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Thursday, March 10, 2011

PA Governor Gives Energy Executive Supreme Authority Over Environmental Permitting

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 Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett (AP Photo/Daniel Shaknen)

C. Alan Walker
C. Alan Walker
by Abrahm Lustgarten , Nicholas Kusnetz and Joaquin Sapien
ProPublica, March 9, 2011, 10:50 p.m.

Pennsylvania has come under fire lately as pollution from drilling in the Marcellus Shale threatens water resources across the state. But instead of ratcheting up oversight, Gov. Tom Corbett wants to hand authority over some of the state’s most critical environmental decisions to C. Alan Walker, a Pennsylvania energy executive with his own track record of running up against the state’s environmental regulations.
Walker, who has contributed $184,000 to Corbett’s campaign efforts since 2004, is CEO and owner of Bradford Energy Company and Bradford Coal, which was once among Pennsylvania’s largest coal mining companies. He also owns or has an interest in 12 other companies, including a trucking business and a central Pennsylvania oil and gas company.
Walker was Corbett’s first appointee—he chose him to lead the Department of Community and Economic Development in December, before taking office. Now, as Corbett stakes much of the state’s economy on Marcellus Shale gas drilling, a paragraph tucked into the 1,184-page budget gives Walker unprecedented authority to “expedite any permit or action pending in any agency where the creation of jobs may be impacted.” That includes, presumably, coal, oil, gas and trucking.


It’s not clear how Corbett can delegate such sweeping authority to the economic development office, which would be reorganized to focus on coordinating with corporate interests and creating job growth. It also isn’t clear how the state would address the legal conflicts that could arise if, for example, Walker pushed for approval of a permit that conflicted with the Clean Water Act or other federal laws. The governor’s office did not respond to repeated requests to clarify Walker’s role, and other state agencies deferred to the governor. Environmental groups think Corbett will need to issue an executive order or some other legal clarification to allow Walker’s office to wield so much influence over regulations.
“I have never seen anybody give an economic development director the authority to tell every other agency in the state what to do with regard to its statutory responsibilities,” said Deborah Goldberg, an attorney with Earthjustice, an environmental group active on drilling issues. “The law requires that you not pollute the waters of Pennsylvania, and if he tries to speed up an application that makes it possible that that is going to happen then I think he is clearly operating outside of his authority.”
A spokesman for the economic development office said Walker will not speak publicly until his confirmation. But Walker did post a statement on the department’s website.
“The budget introduced today represents a completely new way of doing business for DCED and its economic development partners,” the statement said. “In a tough economic climate, we need to send a powerful message to the Pennsylvania Business Community that Pennsylvania is open for business.”
Walker’s ties to the energy industry are deep. He is listed on state disclosure forms as an executive of the Pennsylvania Coal Association and he has served as chairman of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry. He also has firsthand experience with the state’s environmental regulations, because his companies would likely have applied for permits similar to those the oil and gas industry is now pursuing in the Marcellus. And like many energy companies, his, too, have run into problems with the state.
In 2002, three of Walker’s coal companies notified Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection that they had run out of money and were going to stop treating the 173 million gallons of polluted water they produced each year and released into tributaries of the Susquehanna River. The state eventually got a court injunction to force them to continue treating the wastewater as required by state and federal law.
Corbett’s budget, which was introduced Tuesday, emphasizes job creation and proposes eliminating economic development hurdles by streamlining permitting processes in the DEP and the Department of Transportation.
“To address the length of time agencies take to act on permits and eliminate permit backlogs, PennDOT and DEP have begun auditing and assessing all of their permit processes to make them more responsive to the needs of job creators,” the budget says.
In the budget Corbett says drilling will bring Pennsylvania 200,000 jobs and $18 billion in economic benefit by the end of the decade. But the drilling industry’s explosive growth has also caused environmental problems and the budget raises questions about whether the DEP—which could lose nearly 20 percent of its funding—will be able to address them.
Private water wells have been contaminated with methane gas and other pollutants across the state, and in many cases the DEP has found that hasty or insufficient gas well construction was to blame. Several drilling site accidents have led to spills where wastewater, including from hydraulic fracturing, contaminated streams.
A 2009 ProPublica investigation [1] revealed that Pennsylvania’s sewage treatment plants were accepting millions of gallons of drilling wastewater, but lacked the technology to remove or treat many of the chemicals and pollutants the water contained. In 2008 people along one stretch of the Monongahela River were advised [2] to drink bottled water because the level of dissolved minerals and salts in the river was almost twice as high as the DEP considers safe.
The state has since more than doubled its workforce of inspectors and strengthened regulations for how gas wells are drilled, permitted and constructed. The DEP has installed additional water-quality monitors along the Monongahela and required drillers to report where they will take their wastewater after a well has been hydraulically fractured. The agency has also required that wastewater treatment plants be equipped to remove the minerals and salts. And it has received proposals for 24 new waste treatment plants that are now in permitting or review processes—the type of projects Walker could conceivably influence.
In January, the Associated Press found [3] that about 150 million gallons of Marcellus Shale wastewater—the majority of the wastewater for the period examined—had been dumped into rivers and streams after only partial treatment. A subsequent story [4] from the New York Times revealed that much of that wastewater was dangerously radioactive, and that drinking water facilities have not been testing their intake for this radioactivity.
On Monday the EPA leaned on Pennsylvania’s DEP to tighten its oversight of drilling waste disposal. The next day, Gov. Corbett released his budget, reducing DEP funding and stating that job creation should trump lengthy permitting delays.
“It’s an expression of a philosophy that doesn’t value environmental regulation,” said Jan Jarrett, president of PennFuture. “It seems to be the desire of the governor to have this guy be able to pick up the phone and expedite any program that might impact jobs.”
The Governor’s office did not respond to repeated requests for comment about the policy shift, the role of the economic development office, or funding for the DEP. Spokespeople for both the DEP and the state Attorney General’s office also declined to comment, saying that only the Governor’s office could speak to the issue.
ProPublica Director of Research Lisa Schwartz and researcher Liz Day contributed to this report.
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Radicalization in the U.S. Muslim Community

House Committee Homeland Security
Representatives John Dingell, Keith Ellison, and Frank Wolf testified at a Homeland Security hearing on the threat of radicalization among U.S. Muslims.

50 minutes | 2,560 Views   Congressman Ellison testimony






House Committee Homeland Security
The Los Angeles County sheriff and Islamic community representatives testified at a House Homeland Security hearing on the threat of radicalization among U.S. Muslims.
3 hours, 21 minutes | 1,344 Views
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Obama Administration Spins U.S. Oil Production Numbers,

Takes Credit for Predecessors’ Pro-Energy Polices
Obama Administration Actions Decrease U.S. Oil Production
This week, under mounting public pressure as gasoline prices near the $4 mark, the White
House published a blog post touting increased domestic oil production.  The
Administration was in full SPIN mode, taking credit for actions that were put in place
before they took office and ducking forecasts of declining U.S. oil production caused by
their own actions that have blocked American energy production.

SPIN: “Oil production last year rose to its highest level since 2003.”

RINSE:
• The Obama Administration’s actions have caused domestic energy production to
decrease.
• In 2007, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected total 2010 U.S.
oil production to be 850 million barrels.  Today’s actual production is 714 million
barrels, a 16 percent decline from what was projected.  If it wasn’t for the Obama
Administration, the U.S. would be producing more energy. 
• This is why FUTURE projections show a decline in U.S. production and an increase
in imports.  On March 8, 2010 the EIA published new projections that show a decline
in total U.S. crude oil production of 110,000 barrels per day in 2011 and 130,000
barrels per day in 2012.
• Finally, the White House does not explain that the vast majority of increased
production is occurring on private lands, not public. For example, North Dakota
alone produced almost 120 million barrels of oil in 2010, compared to just over 20
million in 2003. The majority of North Dakota’s production is on private land.  This
begs the question, why are we not using our federal lands to create American jobs
and produce American energy resources to lower prices?

SPIN: “Onshore oil production from public lands has also increased over the last year, from
109 million barrels in 2009 to 114 million barrels in 2010.”

RINSE:• The slight increase in onshore production from federal lands is due to lease sales
approved by previous Administrations—not the Obama Administration.
• Since taking office, the Obama Administration has slowed onshore energy
development on public lands and issued fewer leases.
• In 2008 there were 2,416 new oil and natural gas leases issued on Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) land spanning 2.6 million acres.  In 2010, under the Obama
Administration, the number of new leases issued dropped to 1,308 and acres leased
dropped to 1.3 million.
• The total onshore acreage leased under the Obama Administration in 2009 and
2010 are the lowest in over two decades, stretching back to at least 1984.
 
SPIN: “From 2008 to 2010, oil production from the Outer Continental Shelf increased more
than a third – from 446 million barrels in 2008 to an [sic] more than 600 million barrels of
estimated production in 2010.”

RINSE:
• Once again, the Obama Administration is attempting to take credit for actions they
had nothing to do with.  The strong production in the Gulf was due to leases issued
in 1996-2000 under the Deepwater Royalty Relief Act – long before President
Obama took office.
• The Obama Administration’s actions, such as imposing a de facto moratorium, are
causing energy production to decline in the Gulf of Mexico.   EIA shows a 300,000
barrel per day decline in current Gulf production and a projected Gulf decline of
over 150 million barrels of oil in 2012. 
###
House Natural Resources Committee Republican Press Office
Contact: Jill Strait, Spencer Pederson, Crystal Feldman
202-226-9019
http://naturalresources.house.gov
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Rising Gas Prices Spur Calls For U.S. Oil Production




Heard on Morning Edition
March 10, 2011 - RENEE MONTAGNE, host:
And now we're going to hear about another ongoing political battle. The average price of gasoline across the country has been rising rapidly, and has now topped $3.50 a gallon. As pump prices increase, so does the chorus of criticism from Republicans. They accuse the Obama administration of deliberately curtailing domestic oil production.
The argument is a replay of the presidential campaign two years ago, the last time gas prices were this high.
NPR's Scott Horsley reports.
SCOTT HORSLEY: As fighting continues in Libya, the White House is keeping a close eye on gasoline prices, and talking with big oil-producing countries about how to offset any disruption in global supplies.
Republican Senator David Vitter of Louisiana complains, instead of begging Saudi Arabia to open its oil taps, the administration should be looking here at home.
Senator DAVID VITTER (Republican, Louisiana): What about domestic supply? What about the Gulf of Mexico? What about all of our other vast energy resources that we are taking off the table and shutting down? What about that supply?
HORSLEY: That's been a popular theme with Republicans. Washington Congressman Doc Hastings, who chairs the Natural Resources Committee, has cataloged ways he says the administration has frustrated oil production, from suspended drilling leases to increased red tape.
Congressman DOC HASTINGS (Republican, Washington): Since this administration has taken over, they have done everything to block energy development in this country.
HORSLEY: And Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, who may challenge the president next year, suggested at a Wall Street Journal conference Mr. Obama is quietly cheering for even higher prices at the pump.
Governor HALEY BARBOUR (Republican, Mississippi): The Obama energy policy, to me, seems very clear. It's to increase the cost of energy so Americans will use less of it. When you shut in the Gulf of Mexico, and American domestic oil production goes down, to me that is bad policy for our country.
HORSLEY: But White House spokesman Jay Carney says there's one problem with this line of argument.
Mr. JAY CARNEY (White House Spokesman): Domestic oil production, last year, rose to its highest level since 2003.
HORSLEY: In fact, according to the Energy Department, U.S. oil production jumped nearly three percent last year, while oil imports fell. True, the administration did suspend some western drilling leases near national parks, early on. But Deputy Interior Secretary David Hayes says oil producers still have 41 million acres in which to drill.
Secretary DAVID HAYES (Deputy Interior Department Secretary): Where it makes sense to lease, we are leasing with abandon as we work closely with the oil and gas industry. And the production numbers are demonstrating that.
HORSLEY: Even in the Gulf of Mexico, Hayes says, oil production has barely suffered, although drilling of new wells was halted for months, after last year's Deepwater Horizon spill. To be sure, the effects of that Gulf drilling moratorium may show up in future years, as older wells dry up and fewer new ones take their place. And credit for the increase in on-shore production probably belongs less to any administration policy than to advanced drilling techniques, and the higher oil prices that make them worthwhile.
The last big spike in oil prices came during the 2008 presidential campaign. Back then, gas prices topped four dollars a gallon, and increased drilling became a popular rallying cry for Republican John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin.
(Soundbite of chanting)
Ms. SARAH PALIN (Former Vice President Candidate): Drill baby drill, and mine baby mine. It is for the sake of our nation's security and of course our economic prosperity.
HORSLEY: Candidate Obama argued that with just three percent of the world's oil reserves, there's no way the U.S. could drill its way to energy independence. Nevertheless, White House spokesman Carney says the administration has actively pursued all forms of energy production, including both fossil fuels and alternatives. The president has also pushed for greater fuel efficiency, which could come in handy this summer, when gas prices are forecast to go even higher.
Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
A $5 per gallon price is posted at a gas station in Belmont, Calif., on Wednesday.
Paul Sakuma/AP
A $5 per gallon price is posted at a gas station in Belmont, Calif., on Wednesday.
text size A A A
March 10, 2011
The average price of gasoline across the country has topped $3.50, up 14 cents from a week ago and 77 cents higher than this time last year.
As pump prices rise, so does the chorus of criticism from Republicans, who accuse the Obama administration of deliberately curtailing U.S. oil production.
"What about domestic supply?" asked Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) this week. "What about the Gulf of Mexico? What about all of our other vast energy resources that we are taking off the table and shutting down?"
Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA), who is chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, has cataloged ways he says the administration has frustrated oil production, from suspended drilling leases to increased red tape. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) posted highlights of the list on his website.
"Since this administration has taken over, they have done everything to block energy development in this country," Hastings said.
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who may challenge the president next year, suggested that Obama is quietly cheering for even higher prices at the pump.
"The Obama energy policy to me seems very clear. It's to increase the cost of energy so Americans will use less of it," Barbour said at a conference organized by the Wall Street Journal. "When you shut in the Gulf of Mexico, and American domestic oil production goes down, to me that is bad policy for our country."
But White House spokesman Jay Carney said there's one problem with this line of argument: Domestic oil production last year rose to its highest level since 2003.
According to the federal government's Energy Information Administration, U.S. oil production jumped nearly 3 percent last year, while oil imports fell. While the administration did suspend some Western drilling leases near national parks early on, the administration argues that oil producers still have 41 million acres in which to drill.
"Where it makes sense to lease, we're leasing with abandon as we work closely with the oil and gas industry," said Deputy Interior Secretary David Hayes. "And the production numbers are demonstrating that."
Even in the Gulf of Mexico, Hayes said, oil production has barely suffered, though drilling of new wells was halted for months after last year's Deepwater Horizon spill.
To be sure, the effects of that Gulf drilling moratorium may show up in future years, as older wells dry up and fewer new ones take their place. Credit for the increase in onshore production probably belongs less to any administration policy than to advanced drilling techniques, and the higher oil prices that make them worthwhile.
The last big spike in oil prices came during the 2008 presidential campaign. Back then, gas prices topped $4 a gallon, and "Drill, Baby, Drill" became a popular rallying cry for Republican John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin.
Candidate Obama argued that with just 3 percent of the world's oil reserves, there's no way the U.S. could drill its way to energy independence. Nevertheless, the administration says it has actively pursued all forms of energy production, including fossil fuels and alternatives. The president has also pushed for greater fuel efficiency, which could come in handy this summer, when gas prices are forecast to go even higher.
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Eagle Ford is helping fuel area's economy


Shale may become South Texas' leading financial generator.
By Vicki Vaughan
vvaughan@express-news.net
Updated 12:53 a.m., Thursday, March 10, 2011
  • A drilling site owned by Petrohawk Energy Corp. at the Eagle Ford Shale.
     Photo: HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Jake Lacey / Jake Lacey
No one's calling it another Spindletop yet, but just wait.
Development of the Eagle Ford shale, a vast oil and gas region, shows promise of being the most important economic generator South Texas ever has seen, a recently released study indicates.
Since the first well was drilled in the Eagle Ford in 2008 until 2010, oil and gas drilling has directly supported about 6,800 full-time jobs in the region, paid $311 million in salaries and benefits to workers and generated almost $2.1 billion in total economic output.
When other spin-off jobs were included in the tally — everything from oil field support to the waiters serving drillers' food — the numbers jumped to 12,600 jobs, $512 million in salaries and $2.9 billion in economic output.
Drilling jobs account for about half of the jobs so far in the Eagle Ford, and the jobs pay well, starting from about $12 to $17 an hour for roustabouts (an entry-level drilling job) and $13 to $18 an hour for truck drivers.
The Eagle Ford now accounts for 6 percent of the Gross Regional Product for the 24-county area included in the study.
The numbers come from a study by the Center for Community and Business Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio. It was funded by America's National Gas Alliance, which paid $33,000. Members of the gas alliance met with the Express-News Editorial Board on Wednesday.
The Eagle Ford “is a very early play; so these are very conservative estimates,” said Dominique Halaby, the center's director who headed the study.
A key reason for the study, Halaby said, is to learn ways that San Antonio and South Texas “can capitalize on this opportunity.”
The Eagle Ford shale underlies 24 Texas counties that stretch from a region northeast of San Antonio to Laredo and Webb County. The center's study notes a rapid increase in number of permits issued by the Railroad Commission of Texas. In 2008, the Railroad Commission issued 33 drilling permits, with 94 permits in 2009 and zooming to 1,229 permits in 2010.
The center's study also looked at the broader effect of Eagle Ford development.
By 2020, the Eagle Ford is expected to account — directly and indirectly — for almost $21.5 billion in economic output and support 68,000 full-time jobs in South Texas.
The estimated economic impact was based on price information from the Energy Information Agency, a part of the Energy Department, along with drilling costs and estimates of royalty and lease payments.
“There hasn't been this type of capital infusion (in South Texas) since the 1880s,” said Raymond Welder III, CEO of Welder Exploration & Production Inc. of San Antonio, saying it costs $5 million to $10 million to drill a well in the Eagle Ford.
Welder serves on the board of ANGA.
Not long ago, “Kenedy and Karnes City were near the end,” Welder said. “People who were used to no job and no chance for success now have a range of options,” Welder said. “For an able-bodied person, there's really no reason why you can't find a job in South Texas.”
San Antonio, too “will greatly benefit,” Welder said, by benefit of geography. Several energy companies, including Chesapeake Energy Corp. and EOG Resources, recently opened field offices in San Antonio to supervise drilling in the Eagle Ford shale.
For some parts of South Texas, “It didn't take long to see that we've never seen anything like it,” said Leodoro Martinez Jr., executive director of the Middle Rio Grande Development Council, which is responsible for workforce development in nine counties.
“It's obvious that the economist impact is tremendous and we want to have people to fill them,” Martinez said.
Martinez said his group is heading a consortium of various South Texas entities whose goal is to develop a common curriculum to educate workers for the Eagle Ford and to keep the area better informed about the shale's development. It's all in an effort to head off problems experienced by other shale plays.
The consortium consists of government agencies, colleges, school districts, training schools and elected officials.
Martinez and other industry leaders from Wednesday's meeting said such an effort is the first they know of, and they hope it will serve as a model for other parts of the country.
The counties examined in the study include Atascosa, Bee, Brazos, Burleson, Camp Wood, Dewitt, Dimmitt, Edwards, Frio, Gonzales, Grimes, Houston, Karnes, La Salle, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Live Oak, Maverick, McMullen, Milam, Webb, Wilson and Zavala.
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Thousands gather at Indiana Statehouse for labor rally

 
Union workers flood the west side of the Indiana Statehouse on Thursday, March 10, 2011to show their support as the AFL-CIO held a giant rally with thousands of people showing up to protest bills in the legislature attacking collective bargaining. (Matt Detrich / The Star)

 
Over five thousand AFL-CIO workers rallied outside the Statehouse, protesting bills in the legislature attacking collective bargaining..From WTHR Chopper 13. Thursday March 10, 2011. Alan Petersime/The Star

 
Over five thousand AFL-CIO workers rallied outside the Statehouse, protesting bills in the legislature attacking collective bargaining..From WTHR Chopper 13. Thursday March 10, 2011. Alan Petersime/The Star

 
Thousands of union members stage a mass protest in Orr Plaza on the west side of the Indiana Statehouse for the AFL-CIO's "We Are Indiana" union rally on Thursday, March 10, 2011. The rally, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., is expected to draw more than 20,000 union members, which would top the number that showed up at a union rally in 1995. Union workers were bused to Indianapolis from all around the state. Charlie Nye / The Star.

Thousands of union members stage a mass protest in Orr Plaza on the west side of the Indiana Statehouse for the AFL-CIO's "We Are Indiana" union rally on Thursday, March 10, 2011. The rally ran from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and drew between 8,000 to 11,000 people from all around the state, plus Illinois and Kentucky. The crowd included flag-waving Army National Guardsman Chris Houchins, right, standing near an inflated "Fat Cat" grasping a worker in a yellow construction hat. Charlie Nye / The Star.

Ron of Carmelshouts "Taxpayers for freedom. Get rid of the unions" as he is harassed by surrounding union workers and their signs at the Indiana Statehouse on Thursday, March 10, 2011as the AFL-CIO held a giant rally with thousands of people showing up to protest bills in the legislature attacking collective bargaining. (Matt Detrich / The Star)



Thousands of union supporters ignored icy winds today for a rally outside the Indiana Statehouse calling for lawmakers to drop measures that would cut back on labor rights.
"The working men and women of Indiana have come back to take back the people's house for the people of Indiana," Nancy Guyott, leader of the Indiana AFL-CIO, told the rally.
Rep. Bill Crawford, D-Ind, one of the Indiana Democrats that forced the Indiana House into a three-week deadlock by holding out in an Illinois hotel, addressed the crowd that filled the massive plaza on the west side of the Statehouse.
The Democrats want Republicans to take a repeal of the prevailing-wage law and private school vouchers off the table to end the impasse, Crawford said.
Leo Gerard, international president of the United Steelworkers. said that corporate America started a war on unions. "We're going to kick their ass," Gerard said.

The rally began with a minister praying for justice, and wisdom for lawmakers.
A Marine veteran of Iraq and son of a steelworker led the crowd in reciting Pledge of Allegiance
The rally crowd peaked at more than 8,000 people at noon and slipped to about 7,000 by 1 pm., Indiana State Police spokesman Sgt. Dave Bursten said.

Earlier -- Thousands gather at Indiana Statehouse for labor rally

Thousands of labor union activists were already filling the west side of the Statehouse grounds this morning for a rally to protest legislation that affects collective bargaining and public education.
The rally officially begins at 11:30 a.m.
As workers wait, they are filling their time by chanting such things as “One day longer, one day stronger,” and “We are union!”
Union leaders have estimated that as many as 25,000 will attend the rally, coming from all parts of the state. That would rival the 20,000 union members who protested at the Statehouse in 1995 in what, possibly until now, has been the largest rally in state history.
Indianapolis and state police report the crowd has been orderly and gathered without incident. Traffic maintained a rush-hour pace through the morning on interstates feeding Downtown.
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Recall Scott Walker




To: Mr. Scott Walker
CC: Mrs. Rebecca Kleefisch

I am a concerned resident of Wisconsin and I oppose passage of your "Budget Repair Bill". 
I believe this piece of legislation does not move Wisconsin forward.

Several items in this bill concern me such as the removal of Medicaid Provisions and removal of our collective bargaining union rights. I also feel it is very irresponsible to put our 37 heating and cooling plants across the state up for sale as no bid contracts. This bill seems to be more of a "power grab bill” than a "budget repair bill". 

You have said this is your moment and you are right. This is your moment to show how much you care about ALL of the people in Wisconsin, not just your side of the political aisle. You are not Putting People First. In a democracy, a leader should negotiate. The fact you will not negotiate shows you are not representing ALL of Wisconsin, therefore I pledge to recall you and Rebecca Kleefisch from office, starting at the earliest date, which is early in 2012. In addition, any member of the state legislature voting in favor of this bill with these provisions intact will also be held accountable.

Your job as a public servant is to represent the will of the people. Passage of this bill is doing the opposite. Look outside your window Mr. Walker and read the news; the majority of Wisconsin residents oppose your bill. We the people of Wisconsin want to move our state forward, not backward.
  
It's time to put people first sir, over your political agenda, because people should matter more. It is clear this is not about the budget or the money as much as it is about destroying Wisconsin labor unions, taking away rights to those who can not afford healthcare and selling our power plants with no bid contracts. Let me tell you sir, we have a voice, and we are putting it simply: if you remove our rights with this bill, you will be recalled in 2012. 
That is a promise.
  
Thank You,
The people of Wisconsin via UnitedWisconsin.com

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An open letter from the Students of Wisconsin:

 

Hey Scott Walker,


As students, the cuts to state education funding in Governor Scott Walker’s Biennial Budget—as well as the loss of collective bargaining for teachers—will have an immediate and devastating effect on our educational experience, and as such we have a unique perspective on these issues. Students across the state have been involved in the movement in protest of Governor Walker’s agenda since momentum began to build, and we as an affected demographic will not sit quietly or disengage ourselves from these issues. We hold the following:
1. That a strong public education system is not only our right as young people, but is vital to the success of the democratic process.
2. That the reforms proposed by Governor Walker and Republicans in the state government are an outright attack on the solvency and quality of the education system. Not only is competitive compensation required to promote a strong teacher pool in this state, but the working conditions that teachers will not be able to negotiate are the conditions that shape our learning environment. Furthermore, the cuts in categorical aid to school programs, and prohibitions against tax increases at the local level that would help ease the damage of these cuts, are unacceptable.
3. That the importance of balancing the state budget should not outweigh the importance of the programs that the state provides. We understand the need of a financially solvent government, but object that the budget debate has been framed in such a way as to eliminate carefully implemented, graduated income tax increases from the discussion completely.
In an effort to balance the importance of education with that of having our voices heard, we will walk out of class this Friday, March 11th before our last period of the day. We call for students all across the country to do the same and to take this opportunity to discuss not only the events in Wisconsin but the future of public education as a whole.
Respectfully,
Jesse Banks
Senior at Madison East High School
Coordinator, Wisconsin Youth in Solidarity
Asher Heimermann
Junior at George D. Warriner High School
Coordinator, HeyScottWalker.com
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