BS Oregon, a grassroots organization funded and directed by Jordan Cove Energy Partners held its first town hall meeting this week. To a crowd of about twenty people the presenters laid out the community enhancement scheme that will funnel what would be millions in general fund dollars into two private non-profit organizations controlled by the local power brokers. Using an extended enterprise zone property tax exemption the scheme will also save the company’s Canadian shareholders more than a billion dollars over the term of the agreement and deprive the Oregon school fund half of the same. Read more about the community enhancement plan here
Even though the draft EIS for the project has yet to be published BS Oregon will be presenting the scheme to local school districts beginning next week, however the group has already presented to the finance director of the Coquille School District and no doubt have already primed the other districts as well.
Public Meeting Schedule – presentation by CCD and the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency (URA) – North Bay District
February 10th – Coos Bay School Board @ 6pm (Milner Crest Educational Center, 1255 Hemlock Ave., Coos Bay, OR)
February 10th – Myrtle Point School Board @ 6:30pm (Board meeting room at the Maple School District Educational Center 413 C Street, Myrtle Point., OR)
February 12th – Coquille School Board @ 6pm (Lincoln Elementary School, District Board Room, 1366 N. Gould, Coquille, OR)
February 19th – Coos County work session @ 9am
February 20th – Coos County Airport Board meeting @ 7:30am (Coos County Airport District Board Room, Airport Terminal Building)
February 24th – Powers School Board @ 7pm
March 10th – North Bend City Council work session @ 4:30 pm (City Council Chambers)
March 10th – Bandon School Board @ 6:30pm
March 10th– North Bend School Board @ 7pm
March 24th – SWOCC Board meeting @ TBD
Yesterday, I learned that members of the Coquille School District are under a couple misconceptions. One, they believe that Jordan Cove LNG is going to break ground this summer. There is no EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) and when the draft EIS is finally published the public will be allowed plenty of time for evaluation and comment before the final EIS. JC is not breaking ground this summer.
The individuals at the school seem to think they are speaking directly with Jordan Cove officials or that BS Oregon is the company’s official representative. This will add fuel to the fire that the NEPA process is being tainted by the applicant.
The BS organization is not comprised of the brightest stars in the universe. It does have the recently departed North Bend school leader as a board member. A blind man can see who is attempting to control the citizens of Coos County – again – and it’s Jordan Cove. The BS registered agent is a Portland lawyer who formed the organization. The primary spokesperson holds a job to bring employment to Douglas, not Coos, County. The BS organization charter – bylaws – states that there shall not be members of the organization; but the BS web site says there are 800 community MEMBERS. Time to complain to the Secretary of State? Knowledgeable people on the left, right, center, above and below are informing all who will listen that this billion dollar give away to an organization desperate for a home is BS.