Legalectric

Looks like hundreds of preventable deaths. Ain’t capitalism grand?

For posterity, thanks to MPR, “Report showed major damage before condo collapse,”(hmmmm, headline has changed) here’s the 2018 report of engineers who took a close look at the 8777 Collins Ave building that collapsed a few days ago:

Problems? Some examples:

“… CTS maintenance was too busy to assist us.” Right…

It’s pretty extensive evidence of structural issues. What was done?

Apartment 910, per zillow, closed the week before the crash, $710,000.

This one, oh my, closed last month, Penthouse A, per zillow, $2,880,000, and note the current “zestimate: NONE”

And the building next door is one built by the same folks.

Here it is, read it and SNORT!

From a post about 2,100 MW of new transmission:

Developers of 2,100 MW MISO-PJM transmission line choose engineering firm

Let’s think about this a bit. This is a MISO to PJM transmission project. Transmission serves what’s on the line. In MISO, (see above) it’s coal, followed by natural gas, both fossil fuel, and those two followed by nuclear, the most toxic, dangerous, and expensive generation.

Amid all the bluster about climate change, coal generation has ramped up over the last year. Factor to consider — in May of 2020, not much was happening anywhere, so increased generation from then seems likely, to be fair, we need comparison to 2019, BUT, clearly the coal plants are NOT being shut down. And with our transmission build-out over the last 20 years, they can ship and sell it anywhere. What is it going to take to get this fossil generation shut down?

And look at PJM’s mix:

And again, much of the coal in PJM was smaller plants, except for that monster in West Virginia, smaller plants that were too expensive to run, not at all marketable, so they were shut down. MISO is another story, with large coal plants, transmission to get it from any Point A to Point B, and probably the last coal plant to be built, Warren Buffet’s 700MW MEC coal plant, served by the transmission build-out through southern Minnesota and across Iowa.

Why would we need more transmission? WE don’t. THEY DO, it’s a major part of their new business plan. As Lisa Agrimonti so aptly stated in a recent Grid North Partners Conference, it used to be about NERC reliability criteria, “a pretty simple story,” but now, “we need this transmission line to deliver energy more broadly” and it’s a more complicated need story.

Yeah, that’s what they’re wanting to do, for sure!

With the change from reliability to the general “we want it” corporate greed = need, how can a project be challenged?

After wading through the bullshit last night, it feels a lot better this morning in Red Wing. Watch the video, particularly Agenda Items 7, 10C, and 10D:

Red Wing City Council Meeting – June 14, 2021

In order of appearance:

• Agenda Item 7 – Terri Cook appointed to Charter Commission, no discussion, no muss, no fuss.
• Agenda Item 10C – Recall – Brown and Buss – once again, no malfeasance or non-feasance. DOH!
• Agenda Item 10D – Shared space – Mayor Wilson does not have exclusive rights to the shared space at City Hall.

There was a call to SHOW UP and support the Council, that’s the folks in white shirts, who far outnumbered the “RECALL” folks, about the same percentages as in the Presidential votes in our fair city. Overflow crowd.

In the Republican bEagle:

4 things to know about the Red Wing City Council meeting

In the Rochester Post Bulletin:

Recall committee loses another round at Red Wing city council meeting

Can’t make it? WATCH MEETING HERE!

Here’s the AGENDA, with interesting sections (click on AGENDA for live links):

And the one that will likely again confirm that the Recall Committee has not met the malfeasance and/or non-feasance standard:

And an interesting one right after that: