Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Frack This

Did a post called “Risky Business” 12/16/13 about fracking


This is more a “Yeah for Fracking”. The usual suspects are against it; the same crowd behind gun control laws, the “Colorado Model” and Common Core. Yepper, the (p)regressives.


Add, “not in my backyard”.


Why am I for it? JOBS, damnit. Lots and lots of good paying blue collar jobs in the $15 to $40 an hour range with lots of overtime. Young people able to stay in the area instead of moving to Denver to find a job.  Money is being pumped into the local economy creating more jobs. Tax revenues up and school funding up.

The picture below is a wind generator factory owned by a Danish company. Opened with great fanfare. Major tax breaks. Special classes by the local community college to train workers. The place is on financial life support.


Due West is this building going up with no special treatment, no public funds, required by the owners. Surprise, oilfield business.


This is happening all over the area. Did I mention jobs? This is just one street.


Growth brings problems. It has taken me several weeks to find the apartment I’m moving into after the first of the year (the test driver job fell through). The area has an acute housing shortage. Driving on the local roads can be a challenge. I’ll live with it, even though I’ve no patience, and not complain. Every one of those beasts means another job.




To those who want to shut all this down, want to dictate how others should live, etc., I offer these words. Go fuck yourself.

My late father years ago said an environmentalist was, "A guy who bought his five acres last year". One time, when the smoke from a local sawmill drifted into town (older times when they burned sawdust and scraps), someone spoke to my father, "Bob, isn't this smoke terrible"?

My father, sniffing the air,said, "I smell a $100,000 a year payroll".

One of my sons has been unemployed or underemployed, caught in the Temp agency bog, for a long time. Recently, he has started a decent paying job. So good to have my smiling son back instead of the disgruntled one. Perhaps, only those who have been unemployed for a long period can appreciate what having a job means. That is why I get enraged by those special snowflakes who are willing to see others suffer for their defined "greater good".

One last note. This growth is coming from technology applied, mainly, to existing oil wells. Very little wildcatting is involved. The resource has always been there.

And a final opinion. Every dollar being spent isn't going to some foreign enemy.



6 comments:

CenTexTim said...

Same goes for South Texas. Crowded roads, hard-to-find housing, etc., but on the other hand truck drivers are pulling in six figures and WalMart workers are getting $15+ per hour. And like you said, the money isn't going to people who want to destroy us.

Scotty said...

We moved many a time to follow the work!

Well Seasoned Fool said...

It can be ugly. Two years ago I made several trips to Williston, ND.Still. I'll take the jobs.

Well Seasoned Fool said...

There is a price paid, both financial and emotional, moving to find work. Have done it too many times.

Momma Fargo said...

Lots of jobs are great! I love the economy in Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota. East is a sad state of affairs...like mega depressed. I am not used to it. I don't like it. I also don't like lazy people. There are lots of them around here, too. Sad your job fell through. I hope all is well. Been wondering how you are feeling.

Well Seasoned Fool said...

Hopefully, the coal miners can move over to oil field jobs.

Test driver company's insurance carrier didn't like me.

Health is ok, other than being old. Last cardio check was great. Don't need to see them for six months.