Monday, April 24, 2006

Listen to the wind blow...

This is why I have no hope that even the most honest and high minded elected representatives inside the beltway can retain their integrity after more than two terms in office. The wind farm proposed to be built offshore in the Massachusetts bay should be, as they say, a no-brainer. It's ecologically sound, it could produce clean energy and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Just about everybody agrees it's a good project. Everybody that is, but most of the legislators in MA, current Gov. Romney and the top 1% tier of wealthy folks who can afford to maintain gracious summer estates on the Vineyard.

The latter opposes it because it will ruin their pristine long distance views. The former oppose it because the latter are the ones who donate the big bucks to campaign coffers. The manner in which the interested parties are attempting to kill this project is a textbook lesson in backscratching politics posing as public policy.

Two Alaskans inserted an amendment into the Coast Guard reauthorization bill that would give final say over the project's fate to Gov. Romney. Romney has made no secret of the fact that he intends to veto the project. No public debate would have been held on the amendment had not two Senators come forward who vow to attempt to strip it out of the final bill. As the NYT notes:
Apart from its negative implications for the country's energy future, the amendment would create a terrible precedent by giving a single governor absolute veto power over energy projects in federal waters. And the fact that a few members of Congress can emerge from nowhere at the last minute to kill a project on which millions of dollars and countless hours have already been spent is almost certain to discourage entrepreneurs and investors from pursuing similar projects in the future.
It just goes to show that when it gets down to the down and dirty on energy policy, even the so-called liberals put monied interests ahead of the common good. I suppose it should have been expected that when wealth became the only avenue to office, only the wealthy would be served. It makes a good case for public financing of campaigns.
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5 Comments:

Blogger Kathy said...

Something sounds crooked about this deal. Two senators from Alaska insert an amendment into a bill that affects a wind farm on the east coast? What oil company paid them to do that? What's in it for the "bridge to nowhere" senator?

It sounds corrupt to me.

7:52:00 AM  
Blogger Kathy said...

The Boston Globe is reporting that Ted Kennedy approached Ted Stevens about the wind farm.

A spokesman for Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska said yesterday that Kennedy had approached Stevens about inserting language in the bill to give Massachusetts a say over the project. But he said it was unclear who actually drafted the final language that is in the bill.

''But there is a little more to it than being approached by Senator Kennedy," said Aaron Saunders, the spokesman, confirming comments he had made in an interview with the Anchorage Daily News. ''Senator Stevens sees it as a states' right issue. He believes the people of a particular state should be able to determine their destiny."


Sigh...it also says Romney's and Kennedy's compounds are within site of the proposed facility.

The rich once again prove they are different from the rest of us. They put themselves before everything and everyone.

11:51:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's no surprise but it's disappointing coming from the Baystate. I expect more from them.

On a brighter note, the NYT linked to the post again. Maybe I've benefited from a permanent glitch in their link harvester.

7:15:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I just want to remind everyone that Cape Wind sells power at a higher price than we pay now. I cannot afford this. Also, this in one of 3 plants that are buidling in the Sound - the first as big a manhattan - this will have to hurt tourism - which is our ONLY industry. Finally, it is NOT supported on the Cape & Islands (where we have to pay for their electricity)

10:30:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wind towers are more aestheticaly pleasing than offshore oil rigs....which may be there if we don't come up with
a practical alternative fuel for the multiple vehicle households I'm sure the big spreads on the cape have.

3:15:00 PM  

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