Legalectric

The most bizarre bill has been introduced that seems to be trying to breathe life into the most unreal project that ever existed, and the project that refuses to die, have they no shame?

Here’s the poop:

SF 417 and HF 618

Senate authors are Tomassoni, Senjem, Michel and Saxhaug

WRITE TO COMMITTEE MEMBERS — TELL THEM TO PUT A STAKE THROUGH ITS SLIMY HEART!

Referred to Senate Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications

CLICK HERE FOR SENATE ENERGY COMMITTEE MEMBERS EMAILS

House authors are Beard, Dill and Fabian

Referred to House Environment, Energy and …

CLICK HERE FOR SENATE ENERGY COMMITTEE MEMBERS EMAILS

What on earth are they trying to do

Do we — plural, as in “society” — ever learn from history?  I’m the great-grandaughter of a union organizer, never met him, but I heard many times from my mother how much she enjoyed hearing about fighting for workers rights, his stories of working with Debs, and when she talked about that, she lit up with pride and I’d guess, DUH, that is where I got a lot of my world view  (My father also told stories about being a kid and sneaking out during the trucker’s strike, hanging out at Hiawatha-Lake as bullets were flying.).   She was better at believing her beliefs than living them, oh, I could tell you stories, but did support my education, from way, way back, from the pre-kindergarten days of going to the library filling the back seat with books to get me through the week, and I’m feeling like it’s time to dig back and learn more about that GREAT great-grandfather of mine.

Today I got this email from Guy Wolf, with a link to an Assembly session recording, and am listening to this as I type, and am so appalled about what’s going on in Wisconsin, by the unprecedented anti-democratic acts of the Republicans in power.   IN THE ASSEMBLY EVEN — OH MY DOG!

Kudos to Rep. Peter Barca, Minority Leader from the 64th District, Kenosha, WOW, he is telling it as it was.  And Rep. Gordon Hintz, from Oshkosh, what an eloquent statement, and Rep. Roy… (all their contact info here) this is something everyone should see.   Click the link (it’s below in Guy’s email too) for

02.18.11 | Assembly Floor Session (Part 4)

The Republican majority started the meeting without the Democrats, BEFORE THE DESIGNATED TIME TO START, and started passing amendments without them!

Rep. Corey Mason:

“Being in the majority doesn’t mean that you can take away people’s freedom”

Here’s the email from Guy:

Dozens of family, friends, have Emailed me asking what is happening in the State of WI at this moment in history. Without partisanship, without rancor, without comment, I ask that you observe one video, not of protestors, not of political pundits, but simply 40 minutes of time in the WI Legislature.

Greetings!

Yesterday, at approximately 4:55pm on Friday February 18th, a historic moment took place on the floor of the WI State Assembly (January 2011 Special Session of the Legislature).  I highly recommend you view the video, that you purchase the video and disseminate it to teachers, faculty, staff, to educators across the State of WI and beyond. Because the video has contractual rights that you must agree too, I strongly suggest you agree to those rights,  The video is historic It will be remembered in WI and US History. Please post and repost.

Sincerely,

Guy Wolf,

http://wiseye.org/Programming/VideoArchive/EventDetail.aspx?evhdid=3759

The video is the 4th posted video on the page, It is listed as 2.18.11

Yesterday, I also received an email, even more disturbing… there was a call, well email, to turn out people for a Town Meeting held by the Rep. at the district next door, Rep. Steve Drazkowski is holding a Town Hall meeting in Plainview today, from 2-4.  Here’s what the email said:

Joys of Capitalism… that people continue to conflate democracy and capitalism is beyond me, how stupid can we be?

This is a large report, but take a few minutes to at least read the conclusions, found on pps.  xv  - xxviii, yes, read all of those pages, not just the headnotes below:

FCIC Report

Very short nutshell version of a thorough and credible report, the headings of their conclusions, but again, read the meat of it, the details are important, and google “FCIC report” to get the spin the capitalists offer:

• We conclude this financial crisis was avoidable.

• We conclude widespread failures in financial regulation and supervision proved devastating to the stability of the nation’s financial markets.

• We conclude dramatic failures of corporate governance and risk management at many systemically important financial institutions were a key cause of this crisis.

• We conclude a combination of excessive borrowing, risky investments, and lack of transparency put the financial system on a collision course with crisis.

• We conclude the government was ill prepared for the crisis, and its inconsistent response added to the uncertainty and panic in the financial markets.

• We conclude there was a systemic breakdown in accountability and ethics.

• We conclude collapsing mortgage-lending standards and the mortgage securitization pipeline lit and spread the flame of contagion and crisis.

• We conclude over-the-counter derivatives contributed significantly to this crisis.

• We conclude the failures of credit rating agencies were essential cogs in the wheel of financial destruction.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse… and after yesterday’s Executive Order 11-04, oh my, that was pretty awful, then Dayton makes the choice of Bill Grant, Izaak Walton League, as Deputy Commissioner of Energy.

Bill Grant headed the Midwest Izaak Walton League, the “environmental” organization that through the years has given the utilities everything they want, and has received foundation grants (it is his last name after all) to promote the most reprehensible things… particularly transmission, transmission, transmission.  They intervened in the CapX 2020 Certificate of Need (PUC Docket 06-1115) in favor of the project, what more need be said?

So did Dayton make this appointment with knowledge of, or not knowing:

Settlement Agreement - ME3(Fresh Energy), Izaak Walton League, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, North American Water Office

$8.1 Million Wind on Wires grant from McKnight/Energy Foundation

“Wind on the Wires” website - remember, this is a subset of Walton’s, they’re on Walton’s payroll

Bill Grant - Sawmill Presentation - Promotion of Coal Gasification

And remember, Bill Grant has been on that Renewable Development Fund that gave Excelsior Energy $10 million in state money… and he’s the one who talks about “low carbon coal.”  Give me a break…

How is this appointment in the public interest?

Izaak Walton League official tapped to head state energy division

Environmentalists happy he supports renewable energy

By Leslie Brooks Suzukamo

Updated: 01/24/2011 11:12:55 PM CST

Minnesota Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman has appointed William Grant, an ardent environmentalist with the Izaak Walton League and advocate of renewable energy, as the state’s new deputy commissioner of its energy division.

Environmentalists praised the appointment as a sign that Gov. Mark Dayton wants to preserve Minnesota’s leadership role in renewable energy development.

“Bill is recognized by consumers, the energy industry and policy-makers as someone with terrific knowledge, ability and integrity,” Rothman said in a statement Monday. “He will be charged with ensuring that Minnesota’s energy needs are met while focusing on a green energy economy and jobs.”

The deputy commissioner also oversees the state’s regulated utilities and makes recommendations on rate hike requests.

Grant said his first priority will be “to maintain Minnesota’s leadership in progressive energy policies” while making sure consumers are protected.

He noted that the Minnesota House recently moved to lift the moratorium on developing more nuclear power and is looking at removing restrictions on building new coal-fired power plants, among other measures, but he declined to say what he would recommend until after he talks with the governor’s staff.

“Nobody knows Minnesota’s energy policy like Bill Grant,” said Michael Noble, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Fresh Energy.

“He’s got a 30-year track record in energy policy, and he’s helped put Minnesota in place as a national energy leader,” Noble said. “It’s a clear signal from the governor that he intends to make energy a key part of his vision for getting Minnesota back to work.”

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce agreed that Grant’s division will play a key role in the growth of the state’s economy.

“Bill Grant has got enormous experience in regards to environmental policy, but to do that job well, it’s about reliability and competitive costs as much as it is about protecting the environment. You’ve got to wear at least three hats,” said Bill Blazar, a spokesman for the chamber.

Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy said, “Xcel Energy works cooperatively with all of its regulators and will continue to do so.”

“Streamline” is code for “ram it through.”

Another one of those “change!” moments — look at what we’re getting:

Daytons Executive Order 11-04

So do tell, was this done to help push approval of Paul Aasen as Commissioner of MPCA?  Show that Dayton will roll for big business over environmental review?  There are such horrendous projects in the pipeline, ones that require a serious look, and ones that shouldn’t be permitted, period.  P-O-L-Y-M-E-T! Need I say more?  Oh, OK, how about 3M’s Cottage Grove Incinerator?   Hennepin County’s HERC Incinerator?

Here’s his Press Release:

Dayton Issues Executive Order to Speed Permitting Process

Dayton is right in line with Rep. Drazkowski — how scary can it get?

Drazkowski pitches regulatory reduction