Fred Messerle used his appointed position as commissioner to lobby Salem last week when he “testified in front of the Joint Legislative Task Force on County Payments on Thursday, September 13th in Salem, telling lawmakers that the state and federal governments must remove impediments, regulatory, political and otherwise, to the development of a natural resource and maritime shipping based economy for Coos County.” Messerle has been a vocal critic of government regulation and what he deems a drawn out permitting process yet in June, 2010 Messerle used that “process” to argue against the Williams Pipeline going across his own property. In a letter to the Coos County Planning Department, Messerle made an excellent case about how the pipeline would seriously impact the timber industry and reduce property values.

Sandy Messerle, wife of the commissioner, works for SCDC which is actively promoting the siting of the Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas import/export terminal and the associated Williams Pipeline. In effect, the missus is supporting an industry that will harm the family business and many others like it. In the case of Messerle’s property, he suggested an alternate route which bypasses the family lands and off loads the problem to property owners down the 234 mile pipeline route in adjoining counties.

Read the letter to the planning department Messerle and Sons letter