http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/category_rss/smartenergy Denver Business Journal ProgressNowAction, a Denver-based progressive advocacy network, said the organization has signed a pledge of support for the Pickens Plan, calling for Congress to enact an energy plan within the first 100 days of President-elect Barack Obama's new administration. The pledge has been signed by many, including 168 mayors across the country. In Colorado, Farris Bervig, the mayor of Alamosa, and Lionel Rivera, mayor of Colorado Springs, have signed the pledge, according to the Pickens Plan website. Democratic U.S. Sen.-elect Mark Udall signed the pledge while he was campaigning for the seat, according to an Oct. 6 announcement. Backed by billionaire businessman T. Boone Pickens, the Pickens Plan pushes for efforts to cut America's use of imported oil by boosting the amount of electricity produced by wind farms, a renewable energy resource. The new, wind-driven power would replace electricity generated by natural gas -- which in turn could be shifted to fuel cars, thus cutting the nation's need for oil imports. The plan requires a big spending effort to build more big transmission lines from the central plains, where the wind is plentiful but people are not, to big cities with plenty of customers on the nation's coastlines. Money is also needed to get more natural gas-fueled vehicles into the market, as well as support systems such as refueling stations. "I am pleased to have the endorsement of ProgressNowAction; Coloradans have always been forward-thinking about energy, and a state so abundant in domestic resources will play a significant role in solving our energy dependence issues," said Pickens in the announcement. "President-elect Obama has voiced commitment to reducing foreign oil imports over the next decade. With over 1.3 million Americans in the Pickens Plan army, we have solid support going to Washington, and are confident we will be able to work with the new Administration to enact true energy reform." "No challenge is greater, or more important to our country, than ending our dependence on foreign oil", said Michael Huttner, executive director of ProgressNowAction, in a statement. "Shifting our consumption to abundant American energy sources will make our nation more secure, add millions of new jobs, and protect our planet from the threat of climate change. We need energy independence, and we need it now." The Pickens Pledge can be found at www.pickensplan.com/thepledge. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CQD5 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CQD5/commentary#comments Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:09:09 MST http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CQD5 Alan Franklin http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/1b6fb917dd91e10cc0_ge5omv53a.jpg Alan Franklin 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CQD5/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ Testimonials of Big Oil Bob Selling Out Colorado's Western Slope For Immediate Release Saturday, September 6, 2008 Contacts: Michael Huttner 303-931-4547 Below is a video we launched on YouTube today.  We will be running the ad on cable in Western Slope markets beginning next week. First-hand testimonials of how Bob Schaffer has sold out Colorado's Western Slope were shared in a new video "Big Oil Bob: Bad for Colorado's Western Slope"   released today. Michael Goodman, life-long hunter, Rifle, CO: "Our public lands are being destroyed because oil executive like Bob Schaffer support record profits over responsible drilling," noted Michael Goodman of Rifle, Colorado, who has been hunting elk since he was 18. Fact:   Schaffer's oil company has an acquisition arm in Colorado's oil industry including 28 producing gas wells in the Piceance Basin of Colorado reported on June 20, 2006. (Aspect Energy website) Paula Fothergill, life-long angler, Carbondale, CO: "Our streams our dried up and polluted because Ref A supporters like Bob Schaffer don't protect our water," stated Paula Fothergill of Carbondale, Colorado, who has fished Colorado's streams for over 30 years.  "I know Bob Schaffer is wrong for future generations," she added. Fact:   Schaffer supported Referendum A to sell off water from Colorado's Western Slope which was ultimately voted down by voters in every single county in Colorado. ( RMN , 11/6/2003) Fact:   Schaffer also fought to sell water from the Western Slope to the highest bidder. ( Denver Post , 7/28/2001) Keith Goddard, hunting guide, Silt, CO: "I know Bob Schaffer is wrong for Colorado's Western Slope," stated Keith Goddard of Silt, Colorado who has been a hunting guide for 25 years. Fact:   Schaffer opposed a $280 million plan to control major wildfires on Western lands. ( Denver Post , 3/17/1997)  Schaffer was reported as "strangely inactive" on wildfire prevention during the 2002 wildfires. ( Denver Post , 7/29/2002) Fact:   Schaffer opposed the creation of The Great Sand Dunes National Park. ( Grand Junction Sentinel , 7/17/2008; Alamosa Valley Courier , August 2004) Fact:   Schaffer voted to deny federal funding for the Canyon of the Ancients near Durango. ( RMN , 6/18/2000) Fact:   Schaffer voted to ship nuclear waste on Colorado's Highways against the wishes of Rep. Scott McInnis and other lawmakers concerned about the Western Slope. ( Associated Press , 3/23/2000) The video can be viewed at: http://bigoilbob.com The video was produced by ProgressTV Executive Producer Jen Caltrider, and distributed by ProgressNowAction, Colorado's largest online advocacy organization.  # # #   http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CZGq http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CZGq/commentary#comments Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:09:33 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CZGq Alan Franklin http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/1b6fb917dd91e10cc0_ge5omv53a.jpg Alan Franklin 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CZGq/ 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/ 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/ 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/ Here's a way to change politics in Mesa County, once one of the state's more conservative areas: buy the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel newspaper. On Wednesday, Jim Kennedy, Cox Enterprises chairman and chief executive, announced the company was selling the Daily Sentinel and its other newspaper holdings in North Carolina and Texas "as part of an ongoing strategic review of our portfolio and enables us to maintain our strong and stable financial performance by further paying down debt." Meaning, in non-biz wiz-words, Daily Sentinel profits have been declining so Cox wants to dump it. There were warnings that something was amiss. In July, the Daily Sentinel's new publisher Alex Taylor -- and great-grandson of the Cox Enterprise founder -- put the kibosh on plans to build a new facility. And it has been no secret, noting that Denver may soon be a one-paper town, that the newspaper industry in general has been blindsided by the Internet. However, let's go back to how Republican fortunes could change in Mesa County should the Daily Sentinel fall into the wrong, or should we say, "left" hands. Certainly, over the years, the Daily Sentinel has well served its conservative political base. Yet overnight, attitudes have begun to change in Mesa County ("drill anywhere, drill forever" probably had something to do with it…) leaving the Daily Sentinel and its conservative venue -- and revenue -- stuck in a rut. It will be interesting to see if the new owner(s) recognize that conservative and pro-industry stances no longer reflect the local readership nor help the bottom line in Western Colorado. More on the Cox sale: http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/08/13/8_13_www_GJSentinel_sale.html http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/Cq4q http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/Cq4q/commentary#comments Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:32:48 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/Cq4q 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/Cq4q/ In a recent survey about how state voters feel about the oil and gas development, it looks like the recent multi-million dollar advertising campaign didn't buy a lot of goodwill for The Industry. The survey, conducted by RBI Strategy and Research last month, asked voters to rate the oil and gas industry in Colorado. According to the poll, 40% of the respondents statewide viewed The Industry very unfavorably compared to 20% in the opposite corner. (See the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel article here: http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/08/12/081308_1b_oil_gas_polling.html ) On the Western Slope where most the new drilling has occurred and where most of the negative impacts on the environment, water and air are felt, a whopping 60% of the voters surveyed had a very to somewhat unfavorable attitude towards oil and gas development compared to 35% of those voters who like to be drilled here, now and often. Since spring, The Industry has poured millions of dollars into a campaign against new regulations considered by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC). Some of these new rules would direct oil and gas companies to line their chemical waste pits to prevent seepage into the ground water table and oblige them to notify health officials about the dangerous chemical compounds used in drilling methods. The Industry has also donated millions of dollars to the campaign to fight Amendment 113, a proposal that would eliminate the special severance tax write-offs and generate over $300 million to higher education, transportation, and to communities dealing with drilling impacts. Probably not lost on Coloradan voters, oil companies have also announced record profits this year -- on top of record profits made in previous years. Looking at the results of the poll, perhaps The Industry's threat about leaving Colorado because of the new COGCC proposed rules that would protect health and safety haven't seemed to resonate in the voters' mind. And Colorado voters don't appear to be sympathetic to The Industry's whine about losing tax breaks either. Now if the millions of dollars had been spent towards more environmentally sensitive drilling practices and community projects instead of hot-air advertising campaigns, perhaps survey results would have faired better for The Industry. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/CqPy http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/CqPy/commentary#comments Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:53:05 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/leslierobinson/CqPy 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/CqPy/ Report by FOX-31 TV: http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CqPf http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CqPf/commentary#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:05:26 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CqPf Alan Franklin http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/1b6fb917dd91e10cc0_ge5omv53a.jpg Alan Franklin 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CqPf/ (Very, very x-posted) Turnout was huge here in Lamar for the "T. Boone Town Hall". The doors were to open at 11:30, but when I arrived at 11:40 I found disappointed townsfolk trudging away. The Elks Lodge was already full! Knowing there is no such thing as no room for the media, I went on up the drive anyway, and attached myself to some other press folks heading in. Success! Part of the reason it was so crowded is that word HAD gotten around, and people traveled in from Oklahoma, Kansas and New Mexico, as well as all over Colorado. Many of our elected officials showed up: Mark Udall, Wes McKinley, Buffie McFadyen, plus John Stulp (Colorado Ag Sec and a local boy), and a bunch of local politicians and candidates for office. T. Boone Pickens and Mark Udall Mr. Pickens' presentation was well-received by the crowd. Buffie McFadyen joked later that we should mark this day down in history because a crowd in Lamar applauded for Al Gore. It seemed to me that there was a sincere effort towards bipartisanship coming from both the podium and the audience, and for that alone I would give this new Pickens Plan tentative approval. I will post more later tonight. I took a ton of pictures and notes because I want to do a good job recapping the pros and cons of this project. But today is also the last day to register Mike for high school, and later we're having our last meeting to finalize plans for the Sand and Sage Fair parade, which is happening Saturday. So I have to do a fade to black for now.... http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/neonnurse/CqPQ http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/neonnurse/CqPQ/commentary#comments Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:52:51 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/neonnurse/CqPQ Susan the Neon Nurse http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/4d9f8366c95149b114_4l1gmvoe1.jpg Susan the Neon Nurse 78 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CqPQ/ If you've been reading your newspaper(s) this week, you've probably read that the righties really thought they had Rep. Mark Udall caught in a "broken promise." They've been crowing about it for two days. Just one problem -- they're full of crap. Udall votes to oppose ending Congressional session It turns out that Rep. Mark Udall kept his promise after all to oppose Congress taking its summer break without first considering a crucial energy bill. Udall, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, took a drubbing this week from his Republican opponent, Bob Schaffer, when he missed the vote on whether to recess. During a debate Monday with Schaffer, Udall vowed to oppose the recess unless energy legislation was considered. The resolution Wednesday called for Congress to adjourn by Thursday, Friday or Saturday of this week and return to Washington Sept. 8. For that resolution to be official, there had to be a final adjournment motion sometime this week. In floor action today, the House voted on the final adjournment motion. Udall joined Republicans in requesting a recorded vote to oppose the motion to adjourn. "I think the House should continue trying to pass legislation to improve our national energy policies," he said. If you don't know what I'm talking about, read this , this , or this . Or maybe don't bother--it's all pretty stupid as it turns out. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CqPq http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CqPq/commentary#comments Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:46:24 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CqPq Alan Franklin http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/1b6fb917dd91e10cc0_ge5omv53a.jpg Alan Franklin 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CqPq/ Phil Graham former Senator and current Economic advisor to Presidential candidate John Mc Cain, believes we're a nation of whiners. If he were a liberal he'd be accused of hating America. I wouldn't go that far but it does appears Graham hates Americans enough to call them whiners and tell us any economic woes we are experiencing are merely figments of our whining imagination. Can you blame him? After all, a complaint against our economy is a direct attack on the failure of the economic philosophy Graham and his conservative buddies worked so hard to build. He was instrumental in de-regulating the home mortgage industry himself. If you lost your home because you were duped into signing a flexible rate mortgage by being told you could re-do it later, you can thank conservative economics and Phil Graham personally. http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/bingvangorden/Cqy4 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/bingvangorden/Cqy4/commentary#comments Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:19:27 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/bingvangorden/Cqy4 BingVanGorden http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/25bd1354620e434bc8_ixsmv2dwg.jpg BingVanGorden 1 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/Cqy4/ Our prescient video from a few months ago: Apparently, the answer is "yes." http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CqyQ http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CqyQ/commentary#comments Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:05:45 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CqyQ Alan Franklin http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/1b6fb917dd91e10cc0_ge5omv53a.jpg Alan Franklin 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CqyQ/ This is looking kind of bad, folks: Feds look at Schaffer oil deal in Kurdistan An oil contract U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer helped negotiate in Iraqi Kurdistan is one of several production deals the U.S. State Department has flagged as problematic for Iraq and its attempts to establish a national oil policy. The oil contract, finalized in November 2007, allows a subsidiary of Schaffer's former employer, Denver-based Aspect Energy, to produce oil on a nearly 104-square-mile plot in the Dohuk Governate in northern Iraq. Schaffer confirmed Wednesday he was one of several Aspect Energy executives who visited Kurdistan in November 2006 and laid the groundwork for the company's oil deal. The Kurdistan Regional Government, which governs the semiautonomous region of Iraq, has moved during the past several years to aggressively develop crude oil resources in northern Iraq. Those efforts run counter to moves to implement a national oil policy. According to a June 23 report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, Aspect Energy's oil contract and roughly two dozen other similar deals have been a point of contention between Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government. "The (Kurdistan Regional Government) has negotiated an estimated 25 contracts with foreign oil firms, which the Iraqi federal government claims are illegal," according to the report. Update: The Dead Guvs sum this one up : As we discussed late last week, this is another potentially devastating situation for Schaffer, possibly worse than the Abramoff/Marianas scandal--which polls show has already seriously damaged his election prospects. The finalization of an Iraqi petroleum law is viewed by most experts as critical to the stabilization of Iraq, and the story emerging here is about American oil companies--like Schaffer's--who were more concerned with getting 'a piece of the action' than they were with supporting American foreign policy goals in Iraq. Is there even another former Congressman out there who voted to invade Iraq, then immediately went to work for an oil company pursuing contracts there? We're not aware of any. That's bad enough, but the idea that the contracts he pursued could be prolonging the Iraq war instead of helping end it? If you were trying to imagine something worse than defending sweatshops and forced abortions on American soil ...well, here you are. Horrifying, isn't it? http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CqyK http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CqyK/commentary#comments Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:25:13 MDT http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/post/al/CqyK Alan Franklin http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/profile_picture/1b6fb917dd91e10cc0_ge5omv53a.jpg Alan Franklin 0 http://www.progressnowaction.org/page/community/comment_rss/CqyK/