Bob Schmetzer – 12/12/16

This page was last updated on December 21, 2016.

Those concerned with Shell plant are protectors; Robert Schmetzer (RS); Beaver County Times; December 12, 2016.

Previously, RS wrote five consecutive anti-Marcellus letters (here, here, here, here, and here). and settle for advising you to check RS’ “facts” with credible sources. Note, the BCT and “kissing cousins” like ShaleReporter.com don’t count as credible sources.

I advise you to visit Mr. Schmetzer’s Facebook page as part of your due-diligence when it comes to assessing his credibility on any topic.

The BC Democrats website used to list Robert Schmetzer as the local town chair for South Heights, but that page no longer exists as of this writing. Mr. Schmetzer is also “vice-president of PA 12th CD Chapter of ~~Communist~~Progressive Democrats of America.” The PDA-PA12 website is Beaver County Reds. Why doesn’t the BCT mention these associations in an editor’s note when it publishes Mr. Schmetzer’s letters?

I critiqued 21 previous Schmetzer letters and they are usually broken records. Mr. Schmetzer’s last letter was entitled “We have a right to a clean environment.” You can find more Schmetzer letters in the archives (2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2004).

Mr. Schmetzer is a flamethrower when he thinks he’s “preaching to the choir.” For example, in reference to Pennsylvania House Bill 1077 (2011-2012 session) (“Women’s Right-to-Know Act”), Mr. Schmetzer bashed Catholic priests on his Facebook wall (February 24, 2012) when he wrote, “70 year old virgin men who wear dresses to work are telling the pa legislature what laws to pass for women to live by. The supreme court said through settled law that womens rights were violated. When is this harrassment going to stop. Take their tax deduction away if they want to be a political lobby or profit agency.” In fairness, it appears Mr. Schmetzer lifted the “70 year old virgin men …” comment from Bill Maher. You may recall a previous Schmetzer letter was nearly word-for-word plagiarism of an op-ed piece written by one of Mr. Schmetzer’s fellow leftists.

On another website, Mr. Schmetzer wrote (February 29, 2012) of Rick Santorum, “DUMPRICK should be the campaign motto in this election. Pittsburghs real pollution comes out of Santorums mouth to where the EPA should shut him down. He does not represent catholics, but a radical group Opis Dei.They wrap themselves in barbed wire. Now he is drinking frack water. Plays with dead babys. Home schools his kids in Virginia and billed the Pa school districts. Did not live in Pa while US Senator. Hates women and wants to return to the past where women were legally designated NON-PERSONS. Life begings at orgasim. Supports protecting priest who break the law to keep the church from prosecution. This guy needs to go back to catacism, confession, do severe penance, and become a human being.”

I posted an abbreviated version of this review on the BCT website. Someone not happy with my comments wrote the following:

“Right wing radicals like Robin Cox remind me of the platform of the KKK and other obnoxious groups. They are dinosaurs in our society and will die off soon. The opposite of Progressive is Backward. Adolph Hitler would have loved this guy. His past writings show this character. Crawl back in your hole.” – Progressive; December 17, 2016; 12:01am.

I replied:

“To the gal/guy hiding behind ‘Progressive,’ thank you. Since ‘Progressive’ mentioned my ‘past writings,’ readers can find most of them at the links below.” The links were for The Bird’s Eye View website and Facebook page.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Shell wanted the people of this area to participate and give input on how they would be impacted by the new plant and its activities. Calling them protesters shines a dark light on the local folks who want to contribute to the conversation.”

[RWC] RS should lodge his objection with one of “the two women from Louisiana.” According to the BCT story on this topic, “Capacity crowd hears speeches from two women who lived near Shell cracker plant in Louisiana,” “Ann Rolfes, took a more abrasive tone, telling those gathered to actively protest against Shell.”

RS also needs to look in a mirror. When RS thinks he’s among friends, no one “shines a dark[er] light on the local folks who want to contribute to the conversation.”

“Being proactive and fixing problems before they cause damage, sickness or loss of life makes these people protectors, and they need to be recognized as such.”

[RWC] Sure. The hubbub about the Shell plant is all about the religion of manmade global warming and the left’s desire to ban natural gas production regardless of its source. Shale opposition groups couldn’t stop fracking directly (except in NY), so now they’re trying to block processing plants and pipelines. Even if the impossible happened and the Shell facility emitted zero pollutants, RS and his comrades would find another reason to oppose the plant. If Shell decides to install “fence-line monitoring,” RS will be back with more demands. Think Charlie Brown, Lucy, and a football.

Regarding “protectors,” it looks like RS lifted it from a piece published by the lefty website CounterPunch. In “Six Gulf Protectors Arrested Challenging Gulf Oil Drilling,” we find “the two women from Louisiana” are anti-oil and “As Gulf Protectors we are calling on President Obama to live up to his climate legacy and permanently cancel future leases in the Gulf of Mexico.”

“The spokesman for Shell, Michael Marr, said in The Times that the two women from Louisiana who talked about their experiences to the people of our area didn’t tell the truth. He didn’t prove them wrong.”

[RWC] “[Michael Marr] didn’t prove them wrong?” Isn’t it the job of “the two women from Louisiana” to prove their claims are true? The same holds for Shell. Perhaps RS attended the Mary Mapes/Dan Rather school of journalism.

Who paid the travel expenses for “the two women from Louisiana?” The BCT story didn’t say. Why? Isn’t this journalism 101 stuff?

One of “the two women from Louisiana” “said her sister and mother died six months apart, and she attributed both of their deaths to complications of living near a chemical plant.” The story noted, however, “she still isn’t exactly sure about her mother’s cause of death” nearly 20 years ago.

“I did talk to two Shell engineers about the plant. They said when the furnaces get in trouble, the relief valve lets everything loose. In the Louisiana plant, these gasses have exploded multiple times and workers and neighbors outside the fence were burned.”

[RWC] If RS really “did talk to two Shell engineers about the plant,” I’d love to have a transcript. As an engineer myself, I have a hard time believing a knowledgeable engineer would have said what RS claims.

“There are legitimate concerns in Beaver County. The women should be commended for their time and interest in our area and not scorned by Shell. Fence-line monitoring cameras with infrared lenses can notify the plant manager and Beaver County Emergency Management of threats to the public. This could give time to save life and limb.”

[RWC] Of course “There are legitimate concerns in Beaver County” and many, if not all, have been aired. Unaddressed “legitimate concerns,” if any, need to be aired. The problem is, groups like BCR and its subsidiaries don’t want an environmentally-responsible plant as most of us do; they don’t want the plant at all.

RS seems annoyed Shell defends itself. If RS thought someone was lying – or telling a truth he didn’t like - about him, would he just sit back and take it? Of course, not. As I mentioned above, RS is a flamethrower when he thinks he’s “preaching to the choir.”