practical, whether it’s got much support or whether the whole thing is a tongue in cheek way to get Governor Cuomo’s attention. What I do know is that it reflects the extreme frustration, of some upstate New Yorkers, with the state’s lack of attention to their interests and needs.
We have heard from some landowners who have signed the petition who shared their rationale for signing the petition. Their thoughts are below.
Bryant LaTourette:
I received an email from a friend Cris Pasto. Cris stated this is wrong our land rights are being held hostage. If New York state does not want us and the antis’ are calling the five counties a sacrifice zone, maybe it is time we give them what they want. Take the sacrifice zone out of New York and join the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania! Move the dotted line! Cris stated we need petitions to show whoever is listening that the landowners have had it. We hold the keys to help clean up New York state’s air and dependency on traditional imported fuel sources!
We the landowners of the five counties in New York bordering Pennsylvania are the “Golden Goose.” We are being treated as if we did something wrong! And its sinful to exercise our deeded right. We hold the keys to turning around the Southern Tier of New York without competitive welfare in the way of grants and subsidies. Pennsylvania has its act together and our youth have moved there for work. So why not become part of a state that employs our youth, welcomes progress, and respects land rights? States often bid for industry and business to move to their area, spending millions on advertising and giving billions in tax abatement and subsidies.
Why not attract border counties to become part of a state the same way? We do not ask for abatement nor subsidies. We ask only for the respect we deserve!
And so the petition was born. We contacted folks at a little known website called Greedylandowners.com. The site is run by three anonymous landowners–common folk just sharing information–true grass roots. The name, I understand, came about the same way as the statement “sacrifice zone”. Those opposed to harvesting natural gas called those in the sacrifice zone that had land “greedy,” thus greedylandowners.com was born.
Susan Dorsey:
Our politicians have proven themselves to be coddling the segment of our society who distrust the gas industry.
The trouble is that, upon questioning, this same group of misfits distrusts the government, the military, the pharmaceutical industry, the tobacco industry, the fashion industry, the banking industry, the health care industry, the insurance industry – in short they distrust almost any state-of-the-art human endeavor. They will not be appeased until we have a complete anarchistic “do-over”, with explanations and diagrams that they are able to comprehend at each step along the way from hunter gatherers to our present society. They reject the science because they don’t know the back story of how we arrived here as a civilization.
We have been patient.
We do not concede that permitting needed to be stopped while more stringent regulations were promulgated.
We do not concede that gas development is an industrial land use, but rather is a construction project that contributes long after the temporary upheaval.
We do not believe that the suspension of our right to develop our own property as we see fit should continue while other aspects of ownership such as mortgages, property taxes, bankruptcies and foreclosures have not been likewise suspended.
We have been shown no proof of threat or harm that stands up to scrutiny. None.
We cannot afford the luxury of waiting until every last lay person grasps the concept of the state of the art and best practices. New York leaves us no choice but to look elsewhere if we are to survive.
Cris Pasto:
We are tired of the influence New York City has over the entire state. Brain damaged animals from that concrete sewer dictate our direction.
We are tired of being told we need them to survive. We have shale gas – we will be just fine without them.
I’m good with statehood or Pennsylvania annexation, just get me away from Ithaca and New York City.
Victor Furman:
The time has come for truth to prevail in the this debate. Cuomo needs to step up and lead the people on the side of right because when natural gas development starts and all the accusations made by the naysayers against it fail to happen, his popularity will certainly rise in all states as he says “We went with the science.”
As a Pennsylvania resident, in a county and township where Marcellus Shale development has been occurring for years while improving the economic outlook of our community, it amazes me to think about what is occurring in New York. I knew landowners were frustrated but I had no idea that frustration had reached such a boiling point. That said, I can understand this frustration as each development seems to bring another delay. Adding to this frustration is the fact that hard working men and women – the same men and women that have supported the Southern Tier’s economy for decades – are being denied the fundamental right to develop the properties they legally own. I suppose it’s this frustration that has led these residents to want to separate from the state they have called home for generations. For these folks, the ones who work hard every day to make ends meet, I hope a clear resolution is forthcoming.
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Secession is not a practical process, so I’m guessing that this is more for attention than a serious possibility, similar to threats by states like Texas to secede from the USA.
Not Practical? Maybe not, But how far fetched is it? New York’s government is carrying on like its a Monarchy. Overnight it supersedes our 2nd amendment and belittles us by calling it commonsense, overnight it declares gay marriage, it seizes our mineral rights,without just compensation. Maybe its time the people push back and decide what state they want to belong to. We do not want to be a hassle nor do we want to be treated as stem-cells for Westchester county and south. Put it to a vote by county. We would at least have the common decency to put it forth in a referendum.
I think you will like being apart of Pennsylvania as the northeast is moving forward. We have:
1)A need for skilled workers who want a career in demand, high wages and great benefits.
2)New industries moving here voluntarily.
3)Decreasing electricity and home heating bills.
4) New health care facilities
5) Schools with new buildings, programs and scholarships. Oh I forgot some of our schools haven’t raised taxes in almost three years.
6) Wildlife is flourishing as new pathways are now open for foraging and feeding. The hunters love this too.
7) Vehicles are starting to run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), not that other foreign oil stuff.
8) Our resources are made with American labor for American consumption.
9) Our Children do not have to move away after High School
10) Above all else, we have a sense of pride!
Why stop at Steuben County? This should also include Allegany, Cattaraugus & Chatauqua Counties as well. Personally I don’t think this as far fetched as it sounds. New York City and upstate are very different, opposites in fact. As a landowner I vote yes!!
I would like to share a comment on a blog.
Dear, Greedy
Section. 3.
New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.
So you need three bicameral legislative bodies to approve.
I suspect that at any given time in the next 100 years the dominant party in at least one of the 3 houses/assemblies and 3 senates will think that this move is to its disadvantage. One example: the Republicans would never be able to win the Senate in NY without the Southern Tier. And the Democrats in Congress might fear that PA will more easily send Republicans to the Senate and vote Republican for President, while NY just gets even more Democratic than it already is.
Blogger.
Dear, Blogger
I do appreciate your comments and information. However they are based on the same standard that we have tried to live by. A sound and stable “Government of the people, by the people”. This is no longer the case.
If enough people sign the petition it shows those in office at this time, that we have had enough. Truth justice and the once American way have been stepped on. If states like NY rule by tyranny then we have every right to challenge the process of secession procedures of Section. 3.
Moreover a 100,000 or more names on a petition of this nature are also votes. Votes not happy with the administration.
We may not be taken serious in one way but in others it is a statement to any politician that we will be counted.
I think Hinchy can vouch for the closeness in his last run. At that time we were just miffed….today we are pissed off.
They may be planning on letting the bees calm down and go back in the hive as so many times being kicked before.
This time we know whose kicking the hive and its time to sting that which has been kicking us.
Greedylandowners.com
Landowner rights are being taken away. The only rights left in Ny will be the right to pay taxes.
Welcome to Pennsylvania. The provision is being written right now, on the severance tax that we’re going to institute in 2015 when your buddy Tom Corbett is out on his ear, to double it for gas wells in counties that joined the Commonwealth later than December 31, 2012.
We also request that Delaware, Tioga and Sullivan Counties change their names since we already have one of each of those in Pennsylvania.
“Cabot County” would be fine with me for Delaware since we’re going to be getting so much additional revenue from your buddy of that name by selling Cannonsville Reservoir’s water to it to pipe to Dimock and Kingsley. The price for this water, at the head of the Cabot-funded pipeline on the Cannonsville Reservoir (make check payable to Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Frost Governor) will be $5. per gallon for water destined for Dimock and $10. per gallon for water destined for Kingsley. The price will continue to double for each subsequent town in the happily-expanded Commonwealth that Cabot ruins the water of.
For Sullivan, I’ve been saying for decades that BOTH of THOSE counties’ names need to be changed. Mr. Sullivan was one of the biggest burners of Indian villages.
Just think of the shock by changing the type of government. No village and towns, but there will be townships and boroughs. The county governments will have to change or do a home rule charter type of government to try to stay the same. Just think of Broome County run by three commissioners with a few row officers running different departments that are elected.
The local municipalities would start maintaining the county roads and then Penn Dot will run the state roads.
Then there is the restrictions on elected official’s pay and no benefits. I can see some NY elected officials not liking this. Then how may elected seats in towns would have to be removed so that only three supervisors remain.
Then Taxes, we are limited to 30 mills, but can go to 35 mills with court approval. There are also different rules for assessing properties in PA, so certain sites would fall under different rules for taxation.
Pension plans are another bad thing for NY. In PA municipalities fund there own plans, and are not as of yet controlled by the state like in NY (thank God). There are over 3200 pension plans in PA and only 27 are under funded (6 are cities that are over 5 billion under funded). Now the PA teachers pension plan is run by the state in PA and is having the same results as in NY, it is requiring higher payments from the school districts every year. How much has the NY pension system affected the taxes in NY?
Then there is all the laws on the books that would have to be reviewed to be compliant with PA laws.
Talk about work the PA state associations of Cities, Boroughs, Townships, County commissioners and municipal authorities would have to send some help and guidance to all the municipalities.
There would have to be a plan for the area to address Pension cost allocations, state debt allocation, law reviews, change of government types, transfer of state records/permits, and changes on how social services are distributed.
I do not see anyone agreeing on the pension and state debt allocations.