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.