West Virginia Blue - Front Page

Call to Action - PATH is NOT dead!!

blonde moment — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:40:46 GMT

I bet you've been trying to figure out what's going on with PATH - the headlines in the newspapers for the last week or so make it sound like the project is dead.

The answer to that is ... NO! PATH is NOT dead! We are experiencing a fleeting moment of victory, a chance to catch our collective breath, but the fight is not over!

Here's where things stand:

PATH's application in West Virginia is on hold for the moment. The Public Service Commission has ordered parties to the case (the power companies, intervenors, and the PSC staff , including the Consumer Advocate Division) to submit final motions arguing whether to dismiss the application or to delay ("toll") it for several months, to give the applicants time to (a) file a new application in Maryland and (b) submit new need information based on economic and electricity demand forecasts that will be released in the next couple of months. These motions must be submitted to the PSC by noon on Tuesday, Nov. 17. The commission is likely to make a decision pretty quickly - maybe by the end of the week, though I personally would bet that it will be released during Thanksgiving week. So far, we have only seen motions for dismissal or tolling; nothing is final until the Commissioners issue their decision.

If the PATH application is dismissed without prejudice, that is NOT the same thing as being denied. The companies will be free to submit a new application, and when they do, the process starts over again.

Meanwhile, right now there is no PATH application in Maryland. The companies submitted a letter to the Maryland PSC stating that Potomac Edison will be submitting a new application by Dec. 31.

And here's your call to action: The Virginia State Corporation Commission is considering a staff motion to dismiss, similar to the West Virginia motion. There is a public hearing set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, at the Lovettsville Community Center. Lovettsville is only about 3 miles from Brunswick, Md., across the Route 17 bridge over the Potomac.

The SCC has ordered the participants to make oral arguments on the motion to dismiss at 6 p.m. that night in Lovettsville.

THIS IS A CHANCE TO MAKE OUR OPPOSITION HEARD!

West Virginia residents can testify at the Virginia hearing. WV intervenors - who were not allowed to speak at our own public hearings - can testify at the Virginia hearing. And we can demonstrate outside the community center.

This hearing is likely to get a lot of media attention. We need a good turnout, to show the public that the residents of all three states are united in opposition. If you go, wear/bring your StopPATH gear -- t-shirts, protest signs and whatever else you may have that will show your opposition both inside the hearing (no protest signs inside the hearing -- we need to use our courtroom manners) and out. We will have some protest signs available as well as t-shirts for sale.

WE NEED YOU THERE!!

The address of the community center is 57 E. Broad Way, Lovettsville, VA 20180. MapQuest and Google both give good directions.

PLEASE JOIN YOUR VOICE TO OURS IN OPPOSITION!!

Links of note on coal

heath_harrison — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:46:54 GMT

- Musicians are speaking out against mountaintop removal:

Jeff Biggers writes about the Coal Country soundtrack, featuring Willie Nelson and many other big names:

As a companion CD to the provocative new film, Coal Country, the wildly eclectic Coal Country Music CD hits the stores today with a blockbuster list of Nashville's alt-country scene like John Prine, Kathy Mattea, Jason and the Scorchers, folk and bluegrass legends Ralph Stanley, Jean Ritchie, Tom T. Hall and Gillian Welch, rockers like Natalie Merchant and Bonnie Raitt, and a few other surprises--as in, Grammy Award-klezmer band The Klezmatics and their beautiful rendition of Woody Guthrie's "Heaven."

Music Saves Mountains, a gathering put together by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Gibson Foundation, featured Emmylou Harris, Randy Travis, Big Kenny Alphin, Dierks Bentley, Delbert McClinton, Kid Rock and J.D. Souther.

The Moving Mountains CD features interviews with Larry Gibson and coalfield residents, with songs by Vasser Clements, Kate Long, Mike Morningstar, Andrew McKnight and Keith & Joan Pitzer.

- "Coal Country" house parties continue through the weekend.

- And Ken Ward, Jr. reports on Don Blankesnhip's evil ideas about the role of government.

Don's back in crybaby mode and whining about the efforts of the Obama administration to reign in out-of-control polluters:

Among the things that made the list: Reviews of proposed uranium mining, efforts to more strictly police factory farms, efforts to resume taxing chemical companies to pay for Superfund toxic cleanups, and consideration of taking steps to deal with water pollution from drilling in the Marcellus shale.

FDL Action Health Care Update: Friday (11/13/09)

FDL Action — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:05:17 GMT

Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Friday, November 13.

1. Jane Hamsher writes about a Goldman Sachs evaluation that says the House version of the public option would cause insurance stocks to drop 36% by 2019. Jane concludes, "It's hard to look at this as anything but advocacy on their part to apply political pressure to weaken and pass the Senate Finance Committee bill, because it's highly unlikely that no health care bill will be passed."

2. Jon Walker has more on the Goldman Sachs analysis. Walker highlights Goldman Sachs' belief that "the public option would be the dominant player on the health insurance exchange, with over 50% of that market...significantly more than the CBO's projection that the public option would only sign up 20% of the customers on the exchange." Walker believes that Goldman Sachs is "much better at this type of analysis" than the CBO, and thus recommends "listening more to Wall Street's analysis than the CBO's."

3. Jane Hamsher marvels at Harry Reid's "list building off the public option," saying she is "[g]lad to hear it" and that "as long as reconciliation is a possibility, I doubt either the AFL-CIO or us will accept him shrugging his shoulders and saying 'what can I say, Joe made me do it' as a solid excuse for ditching it."

4. Jon Walker writes that the CBO analysis of the Senate health reform bill "is taking even longer than expected."

5. I've got a "Voices from the States" writeup by Betsy Muse of BlueNC, in which she writes, "Under the current makeup of our state government, I don't think there is a chance that North Carolina will opt out of participating in healthcare reform."

6. Jane Hamsher highlights a story first blogged on Blue Virginia that "teabaggers" in Virginia are planning to burn Nancy Pelosi and Tom Perriello in effigy tomorrow afternoon. Fun times in Danville, Virginia! (not)

7. Finally, Jane Hamsher reports that Harry Reid's online poll indicates 67% saying that the public option is the "most important aspect of health care reform." Hamsher believes that Reid's effort is sincere, given that "You don't list build by appealing to people you plan to punk."

I hope you had a lucky Friday the 13th! :)

A Reminder of "teh gay" in Appalachia

WV26003 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:56:03 GMT

The Herald-Dispatch gives us a lovely letter to the editor today that reminds us of why non-discrimination laws for the LGBT community are needed:

Our United States Congress has passed yet another law to advance the cause of immorality. Hate crimes (thought) legislation to advance the cause of homosexuals was attached to a defense appropriations bill and signed by Obama.
::snip::
After all, if man is nothing but an animal, as Wundt and all of his followers since believed (including the animal psychologist, Dr. Alfred Kinsey, who reported gross experiments on children), then why not live and act like an animal.
::snip::
Using the study of science, theory of evolution and psychological education through our schools, these "liberal" radicals have convinced millions of our children over the past 50 years that man is not a special human being created by God. They will never experience lives of human love and happiness brought about by a society with Judeo-Christian values.

These are the people who are funding the Family Policy Council. These are the distorted views that are entertained by even Democrats like WV House Majority Leader Brent Boggs (D-Braxton).

These are people whom are supposedly excused by WV Speaker Rick Thompson (D-Wayne).

These are people who claim harassment and bullying of schoolchildren is central to their "Christian" theology.

These are the people who DO discriminate against law-abiding, tax-paying, US citizens simply because of a "religious" belief.

So what do you want to do about it?

And a bonus prize:

In last Sunday's News-Register, a lady proceeded to say that all "teh gays" are pedophiles:

In 2000, when the sex scandal broke, [the Roman Catholic Church] refused to acknowledge that the problem was homosexuality, not pedophilia. Even now, in spite of paying out billions for the abuse that was mostly homosexual in nature, they will not address this behavior as a grave sin.

Senator Byrd milestone approaches

Carnacki — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:33:42 GMT

From an email:

To commemorate U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd becoming the longest-serving Congressional member in history on Nov. 18, 2009, Gov. Joe Manchin is joining members of the Legislature, congressional staff members and fellow West Virginians to pay tribute, celebrate and recognize the many accomplishments of the state's senior senator.
"On Nov. 18, a West Virginian breaks all records and makes history," Manchin said. "Sen. Byrd sets the gold standard for what it means to be an outstanding public official, and next week he will reach a historic national milestone for length of service.
"Sen. Byrd is a man of the people who fights tirelessly for us every single day in Washington. West Virginians are so thankful for Sen. Byrd's service to our state and this ceremony gives us an opportunity to applaud his efforts. Gayle and I invite all West Virginians to participate in this very special day."
The celebration starts at 3 p.m. next Wednesday, Nov. 18 with a speaking program in front of the senator's statue on the second floor Rotunda of the State Capitol. The speaking program will include: Governor Joe Manchin, Judge Blane Michael, Charleston Attorney Ned Rose, Director of the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies Ray Smock, and Anne Barth, State Director for Senator Robert C. Byrd, who is expected to deliver a message from the senator.
The ceremony is followed by an exhibit that highlights the senator's accomplishments and includes photos from throughout his distinguished career, his beloved fiddle and other personal memorabilia. The ceremony and exhibit are free and open to the public.

Shame on Shelley Protest

WV-CAG — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:46:27 GMT

by WV-CAG

FDL Action Health Care Update: Thursday (11/12/09)

FDL Action — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:20:12 GMT

by FDL Action

Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Thursday, November 12.

1. Jane Hamsher writes that "Harry Reid says he has a wonderful relationship with the albatross hanging around his neck," aka Joe Lieberman. Personally, I still can't comprehend how Lieberman wasn't booted from the caucus when he not only endorsed John McCain, but campaigned with McCain and Sarah "Wolf Killer" Palin against Barack Obama and Joe Biden in 2008. Argh.

2. Jon Walker blogs about a Washington Post story "that Harry Reid is looking into possibly raising the Medicare payroll tax for those making above $250,000 a year." Walker believes that "[i]f Reid can get the Senate bill to more heavily rely on taxing the wealthy, and less on taxing employer-provided health insurance benefits, it could reduce the number of contentious issues needed to be settled in conference." Not that there are any contentious issues that need to be settled in conference. Ha.

3. Jon Walker writes that "[w]hile health reform does not directly address many GLBT issues, it does try to fix many of the problems with our current system that do strongly disadvantage the community." Let's hope so, it's about time this issue is addressed!

4. Michael Whitney writes that "[s]ince Monday, activists from Firedoglake, CREDO, and Democracy for America helped put in hundreds of calls to progressive Members of Congress to find out where they stand on triggers and opt-outs in the final health care bill." Whitney asks that "you call progressive Members of Congress and find out where they stand on triggers and opt-outs." Please help out if you possibly can.

5. I report on a new poll by Quinnipiac University that indicates the public option is highly popular in Connecticut, and on balance it's a political loser for Joe Lieberman to oppose it. Not that he gives a rat's hindquarters.

6. Jon Walker writes that this is "only one important battle for health care reform," that even if "a health care reform bill passes this year, there will be at least two more legislative battles before progressives could turn it into a quality universal health care system." Something to look forward to.

7. Jon Walker believes that Rep. Bart Stupak has no plans to "fold," and also that if "the pro-choice block in the House is not serious with their threat, the Stupak amendment will be in final bill." That's an outcome we don't want, so let's hope pro-choice representatives get "serious." Fast.

8. Jon Walker says that Senator Harry Reid "may pay for reform with Medicare payroll tax on capital gains." Walker believes that this is "a smart way to raise money and should be a relatively easier sell, as tax increase[s] go."

9. Michael Whitney reports that "Rep. Michael Capuano's office is telling constituents that he will oppose a final health care bill that has triggers or opt-outs." That's good news, but of course we need more commitments like this. As mentioned above, if you can, please call progressive Members of Congress and find out where they stand on triggers and opt-outs. Thanks.

Veterans Day has Come and Gone: Don't Forget

CA Berkeley WV — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:21:47 GMT

by CA Berkeley WV

West Virginia sends its fair share of its own to serve this country in the services. There are the ideal of service and economic reasons for this as we all know. I found this idea last year wandering around the InterTubes aimlessly.

Today over 1.4 million men and women serve in the U.S. armed forces and over 24 million veterans have served in the past. The holiday season is the perfect time to honor and extend a warm holiday greeting to those who've served and continue to do so.
First, cards from across the nation must be sent to this address:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456
Do...
* Sign all cards
* Entitle cards "Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran"
* Limit cards to 15 per person or 50 for school class or business group
* Bundle groups of cards in a single, large envelope
Don't...
* Send letters
* Include personal information such as home or email addresses
* Use glitter - excessive amounts can aggravate health issues of wounded recipients
* Include inserts of any kind as they must be removed in the screening process

Fifteen Christmas cards will probably be about $7.00. Add a few more dollars to get the pile to Maryland and you have probably $10 tops.

Children can be recruited to sign some of the cards. Make it part of the popcorn string making party. We have a Veterans Administration Center right here in the Eastern Panhandle so we live among those to whom these cards are intended.

The Red Cross has other programs for phone cards, gift cards and care packages.

This will not completely make up for the neglect that the Bush Administration brought upon the veterans system. We can ensure one more wounded warrior or veteran is not forgotten this holiday season.

Entertainment options this weekend

blonde moment — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:37:26 GMT

by blonde moment

Well, the weekend is bearing down upon us, and if you're looking for something to do, I've got a couple of suggestions:

Tomorrow, Friday the 13th (!), is the regular monthly Drinking Liberally, 8 p.m. at the Peking Restaurant. With everything going on in DC, this would be a great opportunity to talk about how we can help move health care reform, how we can nudge climate change legislation forward, and all the other issues near and dear to our hearts.

(If you can't make it, we're planning on a special holiday Drinking Liberally on Thanksgiving weekend - details later.)

Then on Saturday, for something completely different, there's live comedy in Berryville at Camino Real Restaurant, 16 Crow Street. (In the interest of full disclosure, my husband set up this show.) The headliner is Rob Maher, a DC-area comic who's very funny. The show is rated a "strong R." It starts at 9 p.m. Camino Real has fabulous food, cold beer, tequila, etc., and you'll have a great time. And I've been roped into handling lights and sound, so I'll be there.

Has your study been peer reviewed?

Clem Guttata — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:52:09 GMT

By Clem Guttata

Sen. Kerry provides as good a summary as I've heard an elected official make recently for the need for action to address global climate change.

Sen. Kerry and Dr. Kenneth Green of AEI

He also asks the witness from AEI a decent question or two along the way.

via Climate Progress

There is a lot of prep going on to defeat Health Care in the Senate...

btchakir — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:37:21 GMT

by btchakir

"Danger! Danger!"

It's like we're in a Saturday morning kids scifi show... the goodguy robot (in this case MSNBC) is telling us that the Repubs are getting ready to attack the Senate's vote on a Health Care Plan any way they can.

To start with, more than one of the Repub Senators (led by Lamar Alexander - R, TN) have called for new "Town Hall" meetings, like the ones the House members had in August - and it looks like the groups of lobbyists are ready to bus the same people in.
We've heard phrases like "dead on arrival" referring any consideration of the House passed bill by the Senate, and that we have to take it slow... not try to do too much. "Too much" apparently refers to doing anything at all.

We know that Lieberman is out there waiting to jump on a filibuster if there is any government based, non-profit choice option... and a good dozen Democratic Senators who will note vote for it if such an option is missing.

We won't even get into bringing the Stupak Amendment which makes property out of insured women into the Senate Bill.

But this Health Care brouhaha won't be the only problem coming up in the Senate. Chris Dodd's Banking Bill, which is a distinct pull of control away from the Treasury Department and a return to the kind of regulations we lost starting with the Reagan Devastation (oops) Administration.

Repubs are coming out of the walls already, making early attacks on Dodd for allegedly taking money from a housing funder and other unrelated things. Dodd is a tough politician, though, and has been through worse than this.

Then there is Afghanistan... and this could be used, if the Repubs have their way, to completely destroy the entire Obama Administration. Now there hasn't been a final decision on how many troops will be sent to Afghanistan yet... they are hinting at Thanksgiving week as an announcement date... but we're already hearing from the Right that Obama is not capable of making a decision here. Then there are the far left folks ( and frankly, some of us moderates who really remember Viet Nam) who want us to just get out. That doesn't look like it's in the cards. Remember, in the words of Paul Hipp's song "We're Number 37":

Were #1 one in tanks
Were #1 in planes
Were #1 in war with #2 for brains

And I'm afraid our whole government DOES have #2 for brains. (When I was playing the Paul Hipp tune it made me think of playing Country Joe and the Fish's "Feelin' Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag" and wondering why in Hell we were in Viet Nam killing off our best young men. The difference now is we kill off our best young women, too.)

So tune into C-Span 2 and watch the Senate debates. Keep checking the blogs to get the information the TV news won't give you. And hope that Health Care, Finances, and War get resolved to the satisfaction of THINKING people.

Under The LobsterScope

FDL Action Health Care Update: Wednesday (11/11/09)

FDL Action — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:13:50 GMT

by FDL Action

Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Wednesday, November 11.

1. Jane Hamsher points us to Kagro's "excellent rundown of what happened on the public option fight," and also why abortion rights activists, with "an existing network of professional lobbyists and policy analysts, plus a multi-million dollar funding base," didn't see the Stupak amendment coming and work effectively to head it off. Simply bizarre.

2. Jon Walker reports on Sen. Tom Carper's "no good, super terrible, completely awful, new new new 'alternative' to the public option," namely "to take Olympia Snowe's worthless trigger idea (which already should have 60 votes if no liberal Democratic senators bolt), and weaken it further for no reason." Brilliant!

3. Jon Walker writes that "if Harry Reid tries to go this route [e.g., "accept some worthless fig leaf like the Snowe's trigger or Carper's Plan B"] to get a watered-down compromise, it will not 'show the left that he did everything he could do.'" In the end, Walker concludes, "The left will not be 'placated' by a big show and half hearted measures." Sorry, but that's not what we've worked so hard for the last several years.

4. Jane Hamsher writes that "the absolute best, most optimistic outlook for passing a bill in the House without a public option means that 13 or fewer progressive votes could stop it." She then proceeds to list 16 progressives who have pledged that they'll vote against any bill without a public option. The result of this analysis is powerful: "no health care bill will pass without a public option. Period." Now that we've got that out of the way, how about the Senate stops wasting time and gets this thing done already?

5. Jon Walker says that "PolitiFact Is Wrong About Nita Lowey: Abortion Coverage Could Become Rare With Stupak Amendment." What's weird is that even after Walker contacted PolitiFact and told them exactly why they were wrong, they still would not correct their story, arguing that the possibility of abortion coverage becoming rare "seems remote." Based on this, Walker remarks, snarkily, "PolitiFact claims to be a 'fact checker,' not a 'in my opinion it seems like an unlikely outcome' checker." Heh.

6. Finally, Jon Walker reports that "since the House agreed to decouple the public option from Medicare rates, [Sen. Kent] Conrad has expressed some tepid openness to the public plan." True, it may not be a "ringing endorsement" of the public option by Conrad, but on the bright side he "does not sound like a man who is about to threaten to bring the whole bill down if it includes one." Hey, that almost makes me tepidly optimistic! LOL