Ohio falls to ALEC, AFP and the Koch's

After 3 years of fighting and refighting *RPS and *RES battles in 24 states, the GOP won at last.  Ohio  yesterday froze in place their utilites requirement to increase wind and solar energy sources.

Coal, fracked natural gas, and fuel oil won the day for the Koch Brothers Koch Industries and their estranged 3rd brother who owns Oxbow, one of the largest coal mining and transporting companies.  Claiming free fuel from the sun and wind will raise Ohio's energy bills, they bucked the manufacturing industry of Ohio which makes more components for alternative energy than any state.  They bucked 78% of the public, they bucked the facts which indicate continued use of coal and NG will raise rates, while wind is now coming in below all other sources and solar is now competitive.

A vote for black lung, asthma, fly ash, smoke stacks, global warming, and longer waits at the rail crossing.  Your state is next if you don't get involved, now, not tomorrow.
*RPS renewable portfolio standard *RES renewable energy standard, both refer to states goals for percent of renewable energy sources used.

It's the Global Warming stupid.

A recent study by a University on the power of the phrases "global warming" and "climate change" confirmed what Lutz the GOP's word smith told them years ago.  "Global warming" is powerful stuff, "climate change" is whimpy.

The GOP got their talking orders a good 10 years ago to use CC not GW.  Here's what the GOP already knew about the two phrases: Global Warming is more scary, it makes people feel it is more certain, more likely to remember science has the evidence.  Climate Change does not invoke a sense of urgency, lets people feel there is uncertainty, weak evidence, and the threat is mild.

The woefully underprepared Democrats and many environmentalist caved (Obama again this week) and also picked up the phrase "climate change" after being painted as bat-shit crazy and under the delusion the milder term would make it acceptable to people undecided or weary of the argument.  Instead the GOP had the upper hand along with deniers and dirty industry as the term CC blunted urgency giving them more time to profit from pollution and avoid transitioning to a new energy economy.

Next time you explain of argue these subjects, make damn sure you us global warming, the strength of the phrase is well known, don't whimp-out.

Corporate takeover of Kansas, and your next

6 times this session they brought up bills to kill wind and solar energy, 6 times we beat them.  But they keep giving money to politicians, we can't match that.  This corporate demand for control has one purpose, to keep us paying for dirty energy when clean energy is becoming more available and now lower priced than coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear.   Your state is next, get a head start on it, find a group and work with them on this.

General Shinseki, Senator Burr, Veterans groups

North Carolina's Senator (more of a festered sore than a senator) Burr penned a letter slamming veterans groups for not calling on General Shinseki to resign from the Veterans Administration.  He got a raft of shit overnight from all the major veterans groups except the American Legion which I have always thought had GOP leaning leadership.
I'm betting your cell phone, or even home phone, will let you call Senator Burr to dump on him for this, for free, what could be better than that.  (828) 350-2437.  Make it your Tuesday morning call.

Shinseki has been a GOP target since Bush pushed him out for saying we needed more troops in the war.    And another thing, the GOP has voted against funding that might have eased up some of the troubles the VA is having, just as they voted against money that might have improved security at foreign embassy's and consulates.   The problems at the VA are historic, since the Revolution promises have been broken or delayed, those who faced down British troops were to be given land to settle west of the Cumberland Gap, it took over 20 years for this to happen.  I don't know if Shinseki should go or not, but I don't think his removal will fix the problem, and Burr should shut the fuck up.   If you want to help keep us out of another war, look at Operation Free, click the link, the shield, top left of this post.

828-350-2437  Shut-up Burr

Pope Francis, May 21, 2014, on destroying the climate.

Pope Francis made the religious case for tackling climate change on Wednesday, calling on his fellow Christians to become “Custodians of Creation”. 

"Safeguard Creation, because if we destroy Creation, Creation will destroy us! Never forget this!"

“Creation is not property, which we can rule over at will; or, even less, is the property of only a few: Creation is a gift, it is a wonderful gift that God has given us, so that we care for it and we use it for the benefit of all, always with great respect and gratitude,”

"Humanity’s destruction of the planet is a sinful act, likening it to self-idolatry."

“But when we exploit Creation we destroy the sign of God’s love for us, in destroying Creation we are saying to God: ‘I don’t like it! This is not good!’ ‘So what do you like?’ ‘I like myself!’ – Here, this is sin! Do you see?”

May is Asthma awareness month, with important info left out

May is Asthma awareness month.  My older sister has it.  Lots of kids in the neighborhood too.  So I googled Asthma and got mothers against it type sites and a bunch of info sites.  Almost all these are run by drug companies, a couple by the government.

I hunted for what triggers Asthma attacks.  Of a dozen or more I looked at, only 2 mentioned (outdoors)  air pollution.  Even the mothers site was like the others, listing allergies, pets, pests, tobacco smoke, bugs, dust, but not air quality.  

If you never learned anything from this site, please learn that CO2, industrial smoke, car exhaust belong in the list.  People living in polluted areas, near highways, smoke belching industry, have more events than those who do not.  Only the American Lung Association is clear about this.  

Treating the symptom fills cash registers.  Reducing some of the sources of the disease reduces drug companies profits.  Who you want to hurt, kids, or profit?  I went to some of these sites and used the "contact us" form to abuse them for their oversight and asking them to list air quality as a trigger.  Work towards cleaner air, harp about to anyone you can corner, lungs need your help.

Who runs this place, polluters or you? How ya like it?

So...........go to a city hall meeting, speak about pollution vs clean energy, put it on their agenda. They may tell you it's a state or federal issue.  Don't be shut up, tell them it's their responsibility to pressure the state, and they can make changes in building standards, in public facilities, water conservation, put it on their agenda. 

Check your air quality, enter zip code

FBI looking at Pope Brownback and 13 Kansas senators

KS gov. Pope Sam Brownback (R) and 13, I think that may be all the GOP senators but 1 or 2, are under investigation by the FBI.  Also a couple of law firms which are nothing but money handlers and lobbyist, and a number of lobbyist who have all worked in the gov.s office the last couple years.

Seems the FBI thinks we have a pay to play state.  They came across an invite sent to lobbyist for one of the Pope's gala evenings with Senators, and the invite was printed with the command you must bring checks of $1,000 made out to each of the senators.   Also it turns out getting hired to work in the gov.s office guarnatees in a few months you will get hired by some corp. at a fine salary, otherwise that corporation will not get the bills passed they want.   So pay upfront, and hire who we tell you to or your bill won't see the light of day.   And by the list of wacko corporate give aways they passed this year, lots are paying to play.  And who are these aids to the gov that get snatched up by corporations?  Wives and kids and nephews of the well connected.  It's a closed loop, and that will make it harder to crack.

This shit is really hard to prove, but maybe, just maybe, they will find enough proof or someone who talks.  It certainly looks like we have a very corrupt corporate run capitol.

How many times do we have to kill this Koch snake?

If you read this blog, you know I have been in and out of the state house and speaking at legislative forums, writing editorials, testified at the senate hearing on .............. RENEWABLE ENERGY.

Push the shield, Operation Free to the left to learn why.  Kansas has enough wind to supply the whole nation.  The Koch's, ALEC, AFP and others want to kill wind energy in the state, stop it's expansion.  To this end they run adds, spend, lavish money on legislators.

In 2 years they have brought bills to kill wind and solar in Kansas to vote 3 times and a coalition of groups, companies, public beat them down.  Now, yesterday a new bill to kill it flys from committee and today they vote.  Normally it should take months, a year, to bring to vote.  Sha-zam.  It lost again. 60 to 63.  Really close, but killed again.  And especially sweet since ALEC is holding a nationwide  strategy meeting today in Kansas City.

I didn't know they did this until the morning paper, by 10am I had emailed every Republican that had voted for killing the previous bills.  We didn't hold all of them, but enough.   One thing to learn from all this, this fight is never over, the Kochs will be back in a few hours or a few months, but they will try again.  I'll be here, waiting.  This is the senate hearing, I won't say which one of these guys I am.