Fitzgerald lobbies council against drilling ban

Democratic county executive candidate Rich Fitzgerald has been lobbying against a city home rule charter amendment banning drilling, according to the ban's lead legislator (and fellow Squirrel Hill Democrat) Doug Shields. Writes the lame-duck city councilman:

Mr. Fitzgerald and his Shale Gas industry backroom friends want us to vote for him yet he doesn't want the public to be allowed vote for themselves, for their health, for their safety and welfare. I put this question to Mr. Fitzgerald: What city neighborhood would you like to begin drilling operations in?

Fitzgerald tells Chris Potter at the City Paper that he is indeed against the charter ban, but says his pro-drilling/pro-environment stance is nothing new. He says he's told "a few" city council members that it's a bad to put a ban before voters through referendum, and would complicate efforts to headquarter drilling jobs and companies in the city. Council is set to debate the charter referendum Wednesday.

The typically fiesty email from Shields detailing his differences with Fitzgerald (and bringing up the candidate's infamous fundraising email re: Marcellus Shale, which mentioned Shields' wife) is after the jump:

From: Shields, Doug
Sent: Friday, July 22, 2011 4:25 PM
To: 'Joe Smydo'
Subject: Backroom Pressure tactics – The invisible Hands of the Shale Gas Industry Hard at Work to End Democracy

For those of you that have been asking. Yes, it is true. Rich Fitzgerald, candidate for County Executive and recipient of significant contributions from Shale Gas industry, Dennis Yablonsky, CEO of the Allegheny Conference, Barbra McNees, ICA oversight board Chair and Member Rich Stinizzo, are putting significant political pressure on Council members to vote "NO" on legislation to place a referendum question on the November ballot amending the City Charter to ban gas drilling in the city. The ICA lobbying is completely inappropriate. That is neither their role nor their mandate in the affairs of the city.

The Council unanimously enacted an ordinance to do the very same last November 16th. The vote on the Charter question comes up this Wednesday.

All of this is being done at the direction of the Shale Gas industry. Publicly, shale gas industry spokes persons say, "who cares, we aren't drilling in the city anyway." Privately they seem to be singing a different song.

None of them, seemingly, have the gumption to go public with their opposition. I would be happy to debate them on the matter. They also can come to City Council to offer their perspectives during our public comment period as to why they think it's a bad idea to allow the public to express themselves on this most significant issue.

I encourage all people (not just the gas industry insiders and their agents) who care about clean air, clean water, property values, exploding gas wells, and the health of our children to lobby the Council as well.

Mr. Fitzgerald and his Shale Gas industry backroom friends want us to vote for him yet he doesn't want the public to be allowed vote for themselves, for their health, for their safety and welfare. I put this question to Mr. Fitzgerald: What city neighborhood would you like to begin drilling operations in?

As noted in his January 27, 2011 email below, demanding campaign money from "Range, ...
CNX/Consol, ...Atlas....US Steel... Chespapeake, Cabot, Talisman or anyone else" he falsely states that my wife, Briget was "making calls" for his opponent in the May primary.

I can categorically state that Briget never did any such thing. It is lie and I challenge Mr. Fitzgerald to produce any evidence in that regard. In fact, I publicly gave him my endorsement (without knowledge that he wrote the letter).

Mr. Fitzgerald never mentioned that letter to me while he courted me for that endorsement. My wife was quite upset at the time and made several calls to him that went unreturned when the letter was made public. She is still awaiting an apology and an acknowledgement that his statement is false.

Best regards

Douglas Shields

Member of Council