Bad Air Day
view north, from Catfish Fire Tower - AT - Kittatinny Ridge
I voted for a write in candidate named Occupy W. Street:
scene from Delaware Watergap National Recreation Area
And here’s a place where politicians lie:
Rattlesnake Swamp
CHRISTIE BRAGGED DURING CAMPAIGN ABOUT FIGHTING OBAMA EPA
Christie is refusing to support enforcement of a 1997 Clean Air standard the even the Bush EPA said was too weak and would not protect public health.
I don’t have a lot of time this morning to do this set of issues justice, but I wanted to note a few key points that are revealed by Governor Christie’s announcement that he would NOT join a state lawsuit in support of EPA Clean Air Act regulations.
(for story, see Star Ledger: Gov. Christie wants no part of federal effort to restrict power plants in other states
1. Christie is an ideologue and liar.
Christie today defends his decision by this bold claim:
The Republican governor’s decision comes on the final day the state could join the suit, and four days after criticizing the federal agency for “over-reaching” and “stifling” economic growth.
He said he preferred not to further empower the federal government.
“Instead of participating in lawsuits just for the sake of appearances and giving the illusion of action, we are making a real difference in the fight against the most polluting power plants in the nation,” he said.
But Christie’s decision was not based on facts and the bests interests of New Jersey.
Although it is part of a larger current national republican attack on EPA “overreach” and “job killing regulations”, Christie’s decision is purely ideological and was announced during the campaign.
Watch Christie on YouTube brag that he will challenge Obama EPA regulations.
I wrote about and predicted this conflict over 2 years ago – see: New Obama EPA Administrator plants flag in NJ
Christie also has slashed DEP air pollution enforcement.
And if Christie is looking for the causes of the economic collapse and lack of economic growth, instead of repeating the Big Lie and scapegoating environmental protection, perhaps  he should read the Report of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission.
The fault lies not in environmental or any other regulation, but failure to enforce them!
But perhaps most revealing of the Governor’s character and worst of all, Christie sought to mask this ideology and dirty air record by issuing a press release touting his alleged clean air accomplishments, as follows:
The Christie Administration also has taken other decisive action to curb emissions and protect the state’s air:
- Issued an executive order to reduce diesel emissions at construction sites.
[Fact – EO #60 establishes a tiny pilot program in the Department of Transportation for just one publicly funded project. It is a joke and will not produce measurable emissions reductions. It is simply a PR stunt and part of NJEF political cover to create the appearance that Christie is doing something.
In addition, Christie issued several other Executive Orders that weaken numerous environmental requirements, and establish a radical policy to rollback NJ’s standards to federal minimums.
- Adopted rule requiring significant reductions in sulfur content for home heating oil.
[Fact – Christie is taking credit for a Corzine Administration rule. Worse, Christie delayed adoption of the rule under the moratorium established by EO #1 and the cost benefit/federal consistency review under “regulatory relief” EO #4. I wrote about it in detail here and here.
- Moved ahead aggressively with a first-in-the-nation grant program to help finance replacement of dry cleaning machines that use harmful chemicals, helping to remove thousands of pounds of pollutants from the air.
[Fact: Christie actually abandoned DEP proposed regulations of the dry cleaner industry and instead provided subsidies to these polluters. I wrote about that in detail here: DEP abandons toxic chemical phase out regulation – instead pays polluters to pollute
- Committed to a policy of not allowing new coal-fired power plants in New Jersey, ensuring additional generation comes from clean energy sources.
[Fact: No one is seeking to build new coal power plants in NJ. The PurGen CCS project in Linden was killed by lack of private financing and failure to secure huge billion dollar subsides in Obama’s Cap/Trade legislation. But the Christie Energy Master Plan promotes highly polluting garbage incineration and new fossil fuel power. see: Christie Abrupt about far on green power
- Committed to cleaner renewable energy, including a major commitment to solar energy, making New Jersey first in the nation for installed solar capacity.
[Fact: Christie has engaged in an across the board assault on NJ’s Global Warming Response Act , diverted over $400 million of clean energy funds to support his tax cuts, reduced NJ’s renewable energy goals, abandoned RGGI, and is slashing supports for solar. The horrible Christie record is too extensive to document here.
- Accelerated development of offshore wind projects to speed creation of wind turbines that will generate cleaner energy.
2. NJEF endorsement helped create the Christie Monster
NJ Environmental Federation (NJEF) knew – or should have known – that Christie was an anti-environmental, anti-regulatory, conservative ideologue.
Yet they endorsed him anyway.
The NJEF continuing failure to publicly revoke this endorsement – particularly in light of his record since – is stunningly  scandalous.
3. EPA Clean Air regulations are modest, at best
Ironically, without going into the wonky technical details here, the EPA regulation in question is modest, at best.
It is called the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule. EPA even admits this by stating:
With the inclusion of these states, a total of 26 states would be required to reduce ozone-season NOX emissions to assist in attaining the 1997 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
So lets repeat: The EPA rule is based on attainment of the outdated and under-protective EPA 1997 ozone NAAQS –
This is the ozone standard that even the Bush Administration rejected and ratcheted down.
Recall that the Obama EPA said the Bush ozone standard was too weak and not scientifically or legally supportable – for details on all that jive, sees this and this and this.
Christie is refusing to support enforcement of a standard that the even the Bush EPA said was too weak and would not protect public health.
And that is disgraceful.
Economic Crisis Hijacked by an Agenda to Repeal New Deal
Larry Hamm, People’s Organization for Progress
[Update: 3/6/12 – Better late than never! Today Crooks and Liars posts a video of Krugman’s remarks – Watch it!]
Although I had planned to go to Washington DC for the Keystone XL Pipeline protest, at the last minute I decided to avoid all the carbon emissions from driving down there and instead go next door to Princeton to hear Paul Krugman speak on the jobs crisis.
Construction of the Keystone Pipeline would be a global warming disaster – and its fate is entirely in the hands of President Obama.
In this case, there will be no obstructionist “party of pollution” “too dirty to fail” Republican Congress to blame.
The decision is exclusively President Obama’s to make and will be another big test of his commitments to respond to the global warming crisis.
Thus far, Obama has failed to take credible action internationally – Strike One. His market based alternative to EPA regulation, the cap/trade scheme failed in Congress – Strike Two. And he has abandoned and weakened EPA regulatory options – Strike Three.
So approval of Keystone would be Strike Four.[Update: watch Democracy Now! segment w/Bill McKibben]
But let’s get back to Princeton.
Nobel Economics Prize winning Princeton Professor and NY Times columnist Paul Krugman was the luminary on a panel to discuss the jobs crisis.
Krugman’s remarks were brief, but cogent.
He said we lived in “Surreal times” (a perspective I too share).
Krugman praised the Occupy Wall Street Movement for “changing the conversation” and suggested that it had helped “stiffen [President Obama’s] spine” – although noting, without evidence or example, that Obama had begun to stiffen his spine earlier this year, before OWS began.
I disagree with Krugman here – Obama has merely stiffened his rhetorical spine, not his policy spine. Campaign mode – not a stiffer spine – is what explains recent seemingly progressive steps by the White House.
Specifically, Obama’s recent home mortgage refinance, student loan, and jobs initiatives are all seriously flawed and very small bore incremental steps that will have little impact on the crisis. They will cost powerful bailed out banks and Wall Street financial institutions absolutely nothing.
Krugman emphasized that from an economic perspective, the focus on austerity and budget cuts was deeply damaging, and was the result of efforts of those who had “hijacked the economic crisis” in an effort to repeal the New Deal.
Economically, we do not have a deficit problem, we have a crisis of lack of effective demand and huge unemployment, he said.
Krugman concluded that the problems and solutions are well understood, but Washington lacks the political will to act.
Politically, Krugman said change in Congress was impossible, at least until after the 2012 elections. He clearly laid the blame on obstructionist Republicans who would deny President Obama any success.
Given the preceding barn burning presentation by Larry Hamm, State Chair of the People’s Organization for Progres, Krugman was basically forced preface his remarks by noting his role as dispassionate analyst, not activist.
While Krugman was on a similarly progressive wavelength,he was outshone by Larry Hamm, State Chair of the People’s Organization for Progress.
While I was aware of the POP’s protests in Newark, I’m embarrassed to say that I was unaware of Mr. Hamm’s work on Apartheid disinvestment and had never heard Mr. Hamm speak – he is an awesome orator.
Hamm also expressed solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, and began with an historical allusion to the 1955-56 Montgomery Bus Boycott, that ended segregation of public transit.
Hamm, interrupted by numerous rounds of applause from the packed crowd at Princeton Presybyterian Church, then laid out the POP core demands:, revolving around social and economic justice and “a twenty first century New Deal”.
Hamm spoke movingly about unemployment, poverty, and hunger in Newark.
He highlighted the disproportionate impact of the home mortgage crisis on blacks, because the little capital they have is invested in their homes. He said more wealth has been stolen from black people in the subprime housing mortgage and foreclosure scam, then since Emancipation. He noted that foreclosure rates are 25% of greater, Irvington has a 40% foreclosure rate.
Representative Rush Holt speaks at Princeton jobs crisis event.
I was pleased to see Congressman Rush Holt attend and wait patiently in line for over 30 minutes to speak.
Although praised by panelist Carol Gay for his vote in opposition to the recent free trade agreements with Columbia, Panama, and Korea, Holt instead touted his key achievement as his historic vote against the Republican hostage taken driven Obama debt ceiling compromise.
Holt also praised the OWS Movement and lauded the jobs event as an example of civil democratic discourse.
Later, in response to a question, Mr. Hamm spoke about the repressive tactics police and local officials are using to squash dissent and protest, and negate Constitutional rights of free speech and assembly.
“This is a battle for Democracy!” he warned.
Amen, Bro.
Magritte – “The Menaced Assassin” (1927)
Harriman State Park is a spectacular place, and has special meaning for me.
Virtually every weekend, as we went to bed, Mom would be up Friday night making potato and cucumber salads.
First thing in the morning, we’d pack the cooler, load the car, drive across the mighty Tappan Zee Bridge, and go to Bear Mountain or Lake Welch. It was a real adventure, every time!
I recall good times fishing in the Lake and visiting the Inn and skating rink at Bear Mountain, and picnicking, exploring the woods, and swimming at Lake Welch.
Harriman State Park, located in Rockland and Orange counties, is the second-largest park in the parks system, with 31 lakes and reservoirs, 200 miles of hiking trails, three beaches, two public camping areas, a network of group camps, miles of streams and scenic roads, and scores of wildlife species, vistas and vantage points.
Follow me along the trail of a recent hike: (NY/NJ TC trail info)
Occupy Wall Street - Broadway, NYC
Cops Send Signal It’s Open Season on Assaulting Protesters
[Update #3 – Hallelujah! Â Star Ledger reports that The Bull Roams Free! (snark)
Update #2: 11/13/11 – holy moly! The Star Ledger covers the story, from a very different perspective, obviously!
Update: #1: 11/9/11 – The Yesmen make the scene!]
I’ve been following and supporting the Occupy Wall Street Movement and am increasingly disgusted by the proliferation of police repression and violence.
I went to Liberty Plaza to defend the occupation from a planned eviction back on Friday October 14, and since then have watched how police have become increasingly provocative and violent in crackdowns and evictions in other cities.
The Occupy Oakland police riot and violence was a disgrace redolent of Chicago 1968 (despite extensive YouTube video that seems to serve no deterrent to increasingly repressive tactics).
But now it seems we are entering entirely new territory.
On Friday night, a guy driving a Mercedes Benz plowed his car into Oakland protesters – and yesterday a similar vehicle assaut occurred in Washinton DC. (see: Police: 3 struck by car at Occupy DC protests
The cops are not only attacking protesters themselves, but their failure to prosecute these vehicle assaults is sending a HUGE green light that it is open season on protesters.
This can only lead to more similar and worse assaults on people exercising Constitutional rights to dissent.
And that, my friends, is an intolerable disgrace.
Occupy Wall Street has set up an eviction defense network – all people of good faith should join and help block any police action to dismantle the Movement and evict protesters.