West Virginia Blue
The Best Blogging Community in West Virginia Democratic politics, progressive policies, the good life and free living in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia.
Manchin finds it impossible to miss an opportunity to find issues with administration policies and attempt to distance himself from President Obama in the eyes of right wing West Virginia voters. He makes a big deal out of the administration requiring religious based hospitals and other institutions to provide contraceptive information and care free of charge even if same is contrary to their religious beliefs. Read about it here.
Abortion and Right to Life have been right wing issues for decades, and truly have no place in our political arena. Now Joe Manchin has gone one more step down the road in supporting right wing causes. The Republicans want a West Virginia Senator with an R after his name. Joe is certainly doing everything he can to accomodate them.
In a second development on Friday, the justices blocked a decision of a federal court in West Virginia in another election case while the justices consider an appeal. The West Virginia case concerns whether that state's three House districts must be absolutely equal in population.
There was some Texas stuff in there, too, now that Gov. Perry is ba-a-ack. But back to us here in the Mountain State.
Isn't it sweet that Cheif Justice Roberts is our federal court overseer? He puts a new meaning to one-person-one-vote, huh?
In its second ruling Friday on courts' power to draw new election districts, the Supreme Court in a West Virginia case raised doubts about the authority of federal District Courts to require states to achieve absolute equality of population in drafting new voting boundaries.
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The District Court had not adopted a substitute plan of its own, and, in fact, stayed further proceedings after state officials had gone to the Supreme Court for a stay of the ruling.
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One of the goals of the legislature's plan was to assure the state's two Republican members of the House - Reps. Shelley Moore Capito and David McKinley - that they would not have to run against each other in the GOP primary for the same seat.
So for those of us living in the district that looks the most like a salamander, it is staying the same, minus Mason County.
China has become more capitalistic and worried about the long-term effects of climate change on its economy than the West Virginia coal apparatchiks who rise and cheer in support of the coal industry despite the massive harm it is doing to the state and the people.
Global warming threatens China's march to prosperity by cutting crops, shrinking rivers and unleashing more droughts and floods, says the government's latest assessment of climate change, projecting big shifts in how the nation feeds itself.
The warnings are carried in the government's "Second National Assessment Report on Climate Change," which sums up advancing scientific knowledge about the consequences and costs of global warming for China -- the world's second biggest economy and the biggest emitter of greenhouse gas pollution.
Global warming fed by greenhouse gases from industry, transport and shifting land-use poses a long-term threat to China's prosperity, health and food output, says the report. With China's economy likely to rival the United States' in size in coming decades, that will trigger wider consequences.
"China faces extremely grim ecological and environmental conditions under the impact of continued global warming and changes to China's regional environment," says the 710-page report, officially published late last year but released for public sale only recently.
Meanwhile the coal apparatchiks in West Virginia spout coal propaganda the way communists used to quote their phony ideological propaganda.
Sadly our coal apparatchiks can't look past their next coal company campaign contribution to consider the long-term detrimental effects of their policies on the state's workers and economy.
So one redistricting plan introduced by Sen. John Unger would put the two Panhandles together in one Congressional district. This has the advantage of putting the two areas the rest of the state would like to get rid of into one Congressional District and leave the State of Kanawha intact. The disadvantage is it doesn't put Capito up against McKinley, although some say that's a feature and not a bug because certain individuals don't want one of them looking for a Senate seat to run for when they are lazy and have their comfortable representative seats they're busy keeping warm.
Could the odd couple that is the Panhandles work together - like Starsky and Hutch or Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte in 48 Hours or would it be more like Sting and Lugar, with everyone knowing Lex would eventually stab Sting in the back?
According to a 3-judge Federal panel, WV's Congressional Districts must be adjusted because the Legislature's redistricting plan did not adequately adjust for the approximately 60,000 more residents in the WV-02 then in WV-03. Minimal adjustments to WV-01 (northern West Virginia) are also necessary. The judges ruled that the WV legislature must pass a redistricting plan, with an equal number of residents in each district, by January 17 or the judges will implement a plan and have suggested the "Perfect Plan" or Cooper Plan 4. As the judges noted, they chose not to decide the issue of WV-02 compactness in their decision.
The logical solution would be to move 30,000 residents from WV-02 into WV-03 and make the necessary minor adjustments to WV-01. Solutions based on this would conform to the need to balance the population between the districts. Yet most of the solutions being offered, including the "Perfect Plan" and Cooper Plan 4, involve splitting WV-01 (northern WV) in half.
This is a good win for the state. The decision is here.
Upon careful consideration of the parties' written submissions and the testimony, evidence, and arguments of counsel, we conclude that West Virginia's congressional apportionment was not accomplished in conformance with the Constitution of the United States.
Great job, Jefferson County! This blog has long pointed out that the plan that made the state's redistricting plan made no sense from a geographic, demographic or political standpoint.
Many of us received the "DEMO MEMO" where Larry Puccio resurfaces to claim credit to the Democratic Party for the woefully deficient Marcellus Shale bill. According to Puccio: Democratic Leadership Continues to Deliver
"Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, Senate President Jeff Kessler, House Speaker Rick Thompson and the members of the special interim committee, led by Sen. Doug Facemire and Del. Tim Manchin, which spent months helping us to get to this point, deserve credit for tackling one of the biggest issues to face our state in many years. We are ahead of the curve and well positioned to seize upon the vast opportunity of the Marcellus Shale natural gas field."
Wednesday evening Sue Thorn held her first campaign rally, at which she formally announced her candidacy for the 1st Congressional seat. On a frigid weekday night, a year before the election, 175 people showed up from all over the district to hear Sue's message. There were elected officials, political activists, political novices, union members, business owners, young and old. Twelve counties in the district were represented- many people drove more than an hour to attend the event in Morgantown. Sue gave a rousing speech. Judging from the cheers, comments, and donations people liked what they heard.
This capped an amazing week for the Sue Thorn campaign.
Last Friday I posted my first diary about Sue's campaign to take back the WV-01 congressional seat and it immediately made the rec list. West Virginia Blue asked me to cross-post it there.
Please call the governor's office TODAY, thursday Dec 1st and ask him to call for a special session on Marcellus Gas drilling regulations. Ask that the regs be improved not watered down. The number is 888-438-2731. You will be asked to give your name. I called minutes ago and felt the lady in the governor's office was very nice.
Does a woman raised in a working class family, who has never run for public office but is outraged by her growing realization that the economic system is rigged, have a chance to win election to Congress? Can common sense and decency defeat corporate money, political connections, and name recognition?
But enough about Elizabeth Warren. If you want to hear about a truly bizarre campaign, come with me to visit West Virginia's 1st Congressional District.
On Wednesday, November 16, 2011, a special joint committee of members of the House of Delegates and members of the Senate, co-chaired by Delegate Tim Manchin, D-Marion, and Senator Doug Facemyer, D-Braxton, passed a bill out of committee to the entire Legislature recommending regulations for the Marcellus Shale industry to follow. The bill and its amendments are an excellent start to ensuring that natural gas drilling in West Virginia is done responsibly. Among the bill and its amendments, the following issues are addressed:
A: Increasing well permit fees to increase the number of inspectors and taking the burden off the taxpayers
B: Increasing the minimum distance from a gas well to a dwelling from 200 to 625 feet
C: Increasing the individual and public notice requirement through websites notification and other means.
D: Providing for public comment periods and in limited circumstances public hearing
E: Increasing setback distances from public water intakes and trout producing streams
F: Providing a rebuttable presumption and water supply replacement in the event of contaminated water wells
G: Increasing pre-drilling water testing
H: Requiring independent reviews of DEP efficiency
I: Tightening requirements for reclamation
J: Tightening requirements on disposal on drilling waste
K: Increasing bonding
L: Requiring studies of the need to regulate noise, air, and light pollution
While some people on the industry side feel that the bill has gone too far and others on the environmental side feel the bill doesn't go far enough, this proposed bill is an excellent start to ensure responsible drilling in West Virginia.
However, now that the committee has passed a bill, Governor Tomblin and his staff have begun to issue statements about their concerns with the bill--many concerns that are the same as the industry's concerns. Many people don't realize that Governor Tomblin's emergency executive order for regulations were written by industry lobbyists. Moreover, the industry has not been very cooperative in assisting the committee in drafting meaningful regulations, because the industry would prefer not to be regulated.
Insert Delegate Tim Manchin. On Monday, November 14, 2011, Delegate Manchin testified in front of a field hearing of the United State Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. In his testimony, Delegate Manchin indicated the need for the regulations and discussed the hesitancy by the industry for any meaningful regulations--the same hesitancy that is now being shown by Governor Tomblin's administration. In his testimony, Delegate Manchin stated:
The industry needs to treat West Virginians and our beautiful hills with the same respect and courtesy they would show for a long term business partner. The industry needs to sit down and negotiate a good deal for both sides. While some members of the industry have done so many have not.
By Wednesday, I expect the proposed bill will be voted out of our joint committee and the challenge will then pass to the entire Legislature. We will have the opportunity to prove to the United State Congress and to the rest of the country that we have the political will and fortitude to protect our landowners and our environment while still providing a balanced common sense regulatory system in which the Marcellus industry can flourish. Thereby providing our nation with a viable alternative to oil and an opportunity to break our dependence on foreign oil and the disastrous consequences it inflicts upon our economy.
For now, We are optimistic of the bill's chance for passage however if the industry uses its vast arsenal of lobbyists and other means to delay or defeat a meaningful bill, you won't have to come back here because I will be coming to Washington to ask for your intervention to protect our citizens and our beloved West Virginia hills.
If West Virginia and its citizens are going to be able to have meaningful regulations in the near future, it is imperative that the Governor call a Special Session of the legislature to deal with this issue. If not, there runs a very real risk that the bill will become buried in the general session of the legislature and no bill will be passed--leaving the state in a very vulnerable position.
Kudos to Delegate Manchin and his committee for passing a balanced bill and for standing up to an industry in West Virginia. Its good to know that there are legislators in this state who aren't afraid to do the right thing. I guess some people have learned what happens when an industry is allowed to rule for a long time--i.e., coal.
Marcellus Shale offers the state a tremendous opportunity. But left unchecked and unregulated, the Marcellus Industry will become in the 21st Century what Coal was to West Virginia in the 20th Century.
Urge your local delegates and senators to call for a special session to deal with this issue!
WVU will be going to the Big 12 much to the chagrin of Kentiucky Senator Mitch McConnel who stepped into the selection process by lobbying everyone he could at the Big 12 on behalf of Louisville.
West Virginia is headed to the Big 12 … again. Three days after reports that the conference would invite the Big East school, the Big 12 followed through and made the addition official Friday. "The Big 12 is a perfect fit for West Virginia University," West Virginia president Dr. James P. Clements said in a statement released by the Big 12. "It is a strong conference that, like WVU, values quality academic and athletic programs, and has a great tradition of success. This is a very exciting time for WVU and Mountaineer nation. I am confident that the future of WVU athletics has never been more promising."
McConnell did all he could to scuttle the move. Both our Senators took him to task on this issue. DKos has a great story on the political implications of this event.
“Tell him to bring it on!” Manchin told a West Virginia radio station emphatically on Thursday. “But I’m going to fight. And I respect that, if Mitch wants to fight. But Mitch, if you lose the fight, go back and retrain and get better. OK? Louisville doesn’t have the record. They don’t have the standings or the merit that West Virginia has. You know what, Louisville? Go back and toughen up a little bit. Get better. And maybe you’ll be part of the Big 12 later on.” A Republican source warned that McConnell has a long memory and won’t forget this tiff. “Making this political is not the fight he wants to pick,” the source said. “If there is one guy who files things away better than McConnell I’d love to know who it is. He’ll need something some time.”
Videos of Saturday's Occupy WV march in Charleston...
Thanks to all who participated in this event. we are the 99%! So many of us appreciate your efforts and the fact that you represented WV in this great movement.
Ken Ward Jr. at Coal Tattoo details one story in the Daily Mail pointing out the obvious, although Ward also notes the Daily Mail reporter lets the WV Coal Association make the false claim go unchallenged it is the EPA to blame.
In his post, "Wake up call: More media starting to catch on to impending collapse of region's coal industry," Ward wrote:
Coalfield media folks aren't necessarily cutting through this quite clearly enough yet - and they aren't challenging public officials for a plan for how to deal with the impending problems. But looking at today's Daily Mail - and last week's State Journal editorial - it's clear people are starting to catch on.
It is a step in the right direction for some of the other state media to acknowledge some of reality, but it'd be even better if the Daily Mail told the truth. It'd be even better if our state leaders already were planning for that future instead of burying their heads up coal's ash.
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