Tag Archives: cheney

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Garland County update


Michael Snook with the PCCC.

You requested an update on the Garland County voter suppression situation in Arkansas. We wanted to send you the latest…

First the good news: Charles Tapp, the election commissioner who reduced the number of polling stations from 42 to 2 in the runoff, was forced to resign. This is a clear recognition that Garland County failed to do its job.

This resignation prompted the main voter disenfranchisement lawsuit brought by local attorney Ben Hooten to be dropped. At this time, no other legal action is ongoing but the situation is fluid.

Charles Tapp was replaced first by Gina Watson, but she was then replaced by George Hozendorf, chairmain of the Garland County Democratic Party, in a legally questionable removal vote. The Board of Election Commissioners told KARK TV that “there is no legal process for removing someone mid-term”. The Garland County Election Commission remains in turmoil after this election fiasco.

If you want to contact the local ACLU to share your thoughts, the number is: (501) 374-2660.

We’ll keep you updated on any new developments.

Thanks,

Michael Snook

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Apologize to BP? add your name …we won’t apologize


Organizing for America

When BP CEO Tony Hayward testified before Congress this morning, many expected to hear him apologize for the disaster his company has caused. Instead, GOP Congressman Joe Barton was the one saying he was sorry — to BP.

In his opening statement, Barton, the top Republican on the committee overseeing the oil spill and its aftermath, delivered a personal apology to the oil giant. He said the $20 billion fund that President Obama directed BP to establish to provide relief to the victims of the oil disaster was a “tragedy in the first proportion.”

Other Republicans are echoing his call. Sen. John Cornyn said he “shares” Barton’s concern. Rep. Michele Bachmann said that BP shouldn’t agree to be “fleeced.” Rush Limbaugh called it a “bailout.” The Republican Study Committee, with its 114 members in the House, called it a “shakedown.”

Let’s be clear. This fund is a major victory for the people of the Gulf. It’s a key step toward making them whole again. BP has a responsibility to those whose lives and livelihoods have been devastated by the disaster. And BP oil executives don’t deserve an apology — the people of the Gulf do.

Stand with us to show that the American people support holding BP accountable — and we won’t apologize for doing so.

We support holding BP accountable. And we won't apologize for doing so. Add your name.

Rep. Barton and Republicans like him don’t understand that the real tragedy is what’s happening to the people in the Gulf Coast. They’re the ones who deserve his apology — not BP.

But big oil knows exactly who its allies are. And if Republicans win control of the House, Rep. Barton could be chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee — overseeing regulation of the oil and gas industry.

Notably, companies like Halliburton — the folks responsible for cementing the Deepwater Horizon rig — are directing their political committees to deliver thousands of dollars to GOP candidates this cycle. Barton himself has received more than $100,000 from the oil and gas industry this election cycle.

Barton should apologize to the people of the Gulf and he should step down as the highest-ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Adding your name to our open letter is one of the best ways you can show him and other Republicans that they weren’t elected to defend big oil.

Sign the open letter today:

http://my.barackobama.com/NoApologies

Thanks,

David Plouffe

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

A message from our President –add your name to his –support clean energy NOW … i did


The BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast is the worst environmental disaster of its kind in our nation’s history. I am returning to the region today to review our efforts and meet with families and business owners affected by the catastrophe.

We are working to hold BP accountable for the damage to the lands and the livelihoods of the Gulf Coast, and we are taking strong precautions to make certain a spill like this never happens again.

But our work will not end with this crisis. That’s one of the reasons why last week I invited lawmakers from both parties to join me at the White House to discuss what it will take to move forward on legislation to promote a new economy powered by green jobs, combat climate change, and end our dependence on foreign oil.

Today, we consume more than 20 percent of the world’s oil, but have less than two percent of the world’s oil reserves. Beyond the risks inherent in drilling four miles beneath the surface of the Earth, our dependence on oil means that we will continue to send billions of dollars of our hard-earned wealth to other countries every month — including many in dangerous and unstable regions.

In other words, our continued dependence on fossil fuels will jeopardize our national security. It will smother our planet. And it will continue to put our economy and our environment at risk. We cannot delay any longer, and that is why I am asking for your help.

Please stand with me today in backing clean energy. Adding your name will help Organizing for America create a powerful, public display of support for making this change happen.

The time has come, once and for all, for this nation to fully embrace a new future. That means continuing our unprecedented effort to make everything — from our homes and businesses to our cars and trucks — more energy-efficient. It means rolling back billions of dollars of tax breaks to oil companies so we can prioritize investments in clean energy research and development.

Many businesses support this agenda because shifting to clean energy creates opportunities for entrepreneurship. This is how we will reinvent our economy — and create new companies and new jobs all across the country.

There will be transition costs and a time of adjustment. But if we refuse to heed the warnings from the disaster in the Gulf — we will have missed our best chance to seize the clean-energy future we know America needs to thrive in the years and decades to come.

The House of Representatives has already passed a comprehensive energy and climate bill, and there is currently a plan in the Senate — a plan that was developed with ideas from Democrats and Republicans — that would achieve the same goal. But this is an issue that Washington has long ignored in favor of protecting the status quo.

So I’m asking for your help today to show that the American people are ready for a clean-energy future.

Please add your name to mine:

http://my.barackobama.com/CleanEnergy

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary



______________________________________________________
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                           May 19, 2009
President Obama Announces National Fuel Efficiency Policy

WASHINGTON, DC – President Obama today – for the first time in history – set in motion a new national policy aimed at both increasing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas pollution for all new cars and trucks sold in the United States. The new standards, covering model years 2012-2016, and ultimately requiring an average fuel economy standard of 35.5 mpg in 2016, are projected to save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the life of the program with a fuel economy gain averaging more than 5 percent per year and a reduction of approximately 900 million metric tons in greenhouse gas emissions. This would surpass the CAFE law passed by Congress in 2007 required an average fuel economy of 35 mpg in 2020.

“In the past, an agreement such as this would have been considered impossible,” said President Obama. “That is why this announcement is so important, for it represents not only a change in policy in Washington, but the harbinger of a change in the way business is done in Washington. As a result of this agreement, we will save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the vehicles sold in the next five years. And at a time of historic crisis in our auto industry, this rule provides the clear certainty that will allow these companies to plan for a future in which they are building the cars of the 21st century.”

This groundbreaking policy delivers on the President’s commitment to enact more stringent fuel economy standards and represents an unprecedented collaboration between the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the world’s largest auto manufacturers, the United Auto Workers, leaders in the environmental community, the State of California, and other state governments.

“The President brought all stakeholders to the table and came up with a plan to help the auto industry, safeguard consumers, and protect human health and the environment for all Americans,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “A supposedly ‘unsolvable’ problem was solved by unprecedented partnerships. As a result, we will keep Americans healthier, cut tons of pollution from the air we breathe, and make a lasting down payment on cutting our greenhouse gas emissions.”

“A clear and uniform national policy is not only good news for consumers who will save money at the pump, but this policy is also good news for the auto industry which will no longer be subject to a costly patchwork of differing rules and regulations,” said Carol M. Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change. “This an incredible step forward for our country and another way for Americans to become more energy independent and reduce air pollution.”,

A national policy on fuel economy standards and greenhouse gas emissions is welcomed by the auto manufacturers because it provides regulatory certainty and predictability and includes flexibilities that will significantly reduce the cost of compliance. The collaboration of federal agencies also allows for clearer rules for all automakers, instead of three standards (DOT, EPA and a state standard).

“President Obama is uniting federal and state governments, the auto industry, labor unions and the environmental community behind a program that will provide for the biggest leap in history to make automobiles more fuel efficient,” said Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This program lessens our dependence on oil and is good for America and the planet.”

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

OFA … Will you co-sign with us?


Kentucky Republican Rand Paul was born a year before the Civil Rights Act was enacted, but in the past few days, he’s said repeatedly that he opposes key pieces of the law.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was an unambiguous victory in the struggle for equality in the United States. In a single moment, legal segregation in schools and public places came to an end.

But, again and again, in interviews with local press, NPR, and Rachel Maddow, Paul has said that he doesn’t support the law as it was written. He believes that businesses should have the right to discriminate based on race, gender, disability, or any other factor. When asked about whether or not he supports desegregating lunch counters, Paul couldn’t even answer yes or no.

Rand Paul needs to know that his position is unacceptable, and it will take a massive public outcry for him to feel the political consequences. Help us send a message — sign our letter to Rand Paul today.

If you think it’s ridiculous that we’re still debating the merits of the Civil Rights Act today — 46 years after the fact — you’re correct.

But political views like this are exactly why Rand Paul has become a champion for the extreme wing of his party. If he is elected, he will be their voice in the Senate — taking up their plans to roll back all the changes that we’ve worked so hard to achieve and undermine the accomplishments of those who came before us.

It’s time that Rand Paul heard from people who aren’t ring-wing extremists. We’ve written an open letter to Paul to make it clear that his views have no place in 2010. Will you co-sign with us?

http://ky.barackobama.com/RandPaul

Thank you,

Jim

Jim Glenn
Kentucky State Director
Organizing for America