Dear Senator Langemeier...a constituent asks the state senator to stop running interference for TransCanada and start representing Nebraska interests

In the above audio clip, the reactionary District 23 senator dismisses the farmers and ranchers who traveled hundreds of miles to get him to do something meaningful about a huge oil company (TransCanada) threatening to extend a leaky tar sands pipeline (Keystone) onto their land, trespassing without authorization, and sending eminent domain/land condemnation missives despite the fact that it has no federal permits yet.

November 1, 2011

Senator Langemeier,

I am a 4^th-generation rancher from the Nebraska Sandhills.  Though I do not live in your district, your position as chair of the natural resources committee requires that you make decisions affecting people all over the state of Nebraska, including me.

I am writing to voice my disappointment in statements you made yesterday regarding the special session of our state legislature.  For you to take a position of opposition before the special session has begun and before bills have been introduced makes a mockery of representative government and disrespects your colleagues in the legislature.  For you to disregard the concerns not only of Nebraska citizens, but also of prominent Nebraska leaders such as Governor Heineman, Senator Johanns, Senator Nelson, and Congressman Fortenberry, regarding the pipeline’s proposed route through the Sandhills, is at best irresponsible.

As chair of the natural resources committee, your job is to uphold the democratic process by facilitating the passage of bills to the floor that will protect our state’s natural resources and ensure that our state’s present and future citizens will be able to use and enjoy our natural resources.  Your job is not to obstruct the democratic process and represent the interests of TransCanada, a foreign pipeline company that bullies and threatens Nebraskans, including my friends, family and neighbors in the Sandhills.

I stand with those leaders and with thousands of Nebraskans who oppose the route of this pipeline and want to see it rerouted out of the Sandhills portion of the Ogallala aquifer.  I will consider not trying, or half-trying to accomplish this, on the part of elected officials like yourself, as a neglect of duty.  I ask you to please, in the coming weeks, do what is in the best interests of our state’s people and natural resources.  I also ask one question, Senator Langemeier:  Will you support a bill in the natural resources committee that will move the pipeline away from the Sandhills portion of the Ogallala aquifer?

I will await your response.

Sincerely,

Ben Gotschall