John Rockefeller aims to block EPA rules

[kpete]

Source: Politico

John Rockefeller aims to block EPA rules

West Virginia Democratic Sen. John Rockefeller has introduced legislation barring the Environmental Protection Agency from instituting rules regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and other industrial sources for the next two years.

The bill, said Rockefeller, will "safeguard jobs, the coal industry, and the entire economy."

"Congress, not the EPA, must be the ideal decision-maker on such a challenging issue," he said.

The proposed regulations by the EPA have come under fierce criticism from Republicans and moderate Democrats, who fear the rules could hurt coal-dependant state economies.




Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/33909.html

[wordpix]

1. Gawd forbid we should regulate the energy industries

:puke: Let's have more mining and BP disasters, that's good for the economy :sarcasm:

[Botany]

2. connect the dots

Rockefeller is from West Virginia

West Virginia has lots of coal

Burning coal produces tons of CO 2

CO 2 is the biggest greenhouse gas

So class what does that tell us?

Rockefeller is protecting the coal industry.

[BeFree]

4. Screw him

He would deny science and instead use dirty politics?

It is time for a revolution.

Every elected official needs to stand up and be counted as being an environmentalist first, or they nedd to be removed from office. Impeachment is not an unreasonable proposition.

[xxqqqzme]

5. He's taking up the coal banner that is

drooping. Byrd is not going to be able to hold it up much longer. The radical, religious rong is closing its icy grip around West Virginia. He's gonna need dirty coal money to run.

[wordpix]

3. sad that even Rockefeller with all his money is bought by the mining industry

[OnyxCollie]

6. He already sold out to the telecom industry.

He sold out cheap, too. This comes as no surprise.

[Staph]

19. Rockefeller hasn't been bought by the coal industry.

He understands that to get elected in West Virginia, you can not bad-mouth the coal industry. Could you get elected in Michigan by promoting Toyota cars and trucks? Can you get elected in Boston if you are a die-hard Yankees fan?

This isn't a question of money -- it's a question of common sense. Blanche Lincoln (and Bill Clinton) didn't get where they are by ignoring or insulting WalMart.

[wordpix]

20. OK, then, why doesn't he tell the industry it needs regulation for its own protection?

We wouldn't want you to go bankrupt due to some accident that kills people and spreads coal ash or toxins in air or water, perhaps?

[Staph]

21. Let me repeat.

If you go against the coal industry, if you propose legislation that may close mines and cause miners to lose their jobs, you will never be elected to public office again in West Virginia.

Try telling Bank of America that these financial reforms are for their own good. Do you think the bank and its employees will donate money to you and try to re-elect you?

Yes, I know, the voters are voting against their best interests. But that's politics in the Mountain State.

[City Lights]

7. Oh how I wish our Congresscritters were forced to adorn their designer suits with

the logos of the corporations that bought their seats.

:puke:

[Blue_Tires]

11. that was my idea for years...

or if there was a scrolling disclamer on the bottom of the tv screen every time they were on...

[AlbertCat]

8. "Congress, not the EPA, must be the ideal decision-maker on such a challenging issue," he said.

Oh yeah! Congress is FOCUSED on such things.....after they get enough money to get reelected! :eyes:

[Mr. Sparkle]

9. I used to think he was one of the good guys, for Shame ! n/t

[bertman]

10. Anybody surprised by this??!! He's a Rockefeller, after all. Recommend. nt

[no_hypocrisy]

12. Big Coal telling John Rockefeller to block EPA rules . . . .

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. Wasn't he one of the favored eight?

Eight Democrats who were allowed into private meetings with the Bush administration in the early steps to the Iraq War?

[flyarm]

14. fuck our planet and lungs..the dems need that corporate money!

because they have shit all over labor..they know they need corporate $$$$$$$$$$$$$

[mike_c]

15. bought and paid for by big energy....

:puke:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

16. Not surprising and yet disgusting all the same

Lets continue to pollute and destroy our air and water supplies for two more years. Don't give me the "jobs" are more important BS line either. If anyone in power actually cared about the people the miners would have better oversight and the citizens would have clean air and water. This is all about the money HE gets from the coal industry and the profits the coal industry is going to make.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

17. K&R

[Maraya1969]

18. Give them money to start up windmills or some other ecological

energy maker. Too many men have died working in the mines and even more end up with lung disease that kills them.

Is he concerned about the workers or the owners?

[amandabeech]

22. The Chinese don't even pull the sulfur dioxide out of the fumes coming out of the

stacks of their coal fired generators.

Until they do something, too, we may be sending jobs to China once again.

[choie]

23. why does Rockefeller,

who has millions of dollars, need to shill for the coal industry?