This week at progressive state blogs is designed specifically to focus attention on the writing and analysis of people focused on their home turf. Here is the August 18 edition. Inclusion of a blog post does not necessarily indicate my agreement with—or endorsement of—its contents.
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At Capital & Main of California, Judith Lewis Mernit writes—California’s Dirty Oil Threatens Jerry Brown’s Climate Legacy:
… there’s something hinky about Brown’s climate leadership, an inconsistency that environmentalists caution will threaten his legacy. To wit, while Brown warns often in speeches that one-third of the world’s oil reserves must remain untouched to avert climate catastrophe, the governor has not done much to keep California’s reserves in the ground. To the contrary: In 2011 Brown flagrantly axed two state regulators for holding drillers to account for their environmental infractions. In 2013, he inserted last-minute amendments into a bill to regulate hydraulic fracturing and acidizing — dissolving rock with toxic chemicals to access trapped oil. And while he managed to extend California’s greenhouse-gas trading market, cap-and-trade, as far out as 2030, he did so in collaboration with oil lobbyists, who saw many of their demands included in the bill.
When RL Miller, chair of the Democratic Party’s environmental caucus, pointed this out, circulating a petition “telling Brown to stop being Chevron’s stenographer,” Brown accused her and her cohort of “political terrorism.”
“He talks a good game,” says Miller, who also runs the advocacy nonprofit, Climate Hawks Vote. “But when you look at what you need to do on climate — move the electricity over to 100 percent renewable energy, for instance — he is silent.” He
has not, in other words, come out in full support of state Senate Bill 100, the 100 percent renewable energy bill currently facing its last hurdle before making it to the governor’s desk: passage in the Assembly.
That Brown’s actions sometimes conflict with his climate credentials isn’t much discussed outside of California. But environmentalists like Miller, plus a wide phalanx of elected officials, national environmental leaders and public interest groups, are trying to change that in the waning days of the governor’s last term. They hope their “Brown’s Last Chance” campaign will pressure the legacy-conscious politician to rein in the oil industry before his time is up in January. They have two specific demands: Stop approving permits for new wells in the state, and declare a phase-out of oil and gas production, with funding for workers to transition into the clean-energy economy — they want both to happen before September 12, when Brown welcomes governments, investors, environmentalists and concerned citizens at the three-day Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco.
At Blue Mass Group of Massachusetts, Trickle up writes—More Mush from the Wimps:
I refer of course to “For the People,” that appalling new slogan with which my party pretends to challenge a feckless creeping fascism.
Yeah, that’ll stop Trump’s tweet machine in its tracks.
We now know what “A Better Deal” was all about: to lower our expectations so that this essay into measured, mushy, focus-group-tested exhortation would look good.
So, here is my challenge: Can’t we do better than that here at BMG? In maybe 30 seconds? But take your time to make it better than just “better” if you like. [...]
What rallying cry would actually get a better deal for the people?
At The Mudflats of Alaska, Jeanne Devon writes—Top 3 WTF Republican Mailers:
Yes, ladies and gents, it’s primary time in Alaska and the mailboxes are crammed with giant glossy postcards touting the various legislative and gubernatorial candidates. Some are well-crafted, on target, and relevant. We’re not interested in those.
For now, we’re focused on those we’d like to file in our WTF folder. So here are the top 3 [...]
#2) The Micchiche family… and a chain saw. For some reason.
Well, THAT’s a weight off our shoulders. We can all sleep tight now knowing that Senator Peter Micchiche (R-Kenai) is not going to chainsaw his family, or yours. See that chainsaw? That one right THERE? Not gonna touch it. Nope. NE. VER.
At Appalachian Voices, Ridge Graham writes—Al Gore, Rev. Barber tour coal-impacted communities in N.C.:
The Poor People’s Campaign held a tour in North Carolina last week that brought together Rev. Dr. William Barber II, campaign co-chair, former Vice President Al Gore, his daughter Karenna Gore and residents of coal-impacted communities from across the state. The purpose of the tour, organized with other national and local groups, was to highlight one of the four pillars of the Poor People’s Campaign (PPC) that contribute to the perpetuation of poverty: ecological devastation.
The next day started in Walnut Cove with a meet-and-greet with Rev. Dr. Barber and the Gores held at Rising Star Baptist Church, followed by a press conference at Belews Lake with smokestacks of Duke’s Belews Creek Steam Station in the background. [...]
[Appalachian Voices board member] David Hairston spoke passionately about his role in the Belews Creek community by telling the crowd: “I’m the person that the community calls when they are afraid to bathe their children in contaminated well water.
“I’m the one that people on low and fixed income call when they don’t know what to do because Duke took away their bottled water delivery. I’m the one that people call when they are concerned to send their grandkids out to play in the yard because they are worried they will get sick. I’m the person they call when they say they want to sell their home and they can’t get a dime for it.”
Rev. Dr. Barber spoke to the solutions and the lack of political accountability in North Carolina.
“We know we can fix this. Tomorrow the [N.C. legislature] could hold a special session and pass legislation that would require Duke Energy to clean up coal ash on their own money and not charge you anymore. They could hold a session to halt pipelines. They could decide that North Carolina is going to focus on solar energy. It is immediately within the possibility of chance and change.”
Al Gore wrapped up the press conference by speaking to the dangers of harmful energy production and its effect on the climate as well as local communities.
“I want to draw connections between Belews Creek and the coal ash pollution and the gaseous pollution that is threatening to make our entire planet the kind of mess they’ve made here. On a peak day, this plant over here burns 220 rail cars full of coal. What is left over when they burn it is this toxic coal ash. If you had all these millions of tons of a toxic substance and you just dug a raw gash in the ground and left it there, you would be behaving recklessly. That’s what they’re doing. This is a crime scene.”
At Blue in the Bluegrass of Kentucky, Yellow Dog writes—Give Beto ALL THE VOTES:
I was in a public place listening to this and just broke down crying. When have you ever heard a candidate talk so straight-forwardly, so honestly about such a controversial subject? Barack Obama on race, maybe.
This is a Democratic candidate in the red fuckingest state in the union, taking on the haters and beating them bloody with the power of his words and his liberal values.
Democratic candidates in red states have NO EXCUSE not to stop mealy-mouthing progressive values (I am talking to YOU, Amy McGrath) or even denying them in hope of winning over repug voters.
THIS is how you win as a liberal in a red state.
Watch. Cry. And on Nov. 6, VOTE!
At Bleeding Heartland of Iowa, desmoinesdem writes—What to do if you get push-polled or message-tested (2018 edition):
Republicans have polls in the field this week testing negative statements about Democrats and praise for their GOP opponents in targeted Iowa House races. Two years ago, similar surveys informed talking points used for Republican-funded direct mail or other kinds of advertising.
Activists often become angry when they hear biased or misleading claims about candidates they support. But if you want to help Democrats win elections, my number one piece of advice is do not hang up the phone.
Do not hang up the moment you hear an automated voice on the other end.
Do not hang up the moment you are asked to participate in a brief survey.
Do not hang up the moment you realize that the poll is asking skewed questions about your candidate.
Stay on the line and either start recording or grab a pen and paper.
Follow me after the jump for further instructions. [...]
At ProgressNowNM, Lucas Herndon writes—Pearce hypocrisy: Toll roads good, methane controls bad:
This week, Rep. Steve Pearce proposed toll roads as the answer to the massive amounts of traffic on Southeastern New Mexico highways due to the boom in oil production and the corresponding increase in oil traffic. The increased congestion along highway 285 outside of Lovington has given it the dubious nickname “highway of death.” [...]
But Congressman Pearce is fighting tooth and nail to overturn methane waste rules that ask these some companies to pay for the millions of tons of New Mexico’s natural gas they waste every year – rules that would mean millions in additional state revenue for things like these very roads. Everyone would have to pay the tolls. [...]
What if instead of putting the burden of paying to travel around the state on our own roads, the oil and gas companies just paid their fair share of revenue back to the state they should be?
Every year New Mexico loses out on up to over $244 MILLION in revenue worth of natural gas not collected on lost methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. [...] The revenue from that gas would specifically go toward improving our schools and infrastructure, something poll after poll shows 90% of New Mexicans fully support.
At Bold Nebraska, Mark Hefflinger writes—Only 62% of Nebraska Landowners Have Signed With TransCanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline, Down from 88% in 2015:
A very interesting but little-noticed fact emerged during Canadian pipeline operator and proposed Keystone XL pipeline builder TransCanada’s second quarter earnings call with reporters and analysts on August 2nd, when company CEO Russ Girling relayed that the company had obtained easements from 62% of landowners in Nebraska on the proposed Keystone XL “Mainline Alternative” route [...]
What’s notable is that this percentage is down from the 88% of landowners. TransCanada said it has obtained easements with in Nebraska back in 2015. [...]
What does this mean? The popular resistance to eminent domain for private gain, and concerns with TransCanada’s proposed foreign tarsands export pipeline have grown even stronger among landowners and communities on the proposed route in Nebraska, since President Obama rejected the KXL project as not in the U.S. national interest in 2015.
Landowners on the proposed “Mainline Alternative” route approved by the Nebraska Public Service Commission in November 2017 have been receiving regular updates from and attending regular public meetings of the Nebraska Easement Action Team — a landowner-organized collective of families who have refused to sign easements with TransCanada, which has continued to add new supporters all throughout 2018.
At Bayou Brief, Sue Lincoln writes—An Environmental Emergency in DeSoto Parish? “Perhaps. If It Makes Sense to the Operators”:
“It’s all been resolved.”
That’s the public story being told by Louisiana Department of Natural Resources staff, regarding well blowouts and water problems in a segment of DeSoto Parish. It’s what they told me – a member of the press – and according to my conversations with members of the Governor’s staff, it’s the same thing DNR has been telling them.
Yet a recent DNR document tells a different story: emergency declarations issued, emergency contract awarded, relief wells drilled, more than 1.6-million state dollars expended. And the problems continue.
The official timeline of events – according to DNR’s document – begins in July 2017, with a report of the “abandoned Hanson rig supply water well blowing gas/water/sand to atmosphere.”
That’s a description of fracking fluid, geysering out of a water well.
Other records however, indicate prior signs that something was amiss underground in this particular section of the Bethany- Longstreet gas field. Keithville Water Well Drilling was called to plug a water well in the same tract, in July 2014 – because it was “blowing gas.” And again in December 2015, the same water well company was asked – by horizontal drilling company Indigo Minerals – to plug another well with a similar problem, in the same tract.
Still, according to DNR’s timeline, it took two months from the initial report of the blowout before they issued an “emergency declaration” on the Hanson water well.
At Blue Virginia, A Siegel writes detailed suggestions on Virginia Energy Plan: GO BIG or Don’t Bother:
Governor Northam has a real opportunity – assuming he seizes it – to set Virginia on a path toward increased prosperity, improved security, and global leadership this fall.
“Virginia law requires the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) to write a ten-year Energy Plan in the first year of every new administration. The statute lists vague requirements for the plan, including that it be consistent with the Commonwealth Energy Policy, itself a toothless statute. That means each new governor can pretty much tell DMME what to focus on.” [...]
This plan creates an opening for the Northam Administration to put Virginia on the path to a prosperous, energy smart, climate resilient future … an opportunity to be seized. [,,,]
With the 2018 Virginia Energy Plan (VEP), the Northam Administration has the opportunity to create a road map for a prosperous, energy resilient, climate-friendly Virginia. It is an opportunity to seize … rather than let slip away. [...]
At Montana Post, Joe Pogreba writes—Why Didn’t Congressman Gianforte Invite a Single Woman to His Tech Roundtable?
In the series of stories about Greg Gianforte meeting with some Montana technology executives this week, one line stood out as a perfect illustration of just how out of touch and sexist Mr. Gianforte is. From Montana Public Radio:
Gianforte invited a handful of representatives from Montana’s growing high-tech industry to meet with him Monday
The 10 men who huddled around a meeting table at the Missoula-based incubator MonTec run Montana companies offering everything from analytics, e-commerce, energy, tourism and security services. (emphasis mine)
You read that correctly. In a story about the challenges of finding workers for the tech economy, our Congressman couldn’t think of a single woman in the state worthy of attendance. Not any of the women who are leading tech companies, teaching computer science at our universities, or leading investment firms that focus on technology. None of the coders, entrepreneurs, or executives who are helping these companies grow.
Not one. [...]
And in a story about the challenges companies are facing when it comes to hiring, that’s not some sort of harmless oversight. That kind of thinking could well be the cause of the shortage of workers in tech. We’re losing out on critical talent because young women, who are competing with and even exceeding what boys accomplish in high school STEM classes, are too often discouraged from tech careers by a misogynistic culture that keeps them from the field.
At Blog for Arizona, David Gordon writes—The Party of Lincoln Said…
The Party of Lincoln said they are the party of family values despite promoting no policies (paid family leave and separating parents from children at the border for example) that support families.
The Party of Lincoln said that they are the party of fiscal responsibility despite presiding over monetary policies that have taken our national debt from one trillion in 1980 to over twenty trillion in 2018. It has only been under Democrats in this period that our annual deficits and debts have been reduced.
The Party of Lincoln said that their trickle-down tax cuts would benefit the middle and lower classes. They tried this in 1981, 2001, 2003, and 2018. The middle class and lower class are still waiting for the benefits.
The Party of Lincoln said that they are the law and order party. This is the party whose leaders gave us Watergate, Iran Contra, the Jack Abramoff scandal, and everything still being sorted out with the current popular vote loser.
The Party of Lincoln said that Merrick Garland could not be given a hearing because it was an election year. Well, this year is an election year and we may have a Supreme Court that has to determine whether the President can be indicted with a nominee that has been on both sides of that issue depending on the party of the person in the White House. Brett Kavanagh’s nomination to the Supreme Court can wait and Anthony Kennedy should stay on the court until all is determined.
The Party of Lincoln said that Bill Clinton should be impeached for lying about having a sexual relationship with a woman and obstructing justice. They said that Hillary Clinton should be held accountable for Benghazi.
What are the elected members of the Party of Lincoln saying about the current occupant of the White House whose personal lawyer just admitted in court that as a candidate, that person directed him to make payouts (which are against campaign finance laws) to two women in order to hush up their affairs with the candidate so they would not come out before the election?
What are the elected members of the Party of Lincoln saying about the revelations of potential collusion with a foreign power to steer the 2016 Presidential election in their favor. What is their complicity (Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for example) among their leadership in helping secure this outcome?