Photo by Karen Hadden of man arrested for expressing concerns about the flawed hearing process.

This pipeline would be carrying the dirtiest of oil from Canada through the heartland of American to be refined here in Texas.  The State Department sent contract facilitators who abruptly halted testimony, turning away several dozen speakers.  Federal Security and UTPD then forced people out of the room.  One man expressed concerns about the flawed process and was arrested for “criminal trespass.”

According to Karen Hadden, the Executive Director of the Sustainable and Economic Development (SEED) Coalition, “This was not a hearing, this was a farce.”  Ms. Hadden arrived and had been waiting for a couple of hours to give comments when they cut the hearing off.  Later, when she was attempting to find out what her options were for providing comments to the State Department given she was unable to do so at the hearing, she was told she must leave the premises or she would be arrested.

According to Brad Johnson of ThinkProgress

In a stunning conflict of interest, public hearings on federal approval for a proposed tar sands pipeline are being run by a contractor for the pipeline company itself. The U.S. Department of State’s public hearings along the proposed route of the TransCanada Keystone XL tar sands pipeline this week are under the purview of Cardno Entrix, a “professional environmental consulting company” that specializes in “permitting and compliance.”

Cardno is not only running the State Department hearings, but also manages the department’s Keystone XL website and drafted the department’s environmental impact statement. Comments from the public about the pipeline go not to the government, but to a cardno.com email address.

Cardno Entrix was contracted by TransCanada Keystone XL LP (“Keystone”) to do the work for the Department of State, to assist DOS in preparing the EIS and to conduct the Section 106 consultation process.

Throughout the history of the DOS review of the Keystone pipeline, the work has been conducted not by civil servants but by representatives of the pipeline company. During the Bush administration, the Department of State appointed TransCanada “and its subcontractors to act as its designated non-federal representatives” to assess the potential impact of the Keystone pipeline on endangered species.

Cardno Entrix contractors are running the public hearings from Port Arthur, Texas, to Glendive, Montana. It is not clear from media reports whether the State Department “representatives” at the hearing were in fact Entrix employees. ThinkProgress Green is awaiting information from the State Department.

“All of this adds up to the old saying, the fox is guarding the hen house,” says Jane Kleeb, the Nebraska activist leading the fight to protect her state from the risks of the Keystone XL project.

We will also followup and let you know if there were, in fact, any actual employees of the State Department present at this hearing.

Wildfires rage over Labor Day near Bastrop, TX, southeast of Austin

This puts into focus several things that have been ruminating in my head all weekend, and it all comes back to this one question– Why does Rice play Texas?  This weekend, two of our nation’s best universities met on the football field. And while both Rice and University of Texas can duke it out on relatively equal footing on the basis of academics, Rice is. . . shall we say, not the athletic powerhouse that Texas is. So, why does Rice always begin its football season with a drubbing of 34-9 (hey, tip of the hat for getting 9 points on the scoreboard– I guarantee there will be teas that do less this year), with the Owls now having lost 41 games out of the last 42 meetings to the Longhorns? And here the answer lies with the other goings-on of this long weekend.

It started with a bang and whimper as our Caver-in-Chief, President Obama, announced he would overrule both the Supreme Court in Whitman v American Trucking Associations and the EPA in pulling back on the agency’s interstate smog rule that has been in the works since the Bush Administration. As Prof of Law Lisa Heinzerling points out in an excellent post over at Grist called Ozone Madness, this decision is wrong based on the law, the science, the economics, and the transparency.

While the President is trying to, I’d assume, take what he sees as the high ground and compromise with those people who claim that these regulations kill jobs, the opposite is, in fact, true. These National Ambient Air Quality Standards, or NAAQS, are set by the Clean Air Act and, defined by the Supreme Court, are to be based on the best available science about what levels of pollutants are healthy for human beings (people like you and me) to breathe. Tea partiers and some of their corporate paymasters in the fossil fuel industry have been caterwauling that these rules will be “too expensive” to implement, and therefore shut down a lot of old, dirty power plants.

Ummmm.. . . yes, please? Couldn’t we, nay, shouldn’t we shut them down? Our best available science tells us these pollution sources are making us sick. We need these life-saving regulations to help all of the sick children, the elderly, and just the plain folks who  suffer from asthma and other respiratory disease. Count up the missed school days, the missed work days, the premature deaths– count how they hobble our economy. How can children compete in a global economy if they are missing days from school sick because they can’t breathe? How much work is done not on time? How much lost productivity have we hamstrung our economic engine with to cater to people who don’t know how to compete in a modern energy economy against cleaner forms of production? Because the new EPA rules won’t shut down all power plants, only those who can’t compete, who can’t run cleanly. And since there is also good evidence to show that these sorts of life-enhancing regulations actually help, not hurt,  the economy. It also rebuts the White House’s own stated position that they posted just one. day. earlier. that clean air helps the economy, preventing in this year alone:

• 160,000 premature deaths;
• More than 80,000 emergency room visits;
• Millions of cases of respiratory problems;
• Millions of lost workdays, increasing productivity;
• Millions of lost school days due to respiratory illness and other diseases caused or exacerbated by air pollution.

So aside from the doublespeak and the just plain bad policy, it looked like the Obama Administration is also taking early steps to signal that they will approve the Keystone XL pipeline to bring the world’s dirtiest and most carbon-intensive source of oil on the planet to Texas Gulf Coast refineries, despite weeks of protests involving thousands of people and hundreds of arrests.

The impact on the climate if this is approved? Well, according to Jim Hanson, one of our top climate scientists, he called it “essentially game over.” Or, as Bill Paxton in Aliens put it:  (WARNING: NSFW for swearsies, including the dreaded f-dash-dash-dash word)

Ok, well, all kidding aside because this is deathly serious, as in the fate of the planet’s climate, THIS is what Jim Hanson told climate protesters outside the White House just before he was arrested for his part in the protest.

Bill McKibben, environmental activist and one of the ringleaders of the several weeks long protest event, said this on Friday about how this is not the end of the protests, it’s only the beginning:

These are serious stakes. “Game Over” stakes. What does that mean? Well, for climate, if you’ve liked the record-breaking heat this year in Texas, you’re in luck, as this could easily become the new normal with climate change. And with the heat, we’ve got the huge economic impacts of the drought. For farmers and ranchers, the Dallas Morning News is reporting a 5 billion dollar loss. Thats Billion with a B, folks.

So next time someone starts talking about how it’s “too expensive” to deal with climate change, do what the Violent Femmes say to do and “Add it Up.” (warning:song lyrics also NSFW because of those darn swearsies)  Loss from hurricanes like Irene, loss from this summer’s floods and tornadoes in Joplin, loss from drought, loss from wildfires, loss to the economy from dirty air (since hotter temperatures mean worse smog), and tell me that just continuing to do nothing and just putting more carbon into the atmosphere is potentially the most expensive thing we can do.

So, what does this have to do with Rice vs Texas? Well, what we have here is political expediency and taking the easy path instead of fighting for what is right. Regulations, regardless of their impact on a multinational corporation’s bottom line, save lives, and improve lives. This is what Ralph Nader fought for when he wrote Unsafe at Any Speed. Corporate whining and their record-breaking profits are not more important than people, and people’s’ rights to breathe clean air, or live in a stable climate. I, for one, am not willing to give up on Central Texas, and let this become the new normal for climate. When I first came to Austin, my literal first impression of the area was “I now understand why people were willing to die at The Alamo to protect this land.”

Decades ago, another President came to Texas to challenge a nation to go to the moon before the end of the decade, and asked an assembled crowd at Rice University the magic question.

“Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, “Because it is there.” … But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?“

President Kennedy answered his own question:

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.”

Climate change is the same challenge, which I previously hit on in another blog post where I also used this quote. It is certainly one we must be willing to accept, unwilling to postpone, and which we intend to win.

But, most importantly, he notes that “But this city of Houston, this state of Texas, this country of the United States was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them. This country was conquered by those who moved forward.”

Let me take liberty with JFK’s speech where he talks about the need to build a space industry and replace it with a clean energy economy. “If this capsule history of our progress teaches us anything, it is that man, in his quest for knowledge and progress, is determined and cannot be deterred. The [creation of a clean energy economy] will go ahead, whether we join in it or not, and it is one of the great adventures of all time, and no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for [clean energy].  Those who came before us made certain that this country rode the first waves of the industrial revolution, the first waves of modern invention, and the first wave of nuclear power, and this generation does not intend to founder in the backwash of the coming age of [energy]. We mean to be a part of it—we mean to lead it.“

Our economic torpor, our environmental problems, and yes, our hurricanes and droughts and wildfires, are ALL things we can solve if we are willing to take this same leadership role. Surely there will be pollution in the future, there will be recessions, there will be storms and droughts and fires– but they will NOT be supercharged by an ever-increasing blanket of carbon making our planet warmer and warmer. We must stop doing the same things over and over, relying on fossil fuels, and expecting different results. We must put our courage to the sticking place, and say that we will not allow the voices of a few, economically powerful and well-connected industries to wreak untold havoc on us and our neighborhoods.

You’ll notice, in JFK’s speech, he talks about the costs that a trip to the moon will require. He advocates not spending money recklessly, but in spending a large amount of money to win this challenge.

To be sure, all this costs us all a good deal of money. This year’s space budget is three times what it was in January 1961, and it is greater than the space budget of the previous eight years combined. That budget now stands at 5 billion 400 million dollars a year—a staggering sum, though somewhat less than we pay for cigarettes and cigars every year. Space expenditures will soon rise some more, from 40 cents per person per week to more than 50 cents a week for every man, woman and child in the United States, for we have given this program a high national priority—even though I realize that this is in some measure an act of faith and vision, for we do not now know what benefits await us. But if I were to say, my fellow citizens, that we shall send to the moon, 240 thousand miles away from the control station in Houston, a giant rocket more than 300 feet tall, the length of this football field, made of new metal alloys, some of which have not yet been invented, capable of standing heat and stresses several times more than have ever been experienced, fitted together with a precision better than the finest watch, carrying all the equipment needed for propulsion, guidance, control, communications, food and survival, on an untried mission, to an unknown celestial body, and then return it safely to earth, re-entering the atmosphere at speeds of over 25 thousand miles per hour, causing heat about half that of the temperature of the sun—almost as hot as it is here today—and do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out—then we must be bold…

However, I think we’re going to do it, and I think that we must pay what needs to be paid. I don’t think we ought to waste any money, but I think we ought to do the job.”

President Obama will be giving a speech on jobs later this week. In it, I’d love to hear even a smidgen of the boldness and realism of Kennedy. I’d love for him to recant his statement on the EPA smog rule, and say that he will stop the Keystone XL pipeline, as it will only increase our dependence on oil when we need to be quitting it. But I doubt it.

But, it could be worse. We could be realistically thinking about electing as President of the United States someone who believes climate change is a hoax, that climate scientists are in it for the money, and the best way to run a state is to slash the budget of the Forest Service, the agency responsible for fighting fires in Texas, by $34 million– almost one-third of its budget– on the eve of one of the most destructive fire seasons ever. It is worth noting that during the sunset hearings on the Texas Forest Service I testified as to the need of the Forest Service to engage in extra forecasting as to what a climate-change-fueled fire season would look like and be prepared to fight it, so this is a little bit of a personal issue for me.

Apologies for the political birdwalk and the sniping at the two likely major-party candidates for the Presidency. What is clear is what JFK was talking about: we must do things like fight climate change not because they are easy, but because they are hard, and because they are a challenge we are willing to accept and unwilling to postpone. It is a fight we must win, it is a fight for our very existence as we know it here in Texas.

This Saturday my alma mater will be coming to Austin to play Texas, and as my BYU Cougars sit as 4.5 point underdogs against the Longhorns, they and we must remember that this is why Rice plays Texas. This is why BYU plays Texas. To challenge ourselves, and organize our best efforts to make us better. That is why Rice plays Texas. And that is ultimately why we must get our head in the game on clean energy and quit our addictions to fossil fuels and their campaign contributions.

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For updates on where exactly wildfires are raging in Texas, please visit http://ticc.tamu.edu/Response/FireActivity/

Oh no . . . we're fracked!

What happens when you let Big Business regulate itself? – You get fracked.

Hydraulic fracturing — also known as fracking — is a controversial method of natural gas extraction that involves injecting a toxic chemical sludge into the surface of the earth until it rips open.

And it’s a case study in the dangers of letting giant corporations sidestep laws that protect our health, our investments and our environment.

Learn more about the risks of fracking, including how it could threaten your drinking water:

www.citizen.org/fracking-unsafe-unregulated

In 2005, then-Vice President Dick Cheney got fracking exempted from laws that keep our air and water clean. That exemption — known as the “Halliburton loophole” — allows oil and gas companies to force hazardous chemicals into underground water supplies.

As if that’s not enough, the Halliburton loophole is only one of seven exemptions for the oil and gas industries from major federal environmental laws like the Clean Air Act and National Environmental Policy Act.

The wholesale lack of federal tools to protect the public from fracking has created an inadequate patchwork of state regulations. As a result, companies are assaulting the environment and polluting drinking water supplies all over the country.

In Pennsylvania, a state with some of the most robust fracking regulations, one company — Chesapeake Appalachia LLC — racked up 149 environmental violations in just two and a half years.

While fracking is currently a hot-button issue, it is not a new practice. It was developed by Halliburton in the 1940s and has primarily been the scourge of communities in the Southwest.

The huge bump in fracking has been based on speculation that shale reserves in the Northeast could be the Saudi Arabia of natural gas. But even this is being challenged. The New York Times has recently reported that natural gas companies may be vastly overstating their reserves in what could be a giant Ponzi scheme.

To the credit of activists all over the country, the federal government has been forced to address fracking.

• The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating the effect of fracking on drinking water.

• A number of lawmakers have sent letters to the Securities and Exchange Commission asking it to investigate whether the industry has provided accurate information about the productivity of natural gas wells, particularly those involved in fracking.

• As part of President Obama’s “Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future,” the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB) is exploring recommendations to better protect public health and the environment from fracking.

Public Citizen will be giving public comment with a list of recommendations at a SEAB meeting later this week. We will be giving you an opportunity to contribute to the dialogue, too, so stay tuned!

But investigations are only the first step toward curbing this unsafe practice. In the near term, legislative action to close loopholes that exempt fracking from federal law is needed. Meanwhile, all fracking activity should be suspended. Moving forward, shifting away from dangerous and dirty fuels is the only solution.

By far, the most positive thing I’ve seen here was SXSW had a panel organized on the fly- all about how to help Japan. I knew we were discussing it in different places, but in less than 48 hours from tragedy striking, there were some of the best minds in tech and thought leaders from various industries working together to make disaster relief a priority:   sxsw4japan.org: How You Can Impact Earthquake Relief Absolutely amazing to me the good will and nature of people willing to come together to help complete strangers halfway across the globe. We are blessed to live in such a time.

One of the best panels I went to was Why My Phone Should Turn Off the Stove.

Most appliances now are incredibly “Smart” in terms of both their energy usage and ability to network together. If we’re going to solve problems like climate change, or even just help people spend less on their electric bills, having things automated through a smart electrical meter, a smart grid, and to your computer or smartphone is a great idea. The most expensive (and polluting, by the way) power your utility has to buy/produce is during peak times when demand is high. If you got a push notification from your electric company saying that they can save you $5 (or maybe $25) over the next 2-3 hours if you let them cycle your refrigerator and freezer or to change your thermostat by 1 or 2 degrees, I think people would like that. If you forget to turn the dishwasher on in the morning, or want to set up a load of laundry but don’t want to turn it on until off-peak consumption hours, all of these things are possible. However, people have been slow to adopt this new technology, even though it exists today. So the key to adoption is using other models that are already working– social networks, rewards for setting and keeping certain goals, and in the case of like a Groupon model, maybe even something tangible: save 75 kWh of electricity, get a free coffee from Starbucks? The only thing missing from the panel? Where were the guys from Austin Energy? PEC? CPS? Bluebonnet? Encor? Reliant? Because it’s going to require a utility-scale model to realize the potential of efficiency and especially to implement some of these social networking or reward-based systems. We also had a great discussion during the Q&A section about the rollout of smart meters around the country. Everyone agreed utilities need to engage in better education and more transparency when implementing these programs.

The next panel, Make Citizens Social: Digital Participation in Public Services , was equally amazing, and it was more of a discusion, led by two guys from Denmark about how they had been able to open up a lot of government functions to people via the internet so Danes were more active in government. Included in our group discussion were a member of the German Parliament, a former Mayor of Palo Alto, a lobbyist for Iran-Afghanistan Veterans of America, and several student from the LBJ School of Public Policy at UT), but the single best comment I heard all session was from a guy who had been at CPAC (Conservative Political Action Committee– a HUGE event in Washington DC every year for conservative activists) and had been talking with some young self-described Ron Paul types who said, “Washington is so screwed up- we need everyone to go back and run for office if we ever want our issues (transparency and open government). Run for City Council, run for County Council, run for State Legislature- and make those issues ours.” Specifically, their interest is to end juicy state contracts with technology and software providers when they can be replaced by open-source and open architecture solutions, saving taxpayers money. I’m all for that, but we also need greater transparency to stave off corruption, and we also need more participation because without participation we are not truly citizens- we’re just subjects.

The most ironic panel I tried to attend was Can You Trust Me?, which was supposed to be about loss of brand trust due to social irresponsibility… and the presenter didn’t show up. He was supposed to talk about BP, and Toyota, and Bank of America and why we should or shouldn’t trust those brands. So, Can You Trust Me?– “No,” I can’t trust you.

The last panel I attended Friday was Offline America, Why We Have A Digital Divide . Folks, I am glad I live in the Austin area with decent broadband penetration. We have some serious problems preventing folks in rural areas (and poor areas around major cities) from getting broadband penetration. The good news is, policies at both the local and national level can change this. The bad news is it’s going to cost money- the same way rural electrification did. We can’t possibly expect the next generation of kids to function in new high tech industries if 22% of all households don’t have access to the internet at all. What would’ve happened to Mark Zuckerberg had he not grown up with computers and the internet around him? How many future Zuckerbergs are we leaving behind today?

An amazing SXSWi. And this was barely the tip of the iceberg. I also did some reviews for my friends over at BigShinyRobot of the video games and other more fun and social aspects of the festival. Oh, and the Foo Fighters.

Anyway, what I look forward to most is using this knowledge to help promote Public Citizen’s priorities over the coming months, and to be able to devote the full week necessary to SXSW 2012 when the Legislature is not in session and the convention can get the attention it deserves.

Tim is now on trial in Utah – facing up to 10 years in prison for… raising a bid paddle. I couldn’t help but be reminded of the Hitchcock classic North By Northwest, where Cary Grant disrupts an auction specifically so that he would be arrested – getting placed in police custody to gain protection from the spies that were out to kill him.

Tim’s act was as pure an act of civil disobedience as anything I’ve heard of, and more should follow his example. He does not deserve any prison time, nor any punishment for his acts. He should be commended and rewarded for having a direct effect against the special interests which destroy and exploit our planet and its resources.

Upon being arrested and imprisoned for not paying his taxes, Henry David Thoreau remarked on the futility of imprisoning the body of a man who’s ideas were free:

They plainly did not know how to treat me, but behaved like persons who are underbred. In every threat and in every compliment there was a blunder; for they thought that my chief desire was to stand the other side of that stone wall. I could not but smile to see how industriously they locked the door on my meditations, which followed them out again without let or hindrance, and they were really all that was dangerous. As they could not reach me, they had resolved to punish my body…. I saw that the State was half-witted, that it was timid as a lone woman with her silver spoons, and that it did not know its friends from its foes, and I lost all my remaining respect for it, and pitied it.

Thus the state never intentionally confronts a man’s sense, intellectual or moral, but only his body, his senses. It is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength. I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is the strongest.

Henry David Thoreau – On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

I hope that DeChristopher’s act stands as an example for the rest of us. I hope it is not one isolated event but rather the beginning of a wider awakening. Everyone must take a direct hand in the decisions that affect all our futures. It would be nice if Tim could get a similar ruling as the Greenpeace activists in Britain who were found not guilty because their actions, while illegal, were preventing a greater harm (the essence of civil disobedience).

Unfortunately U.S. District Judge Dee Benson already ruled out this kind of affirmative defense, so I doubt that will happen. But even if Tim gets the maximum sentence of 10 years we must not forget him, his efforts, or why he did what he did. We must continue the fight his “meditations” have inspired in us, regardless of whether his body can or not.

Read more here.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Join environmental and public health activists from around the state for our day of united legislative action in 82nd Legislative Session. We will work together to make Texas legislators aware of the important environmental problems facing our state–and the legislation they should pass to address these problems.  It’s a day of advocacy, a day of community and a day of action.  Click here to sign up!

ACT works on a wide array of issues–by joining with ACT on our Lobby Day, you are sharing your voice with the thousands of Texans united to make Texas a healthier, cleaner place to live.

You will receive briefings about ACT priority issues for 2011 and advocacy training to communicate with decision makers more effectively. We’ll have our training dinner on Monday, March 14th–all are invited to join in this special evening of updates from legislative insiders and issue caucuses with environmental advocates from around the state. Agenda-2011 lobby day

2011 is a turning point for the environment in Texas. With the Legislature set to take up the future of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas Railroad Commission, and the Texas Water Development Board this year, Texas lawmakers will determine how our health and our environmental are protected for the next decade.  Texans need these agencies to be more responsive to average citizens, more transparent in the their activities, and more protective of our most precious resources–our health and our natural resources. 

For those traveling from outside the state, ACT is making special arrangements including booking hotel rooms and working with local groups to coordinate carpools. Please email us at act@acttexas.org with any questions.

We need to let them know that we want a beautiful Texas and a clean energy future! Will you join us?

Thanks for all you do to protect our environment!

For those who didn’t watch Governor Rick Perry‘s State of the State address, we have provided the text of his prepared remarks. (NOTE: Gov. Perry frequently deviates from prepared text.)   Or you can watch it below.

If you did watch or after you read the speech, we’d really like to get your thoughts on, what some have termed, a view of Texas that is part of an alternate reality.

  Governor Rick Perry – State of the State 2011

Thank you, Speaker Straus and thank you, Governor Dewhurst for your leadership and service to our state. The three of us are bound together by shared duties, shared responsibilities, and, most importantly, shared outcomes. When the final gavel sounds on this legislative session, we won’t get points for our speeches or extra credit for our process. Instead, we’ll be judged on our results, by the outcomes we achieve for the people of Texas. I’m confident our efforts will be found wise, prudent and effective.

So let me begin by greeting my fellow statewide officials, members of the judiciary and the Legislature, distinguished guests, friends and fellow Texans. I am honored to uphold our constitutional tradition, and speak to you today on the state of our state. As you know, I owe everything I am to Texas, for raising me, blessing me with opportunity, and teaching me the value of good, old fashioned hard work. The shaping process that began under the watchful eye of my loving parents, Ray and Amelia Perry, continues to this day through the greatest gift of my life, Anita Thigpen Perry. She represents all that is good about Texas women, with her grace, strength and compassion and wonderful smile.

She also shares in my greatest joy: our children, Sydney, Griffin and his wife, Meredith. I also credit the Boy Scouts for molding my character and shaping my values. I want to recognize the Scouts from the Capitol Area Council who are with us today, and congratulate the Boy Scouts of America at the conclusion of their Centennial Celebration. Throughout my life and service to this state, my optimism about Texas and its people has never wavered, and, by any meaningful measure, the state of our state is strong. As I look out over this chamber and see the familiar faces of so many friends and colleagues, I’m reminded of those who are no longer with us, especially my old roommate and mentor, Edmund Kuempel. His passing was a reminder to all of us that life is fleeting, that friendship matters and that we only have a short time to make a difference.

As legislators, you get 140 days to make that difference, and the clock is ticking. As this session gets rolling, some folks are painting a pretty grim picture of our situation, so we need to balance their pessimism with the good news that continues to flow from our comparatively strong economy.

Have the doomsayers forgotten that Texas added more jobs in 2010 than any other state? Last year, the growth rate of Texas jobs was nearly double that of any other top ten state. Some partisan commentators have tried to downplay our economic success by giving sole credit to our energy industry. Now, let me tell you, I’m mighty proud of what our energy industry has done and still does for our state, but our economic strength is built on a much broader base.

Our job growth occurred across a wide variety of sectors, including business services, healthcare, construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and, of course, our substantial energy industry.

According to the Brookings Institute, Texas had six of the nation’s 20 Strongest-Performing Metros.

Those figures paint a much more encouraging picture, don’t you think? Our economic strength is no accident. It’s a testimony to our people, our entrepreneurs and, yes, to the decisions made in this building. Employers from across the country and around the world understand that the opportunity they crave can be found in Texas, and they’re headed our way, with jobs in tow.

People are seeking opportunity as well, and newcomers arrive every day, ready to pursue their dreams. For the sixth year running, research from Allied Van Lines showed that Texas was the top destination for relocations.

Need I go on? Well, don’t mind if I do.

Newsweek magazine had four Texas cities on their list of “Top 10 American Cities Best Situated for Recovery”, and Forbes considers our growth prospects best in the nation, based on projected increases in jobs, income, and gross state product. In a category that really affects the bottom line for Texas families, our state leads the nation in strong home values. According to one industry analyst, the strongest appreciation in home values over the next seven months, will take place in the Houston area, the Metroplex and Amarillo.

According to our meticulous, hardworking Comptroller, Susan Combs, Texas has ten consecutive months of sales tax growth.

I could keep listing accolades, but I don’t want to give the other states a complex, and we’ve got a lot of ground to cover this morning. So let me boil it down to these simple truths:, the core elements of our economy are strong, and Texas is still the envy of our nation. We have a strong advantage over those states that care more about the expansion and extension of government than the freedom and prosperity of their citizens. As Exhibit A, I submit the Illinois legislature’s recent decision to raise taxes as much as 66 percent. That may have seemed like an easy fix from Springfield, Illinois, but it takes on a completely different meaning, for families on a budget or employers on tight margins. Some experts have predicted that other states will follow their lead, including our key competitors like California and New York. When those states dig deeper into their citizens’ wallets, Texas looks even better by comparison.

I can assure you that we will compete and win jobs from those states, or should I say more jobs, since we’ve already won thousands.

It might be time to send a few more letters to their employers, inviting them to move to Texas. I’d include stories about business leaders like some that are here in this historic chamber today.

About ten years ago, a small group of entrepreneurs in Los Angeles created a company called LegalZoom, that grew rapidly. When it came time to expand, they looked to Texas, where they found the right mix of factors including our workforce, our quality of life, and investments from the Texas Enterprise Fund and the city of Austin.

We are proud to welcome them and their 600 jobs to Texas, and thank them for their contribution to our economy. Those jobs are among the tens of thousands of jobs that the Enterprise Fund has brought to Texas, along with nearly $15 billion in capital investment. As the nation struggles to recover from the ongoing economic crisis, and states go head-tohead for new jobs, now is not the time for Texas to roll up our tents and go home. Instead, it’s time to keep attracting good Texas jobs by funding our premiere economic development tools like the Enterprise Fund, and the Emerging Technology Fund.

If we pulled the plug on our economic development efforts, no one would be happier than my fellow governors, in states like Oklahoma and New Jersey, who are creating their own versions of the TEF, to compete for the jobs we’ve been landing.

We owe it to our citizens to maintain our competitive edge, especially because our economy’s relative prosperity does not extend into every single Texas home. I am deeply concerned about those Texas families that are dealing with joblessness and the fear and uncertainty that it cultivates. These are friends who live in our neighborhoods, worship in our churches, then wonder how long they’ll have a roof over their heads.

An unemployment level that has hovered about a full point below the national average is a good indicator of our comparative strength, but it also tells a tough story for more Texans than any of us can or should accept. When it comes to our vision for this state, our work will not be done until every Texan who wants a job has a job.

Research and experience tell us that the only way to create those jobs is to knock down the senseless obstacles to economic growth. For more than a decade, those of us elected to serve in this building have been working diligently to remove those obstacles, and create a level playing field, following a few simple rules.

For example, setting aside resources for a rainy day has given us a resource that other states would love to have, and some in our state would love for us to spend dry. Emptying the savings account to pay for recurring expenses is a bad idea, whether it happens at home, the workplace or in our state budget.

That approach would not only postpone tough, necessary decisions, but also leave us illequipped to handle bigger emergencies in the future. Therefore, we must protect the Rainy Day Fund.

Second, we’ve created a predictable regulatory environment, so that employers know what to expect from one quarter to the next. I’m talking about programs like our flexible permitting program that has contributed to cleaner air and economic development in Texas.

Between 2000 and 2009, this program helped Texas achieve a 27% reduction of statewide ozone levels, more than any other state. NOx has fallen by 53-percent and almost every metropolitan area is meeting the current air standard. For those of you keeping track, Dallas is within just one part per billion of meeting the standard as well. In true Texas style, we made those air quality improvements, while Texas employers were creating more private sector jobs, than any other big state in the nation.

Third, we’ve reformed our legal system to cut down on frivolous lawsuits, so employers and doctors don’t spend all their time in court. Since tort reform took effect, more than 26,000 medical license applications have been received, and 33 counties got their first emergency room physician. Since the passage of reforms, Senator Lucio, the Rio Grande Valley has added 220 physicians to care for its growing population.

Joining us today is Dr. Javier Cardenas, an OB/GYN who returned to his hometown of McAllen to practice medicine, thanks to tort reform. He represents all those doctors who are able to practice medicine in our state without the ever-present threat of a frivolous lawsuit. Those doctors represent better access to care, a higher quality of life, and, more importantly, lives saved.

Fourth, thanks to leaders like Representative Rob Eissler and Senator Florence Shapiro, we’ve increased accountability in our public schools. We’ve engaged legislators, local districts, teachers and parents in the process and genuinely reformed education in our state. Over the past decade, the state’s share of public education spending increased from $11 billion per year, to $20 billion in ’09. That’s an 82% increase. Part of our push for accountability has included a sharper focus on the basics like math, science, English & social studies.

Those efforts are paying off in the lives of our young people. For example, Texas has been recognized as one of only four states closing the achievement gap in math. On the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress, Texas children scored significantly higher than their peers.

The quality of education in our state is getting better and better preparing hardworking Texans to apply their legendary work ethic and provide for their families.

Those families sent a pretty clear message with their November votes. They want government to be even leaner and more efficient, and they want us to balance the budget without raising taxes on families and employers.

Fortunately, the leaders in this room, led by Chairman Ogden and Chairman Pitts, have balanced the budget before and they’ll do it again. We just can’t forget that dollars do far more to create jobs and prosperity in the people’s hands, than they can in the government’s. Taking more money away from Texas families and employers is not the answer to our challenges because they’ve already sacrificed plenty. Balancing our budget without raising taxes will certainly set a nice example for the rest of the nation, but we have a bigger motivation.

Balancing our budget without raising taxes will keep us moving forward out of these tough economic times, creating more jobs and opportunity and leaving Texas more competitive than ever.

Now, the mainstream media and big government interest groups are doing their best to convince us that we’re facing a budget Armageddon. Texans don’t believe it and they shouldn’t because it’s not true.

Are we facing some tough choices? Of course, but we can overcome them by setting priorities, cutting bureaucracy, reducing spending and focusing on what really matters to Texas families.

Fortunately, we saw this challenge coming. That’s why we didn’t touch the Rainy Day Fund during the last legislative session. That’s why Lt Governor Dewhurst, Speaker Straus and I called on state agencies to get involved in the process.

Starting in January 2010, we asked them to identify 5 percent savings in the 2010-2011 biennium and 10 percent for the ‘12-‘13 biennium. Those agency leaders responded with a concerted effort, taking stock of their organizations and coming up with proactive cuts, that will keep Texas moving in the right direction. To keep that momentum going, the three of us recently asked agencies to identify an additional 2.5 percent savings for the 2011 fiscal year. My office is an agency as well, and we cut $34.6 million in this cycle, which equates to almost 11 percent of our budget. As all Texans tighten their belts, we need to do more than just shave off a dollar here and there.

If ever there was a time to truly reform our approach to governance and streamline our organization, it is now. Frank discussions about the true purpose of state government, must be followed by a willingness to act on our convictions.

There should be no sacred cows in this business and that reality is reflected in the budget that I submitted this morning. To eliminate duplication, let’s consolidate functions, like moving the Department of Rural Affairs into the Department of Agriculture.

Let’s suspend non-mission-critical entities like the Historical Commission or the Commission on the Arts until the economy improves. Let’s take an even closer look at the way we deliver essential services, to make sure we’re taking the most efficient, cost-effective approach. We should follow the lead of HHSC, whose inspector general has saved the state more than $5.3 billion dollars since its creation in 2004. Applied across all state agencies and departments, these practices could significantly reduce wasteful spending, and save taxpayers’ money. A state Inspector General would work directly with the agencies, enhancing the state auditor’s efforts and improving efficiencies.

While we’re at it, let’s be sure we’re not burdening local authorities with unfunded mandates, because they’re facing their own budget challenges. In the end, our decisions should always reflect a fundamental truth: we work for the people, not the other way around.

With a balanced budget as our foundation, I encourage you to move quickly on the emergency items I’ve submitted. Most Texans, regardless of party, believe the integrity of elections would be improved, by requiring participants to show a valid photo identification before voting. I wholeheartedly agree and thank Senator Fraser for carrying that bill. We also need to protect property ownership with tougher eminent domain laws using the approach taken by Senator Estes & Representative Geren in their bill.

We need to protect the unborn by fast-tracking the sonogram bill, so that women are fully, medically informed before they make the life-changing decision to terminate a pregnancy. We also need to hold Washington more accountable, with a bill calling for a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

As those bills come to my desk for signature, I hope they’ll be closely followed by others aimed at improving our public education system, especially efforts to reduce our dropout rate. So let’s expand our Virtual School Network, with a Virtual High School that will not only enable students who have dropped out to earn a diploma online, but also give students across the state access to classes their own schools may not offer.

To encourage students to stay in high school, let’s require them to either be enrolled or working towards a GED, if they want to get and/or keep their Texas driver’s license. Let’s also create an incentive program for employers who encourage their employees to continue their high school education.

Let’s offer employers a $1,500 tax incentive for every employee who earns their diploma or GED after receiving two hours off per week with pay to study or go to class. Let’s expand our STEM academies, those innovative schools that teach young Texans the science, technology, engineering and math skills they need, to compete for high tech jobs and college scholarships.

We also need to help school districts reduce their expenses in these tight budgetary times, made worse by a certain Texas Congressman who singled out our state for punishment in pursuit of his own agenda.

One approach is to encourage districts to enter into shared service arrangements with other entities in their area.

On the higher education front, we’ve experienced enrollment growth over the last two years higher than any time in Texas history. Our public institutions had 200,000 more students enrolled in 2010 than they did in 2008, so let’s be sure those students and their families are getting the best value for their time and money.

Change does not come easily or naturally to these big institutions, but it is critical to educational effectiveness and efficiency. Back in September of ’09, I ordered a review of cost efficiencies at our universities as a way to make education more affordable.

One idea that emerged from that process is called “Outcomes-Based Funding” in which a significant percent of undergraduate funding, would be based on the number of degrees awarded. Texans deserve college graduation for their hard-earned tax dollars, not just college enrollment.

As families continue to struggle with the cost of higher education, I am renewing my call for a four-year tuition freeze, locking in tuition rates at or below the freshman level for four years.

As leaders like Senator Zaffirini search for more low-cost pathways to a degree, it’s time for a bold, Texas-style solution to this challenge, that I’m sure the brightest minds in our universities can devise. Today, I’m challenging our institutions of higher education to develop bachelor’s degrees that cost no more than $10,000, including textbooks.

Let’s leverage web-based instruction, innovative teaching techniques and aggressive efficiency measures to reach that goal. Imagine the potential impact on affordability and graduation rates, and the number of skilled workers it would send into our economy. Speaking of skilled workers, we have a ready source of technical skills living among us that too often goes untapped. Countless Texas veterans receive top-level training in the military, but have a hard time getting credit for their knowledge and skills when they return to civilian life. We should support what one school calls “College Credit 4 Heroes.”

With the support of Senator Van de Putte, the Texas Workforce Commission is working with Higher Education Coordinating Board and our community colleges on a plan to offer veterans credit for their skills & experience. The goal is to accelerate them into the Allied Health Occupations, which are critically needed across our state, and offer immense opportunity to these brave men and women.

As we increase the opportunity inherent in our economy, let’s increase the accountability, transparency and efficiency of our legal system as well. Let’s take the next step in our fight against lawsuit abuse by sparing our citizens and our job creators the financial burden of defending themselves from frivolous lawsuits.

Texas needs a “loser pays” component in our legal system, in which those who sue and lose are required to pay the court costs and legal expenses of those they sued. Texas is one of a very few states who don’t have an “early dismissal” option for obviously frivolous lawsuits…but we should. We need to make our system more accessible to the little guy, by setting up expedited trials and limited discovery, for lawsuits with claims between $10,000 and $100,000 dollars.

These reforms would further improve the legal climate in our state, and impart even more energy, stability and security to our economy.

The pursuit of true stability and security also requires us to maintain law and order and keep our citizens safe. Last fall, I proposed legislation targeting sex offenders, to better protect our citizens. We should empower prosecutors to seek life without parole for certain repeat sex offenders, and requiring active GPS monitoring of high risk offenders for three years after they’ve done their time and been released by TDCJ.

On a broader scale, we should also continue our investment in border security because the threat of cross-border violence has only grown, as the drug wars escalate. I don’t raise the issue of border security as a criticism of our neighbors to the south, but to show our resolve and unity in the struggle, as they deal with a wave of violence unlike anything outside of the world’s war zones.

Our relationship with Mexico predates our establishment as a state, and our proud Hispanic citizens are friends, neighbors, partners and family Our desire is to strengthen our trade and cultural ties with Mexico through a climate of law and order, that brings peace and security to our border region.

The vicious criminals who murdered American missionary Nancy Davis just two weeks ago, are, no doubt, inflicting the same violence and intimidation on the people of Mexico, and they must be brought to justice. I must admit that news of Mrs. Davis’ death brought the events of this last fall rushing back, as we grieved with Tiffany Hartley over the loss of her husband, David, at the hands of narco-terrorists on Falcon Lake.

Tiffany is with us here today. Tiffany, know that we continue to pray for you as we demand the perpetrators of this brutal crime be brought to justice. Tiffany’s presence reminds us that border security is not just a hot button issue for the talk shows, but a matter of life and death for American citizens, in the border region and in communities across our state.

We must keep taking the fight to vicious Mexican drug cartels, and the gangs that operate in our state on their behalf , as we support the men and women of law enforcement who remain on the front lines of this struggle.

I also want to thank Senator Williams and Representative Solomons for supporting my efforts to abolish sanctuary city policies, restrictions that handcuff our police officers as they work to uphold the law and protect our communities.

Joining us today is Officer Joslyn Johnson from Houston, whose husband, Rodney, was killed by an undocumented alien, who had previously been in police custody multiple times. Texas law enforcement professionals must have the discretion to use their judgment; judgment honed by years of training and experience, when it comes to inquiring about immigration status during lawful detentions and apprehensions. Thank you, Sgt. Johnson for being here and for your grace and courage in these difficult times.

It is also time to seriously address the demand side of illegal immigration. We must establish criminal penalties for employers who knowingly hire workers who are here in violation of immigration law.

At the same time, we need to increase the heat on the parasites who repeatedly exploit those seeking a better life in our state. I want to commend Representatives Senfronia Thompson and Randy Weber for their unrelenting focus on Human Trafficking, which impacts far too many in our state. It’s time to target the worst offenders with a 25-year minimum sentence for a first conviction for Continuous Human Trafficking, and life without parole for repeat offenders.

I’ll tell you, it’s frustrating that we’re still having these border security conversations, but Washington remains an abject failure in this area. It is part of that frustrating paradox where Washington neglects their responsibility for areas clearly within their purview, while interfering in other areas in which they’re neither welcome nor authorized.

Despite our frequent requests, Washington has yet to dedicate sufficient resources to secure our international border. We still need 1,000 National Guard troops to support current law enforcement operations on our border until they can provide those 3,000 more border patrol agents. We also need Predator drones flying along the Texas-Mexico border, providing real time intel to our state and local operation centers.

It’s time for our delegation in Washington, on both sides of the aisle, to step up and speak out in support of our state’s needs. If it seems that their interest in this legislative session is higher than usual, that’s to be expected in a redistricting year. When you do hear from our Congressmen, try guiding the conversation away from redistricting, and suggest that they should be asking “How can I help Texas by ending federal mandates or easing the growth of Medicaid costs?”

Then ask them about their progress on repealing the Doggett amendment that is taking more than $830 million from Texas schoolchildren and teachers right now.

Enlist them in our ongoing battle with an activist EPA, intent on derailing our Texas air quality program, which is cleaning our air as we create jobs.

Tell them it’s time to repeal Obamacare, with its mandates that will cripple our healthcare system, and a price tag that will bust our budget.

Our Medicaid population and accompanying financial burden are growing as we speak, and, in 2014, ObamaCare will cause them to explode. This Washington-centric healthcare plan puts many states on a collision course with bankruptcy.

Instead of oppressive mandates, we need solutions like block grants, and the freedom to improve health care delivery, with innovation, flexibility and local input from leaders like Senator Jane Nelson.

We most definitely do not need Washington encroaching even further on our individual liberties.

I hope you’ll support Representative Creighton’s legislation stating the simple truth – upheld by at least two federal courts, that it’s unconstitutional and wrong for the government to force someone to buy health insurance.

In this and other areas of overreach, we must be united in sending one clear and simple message to Washington: “Enough.”

The differences between Texas values and Washington’s self-serving games have never been more stark than they are right now. The federal government’s efforts to accumulate more power, by bribing us with our own tax dollars are simply unacceptable. We must continue to call attention to the essential truth of the 10th Amendment and commit these 28 words to memory: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Our founders knew that a federal government powerful enough to run our lives would be powerful enough to rob us of our liberties. In this chamber, where so many great Texas leaders have served, we affirm the principle of state sovereignty, and proclaim without reservation that Texans can run Texas better than bureaucrats in Washington DC. Where Washington encroaches upon the rights of states, this state will push back with resolve and the full force of the law. In that regard, we are blessed to have a leader with the wisdom and courage of Attorney General Greg Abbott, who is using every resource at his disposal and working with Texas lawmakers to protect the best interests of our state.

Some will say we’re just spoiling for a fight, and I’ll admit that Texans rarely walk away from a tussle, but we’ll also never walk away from our freedom. Our state was built on that that freedom and its unlimited opportunity.

The spirit of discovery and adventure that drove the earliest settlers still beats in the hearts of Texans everywhere, as they push past the known into the unknown, in the laboratory, in the marketplace and in our universities.

Long known for our bountiful natural resources, Texas is now esteemed for its greatest resource, the intellect and character of our people.

Our culture of sturdy pragmatism, forged through centuries of exploration, exertion and endurance strengthens our resolve, and equips us to overcome the challenges we now face together.

As other states flounder about, oppressing their citizens with more taxes and driving away jobs with bad policy, Texas will make the right decisions, and emerge stronger. As I’ve said before, I believe this will someday be regarded as the Texas century, as our resolve, our discipline and our commitment to one another carry us to brighter days, and blazes a path for other states and even for our federal government to follow. Our charge is to lead and, together, we will blaze this path.

May God bless you all and, through you, may he continue to bless the great state of Texas

Burnt Orange Report has the democratic and other progressive leaders response to Perry’s speech, but we are interested in your comments.

Off the Kuff covered a shoddy attempt by new Harris County Tax Assessor Don Sumners to disallow voter registration efforts at naturalization ceremonies.

Letters From Texas projected out the grim possibilities for state representative Aaron Peña as he contemplates switching to the Republican Party.

Now is the time to ask Larry Summers to do something REALLY useful. You know, for the good of the country.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme thinks Barack Obama is a putz and Bernie Sanders is a hero. UT professor Galbraith says it all.

Edmundo Rocha’s pays tribute to the passing of civil rights activist and former San Antonio Express-News columnist Carlos Guerra. An unsung hero who never gave up hope for a better Texas.

Aaron Pena’s impending party flip is tied directly to his 2012 Congressional ambitions. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs explains.

Bay Area Houston dog piles on State Representative Aaron Pena. He could get with this. Or he could get with that.

lightseeker at TexasKaos reports on Rick Perry’s latest foray into half-truths and self-serving opportunism. This time he is whipping up a big batch of whacked out claims about the cost of providing health care to uninsured Texans. Check out the details here: Rick Perry , Rabble Rouser .

Neil at Texas Liberal ran a post with pictures he took last spring at the Houston Ship Channel. Neil’s view is that if the world around us is at times not ideal, there are still many things to consider, learn about, and maybe even embrace. This does not mean we should be resigned to a polluted landscape. Neil has been stressing of late in his blog the need for action by average people in the face of the newly empowered Republican party in Austin and Washington. We know from the TPA posts listed here this week that things are a mess. The question is what are we going to do in reply to this mess?

Craig McDonald said he focused solely on campaign donations while with Public Citizen and that there were discrepancies between what Texas Republican Majority PAC (TRMPAC) reported to the Texas Ethics Commission in terms of its income and what Republican National State Election Committee (RNSEC) reported to the IRS.

The defense, in examining McDonald, reviewed 60 candidate names on Public Citizen’s website – only one of which was a Democrat (gubernatorial candidate, Bill White, and that was from a blog on yours truly, Texas Vox, which showed up on the site through an RSS feed).  DeLay, however, was mentioned 100 or more times on the site. But McDonald maintained political neutrality in his testimony, noting that DeLay’s appearance on the website did not mean he was the only subject of Public Citizen’s research.

Fred Lewis, was the second witness the State called, and said he was “uncertain” where the $190,000 to TRMPAC came from when reading Texas Ethics Commission reports.

The defense attempted to label Lewis as a Democratic advocate, and his organization in 2002, the Center for Public Democracy, as a political machine and not a non-profit.

The State again referred to the TRMPAC donations as “money laundering.”  The defense said comparing money laundering and legally allowed political donations is “comparing apples to oranges.”

“Apples and oranges … I wouldn’t know how to rule on that,” Priest said, drawing some laughter.

The trial resumes this morning at 9 a.m. at the Travis County Justice Center, with a long list of lobbyists, activists and contributors having been subpoenaed to appear.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

This election cycle will be the most expensive midterm in US history. With money pouring in from big corporations and foreign entities, this election has become more about how much can a candidate raise than it is about debating the real issues at stake. It is estimated that more 80 million dollars have been spent this mid-term election with most of the money going into Republican pockets (6 times the Democrats) which is 80 percent more than what was spend in 2006 at this point. 5 billion dollars is the total estimate for the whole mid-term elections. I, and many others, attribute this mess to a recent Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case, which made legal for corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money without having to disclose any information about the entity which made the contributions.

And voters agree:  Our elections are being bought and funded by corporate interests.  And it’s not just progressive activists: folks from the Tea Party are saying almost the exact same things as liberal activists.

The money is being channeled through individual groups like American Crossroads, run by Karl Rove, Bush’s former political strategist, and Ed Gillespie, former head of the RNC. Rove’s group has committed more than 5 and half million in tc ad buys, which is only ten percent of what the group promises to spend by November 2^nd.  And then there’s the nice-sounding but actually shadowy and sinister Americans for Job Security, which has committed 7.5 million dollars so far, 88% of which went to supporting Republicans. Another one of these organizations is American Future Fund which gave every dime of their 6.8 million dollars to Republican candidates.

The Chamber of Commerce is also playing a big role in this mid-term cycle. The chamber is waging a campaign of attack ads against the democrats– but in this case with the Chamber, thanks to some super-awesome gum-shoeing, we know where the money comes from. Foreign entities. That’s right, a report published by Think Progress shows the Chamber of Commerce has received money from Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Bahrain, India, France, and many more countries. To that you should say, “I want my country back.”

Considering the Chamber’s major targets, it’s a worthwhile endeavor to question their motives: they were opposed to health care reform, climate change and clean energy legislation, and financial reform.  Of course, we can understand why the Chamber would protect the profits of Wall St and the Big Banks, and also why they’d oppose measures that threaten the profitability of the for-profit medical industry like, oh, getting rid of pre-existing conditions or placing a cap on the amoutn your insurance company can charge that goes directly to overhead and profit rather than medical care for their clients.  But the stickiest wicket is climate change and clean energy.  Sure the Chamber is protecting their friends in the oil and coal industries.  And birds go “tweet.” But why would they be taking foreign money to do this?  From China and OPEC countries?  Couldn’t be that China would prefer to gain a huge competitive advantage over us in the fastest-growing sector of the worldwide economy: clean energy technology.  Or that the Saudis and the state oil company of Bahrain would prefer that we continue to stay addicted to their sweet, light crude. Or that by opposing financial and health reform they can leave America broke and sick.  Nah.  I’m sure we should just take the Chamber’s word for it that they aren’t using any of their foreign money to fund these ads.

The ads these organizations are running give support mostly to Republicans in order to oust the Democrats. The main issues for which the Democrats are being attacked are the financial, health care, and energy reforms. This can slightly give us a glimpse of who is behind these big-bucks contributions and why they are spending all that money.  However, who the money is really coming from is unknown. Why? Because the Senate blocked the DISCLOSE Act by filibustering it. Couldn’t be because the undisclosed money flowing into the elections mainly benefits one political party over another.  </sarcasm>

The amount of money being given to Republicans has raised some concerns that they will take over the US House and (hold your breath) John Boehner (who once handed out checks on the floor of the House from Big Tobacco’s PACs) might become the new Speaker. In fact, the special interests have bet on Boehner winning– big time.  The Republican leader has raised more money than his Democrat counterpart, Nancy Pelosi– more than 7 million dollars (which is HUGE when you compare it to Pelosi’s 2.9 million dollars). Again, Boehner is getting most of his contributions from Wall Street, insurance companies, and drug manufacturers. All of these industries face new regulations proposed by the Democrats.Not only that, but Boehner, whose PAC is unimaginatively called “Boehner for Speaker” has promised “special access” to the Speaker to marquee contributors.  Not only is Boehner measuring the drapes, he’s picking out the color of the “For Sale” sign to put on the House. I personally think “Speaker Boehner” should pick up a red light to put in his window while he’s at it.

One other reform the democrats have introduced during this legislative session is the Fair Elections Now Act (FENA) which would lead candidates to depend on their communities in raising numbers of small contributions limited to 100 dollars. According to our friends at Public Campaign, “The bill would allow federal candidates to choose to run for office without relying on large contributions, big money bundlers, or donations from lobbyists, and would be freed from the constant fundraising in order to focus on what people in their communities want.”  Think about it, if your candidate doesn’t have to worry about how much money he has to make to stay in office, he can focus on whats really important to you.

All this money from lobbyist has distracted your senator or representative from you, the voter. These groups expect a lot in return from your politician for the money they give him during the campaign. Your vote this November is more valuable than ever. Don’t give the big business the upper hand.  Along with your vote, tell your elected representatives that the reason you want them to go to Washington is to pass the Fair Elections Now Act.  That should be the first bill passed by the next Congress, or, if possible, passed even sooner during this Congress.

Sobering advice.  Remember, early voting starts today in Texas.

UPDATE: More from CNN: Outside Groups influencing political ads

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, cleaner cars, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

I am on one year’s probation, I need to pay an $1100 fine, I need to do 40 hours of community service in D.C. and if I’m arrested over the next year I automatically go to jail for 30 days on each of the two misdemeanor counts I was convicted of.

What was Ted’s heinous crime? He hung two banners saying “Green Jobs Now” and “Get to Work” in the Hart Senate Office Building. Visit DemocracyNow! for more on that action and his case. His sentence could have been much worse (the prosecution asked for 3 years in prison), but why does a person simply exercising their right of free speech and non-violent protest even face the threat of such a harsh sentence?

Why is this man even under arrest when, after the worst ecological disaster in our history, no one has arrested a single BP executive in relation to the spill in the Gulf? Or Massey Energy after the explosion at their Upper Big Branch mine which killed 11 after over 460 documented safety violations? Apparently, if you are a corporation, you can do whatever you want – including destroying the lives of thousands of people and causing the deaths of untold numbers of wildlife.

Yet if you are an individual, you can’t even exercise your first amendment rights.

Here is the statement Ted read in the courtroom before he was sentenced:

Your honor, I’d like to focus my statement on the “why” of the September 8th action, about which I was not able to testify at my trial. I’ll begin with a quote from a March 4th, 2010 press release from the U.S. National Science Foundation. It concerns the emission of methane, a greenhouse gas 70 times as strong as carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it is released into the atmosphere. This release begins:

“A section of the Arctic Ocean seafloor that holds vast stores of frozen methane is showing signs of instability and widespread venting of the powerful greenhouse gas,  according to the findings of an international research team. . .

“The research results show that the permafrost under the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, long thought to be an impermeable barrier sealing in methane, is perforated and is starting to leak large amounts of methane into the atmosphere. Release of even a fraction of the methane stored in the shelf could trigger abrupt climate warming.”

This melting of frozen methane on the sea floor is one of several climate tipping points that scientists have long identified as of great concern. The others are: the release of  methane frozen in the permafrost in the earth’s northern latitudes, the accelerated melting of the Greenland and West Antarctica ice sheets such that sea level rise would be much more rapid than currently expected, and the drying out of the Amazon rainforest because of drought and the release of much of the estimated 120 billion tons of carbon sequestered there.

What is a climate tipping point? It’s a point at which there has been so much heating up of the atmosphere that we experience drastic and runaway heating with truly catastrophic implications for the whole world, especially for the poor people of the world who are most vulnerable to respiratory diseases, heat stress, droughts, floods, major storms, water scarcity and disruption of agriculture.

We may well be on the verge of one of these tipping points. I hope we haven’t passed one already.

We are literally running out of time to make the dramatic changes, to shift rapidly from fossil fuels to clean energy, that will give us a chance of avoiding catastrophic climate change.

I hope that in the thinking you have been doing about my sentence, this dire situation in which we find ourselves has been taken into account. Faced with such a planetary emergency, we must speak up and take action. And as citizens of a democracy, we must nonviolently urge, in the best ways we know how, our elected representatives, our Congresspersons and Senators, to do the right thing. That is what I did on September 8th of last year.

As the country responsible for the highest percentage of greenhouse gases that are up in the atmosphere, the United States must begin to give leadership on this issue. We haven’t done so yet. And time is running out.

Time is running out. All of us, in our own ways and for the sake of those being affected by climate change right now, for our children and grandchildren, must speak out and take action now.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas

File under “hugely important issue to everyday Texans that most of us know nothing about.” Three prominent pro-citizen activists have been working hard to draw attention to a proposed rule change by the Supreme Court of Texas that would actually increase the ability of anti-consumer special interest groups to influence legislation and regulation here in Texas. SCOTX has proposed allowing lobbyists and special-interest groups to meet privately with state agencies before companies file applications for permits. In other words, Big Money will be able to enter through the back door and make sure they get their approval before the public even knows what’s going on.

This comes at a time when lax regulation and enforcement have led to an unprecedented oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, when TCEQ has all-but-refused to follow EPA standards, and when state environmental agencies are refusing court orders to provide lawmakers with documents about the very back-door deals the SCOTX is trying to make fair game.

To read more, click here.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

The Week in Review:

Public Citizen is co-hosting a screening of the film Casino Jack tonight at 7 0′clock at the Regal Arbor Cinema at Great Hills. Visit the Austin Coffee Party’s Facebook page for more information.

Ryan Rittenhouse and Mona Avalos finished their tar sands tour yesterday in Tyler. The U.S. Department of State hosted four public meetings this week across Texas to discuss the proposed expansion of TransCanada’s oil pipeline from Canada all the way to the Gulf Coast. Ryan spoke at the meetings in order to educate citizens and government officials on the liabilities and dangers of the tar sands pipeline, which could bring 900,000 barrels of the world’s dirtiest oil into Texas every day. Look for Ryan and Mona to update everyone next week on how the meetings went.

Matt Johnson attended the Texas Senate Business and Commerce Committee Interim Charge on state municipal utilities’ generation plans–Smitty testified at this interim session. Matt also met with Austin Energy’s C.O.O. Cheryl Mele about the Competitive Matters Resolution.

Along with Matt, Andy Wilson worked with Austin Energy on the Competitive Matters Resolution. Open government advocates believe that the resolution would be a barrier to making AE’s information accessible to the public. Public Citizen is encouraging people through the Facebook group Austin has a dirty secret to leave comments on AE’s page.

Andy continued organizing our efforts to oversee the Sunset Advisory Commission’s review of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). He participated in an organizing call hosted by Sierra Club to discuss how citizens from all over Texas can get involved in the review process to reform the TCEQ.

Andy sent out an action alert to San Antonio residents to write and call their Congressmen and -women supporting the federal DISCLOSE Act. The DISCLOSE Act will help alleviate some of the damage done by the Citizens United decision. On Thursday with the support of San Antonio Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, the campaign disclosure bill passed the House Administration Committee and will now be considered by the full House of Representatives.

Tom Smitty Smith had meetings in Dallas with local leaders on air quality in the city. He went to Bay City where he met with citizens fighting the proposed White Stallion coal plant. He also submitted comments to the Public Utility Commission regarding consumer protection rules relating to a proposed rule that would not allow customers on a deferred payment plan to switch to a lower cost electric rate and a rule on the designation of critical care customers.  (See the blog earlier during the week on these two consumer unfriendly proposed PUC rules)

David Power meet with ratepayers and elected officials in Houston, along with Smitty and other local advocates, last Saturday on electric rates and smart meters at the C.R.E.W meeting sponsored by Rep. Turner. He continues to work on organizing for the upcoming PUC and ERCOT sunset hearings. After preparing testimony for the  South Texas Nuclear Project proposed expansion, he attended the Bond Buyer’s Financing Sustainable Energy and Efficiency Conference in Houston to help obtain financing for solar programs for all Texans.

Intern Patrick Reck is heading on vacation to California. He’ll be back for the summer to keep fighting the good fight.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Andrew extends his sincere thanks to all of our staff for the knowledge, training, and expertise everyone has imparted. He left today’s staff meeting to warm cheers and handshakes. Andy’s off to Houston for the weekend to celebrate Mothers’ Day.

Now, the week in review…

Matt Johnson introduced himself to the staffers of a few legislators on the Sunset Advisory Commission. Matt talked to them about improvements that can be made at the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC), the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC), and the Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs (TDHCA). The Sunset Advisory Commission released its staff report on the PUC, ERCOT, and OPUC last month. The full report can be viewed here.

Ryan Rittenhouse‘s organizing efforts paid off as he and the No Coal Coalition enjoyed an engaging and informational town hall event in Bay City Monday evening. The meeting was organized to educate the community on the proposed White Stallion coal plant and its environmental and economic impact.

Tom “Smitty” Smith spoke to the Bay City crowd of nearly 200 people about the proposed plant’s water consumption and the pollution from coal combustion wastes. The event was covered by the Matagorda Advocate.

Intern Mona Avalos has been contacting Texas activists, asking that they attend the upcoming hearings concerning the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline which would bring tar sand oil all the way from Canada to the Texas coast. The U.S. Department of State is hosting hearings from May 17-20 in Beaumont, Liberty, Livingston, and Tyler, Texas.

Public Citizen is asking that all available and concerned citizens attend the hearings and voice their opinions. You can learn more here.

Intern Patrick Reck and the Public Citizen staff had a lovely picnic on the capitol lawn Thursday afternoon to celebrate a semester of hard work. Patrick also interviewed Matt Johnson and Smitty for the Get to Know an Activist series.

Intern Andrew Sauls has flown the coop. He finished his last week with more additions to his Green Cities report. Andrew leaves Public Citizen a wiser and older man (Happy Belated Birthday!), more prepared to enter a graduate program in Urban Planning this fall. In the meantime, he will be recording an album with the St. Edwards jazz band.* “Holla.”

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

*Andrew is a drummer, so I couldn’t help myself.

Q: What did the drummer get on his GRE?

A: Drool

Sometimes, if you’re quiet, you can catch him sneaking outside the office to hug a tree.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

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Tck tck tck. Thmp thmp thmp.

“Hello? Hello? Is this thing on?

“Ahhhha! Yes. Aaahh. Ahoy, landlubbers, safe and sound in your cubicles and offices, getting soft and weak, angry and malcontent spending yer days poundin’ yer keyboards, protestin’ and petitionin’ and marchin’.

“You may read all the blogs, but is it worth a spit a’ old-fashioned gumption and muscle?

“You may wine and dine with political sharks, but do ya feel like all yer compromisin’ takes the wind outta yer sails?

“Public Citizen is a fine bunch of rabble-rousers, with the likes a’ Smitty and those that got mettle. Still, their boots are tied and their scabbards blunted. Afraid a’ cuttin’ their teeth on the govment powers that be, the button pushers. Yaargh!

“But I knows what their afraid a tellin’ ya.

“I know that this here Ryan Rittenhouse is no ordin’ry granola crunchin’ green.

“He’s a pirate, yaargh. Didn’t go by Rittenhouse when I used ta sail wit him…

“Blast ye, Ryan! Its Puerto Rico, not Jamaica. No matter. (Editors Note: Actually it is Jamaica where he was Lieutenant Governor. The rum is from Puerto Rico however, which is where the confusion arises.)

“Long live Captain Watson. No Japanese warrant will stop such a salty dog!”

If she had a superpower, Carol would want to show people the truth. This time its free; the next reading will cost you…in carbon taxes.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

These events affirm the facts that environmental and human destruction are part of the costs of fossil fuel energy. If you cannot accept the resulting ecosystem destruction and loss of life, then you cannot accept fossil fuels as the dominant source of your energy.

I know: its frustrating, and changing our energy portfolio feels like its beyond our control. But, we can all make little changes in our own lives. And we won’t realize until years down the road how much those little energy conservation choices matter.

So, channel that sadness into resolve. Be the change you want to see.

At Public Citizen Texas, we hope that this little blog is a light. A light that shows you the good of the people of Texas. The strength of people working together to change energy policy and consumption habits.

We want to lead by example and empower you to do the same.

The week in review…

David Power remotely attended a series meetings with the Public Utility Commission‘s advanced metering infrastructure task force as part of an on-going process to manage electricity transmission data. The meeting topics included implementation and deployment of the first meter data portal, home area network specification and design, the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO), and the Home Energy Star appliance rebates.

The Smart Meter Texas Portal can be found at SmartMeterTexas.com. The Smart Meter can help you: monitor your usage, manage your costs, and raise awareness of your carbon footprint.

Trevor Lovell and ReEnergize Texas has been working to launch the Summer of Solutions program. The program debuted in Austin last summer, and this year’s program will build upon the enthusiasm and success of the Think Green Fund campaign.

Ryan Rittenhouse continued to organize the upcoming town hall event in Bay City to educate the public on the proposed White Stallion coal plant. Learn more about resistance to the proposal at NoCoalCoalition.org, and stay tuned for more information.

Intern Andrew Sauls kept working on his Green Cities report. He has been raising some challenging questions about the benefits and short-comings of a publicly owned utility (POU) versus an investor owned utility (IOU).

Intern Patrick Reck continued work on the Get to Know an Activist series (whew, video editing is time consuming!). Patrick, Mona, and Andrew all enjoyed Trevor Lovell’s workshop on coalition building.

Tom Smitty Smith has returned from vacation and hopped right in the saddle. Everyone is glad to have him back and is working to spread the Smitty Love.

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Thanks for taking time during the holiday to read about our energy advocacy progress.

The week in review…

Carol Geiger continued to have blogging fever. She wrote about the potential of solar power, atomic energy, and atomic safety and licensing. Plus, did you see the National Wildlife Federation video she posted on the potential threat of fire ant invasion due to climate change? Yikes!

Carol would also like to remind our readers that you can donate to Public Citizen through the EarthShare tear-off coupons found in the check-out aisles of your local H-E-B .

This week Citizen Sarah worked to spread the word on the upcoming Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate program. Make your reservation on Wednesday and save money twice: on new appliances from April 16-25 and all year long on lowered electricity bills!

David Power testified before the Texas Public Utilities Commission on Competitive Renewable Energy Zones.

Trevor Lovell had this to report: MBA students from the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin completed a working model for ReEnergize Texas that determines the financial viability of a solar panel installation under a variety of circumstances. The purpose of the model is to help people and businesses determine whether they could save money investing in solar panels, and how changes in things like rebates, compensation policy, panel and installation cost, and the market price of energy would affect their investment. The model is not yet publicly available, but will be presented to the Austin Chamber of Commerce’s “Clean Tech Group” later this month.

This is the first project being completed under the ReEnergize Texas “Clean Technology Business and Policy Practicum.”

Ryan Rittenhouse worked further on developing our tar sands campaign and on organizing an event in Bay City this month regarding the White Stallion coal plant.

Intern Mona Avalos attended the Southwestern Social Science Association‘s annual meeting this week in Houston. She and her sociology colleagues from Sam Houston State presented a paper entitled, “Health Care, Health Care Reform, and the Sociology Within.” The paper provides an overview of the health disparities across age, gender, and poverty level, how such disparities are affected by the health care system, and how the Health Reform Bill will influence the quality of care for at-risk demographics.

Intern Andrew Sauls completed his research and began drafting a report on Green Cities. He wrote his first blog post regarding the Las Brisas Energy Center in Corpus Cristi. WooHoo! They grow up so fast.

Intern Patrick Reck continued work on the Get to Know an Activist series, interviewing Carol Geiger and Ryan Rittenhouse. Look out! We might have a pirate in our midst. (Did you have a chance to watch Patrick’s interview with Melissa Sanchez?)

Tom Smitty Smith is still enjoying his time-travel extended vacation.

Cryptic quote of the week from prreck:

“The rabbits became strange in many ways, different from other rabbits.  They knew well enough what was happening. But even to themselves they pretended that all was well, for the food was good, they were protected, they had nothing to fear but the one fear; and that struck here and there, never enough at a time to drive them away. They forgot the ways of wild rabbits.”

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Off Broadway and live in Austin, here is her small screen debut:

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Well, today is your lucky day because I had a chance to temporarily slow down our queen blogging bee to ask her a few questions and learn about all the other things she does at Public Citizen. Take a spring break and enjoy this web of honey-comb goodness.

(Watch out: we may have another super hero on our hands.)

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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.