http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/category_rss/environment cross-posted at ClimateLaws.org Under the neo-classic pen name, Justinian, several yet to be revealed policy and climate experts have released a blueprint of strategies for the incoming administration to consider with regards to climate change.  The lynchpin of these tactics is that they can all be undertaken without the need for immediate congressional action.  Like the Roman Emperor Justinian’s attempts to bring Rome out of the Dark Ages with, among other things, a complete revision of the Roman law code – the authors’ proposals offer a dramatic administrative shift in US priorities for climate change. While some of the recommendations are fairly well known, some are wonkish administrative priority setting such as strategies within federal agencies that will permit a far greater amount of environmental policy changes to successfully navigate the myriad of interagency hurdles they often face.  Two of the more public and well known recommendations include having the US join a binding international agreement on climate change, and granting California’s exemption to EPA regulation of auto emissions essentially letting that state and 18 others raise emissions standards on automobiles.  Some other suggestions include....more after the jump http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/climatelaws/CQDR http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/climatelaws/CQDR/commentary#comments Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:35:16 MST http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/climatelaws/CQDR User from Denver, CO User from Denver, CO 1 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CQDR/ For several years now the evidence of the Alberto Gonzales gang's manipulation of the Federal Civil Service within the Department of Justice has been well publicized. The fact that right-wing political ideologues were being approved for career professional positions based on social issue orthodoxy, rather than competence and qualifications, is yet another blight on the scandalous legacy of the current occupant of the White House. Today's report in the Washington Post reveals that this practice of burrowing right-wing political operatives into the Civil Service is also in-place in the scientific agencies. Perhaps this is the mis-administration's strategy for making permanent the Republican obsession for combating the truth of science with their twisted political and social priorities. The Center for Public Integrity is soon to release their "Broken Government" study. The fund-raising teaser release promises 120 specific cases. This kind of investigative effort to hold the Bushies accountable as the mis-administration fades into oblivion is crucial.  Revealing and acting on the depth and breadth of this conspiracy is vital to the success of any reforms and corrects to the offenses of the past eight years. The Obama-Biden Administration will be stretched and tested to uncover and flush-out these right-wing activists who have burrowed their way into the Civil Service like so many termites. The evidence of these infestations must be met with quick action. Executive appointees selected for positions above these people must be prepared to take every possible action within the laws and regulations of the Civil Service structure to either get them dismissed, or make it too hard for them to stay and accomplish their nefarious goals. Attention to the selection of the Administrator of the Office of Personnel Management will be a key to success in this area. Various Executive agency inspectors general must be supported in investigating these political opportunists. IF they are found to be substantially unqualified for the job description that they were hired to fill, then it should be clear grounds for dismissal as an unlawful appointment. The Obama-Biden appointees who are saddled with these burdens must enforce clear, precise and enforceable performance standards. When confronted with qualitative requirements to enforce and perform based upon laws and regulations that these infiltrators are likely to hold ambitions to undermine and avoid, could more easily force them to resign. Even in its demise the minions of the current mis-administration are appearing to be increasingly unwilling to follow the current occupant of the White House and the vice out of Washington. This certainly adds to the challenge and urgency of establishing the new administration's executive leadership. Too many months and too many acting, caretaker, leaders in the executive departments will make it all the harder to untangle the tentacles of the Bush parasites. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/ralphtrenary/CQDn http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/ralphtrenary/CQDn/commentary#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:53:14 MST http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/ralphtrenary/CQDn Ralph T http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/22970b0cb82ab5861b_e6yymv1de.jpg Ralph T 2 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CQDn/ Comments by Nelson Bock, of Colorado Interfaith Power and Light, on the need to support green jobs in a renewable energy economy. I am pleased to represent Colorado Interfaith Power and Light, and the IPL movement which now has affiliates in 28 states, and whose mission is to mobilize the religious community to respond to the threat of climate change. I am here to support green jobs in a new energy economy, because it is our conviction that green jobs is not just an economic issue, and not just an environmental issue, but that it is also a profoundly spiritual issue. The earth, our home, is a sacred gift, the care of which we have been entrusted, and on which we live in a web of interdependent relationships. Living with reverence for that gift and those relationships is at the core of spirituality, and also the key to our survival and health as a human family. This is an issue that connects the health of our planet, the health of our people, and the health of our economy, because those things are all intrinsically connected in the larger scheme of things The earth, our home, is in peril because of our excessive dependence on the fossil fuel economy we have built over the last two hundred years. Climate change, accelerated and exacerbated by greenhouse gases accumulating in the atmosphere as a result of human activity, threatens to severely disrupt the ecological balance which has supported human life, and the life of millions of other species with whom we share the earth. At the same time, human health is threatened by the emission of many other pollutants which foul not just the air, but the water and the land on which we likewise depend. And the health of our communities is threatened by economic dislocation and by the environmental destruction of public lands caused by ever more rapacious activities necessitated by the drive to seek and extract the last drops of fossil fuels wherever they may be found. These activities do not just damage landscape and wildlife habitat; they damage our spirits, as they increasingly estrange us from the earth, which we treat not as a living system of which we are a part, but as an inert depository of raw materials and a convenient repository for our waste. Further, these activities estrange us from one another, as exploitation of the earth's resources is based on exploitation of people and communities whose environment is despoiled and whose labor is treated as just another commodity, and who are then left to deal with the economic and environmental fallout when the resources are depleted. What we are learning is that a healthy society--one in which people and communities are healthy and happy and secure-- is dependent on a healthy relationship to our environment. Yes, people need jobs, and that is why we are here today. But a job is not just a job. Work is an expression of the human spirit. The work we do also shapes our spirit, making us more or less healthy as we embody our relationship to the earth through our work. So what kind of jobs are going to give us healthy people, a healthy economy, and healthy communities? The kinds of jobs which preserve a healthy planet. Jobs which discover, create, and utilize renewable sources of energy, jobs which help us to conserve the earth's finite and precious resources. Jobs which are based on sustainable sources of energy and other natural resources. Jobs which create and promote alternative forms of transportation. Jobs which allow communities to be more self-sustaining and less dependent on global supply lines and the exploitation of the labor and resources of people from other parts of the world. Jobs which allow people to express and take pride in the dignity of their labor through a reverent and respectful use of the earth's resources, and which provide families with a living wage. So we want to urge the people of Colorado and the United States to support candidates, initiatives, and policies which move us away from our unhealthy reliance on fossil fuels and towards green jobs in a green economy, for the health of our people, our communities, and our planet. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/nbock6552/CQDS http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/nbock6552/CQDS/commentary#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:24:51 MST http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/nbock6552/CQDS Nelson Bock http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/4b519578d91f18752b_efm6b4e7n.jpg Nelson Bock 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CQDS/ We did it! As you know there are tremendous victories to report up and down the ballot. Time to get right to work to ensure that President-elect Barack Obama and the incoming members of the new Congress tackle the pressing environmental issues facing our state and the nation. But first, here's an opportunity to congratulate the candidates who won and applaud their commitment to the environment. Environment Colorado, as part of Environment America, endorsed 29 candidates for Congress and Sen. Barack Obama for president. We're excited to announce that, so far, 25 environmental champions were victorious on Election Day -- including Rep. Mark Udall for U.S. Senate and Betsy Markey for Congress -- giving us an enormous head start on our agenda for 2009. (The other four races are still too close to call.) Join us in sending them a note of congratulations for their Election Day victory and to applaud their environmental leadership. http://www.environmentcolorado.org/election-2008/results?id4=PNA From curbing global warming to repowering America with clean, renewable energy to preserving our threatened wild places, the politicians we elected yesterday will help define the legacy that we leave for our children and future generations of Americans. Together we've done our part during this historic election. Over the last few months, staff and volunteers have been knocking on doors, making phone calls, sharing e-mails and Web videos and distributing important education materials to tens of thousands of undecided voters about the pressing environmental issues facing the nation -- and the candidates that will tackle those issues. http://www.environmentcolorado.org/election-2008/results?id4=PNA Thanks to everyone for your support and involvement, and congratulations on helping to deliver an Election Day victory for our environment. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/happyplanet/CQ8T http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/happyplanet/CQ8T/commentary#comments Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:41:25 MST http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/happyplanet/CQ8T User from Denver, CO User from Denver, CO 2 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CQ8T/ OBAMA CITY, JAPAN :  Banners on parade and dancing in the streets with shouts in English "YES WE CAN" KENYA:  Dancing in the streets - 2 days of national holiday declared amid chants of "YES WE CAN" FRANCE:  People pour into the streets of Paris amid dancing and singing there are shouts "YES WE CAN" LONDON, SOUTH AFRICA....ALL OVER THE WORLD: The REVOLUTION has been legitimized, accepted and praised.               WE actually won the 2nd revolution for the United States of America. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/Jan/CQ88 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/Jan/CQ88/commentary#comments Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:26:59 MST http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/Jan/CQ88 The Mad Woman http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/fcb34917d9fd3e3809_u806mvulr.jpg The Mad Woman 2 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CQ88/ Here, and in 9 other battleground states nearly 1,600 have signed up to volunteer in the critical 96 hours before the election. We're putting out names down for the last 96 hours because we worry this race could be much closer than the polls predict. Will all of the hard work and long hours be enough? With your help, it will be. Click here to Volunteer in the final 96 hours Here are a couple of reasons why we shouldn't take anything for granted. * Record turnouts are expected on Election Day, but it's unclear if polling places are ready for the deluge of new voters. With long waits and new voting technology in several states, polls can't predict how voters will react. * Polls -- even exit polls -- got it wrong in 2004. Not much has changed: On the eve of the New Hampshire primary, the polls showed Barack Obama up by 8.3 points in the average of all state polls. The media had started to write off Hillary Clinton and declare Obama the winner. By the end of the day, Hillary Clinton was declared the winner with a margin of victory of 2.6 points. The campaign that was supposed to be "over" went on for another five months. The lesson of this polling story is clear. It ain't over until it's over. So as we work for an environmental leader in the White House and champions in Congress, don't take anything for granted. Do what you can. Join us on the campaign trail so that on November 5th, you'll be able to say that we did enough. Click here to Volunteer in the final 96 hours Thanks as always for making it all possible. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/happyplanet/CQ8H http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/happyplanet/CQ8H/commentary#comments Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:11:16 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/happyplanet/CQ8H User from Denver, CO User from Denver, CO 2 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CQ8H/ The McCain Campaign is out answering the internet blogosphere again. A continuation of the policy of smoke and mirrors... "SO, Mr. McCain, what about the Economy?"   "uh, uh, HEY! Look over here...Obama stubbed his toe and he didn't bleed - proves he's a vampire!!! Afterall,we knew he had to be... He runs with alien terrorists from MARS!!!!! The Washington Post has films of the landing and met with their leader..... We are demanding right here and now....RELEASE THE FILM!!!!!" YES McCAIN and his Campaign are LIKE BUSH in one major way... They will SAY anything (LIE); They think WE are STUPID; And when all else fails, blame the Democrats! http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/Jan/CQ8Z http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/Jan/CQ8Z/commentary#comments Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:15:10 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/Jan/CQ8Z The Mad Woman http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/fcb34917d9fd3e3809_u806mvulr.jpg The Mad Woman 271 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CQ8Z/ With thousands of wells drilled and thousands more planned, no wonder the oil-and-gas industry has a big interest in the Garfield County commissioner races. Two seats are up for contention and if Democrats finally get a majority after 24 years of political drought, there could be big changes concerning impact fees, managing man camps, and monitoring drilling activities especially in regards to water and air pollution. The Post Independent reported that over $45,000 has been spent by outside interests to influence the outcome of the GarCo commissioner races. In one example, Paul Rady, the chief executive officer of Antero Resources Corp, a company drilling in GarCo, donated $20,000 to Western Heritage, one of the 527 committees spearheading media campaigns in support of the Republican candidates. GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado - Five groups from outside Garfield County have spent about $45,700 in the last two months to sway voters in this year's two county commissioner races. State campaign finance reports, court documents and local advertising rate cards show that three of the outside groups have connections to the several active state GOP members. Those people include the Colorado Republican Party's outside legal counsel, the chief of staff for former congressman Scott McInnis, and a Republican political consultant with ties to several state organizations. The groups supporting the Democratic candidates are a Montana-based environmental coalition, which includes Grand Junction-based Western Colorado Congress, and a Denver-based left-leaning organization. The money flooding the two races comes as many state officials see Garfield County as the epicenter of energy development in Colorado. Republican Larry McCown is vacating his seat after 12 years and former county judge Steve Carter, a Democrat and Republican Mike Samson, a school administrator, are vying for the open seat. Both live in Rifle. Democrat Steve Bershenyi, a blacksmith and artist, is challenging Republican John Martin, who is seeking his fourth term. Trési Houpt, a Democrat, is not up for re-election this year. Both Democratic commissioner candidates have promised tighter regulations for the oil and gas industry in Garfield County and want to enact impact fees to help pay for industry impacts on roads and local services. Houpt, who is also member of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, has been often silenced by a 2-to-1 vote on oil-and-gas issues. Martin was the swing vote to approve a $23 million tax credit for Chevron to reimburse the expense of rebuilding County Road 204 to their gas fields, a plan some locals have dubbed, "The Road to Nowhere." The funds could come out of the severance tax revenues given to the county to mitigate drilling impacts, about seven year's worth, if the two Republican commissioners have their way. Last spring, Martin and McCown also approved a variance in the county planning and zoning regulations that allows oil-and-gas man camps of eight men or less on private property without the owner's consent, an infringement on private property rights some landowners have claimed. Both Carter and Bershenyi have received help from environmental groups concerned with oil and gas development. The Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC), a Billings, Mont.-based environmental and advocacy group, has spent about $13,550 in support of the Democratic candidates. Ballot returns and early voting in Garfield County have been very slow, perhaps a sign that there are still a lot of undecided voters in this battleground. References: http://www.postindependent.com/article/20081027/VALLEYNEWS/110279991/1083&ParentProfile=1074&title=Garfield%20County%20races%20see%20about%20$46K%20of%20outside%20money http://www.postindependent.com/article/20081026/VALLEYNEWS/810258690&SearchID=73334238374511&parentprofile=search http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/CQ85 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/CQ85/commentary#comments Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:38:32 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/CQ85 Rifle Shots by Leslie Robinson http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/4ff03b14c9ae1d793a_9770mvu15.jpg Rifle Shots by Leslie Robinson 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CQ85/ Bob Schaffer's out of touch, wrong on critical issues rap-sheet grows by the day. I found this latest charge in Ed Quillen's column in the Sunday Denver Post. Read the whole column online at http://www.denverpost.com/quillen/ci_10799075 or scroll down to the extended post text. The Referendum A test still carries a lot of weight with me.  Once again here's a case where Bob Schaffer sided with big-monied interests and against Colorado farmers, ranchers and communities. Hopefully, he'll be sliding into the dustbin of Colorado political history by 10:00 PM on November 4th.  Being too cozy with the "drill baby, drill" crowd of oilies is bad enough, but working on the wrong side of water policy is unforgiveable. PS - If you get a chance, drop a complimentary email to Ed (his email link at at the end of the Extended Post Text).  It is so hard to find something worthy of praise in the Denver Post these days that we should encourage Ed to continue his good work. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/ralphtrenary/CQ8p http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/ralphtrenary/CQ8p/commentary#comments Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:59:31 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/ralphtrenary/CQ8p Ralph T http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/22970b0cb82ab5861b_e6yymv1de.jpg Ralph T 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CQ8p/ Coloradans deserve clean water. But Reps. Marilyn Musgrave and Bob Schaffer have consistently taken the side of polluters in opposing stronger protections for our waterways. Full report on Rep. Musgrave Full report on Bob Schaffer Report follows: http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/happyplanet/CQk3 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/happyplanet/CQk3/commentary#comments Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:50:53 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/happyplanet/CQk3 User from Denver, CO User from Denver, CO 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CQk3/ I was just listening to former Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder on a radio show. He made a critical and brilliant observation about John McCain. His evaluation of the Sarah Palin selection rests on that decision as an indicator of how McSame would later decide on the people to fill the other leadership positions in a supposed McSame mis-administration. This is a powerful indictment of a candidate for president of the US when the nation so despirately needs a clear change of direction. The specter of Sarah Palin equivalent appointments throughout the US Executive Branch shows no chance of reforming, and certainly not reversing, the criminal excesses of the past seven years. There will be no resolution to the US Attorney firings, and little hope of removing the fraudulently hired radical right-wingers who have been peppered throughout the Department of Justice to undermine, rather than enforce, the law. This demonstrated decision-making pattern by John McCain is a screaming warning to America. No other fact shines so brightly than the selection of Sarah Palin to confirm that McSame is the incarnation of a third, and perhaps more devastating, term for the G.W. Bush policies. Considering everything you find important, think your retired relatives who will be hurt if McCain succeeds and leads America down the path of more for the wealthiest and less for the rest. Victory in the race for the White House is critical, but top to bottom electoral victories on the ballot is equally important for our communities and state. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/ralphtrenary/CZB9 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/ralphtrenary/CZB9/commentary#comments Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:22:03 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/ralphtrenary/CZB9 Ralph T http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/22970b0cb82ab5861b_e6yymv1de.jpg Ralph T 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZB9/ McCain-Palin scoriated. Barack Obama-Biden endorsed by the Humane Society for the United States. Standing on the sidelines is no longer an option for us. If Palin is put in a position to succeed McCain, it could mean rolling back decades of progress on animal issues. I'm proud to announce today that the HSLF board of directors--which is comprised of both Democrats and Republicans--has voted unanimously to endorse Barack Obama for President. The Obama-Biden ticket is the better choice on animal protection, and we urge all voters who care about the humane treatment of animals, no matter what their party affiliation, to vote for them. Voters who care about protecting wildlife from inhumane and unsporting abuses, enforcing the laws that combat large-scale cruelties like dogfighting and puppy mills, providing humane treatment of animals in agriculture, and addressing other challenges that face animals in our nation, must become active over the next six weeks to elect a president and vice president who share our values. Please spread the word, and tell friends and family members that an honest assessment of the records of the two presidential tickets leads to the inescapable conclusion that Obama-Biden is the choice for humane-minded voters. Paid for by Humane Society Legislative Fund and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Read the entire article here [ yes, there is a lot more....] http://hslf.typepad.com/political_animal/2008/09/humane-society.html http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/karenhansen/CZBB http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/karenhansen/CZBB/commentary#comments Sat, 04 Oct 2008 10:13:27 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/karenhansen/CZBB User from Sacramento, CA User from Sacramento, CA 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZBB/ Either Disney has gone to a new generation of Animatronics or we now have proof of pod people taking over the country........ Is SARAH PALIN For real? http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/Jan/CZGh http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/Jan/CZGh/commentary#comments Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:21:26 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/Jan/CZGh The Mad Woman http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/fcb34917d9fd3e3809_u806mvulr.jpg The Mad Woman 1 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZGh/ Wow, I really need to order some of those special days with the extra hours...I keep falling behind as new deadlines erupt! Here's a bit of cool news I ran across today. A rancher from the endangered Pinon Canyon region, Cathy Mullins, has donated an acre of land on her historic ranch to help raise funds to keep fighting the threatened expansion of the Army's Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site. If you don't recall the details on this horrible plan, no worries. Just click through HERE and browse through the tabs that explain what's at stake. Then go buy your square inch of land, a bargain at only $10! Hey, maybe you will get one near mine! http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/neonnurse/CZGm http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/neonnurse/CZGm/commentary#comments Wed, 10 Sep 2008 22:28:40 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/neonnurse/CZGm Susan the Neon Nurse http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/4d9f8366c95149b114_4l1gmvoe1.jpg Susan the Neon Nurse 79 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZGm/ Several email exposes regarding Sarah Palin have landed in my in-box. The most useful is the message from MoveOn.org (go to the extended Post Text). I hope my mother, my wife and my teenage daughter will excuse this one - but, my initial reaction holds that McCain is having a post midlife crisis moment here. Now he gets to spend the rest of the campaign on stage with either a blonde or a brunette former beauty queen; sometimes both. Considering the depth and experience available to him in the rest of the GOP universe I am completely baffled that there can be any other reason for this decision. I am now even more appreciative for the intelligent and practical decision by Barack Obama to grab Joe Biden as his VP running mate. The supposed VP Debate won't be. With this line-up it is clear that candidate Palin will carefuly recite radical right wing talking points fed to her by the McCain handlers. Even if Biden were allowed in the format/rules to challenge her on any issues we'll hear nothing original. Thus there could not be a more distinct choice between the two tickets. Looking at the "rap-sheet" provided by MoveOn, American voters can have no doubts of the radical and destructive policies and positions John McCain is accepting by filling the GOP ticket with Palin. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/ralphtrenary/Cq7N http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/ralphtrenary/Cq7N/commentary#comments Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:56:44 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/ralphtrenary/Cq7N Ralph T http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/22970b0cb82ab5861b_e6yymv1de.jpg Ralph T 2 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/Cq7N/ Republican presidential candidate John McCain has been under fire from all political sides in Colorado about his stance on reopening the 1922 Colorado River water agreement with downstream states - like his home state of Arizona. So, with the help of Sen. Wayne Allard, McCain tried to explain yesterday that he didn't mean to say what he said about taking Colorado's water. If anyone should remember the old-fashioned saying, "Closing the barn doors after the horses have left," it should be Grampa McCain. In the letter to Allard, which was released to reporter Mike Saccone at the Grand Junction Sentinel, McCain claimed his comments were "misconstrued." http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/news/stories/2008/08/20/082108_1b_McCain_letter.html In Washington-speak that means, "The media is at fault for publishing what I said." That excuse may work with the Beltway Boys, but out here in the West, McCain's double-talk sounds more like a horse trader who acts surprised when his horse is found lame. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/Cq4m http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/Cq4m/commentary#comments Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:55:23 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/Cq4m Rifle Shots by Leslie Robinson http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/4ff03b14c9ae1d793a_9770mvu15.jpg Rifle Shots by Leslie Robinson 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/Cq4m/ When Sen. John McCain came to Colorado last week, he proved one more time that he doesn't understand Colorado or the issues we care about. To put it simply, he's missing the boat on water. Talking to the Pueblo Chieftain newspaper, McCain said the Colorado River Compact "obviously needs to be renegotiated." ( Pueblo Chieftain , Aug. 15) He wants to take water from Colorado to deliver more to his home state of Arizona. Senator Ken Salazar wasted no time responding. "Over my dead body," he said. What McCain proposed flies in the face of decades of hard-won negotiations, which resulted in an agreement reached just last year that protects Colorado's water rights from exploding sprawl in downstream states like Arizona. The Denver Post denounced McCain's attack on Colorado's water rights, saying "McCain's comments were...not only political poison in Colorado, they displayed a disturbing ignorance of the realities of the West's scarce water resources. To say Westerners are disappointed in McCain would be an understatement." ( Denver Post , Aug. 19) Click the link below: tell McCain to keep his hands off our water. http://progressnowaction.org/protectcoloradowater We'll forward your thoughts to Senator McCain. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/Cq4d http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/Cq4d/commentary#comments Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:38:55 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/Cq4d Alan Franklin http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/1b6fb917dd91e10cc0_ge5omv53a.jpg Alan Franklin 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/Cq4d/ Last week, Republican presidential candidate John McCain said he wanted more of Colorado's water for downstream users like his home state of Arizona. Editorials, Colorado leaders like Sen. Ken Salazar and Congressman Mark Udall, both Democratic and Republican local officials, and well, just about everyone else in Colorado pretty much said: "Hey, McCain: Over our dead bodies…." Everyone, that is, except Club 20. Club 20, which boasts itself as the "Voice of Western Colorado," has been very vocal about the benefits of the oil and gas industry and is quick to come to the draw to defend it against proposed rules and regs. However, it's not natural gas that runs the engine in the West, it's water. One would think Club 20 would at least mumble about McCain's proposal to steal more water away from the Western Slope, but there has been nothing but silence coming from the 50+ year old organization. Does that have something to do with Big Oil supporting McCain's campaign? If Club 20 is unwilling to defend Western Slope water for whatever political reason, maybe it's time for the Western Slope to start up another organization that will. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/Cq4l http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/Cq4l/commentary#comments Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:48:03 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/Cq4l Rifle Shots by Leslie Robinson http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/4ff03b14c9ae1d793a_9770mvu15.jpg Rifle Shots by Leslie Robinson 1 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/Cq4l/ Some of you may remember I got the chance to see John McCain back in March of '05, when he opened for President Bush at a Social Security privatization "town hall" (which lives in infamy , but I digress). McCain got started with a hilarious deadpan, something to the effect of "Hello, I'm John McCain of Arizona and I've come for your water." Got great laughs, and he's kept using variations of the line ever since when he visits us in Colorado. It's on tape all over the place. Just one little problem: it's not a joke. State officials assail McCain's remarks on Colorado River Compact Water experts of all stripes were left questioning the prudence of Republican presidential candidate and Arizona Sen. John McCain after he told a newspaper the critical 1922 water compact between seven Western states should be revisited. "I don't think there's any doubt the major, major issue is water and can be as important as oil. So the compact that is in effect, obviously, needs to be renegotiated over time amongst the interested parties," McCain told The Pueblo Chieftain. "I think that there's a movement amongst the governors to try, if not, quote, renegotiate, certainly adjust to the new realities of high growth, of greater demands on a scarcer resource." The Colorado River Compact governs how seven Western states, including Colorado and Arizona, share the Colorado River. "Conditions have changed dramatically," McCain said... John Redifer, a member of the Colorado Water Conservation Board and political science professor at Mesa State College, said McCain's position makes sense in light of Arizona's needs, but not as a national policy. "I wonder if he is running for president of the United States or for something in Arizona when he makes those statements," Redifer said. "I'm really kind of surprised that someone running for president … that needs to carry the state of Colorado would make a statement like that." Colorado's statesmen also questioned McCain's plan, with Congressman John Salazar, D-Colo., saying he is "totally disappointed in McCain." Salazar, via his spokesman, Eric Wortman, pledged to fight McCain's plan. "Over my cold, dead, political carcass," Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer said... That's right, even Bob "Referendum A" Schaffer is posturing on this one. And that's the thing--no one in Colorado could possibly support this and expect to remain in elected office. Colorado's water rights should be "revisited" because of the "reality" of Arizona and California sprawl? Oh my god. Lethal. More reaction in the Pueblo Chieftain, who broke the original story yesterday: McCain: Renegotiate 1922 Western water compact "Senator McCain's position on opening up the Colorado River Compact is absolutely wrong and would only happen over my dead body," Salazar said. "It's an anathema to the fundamental principles of Colorado's water rights and our compacts." The senator said that when the state's compacts with the lower basin states were negotiated, everyone knew at the time that those states would grow in population faster than Colorado. As a result, the upper basin states' water rights needed to be protected. "We did not want California to gobble up all of the water supply on the Colorado River, and they would have done that under the doctrine of equitable apportionment," Salazar said. "In my view the compact is sacrosanct. I will fight tooth and nail to make sure that it is not opened up." Salazar isn't the only Coloradan to be distrustful of downstream states. Two years ago, his successor in the attorney general's office, Republican John Suthers, created a special legal team to prepare for a possible - some believe, likely - lawsuit from those states in an effort to gain more Colorado water. Gov. Bill Ritter, a Democrat, said there's no need to renegotiate the compact. "Just last year, the seven states entered into a new implementing agreement, and that agreement is working as intended," Ritter said. "It would be sheer folly to re-open the compact at a time like this when all of the states are working cooperatively on this issue." McCain stressed that he has no intention of taking additional Colorado water, but emphasized that talks should occur... This really is nothing short of unbelievable, coming from a man who visits Colorado often enough you might get the impression that he wants to, imagine for a moment, carry the state. So much for that, eh? Next time McCain lands the "Straight Talk Express" 737 in Grand Junction, they're going to greet him with pitchforks if there's any justice. And those jokes about Arizona plundering our most precious resource? I'm going to spend an hour or two this evening tracking down some seriously toxic Youtubeables. Stay tuned... http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/Cq4H http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/Cq4H/commentary#comments Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:08:36 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/Cq4H Alan Franklin http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/1b6fb917dd91e10cc0_ge5omv53a.jpg Alan Franklin 1 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/Cq4H/ Let's see, if you divide $114 million dollars for natural gas leases on the Roan Plateau by 55,000 acres, it averages out to $2,100 an acre. The life of the wells could last for at least 20 years or more, so that brings the cost down for energy companies to $100 or less a year per acre. If it roughly takes about a year's worth of production to pay for all the costs, taxes, etc. during the lifetime of the well that still leaves another 19+ years of almost pure profit for private enterprises. So, as with so many gas leases before the Roan, Americans like you and me get shafted by giving away all this precious wildlife habitat, clean water resources, wilderness and such -- in addition to the oil and gas underneath our public lands. Then, we pay out of our back pockets exorbitant prices for the oil and gas to use in our homes, autos and businesses. Now who in the hell ever thought this scenario was fair? Wouldn't it make sense that instead of letting energy companies get all the cash from our publicly owned resources and paying pennies to gobble up and destroy our precious lands and coastal waters, we should nationalize energy production and put the profit back to the public coffers instead? Heck, we'll just hire the energy companies to drill it for us. Then, fire sales on environmental sensitive and irreplaceable places like the Roan Plateau will at least have some value to the American public, instead of to the profit margins of a select few. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/Cq4v http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/Cq4v/commentary#comments Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:55:47 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/Cq4v Rifle Shots by Leslie Robinson http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/4ff03b14c9ae1d793a_9770mvu15.jpg Rifle Shots by Leslie Robinson 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/Cq4v/