Legalectric

For all of you Mesaba folks out there, there is indeed a Transmission Planning meeting that does cover Mesaba, better point that out.

Thursday, November 2, 2006

3-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.

Ramada Inn

2115 So. 6th St.

Brainerd, MN 56401

Here’s the northeast-zone-notice.pdf

For more information, go to www.minnelectrans.com or there’s the “contact person” for the NE Zone, Eric Olson at (218) 723-3947, or eolson@allete.com.

I raised the Mesaba project transmission two years ago in Rochester, was told, “NO, NOT HERE, there will be someone at the NE meeting to address it.” OK, fine, so I go up to Duluth, well, Proctor, the same place the Arrowhead hearings were held, and there was no one there presenting on Mesaba, and when I tried to raise it, I was shushed, and when I refused to shut up, I was almost run out of town!

So, if you’re concerned about the Mesaba project and the associated transmission, better show up and let them know you want more informaiton.

Professor Burton Abrams has this to say about the Mesaba coal gasification project:

Itasca County should focus on recreation
Grand Rapids Herald-Review

Editor:
As a part-time resident of Itasca County, I recently received a brochure from the Citizens Against the Mesaba Project (CAMP). If the allegations made by CAMP are true, it is apparent that Excelsior Energyâ??s project is contrary to the long-run interests of the county. For nearly 60 years, I have enjoyed the pristine lakes of northern Itasca County, but I have been dismayed at the countyâ??s ability to never miss an opportunity to permit environmental damage. In 2001, Itasca County ranked third in Minnesota in sulfur dioxide emissions, an important source for acid rain.

My grandfather told of beautiful Trout Lake alongside Coleraine and a short walk from Bovey that teemed with gigantic lake trout. The nearby iron mine was permitted to dump its tailings into the lake, silting over the lakeâ??s gravel spawning beds. The trout and most of the mining jobs are gone, but the environmental damage remains and may grow. One of the abandoned pit mines, now a lake complete with hazardous embankments, threatens to overflow and flood parts of Bovey.

The demographic trends in the United States and the characteristics of Itasca County indicate that Itasca Countyâ??s comparative advantage is not power generation. Itasca County is first and foremost a recreational paradise whose value will only grow with the graying of America. To subsidize Excelsior Energy with the privilege of eminent domain to increase acid rain and to contaminate ground water strikes me as a dangerous job-creation strategy. If jobs are needed, letâ??s subsidize fish hatcheries to return our lakes to world-class fish production. The jobs created by the increase in tourism and retirement-related services would better serve the county. In the final analysis, bragging rights in Itasca County will focus on tons of fish harvested, not on tons of pollutants released into its air and water.

Professor Burton A. Abrams
Acting Chairman
Department of Economics
University of Delaware
Newark, DE

Here’s the schedule. For more info go to the Minnesota Transmission Owners site at www.minnelectrans.com or contact MTO’s Al Mitchell at amitchell@lindquist.com or the State’s Bob Cupit, bob.cupit@state.mn.us

For the CapX2020 lines, the blue ones and red ones on the maps below, go to the CapX2020 Project page, and then click on the project of interest under “Description.”
Now here’s where we get into the problem. Check out the SW Minnesota Zone, “my” district (how can I limit it so when the state is my oyster??)

SE MN Notice: southeast-zone-notice.pdf

What’s wrong with this? Look at the map:

Nevermind, DON’T!! They sent me THREE, I gave away two, and who knows where it went, I GIVE UP, I CANNOT FIND MY COPY FOR THE LIFE OF ME. So allow me to describe it — it’s a cheezy map, with no proposed transmission lines or corridors drawn, only these funny light dashed lines around some cities, no lines drawn at all…

So what are they planning? LOOK!!!

And on that happy note, we’re having another cycle of Biennial Transmission Plan meeitngs, and I hope you’re all paying attention and passing this notice along to everyone who lives near these blue lines on the map above. Or the red lines on this map below (it shows the Big Stone II line connecting into the SW Minnesota line over to Prairie island):

Notice that there’s a line going into Red Wing from the SW, and then from Red Wing (Prairie Island) it goes straight south. CapX2020 calls it “two lines,” one in and one out, and this is just Phase I. In Phase II, there’s another coming into Red Wing from the North, the Chisago sub, and down to Prairie Island. Three lines — no other community has three lines in the CapX2020 “Vision.”

Here’s the SW Zone map from the Transmission Plan meeting packet, covering the same area as the above map (found after 45 minutes of searching — in the recycling — too many papers):

Here’s a version you can zoom or print: sw-zone.pdf

Who cares about the Biennial Transmission Plan meetings? For starters, any of the 200,00 landowners that the Dept. of Commerce says will be affected by these transmission lines. How about the local governments these lines are going through? How about the legislators whose constituents are affected? These lines have been approaching for years now, but the Notice Plans were approved for the CapX2020 lines and we’re now approaching aplication time.

Why care about the Biennial Transmission Plan meetings? Because they’re planning utility infrastructure, and utility infrastructure is very expensive and lasts a long time, 50 years or so. We are at a juncture where we will either invest billions of dollars in central-station infrastructure, large plants a long way from load, OR, we can invest these same dollars in renewable and sustainable energy. Time to choose, because once we start building these central station coal plants and transmission lines, they won’t be abandoned, mothballed. Do we want to take that road? Not on my watch! And on yours???

Transmission Planning Meeting – SE Minnesota Zone:

Tuesday, October 24 from 3-7 p.m.

International Center

7333 Airport View Dr. S.W.

Rochester

For more information:

Al Mitchell – amitchell@lindquist.com

Be there, or be square — that means you, City of Red Wing and Goodhue County! I see you’re on the email list, and hope to see you there!

.

(I’m buried in reams of Prefiled Direct and Rebuttal testimony, got two notebooks in the mail and then some. If it’s thought provoking reading that you want, scroll down and check out testimony of Xcel, Commerce, Chamber, Minnesota Power and of course mncoalgasplant.com!)

This Wetterling “scandal” caught my attention. You know, the Democrats do really stupid things sometimes, we’ve seen that this year, last year, year before — yeah, I remember way too many campaign seasons — but this is just too stupid to believe it’s a DFL blunder. When a candidate is riding an unexpected wave of “right person-right place-right time” notariety, you just don’t DO things like this, I mean, it’s not like Rowley’s guy going to Kline HQ.

Supposedly a field organizer sent Bachman staff an email:

“I have not had a chance to volunteer yet this year but I see we are trailing in the latest poll,” the e-mail read. “Is there a plan to get us back ahead? We need to win this race and keep power in the house. Thanks, Erick.”

And Bachman is on it right away, saying that they’re trying to “gain access to our campaign and our campaign strategy.”

Oh, right, Michelle, someone emails out of the blue and you give them access to the campaign and campaign strategy? I don’t think so. And at a time when Bachman is down, perhaps down for the count, she’s now got something to get all Republican Righteous about and get some press. Sure… let’s create a circus!

What’s this about? I decided to check with Erick!

Yes, Erick the Infamous, Rice Co. DFL Chair, reviled by DLFers and Repugnants alike, writer, reporter, errrr… FORMER reporter… Anyway, given the odd spelling Wetterling’s F.O. used, most know it’s “Eric” or “Erik”, well, the Erick the Expert says, “There are a few others out there with the funky spelling; they’re mostly of Persian descent or African-American. ”

So what’s that field organizer up to? It’s a decidedly weird choice of a name to use! An unlikely co-incidence? Someone who thinks Erick needs help getting into trouble with the DFL? A Republican plant in the Wetterling campaign?

And then there’s this: Republicans protest trashy politics

Inquiring minds want to know… I sense a conspiracy…

WAIT, WHO DID I JUST SEND THIS TO???

A Wetterling campaign worker is fired over e-mail

The campaign manager for DFLer Patty Wetterling fired a field organizer Tuesday after Republican Michele Bachmann alleged a “dirty trick” in the Sixth Congressional District campaign.

Bachmann said one of her field staffers received an e-mail Monday from a volunteer named “Erick.” But the e-mail heading indicated the message was from “Jon Bohn,” a Wetterling employee who joined the campaign about a month ago.

“I have not had a chance to volunteer yet this year but I see we are trailing in the latest poll,” the e-mail read. “Is there a plan to get us back ahead? We need to win this race and keep power in the house. Thanks, Erick.”

In a letter to Wetterling, Bachmann said it appeared Bohn was “attempting to gain access to our campaign and our campaign strategy.”

Wetterling campaign manager Corey Day said he confronted Bohn, 22, a field organizer with the campaign. Bohn acknowledged sending the e-mail and Day fired Bohn on the spot on Tuesday.

“Once he told me he sent it and I saw the e-mail, he’s no longer part of the organization,” said Day.

Day said that as far as he knew, the one e-mail was the only thing Bohn had done that was inappropriate and no one else in the Wetterling campaign was involved.

In her letter to Wetterling, Bachmann said it may be illegal to try to try to gain access to an opponent’s campaign using a false identity. She said she was referring the matter to state and federal authorities.

“Campaigns can be tough,” Bachmann’s letter said. “But playing dirty tricks has no place in Minnesota politics.”

ERIC BLACK AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Last night’s rally in Winona was great — packed house, lots of energy, it feels secure — it feels like taking most of Southern Minnesota, the Senate seat and the Gov’s office is within reach or even, dare I say it, a happen’ thang! This gathering had the most real, and least delusional feel of any I’ve been to, due in large part to Tim Walz, a solid regular guy who is giving Gutknecht a run for his money and who can win. Polls say they’re in a dead heat, so give him a few more days and he’ll tip the scales.

Here’s the story in the Winona paper:

Garrison Keillor draws crowd at DFL eventÂ

And Czechomor — www.czechomor.com

I’ve got these unknown and haunting hook lines floating around in my brain’s tape loop. Don’t read the liner notes though, yes, much is in quirkily percussive minor keys so there is fair warning, but you don’t need to know what it all means, that’s just too much depressing sturm & drang!