‘Envirowackos’ vs. other ‘wackos’

According to Alan Franken’s letter to the editor published Nov. 2, those of us who oppose hydraulic fracturing, AKA fracking, are “envirowackos.” San Miguel County must be a haven for “envirowackos,” because more than 1,000  San Miguel County residents have already signed a petition demanding a ban on fracking. A recent online petition to ban fracking in San Miguel County has attracted over 1,600 signatures.

On the other hand, I’ve only seen two San Miguel County residents vocally supporting the practice of fracking. One is Alan Franken, the president of Franken Oil and Distributing. The other local fracking advocate manages a local motel. Both stand to reap a hefty profit from a gas boom here in San Miguel County, and are apparently indifferent to the negative consequences which their neighbors would suffer as a result. Those consequences are not just environmental, but also medical, social and cultural.

I’ll stick with the “envirowackos.” It seems far more dignified to be wacko in defense of the land, the water and one’s neighbors than it does to be wacko in the pursuit of personal gain. It speaks well of San Miguel County that the envirowackos here outnumber those simply wacko from avarice by at least a thousand to one.

Lee Einer
Las Vegas