By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
Tucker County Commission set the record straight during the July 22nd meeting of the Tucker County Commission. Davis rose from the Commission table to address the crowd of around 80 in the old courtroom of the Tucker County Courthouse following a series of comments, questions and demands from the crowd regarding the proposed Ridgeline power plant project.
On the night’s agenda had been a resolution opposing the Valley North Transmission line project. The project is slated to run high voltage power lines across the state to supply power to Virginia and Washington D.C.
Following nearly an hour’s worth of comments, questions and demands of the Commissioners regarding the ongoing debate over the proposed Ridgeline power plant project, Commissioner Davis rose and addressed those assembled.
“I’m just going to step up and look at you eyeball to eyeball,” Davis said. “You own a piece of land and you want to sell it to this person sitting beside of you, that’s your business. Fred Davis is not going to tell you what to do with your land.”
In regards to the Transmission Line project, Davis made the Commission’s stance clear – the commission stood behind the people of Tucker County.
“If I’m a person going out here to bring a power line through our land and take our property, I’m going to stand behind you 100%,” Davis said.
However, when it came to his views on Ridgeline. Davis put it simple, “Western Pocahontas owns that land. We’re sitting here fighting, from day one, I told you, this is not going to happen.”
“No one bought that land, yet. No one owns that land. But my thing is this, I don’t care if you ever vote for me again, if you own the land, its yours. State or Federal government gives you permission to do what you want with your land. That’s up to them. I’m not a federal man, I’m not the health inspector. I’m not an expert like everybody tries to be an expert. We’re not experts. The State brought this to us. Now am I right? The State brought it to you, too, brought this headache to us. We didn’t ask for this headache. We didn’t ask for the power line headache.” – Fred Davis
Davis went on to encourage peaceful debate, but expressed exasperation at what he and the other Commissioners perceived as continued badgering over the issue. Davis said he was tired of fighting over the issue and if anyone was upset by what he said, he was willing to talk about it, but it was simply how he felt. The comments raised a raucous round of applause from the audience.
