Legalectric

… and go away! Seems to me people are catching on to the difference between Gov. “Green Chameleon” Pawlenty’s talk and the walk.

The talk:

And the walk:

Pawlenty responds to protesters (KSAX/KRWF)

and see TPT’s coverage here:

Global Warming in Ely

and here’s MPR:

Protesters greet Gov. Pawlenty at environmental meeting

January 5, 2008

Ely, Minn. — Gov. Tim Pawlenty was greeted by protesters at an Ely, Minn., summit on global climate change. Demonstrators worry that copper and precious metals mining planned on the Iron Range will create dangerous waste that could pollute area water supplies for decades or longer.

Gov. Pawlenty said there needs to be a balance, and that the mining could be done safely.

“One of the themes of the discussion today was making sure we balance the need to make sure that people have jobs and economic growth and economic activity, with being good stewards with the environment and the need reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and address climate change. I think both can be done,” says Gov. Pawlenty. The Ely summit is the first of several meetings that Gov. Pawlenty and Will Steger are holding around the state.

Minn. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar joined the Ely summit, along with a dozen Iron Range business and academic leaders.

Pawlenty says, “the mining could be done safely.” “Could be…” but WILL it be safe? Give me a break… And what exactly is he doing to assure that it be safe? “Mining” with toxic chemicals… grrrrrrr… I represented two of the “Crandon 29,” 29 people who were arrested for protesting the proposed sulfide mining in Wisconsin. That project didn’t go forward. Now we’re watching that type of insane idea go forward here in Minnesota. Where are the state agencies charged with protecting our environment and the public interest? Oh, but they’re the executive branch, the arm of the Governor. Too bad those “agency arms” aren’t like the tail of a chameleon, grab it and it comes off (as the chameleon runs away). Oh well, get ready MPCA and Dept. of Commerce, we’re pulling on your tail and won’t let go!

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There is good news here… that good news is that Gov. “Green Chameleon” Pawlenty is having to confront the impact of his policies. He is lots of talk, saying the things that the public wants to hear, but if you look at what he’s done in Minnesota, it’s pretty awful.

As with former Rep. Ray Cox, who bent over trying to posture himself in the same mold, Pawlenty is seeing his policy come back at him. GOOD, hold him accountable! This Green Chameleon Governor is the guy who has his agency toadies interfere in energy dockets when he sees obviously bad projects going south, projects like Mesaba’s IGCC coal gasification plant, one that shouldn’t ever have seen the light of day, much less get millions in federal and state money, OUR money:

Garvey “Policy Statement”

Garvey’s Last Shot

Those are pretty outrageous examples of what this Governor is all about, the kinds of interference that he’s willing to run for a project that costs too much, does not significantly reduce emissions, and is not in the public interest — yes, Excelsior’s Mesaba Project — where the ALJs (TWO of them) reviewed the record, tens of thousands of pages, and came up with that determination, will somebody please explain why Pawlenty would support Excelsior Energy and the Mesaba Project? Green? Not quite…. And supporting it against evidence??? Who’s he bending over for? Whatever is he thinking? The voters recently let Ray Cox know what they thought of that chameleon stance, and as he says, “… just like the 2006 election I was pounded by Northfield voters.” Naaaaah, this was a LOT worse than the 2006 election…

Gov. Green Chameleon, do you understand that the voters are feeling the impacts of your regressive policies and are voting accordingly?