It is troubling to think that there is even the appearance of a conflict of interest between several members of Marietta City Council and a far left so-called environmental group from Athens County that is funded by hundreds-of-thousands of dollars from four special interest groups in California.

The city council (from the first settlement of the Northwest Territory) needs to ask itself who it works for. The people of Marietta, Ohio, or radical leftists out of San Francisco, California?

For the city council to even consider a partnership with Earth Justice, a quarter billion-dollar special interest law firm that is hellbent on ending the oil and gas industry nationwide, to represent it in a lawsuit against the State of Ohio and ODNR is more than irresponsible to the taxpayers. It’s unaccountable. Additionally, for Marietta City Council to remotely think it is sound judgement to consider maligning and suing a respected state agency represents a remarkable misuse of limited city resources.

Ohio recently passed a 21st Century energy policy that leverages the huge natural gas supply underneath our feet. Democrats in the state Senate joined with Republicans for a unanimous vote recognizing the long-term opportunity oil and gas represents in Ohio. Congress is working to bring new natural gas power plant projects online faster to make our great country energy independent. If Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania were a country, it would be the third largest energy producer in the world.

Yet, the city council has for weeks sent the message that it doesn’t support clean energy, high paying careers, and affordable power.

I grew up in Washington County. I graduated from Marietta College and worked for several years at WTAP-TV as the News Director and Main Anchor. Elected officials in Marietta need to help write Marietta’s success story rather than Marietta’s sellout story.

California and Athens County leftists do not care about Marietta. In fact, the only thing green they care about is the color of the money lining their bank accounts.

Reject radical out-of-state special interest groups and support the clean energy jobs powering Ohio’s future.