Koch Brothers Donate $1M To Campaign To Suspend CA's Climate Law
I suppose this should be filed somewhere under "dog bites man." I keep wondering: Do the Koch brothers live in a different universe, one without massive heat waves, blizzards and storms? One where all kinds of wildlife is showing up in places where it's not supposed to be? It can't just be about money -- they already have more money than they'll ever spend.
So it must be that they just like bending the national agenda to their will. Thank God this is America, where Big Money really can buy anything!
An oil company headed by conservative billionaires David and Charles Koch has contributed $1 million to the campaign to suspend the state's landmark climate change law.
Flint Hills Resources does not have any oil interests in California but is a big opponent of climate change legislation around the country.
On Thursday, the Kansas-based refining and chemicals manufacturer threw its weight behind Proposition 23, the ballot initiative that seeks to suspend California's greenhouse gas reduction law until the economy improves.
"This is a significant game changer," said Craig Holman, a campaign finance expert at Public Citizen, a Washington, D.C.-based consumer advocacy group. "They want to stop the state that's well known for leading the way when it comes to climate change legislation."
California secretary of state's office records show that Flint Hills is now the third largest backer of Proposition 23, behind Texas-based oil companies Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp.
On Thursday, Tesoro also donated $1 million to the Yes on 23 Committee, bringing its total contributions to about $1.5 million. Overall, the committee has raised more than $8.2 million, with nearly half, or about $4 million, coming from Valero.
Flint Hills spokeswoman Katie Stavinoha said the company believes that California's law sets a bad precedent for the rest of the nation.
"Flint Hills believes that implementing the law will cause significant job losses and higher energy costs," Stavinoha said.
pay later. $1 million now, trillions later.
Sooo Reepuli-CON!
Why isn't a liberal democrat somewhere pointing this out and saying "these guys can obviously handle 95% marginal tax rates!"
Oh, that's right; because most of them are getting
campaign donationsbribes from some Koch corporation in their area.Thank god bribery of elected officials is illegal in this country.
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
Thank you conservative activists on the supreme court...
They approve election results, so they can control who replaces them when they retire, and have been corrupted.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
The Koch's simply provide more evidence that most of our economic elites (supposed economic/business "geniuses") really are not vert bright. What they are is extremely greedy and obsessively focused on making money.
Can you blame them. They have NEVER known what it's like to work for a living. They are in their own world. They have absolutely nothing to gain from more social programs, more climate change legislation, a better healthcare system, more regulation. When you have all the money in the world, the US is a great place just the way it is. If they thought they could convince people to lower the minimum wage and get rid of child labour laws I'm sure they would try.
When you are the other 98% of the population it pretty much sucks!
to start donating boatloads of cash to school districts in AL, MI, TX, LA, AK, etc in the hope that the next generation of children from those areas could finally become educated enough to think for themselves...
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
I think we should consider the following options (since we cannot impeach the SCOTUS):
1. Do away with the proposition system
2. Make it illegal for any outside money to be used to fund the Props.
3. Include the proposition system in the federal statute that makes it illegal to cross state lines to affect an election (not that that worked in FL in 2000 mind you)
The mormon church, based in Utah, effectively funded Yes on 8, costing us millions in court costs. Now these carpetbaggers are creating and funding propositions that affect a state in which they do not even live.
"Someday somebody related to some of these sufferers, these victims, these collaterally damaged souls, may try to kill you. And I have to tell you, I think you’ll have it coming." - Christopher Cooper
I agree completely, but I don't know how it could practically be implemented or enforced. And what about its constitutionality?
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
I think we should restrict Supreme Court members to either 16 year terms (twice the length of a two term president, nearly a whole generation in years)
Or simply two year terms as special consultants.
And require them to sign over all intellectual rights in their decisions
And they can't take a lobbyist job or run for office for ten years
To prevent them from cashing in on their decisions on the bench.
In either case, it would require an amendment.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Too bad the Democrats are so lame and inept when it comes to politics , I hate the Republican / Reich wingers but one thing you gotta say , they are highly organized , evil , smart and clever , patient and they know what they are doing ... sabotaging the country and turning it into into a fascist state . All you see and hear on the bobble head shows are Republicans and Reich wingers , where are the Democrats ? Given these evil rotten Reich wingers , the Joseph Goebbels " book " on propaganda and propagandizing that they have adopted , a sabotaged Supreme court and a population / electorate that is for the most part completely ignorant when it comes to politics and none too bright to begin with , I would bet that maybe 5 % in this country are even aware of what the Reich Wingers on the Supreme court did , we are in big trouble , this country is in big trouble . If the Republicans do as well as they are saying in November it's game over , we , Obama and the Democratic party will be SOL . There were many in Germany who were against Hitler and the Nazis , they could only watch helplessly as the majority were eventually won over , history has a habit of repeating itself .
Insanity , it is what it is , there is no understanding it .
Completely disagree on your basic premise. It's not so much that Dems are bad at politics. They are too busy doing what politicians are elected for which is legislating and what Dems are very good at.
The problem lies in the fact that Repukes are all about Politics. And their politics involve framing the debate with lies and half truths. Dems generally are about explaining the facts Unfortunately,. it is much easier to just make stuff up than it is to tell the truth.
That's really the heart of it IMHO. For example: Repukes don't want healtcare so they invent "DEATHPANELS". Any uneducated trailer trash moron instantly get's it. Demds on the other hand say, healthcare will lower the deficit over 10 years, it will make it so that you don';t have to worry about pre-existing conditions, it will make insurance companies accountable yada yada. Unfortunately that just goes in one ear and out the other of the moronic Repuke base. They don't care anyways. All they know is that they hate liberals....lol!
Democrats govern.
Republicans rule.
I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, and to the republic which it established, one nation from many peoples, promising liberty and justice for all
I love the way these corporate assholes spin this.
They don't make it a NO vote against the climate. They make it a YES vote for doing nothing!
And of course they just love to mention there will be billions or trillions of jobs that will be lost when in fact it's all bullshit!
Until Americans get their heads out of their asses, have massive protests, get rid of the bought and paid for politicians (mostly Repukes), America is doomed on multiple levels!
I think they got the idea from Texas.
Every year it seems we have elections and half the ballots are amendments to the Texas Constitution.
And to vote for something you have to vote against an amendment and vice versa.
And these are amendments that aren't talked about anywhere.
So if you're liberal you vote against it if the conservative Dallas Morning News is for it.
And if you're a conservative you vote against it if the liberal Dallas Morning News is for it.
That way no new law is passed
And the legislature closes until year after next.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
I remember the good ol' days when nothing got a John Bircher all het up like "outside agitators" coming into their states and trying to mess with "the way we do things here."
Ah, hypocrisy. Thy name is Koch.
I think it IS about the money. It's not, however, about spending the money... It's about getting more and more. It's a psychotic sociopathy. They think that the Guy Who Dies With The Most Toys... Wins.
Free Marketers and Libertarians and Objectivists are either just very Wealthy and they want to have more... or they're soulless Sociopaths.
~albabe (The Writer/Artist Formally Known As Al Gordon)
http://www.comicon.com/gordon/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Gordon
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