Mr. Peabody's Welfare Train
Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher has been insisting all summer on a special legislative session to give huge incentives for a proposed Peabody Energy coal gassification plant. As Kentuckians for the Commonwealth point out, this is a massive corporate welfare scheme designed to benefit the world's largest coal company--a company which posted $600 million in profits last year. Among the possible windfalls: an 80% corporate tax rebate that will ultimately cost the state $800,000 for every job the plant might actually create. Unfortunately, state Democratic leaders seem to be willing to go along (not suprising when the centerpiece of gubernatorial candidate Steve Beshear's energy plan is the oxymoronic "clean coal").
KFTC is calling for concerned citizens to e-mail House Speaker Jody Richards to voice their opposition to this corporate give-away, and to call for a state energy policy that shifts our priorities to renewable resources.
posted by Cosmic Hobo @ 1:24 PM
1 Comments:
The following news article shows that "Mitch" McConnell is easy on genocide.
"Pelosi Determined To Continue With Genocide Resolution
"October 15, 2007 7:41 a.m. EST
"Isabelle Duerme - AHN News Writer
"Washington, D.C. - U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Sunday that she will continue to push a proposition that considers the Ottoman Turks' killing of 1.5 million Armenians an act of genocide.
"The resolution states that the deaths caused by the 1915-1923 deportation of the Armenians from the Ottoman Empire as "systematic" and "deliberate." Such accusations would consider the move from the Turkish government equal to genocide.
"Pelosi defended her decision by explaining that there has never been a better time to act upon the genocide issue. She claims that it was important for the resolution to be passed now for it to serve its purpose of justice as "many of the survivors are very old," as quoted by CNN.
""When I came to Congress 20 years ago," Pelosi said, "it wasn't the right time because of the Soviet Union. Then that fell, and then it wasn't the right time because of the Gulf War One. And then it wasn't the right time because of overflights of Iraq. And now it's not the right time because of Gulf War Two."
"The resolution has threatened to tarnish the relationship between Turkey and the United States, both close allies and members of NATO.
"The notion was confirmed by Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, the chief of the Turkish armed forces who, according to The New York Times, has claimed that the mere proposition of the resolution has "caused considerable disappointment" among the Turkish people. He was quoted saying that, considering the ties between the U.S. and Turkey, the passage of the resolution would be "sad and sorrowful."
"Gen. Buyukanit continued to say that the complete passing of the resolution would result in irreversible damage of the amicable relationship between the two nations.
""We could not explain this to our public," CNN quotes the general. "The U.S., in that respect, has shot itself in the foot."
"The possibility of the resolution being passed has already taken its toll on US-Turkey relations, as the Turkish ambassador was recalled from Washington and, according to CNN, a cease in logistical support to the US from Turkey is already being mentioned
"Pelosi's insistence was met with harsh criticism from the Bush administration as well.
""I think it's a really bad idea for the Congress to be condemning what happened 100 years ago," expressed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, quoted by CNN.
""We all know it happened...But I don't think the Congress passing this resolution is a good idea at any point," McConnell continues, stressing the point that Turkey is instrumental in ensuring the safety of U.S. soldiers."
Let me get this straight? We have warrantless wiretaps and rendition for torture, and torture, and a Constitution-free zone in Guantanamo Bay where U.S. officials are exempt from U.S. Courts, from habeas corpus, and from judicial review of interrogation techniques and indeterminate imprisonment without charges. Now, "Mitch" admits that we have a U.S. ally that is guilty of genocide, but that we should overlook genocide because that would upset--something. Before, I thought that both "Mitch" and I were friends of Armenia, but I guess "Mitch" is a friend of Armenia only to the extent that no action in favor of Armenia offends any of our allies that have a history of genocide. There was a big difference between the Nazi Germans and the Ottoman Turks. The Nazi Germans had wholesale slaughter of the Jews (and Gypsies, and Jehovahs Witnesses, and others) but the Ottoman Turks in Armenia had wholesale slaughter and genocide of the Christians in Armenia. Hello! Hello! If America cannot express outrage against genocide against Christians, how can we maintain credible outrage against the Nazis. No, a foreign policy that winks at genocide, condones torture, condones rendition for torture, and suspends habeas corpus for people confined by the United States indeterminately without trial is a foreign policy that needs changing. No, the times, they are a-changing, and it's time to Ditch Mitch so America can speak out against genocide and torture and rendition for torture and warrantless wiretapping and the whole list of neocon policies. I am a traditionalist against genocide. I am a traditionalist against torture. I am a traditionalist against rendition for torture. I am a traditionalist against warrantless wiretapping. I am a traditionalist against suspending habeas corpus. Let's Ditch Mitch and restore the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution to its tradiditional place of high esteem.
Post a Comment
<< Home