PWIR: Word Search
I drove past a Hummer on the highway yesterday and almost felt bad for the guy. With gas expected to hit $4.00 per gallon this week, even filling my little Ford Focus is getting pretty unbearable. With this stark reminder literally looming over so many street corners, it begs the question of how to make our energy more affordable not only for our cars, but for our homes and businesses, as well.
In this week’s Political Week in Review, we’ll take a look at how the ever-convoluted worlds of Lansing and Washington are attempting to answer that ever-present question:
- Representative Upton proposes to fix America’s energy problem by ignoring renewable energy.
- Grand Rapids shows up Washington on the public transit question
- The Green Leaders for 2011 are announced (always happy to give a shout out to our friends)
- A check-in on the 2012 US Senate race and a trivia question for you: What record does Rep. Justin Amash hold in this Congressional session?
The Upton op-ed word search contest
Last week, Representative Fred Upton penned an op-ed titled “Aiding Environment and Economy,” which was a misleading headline as it actually focused on aiding neither. To prove the point, I would encourage you to play a quick word search game in the op-ed:
See how many times you can find the words “clean energy”, “renewables”, “wind power”, “solar power”, or ---given the state he represents --- “Michigan”. The answers are at the bottom of the PWIR.
Without spoiling the game, suffice to say that ignoring the environmental and job creation benefits of a robust renewable energy future for America goes beyond shortsighted and enters into the realm of willfully blind. Upton’s own district is home to eight companies engaged in the production of wind or solar energy, with many of those companies producing jobs in both sectors. In Michigan, there are over 10,000 jobs tied directly to these two renewable sources alone, as well as $10 billion in investments.
While ignoring the clean energy sector, Representative Upton proposes to improve our environment and economy via a massive oil pipeline and increased off-shore drilling. Between Enbridge and BP, respectively, we have seen --- just in 2010 --- the stark reality of how our reliance on fossil fuels can lead to horrendous disaster.
As Grand Rapids moves toward improved public transit, Washington runs away
Earlier this week, the Michigan LCV Education Fund issued a rare, but important, endorsement. The Education Fund is encouraging voters in the six communities served by The Rapid in the Grand Rapids metro area to vote YES on May 3 for the ballot question to improve public transit in the region. Please check the blog post for a thorough explanation of this position. Here is a list of the other prominent endorsees, including the Grand Rapids Press, the Education Fund joins with in supporting the effort.
To learn more, or join in the effort to make Grand Rapids a statewide leader in public transportation, please visit the RapidYES website.
Washington, on the other hand, is a different story. To draw a rail-related metaphor, the House passed a budget for high speed rail that is more appropriate for a system of old steam coaches than for today's rapid engines that our country needs to make rail travel cheap, clean, and competitive.
A special congratulations to some of Michigan’s finest leaders
I’d like to take a quick break from some of the gloomier environmental news to specifically congratulate the winners of the Free Press’s Green Leaders Awards. Even more specifically, I would recognize the large handful of winners with whom Michigan LCV is proud to have a particularly close relationship:
Kudos to the Ecology Center for their exceptional leadership on environmental toxins and their impact on public health; Congressman John Dingell for his unmatched conservation legacy, especially here in Southeast Michigan; Steelcase for being a shining example of how a business can thrive while also being a good corporate citizen; Governor Milliken, our honorary Board co-Chairman, for defining the responsible green path we strive to follow each day; and Reverend Charles Morris, a passionate and devout man whom I was honored to travel to Washington with last year to speak to our elected officials on the importance of the climate bill.
Our thanks goes out to each recipient of the Green Leaders Awards for what they do and the benefits they bring to our state.
And I do mean quick, because I know you want to get to the Upton word search answers.
An MSU poll finds that 44.5% of individuals contacted currently approve of Governor Snyder’s performance. On the Senate side of things, former Representative Pete Hoekstra says he will not run against Senator Stabenow in 2012, though former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land is still considering it.
Finally, the Congressman who took Representative Ehlers seat upon his retirement, Justin Amash, is hardly carrying on Rep. Ehler’s fine conservation legacy. Rep. Amash currently holds the record for the most “present” votes in the entire Congress; “present” votes are used to avoid taking a “yea” or “nay” vote on the Floor of the House or Senate. For those of us at Michigan LCV who tracked his performance in the state legislature, this approach is no surprise. Amash's unfortunate record led Fox News to call him a “coward.” Come 2012, his constituents will have the chance to say if they agree.
Until next week,
Ryan Werder, Political Director
P.S. The answers to the word search: Clean energy: 0; Renewables: 0; Wind power: 0; Solar power: 0; Michigan: 0.
