Legalectric

The REAL NEWS you’ve been waiting for — the transcript of Rex Tillerson’s testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee:

It’s a “you have to read it to believe it” litany o the many reasons why tRump is unfit.

“We don’t want them to even consider this. I’m sure the people who fought for non-proliferation weren’t expecting them to dislocate people, in order to achieve that goal. It’s an honorable goal, but 50 houses? Bulldozed? Come on,” explained Applegate.

The Dodge County Wind project’s transmission, the grossly oversized 345kV line for a 170 MW transmission project, is in the news again (it’s been a long couple of weeks, and I’m catching up!). This is about the notion of running a 345kV line, needing a 150 foot easement, through town on an existing 69kV or 115 kV line easement. Through neighborhoods, taking out houses, yeah, right, great transmission planning. A simple look at google earth would reveal just how impossible this would be, the definition of “non-constructible.” I wish at that PUC meeting where it was proposed they would have pulled up google earth. There’s just no excuse for this.

This headline is awful though — it’s not about preparing for the worst, it’s about taking preventative action to assure it doesn’t go further:

Dodge Center residents prepare for the worst in power line dispute

“… prepare for the worst…” WHAT? This is a bizarre headline. KTTC, what are you thinking, it’s the opposite of the point, the mindset, the actions. The essence is preventative, check this quote — the point is to prevent it from being considered — once more with feeling:

“We don’t want them to even consider this. I’m sure the people who fought for non-proliferation weren’t expecting them to dislocate people, in order to achieve that goal. It’s an honorable goal, but 50 houses? Bulldozed? Come on,” explained Applegate.

This one, also KTTC, was from May:

Dodge Center residents feel taken advantage of with latest proposal

The release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement has been delayed, at this point, the DEIS is now due out at the end of July. That’s a good thing, that’s success, because that Draft Environmental Impact Statement should state in specifics why running a 345kV line through residential neighborhoods is a no-brainer. Just NO! This never should have been offered as an “alternative” in the first place. Shame on Commissioner Tuma for putting this out there, for pushing Commerce to put it in the Scoping Decision. He knew better, or should have known better, because he said he looked at it on Google Earth.

Did you know there was an FCC “Midwest Rural Tour” going on this week? I sure didn’t. The FCC, and more importantly, the Public Utilities Commission, should have broadcast this far and wide, particularly to those docket service lists where Over the Air broadcast and internet, broadband, and phone access and service are at issue. Of course the last one in Minnesota was yesterday. Today and tomorrow, a couple more in Wisconsin. Note they’re meeting “privately” with local leaders. Great… open meeting, anyone?

Here are the FCC Contacts:

Contact:

Keyla Hernandez-Ulloa
202-418-0965

Alma Hughes
202-418-1680

Chantal Virgile
202-418-0056

Here’s the poop, cut and pasted from their site (LINKED HERE):

Tour Schedule:

All events listed below are free and open to the public unless noted otherwise.

Day 1:  Monday, 6/24

• 9:30 am
  Presentation at the Chaska Community Center – Download Event Flyer
  1661 Park Ridge Drive, Chaska, MN 55318
• 1:00 pm
  Presentation at Nicollet County Health and Human Services – Download Event Flyer
  622 South Front St., St. Peter, MN 56082
• Meetings with local leaders in Blue Earth County, MN; Chaska, MN and Le Sueur, MN – closed to the general public

Day 2:  Tuesday, 6/25

• 1:00 pm
  Presentation at the Semcac Senior Dining – Download Event Flyer
  Dodge County:  Sunwood Manor, 200 1st St. NE, Kasson, MN  55944
• Meetings with local leaders in Owatonna, MN and Waseca, MN – closed to the general public

Day 3:  Wednesday, 6/26

• 12:00 pm
  Presentation at City Hall – Download Event Flyer
  207 Lafayette St., Winona, MN 55987
• 3:30 pm
  Presentation at City Hall – Download Event Flyer
  315 Main St., La Crescent, MN 55974 
• 6:00 pm
  Presentation at La Crosse Public Library – Download Event Flyer
  800 Main Street, La Crosse, WI 54601
• Meetings with local leaders in St. Charles, MN – closed to the general public

Day 4:  Thursday, 6/27

• 12:00 pm
  Presentation at the Kupper Ratsch Senior Center – Download Event Flyer
  10025 Superior Ave., Tomah, WI 54660
   
• Meetings with local leaders in in Mauston, WI; New Lisbon, WI; Sparta, WI and Tomah, WI – closed to the general public

Day 5:  Friday, 6/28

• 12:00 pm
  Presentation at DeForest Senior Center – Download Event Flyer
  505 N Main St., DeForest, WI 53532 
• 3:00 pm
  Presentation at Portage Public Library – Download Event Flyer
  253 W. Edgewater St., Portage, WI 53901
• Meetings with local leaders Portage, WI and Wisconsin Dells, WI  – closed to the general public

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission Public Hearings on the Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line begin today. Wisconsin’s rules about public comments are quite restrictive. ONLY ONE PER PERSON ALLOWED. Not one in writing, one oral, or multiple in writing, but ONLY ONE PER PERSON, and if there are more than one, only the first one is accepted! Also, if making a public comment, you may not submit scientific studies, etc., only documents that you’ve substantially created! Really…

Dates and times, beginning today!

June 25, 2 and 6 p.m. — Youth & Agriculture Center Auditorium, Grant County Extension, 916 E. Elm St., Lancaster.

June 26, 2 and 6 p.m. — PSC Hearing Room (S105), 4822 Madison Yards Way, Madison.

June 27, 2 and 6 p.m. — Dodger Bowl Lanes, 318 King St., Dodgeville.

Written comments will be accepted through this Friday, June 28.

Yesterday we filed a Motion for Interlocutory Review, and a request to the EIS Coordinator, asking the Commission to take a look at the EIS and Order a Supplemental EIS to include the U.S. Highway 151 alternative route that’s been discussed in the Applicants’ responses to PSC Data Requests 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3, the FEIS, and PSC’s Vedvik’s testimony, but not developed in sufficient detail to be considered as an alternative. The info from these documents is pasted into the pleading.

You may have heard excerpts of the unbelievable arguments on Tuesday, here is the full video. Ain’t the internet grand?

17-56297 Jenny Flores v. William Barr