Salt Wars: Dow pooh-poohs national security, sings, "This brine if our brine, this brine ain't your brine..."

To hell with national security.

This is DOW COUNTRY.

The federal government wants to increase the size of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and is looking at the humongous salt dome at Stratton Ridge that Dow Chemical Co. uses for its supply of brine.

Dow doesn't want the feds intruding on its turf, which it claims it sold unwillingly. (Private property rights/eminent domain critics, take note.)

The Chamber of Commerce has fallen into line and says "thousands" of jobs could be lost. And think of the taxes Dow pays to state and local governments that may be jeopardized, the local CofC honchette says.

No one's said the sky is falling -- yet -- but that's coming, we're sure.

It's sort of like when environmental legislation comes up in Austin and state Rep. Dennis "The Menace" Bonnen of Angleton predicts "thousands" of jobs would be affected. And then the environmental legislation goes kablooey.

But this is national security, so it's different, no? Yes?

Congressman Ron "The Grumpy Gynecologist" Paul is on the case.
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[the local paper].