October 7, 2017
Oct 07 06:22 Walz picks activist running mate Oct 07 09:30 BLM cancels Obama rip-off plan Oct 07 11:32 Who is the BLM? Oct 07 14:20 The NFLPA 's political activism
Prior Months: Jan Feb ~ May Jun Jul Aug Sep
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Walz picks activist running mate
Tim Walz didn't waste time in picking his running mate . In picking Peggy Flanagan, Walz proverbially killed 2 birds with one stone.
First, DFL activists weren't comfortable with the NRA's past support of Walz. The fact that "he was called out for receiving donations from the NRA" forced him to "donate the money to charity and support gun background checks if he became governor." There's little doubt that Walz wanted to get that off the front page ASAP.
Next, Walz is a moderate from southern Minnesota, hardly the place where DFL gubernatorial candidates usually come from. Picking a progressive firebrand like Rep. Flanagan sends the message that Walz is as lefty as candidates like Paul Thissen, Rebecca Otto and Erin Murphy.
What Walz hasn't figured out yet is that the DFL powers-that-be will insist that he move left -- way further left. Support for mining will be forbidden. Support for building pipelines will be forbidden, too. Walz is intent on relying heavily on identity politics, too. That's what this is about:
Flanagan, of St. Louis Park, is a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and helped form the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus this year. The Walz campaign said she would be the first person of color to hold a constitutional office in Minnesota and the highest ranking Native American state office holder ever in the country.
This official statement indicates that Rep. Flanagan won't give pipelines a fair shake:
ST. PAUL, MINN - Today, the Minnesota Department of Commerce released the final Environmental Impact Statement for Enbridge Energy's proposed Line 3 pipeline replacement in northern Minnesota. Members of the Minnesota House Native American Caucus - Rep. Peggy Flanagan, DFL - St. Louis Park (White Earth Nation), Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn, DFL - Roseville (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe), Susan Allen, DFL - Minneapolis (Rosebud Sioux) and Mary Kunesh-Podein, DFL - New Brighton (Standing Rock Sioux) - jointly released the following statement:
"The EIS released today makes only nominal mention of this pipeline's impact on Native American lands and the irreparable harm it could cause to the traditions and way of life for Native people. With the potential for a spill, Line 3 presents a catastrophic threat to the continued vitality of wild rice and fish habitats and once again dismisses the cultural relevance of the lands this new pipeline would violate. Enbridge has failed to adequately address this, and it's disappointing the EIS has as well.
"With so much at stake for indigenous communities, this is unacceptable. The Public Utilities Commission will next look ahead to determine adequacy of the EIS. With such minimal attention provided to Native people, we fail to see how this document can be considered anything but inadequate."
Construction workers need to ask themselves if they want another anti-pipeline, anti-mining Metrocrat governor. Electing Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan will produce another 8 years of shafting blue collar workers. Consider the fact that he's from academia and that she's an environmental activist. What part of that sounds like they're pro-blue collar worker? Hint: nothing .
Posted Saturday, October 7, 2017 6:22 AM
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BLM cancels Obama rip-off plan
Citing research into sage grouse habitat, the Bureau of Land Management " canceled its Sagebrush Focal Area withdrawal application and the Department's proposed withdrawal of 10 million acres of federal lands from location and entry under the mining law in Greater Sage-grouse habitat in six Western States."
Acting BLM Director Mike Nedd said "The proposal to withdraw 10 million acres to prevent 10,000 from potential mineral development was a complete overreach. Secretary Zinke has said from the beginning that by working closely with the states, who are on the front lines and a valued partner in protecting the health of these lands, we can be successful in conserving greater sage grouse habitat without stifling economic development and job growth. And that's what we intend to do - protect important habitat while also being a good neighbor to states and local communities."
According to the BLM's statement, "The BLM determined the proposal to withdraw 10 million acres was unreasonable in light of the data that showed that mining affected less than .1 percent of sage-grouse-occupied range." The statement included this paragraph:
The recommendation to withdraw nearly 10 million acres from location and entry under the mining law was one of many land use restrictions proposed for a new management area designated as the Sagebrush Focal Area (SFA). However, that recommendation was unreasonable in light of the data available. In particular, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2005 'Not Warranted' decision, the 2010 'Warranted But Precluded' Decision and the 2015 'Not Warranted' decision all showed that mining - including locatable mining - was not a significant threat to sage-grouse.
The lands will continue to be managed in accordance with existing plans, programs, policies and regulations in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. They had been temporarily segregated, or closed to new mining claims for 2 years when the Department originally proposed the lands for withdrawal in 2015, while the agency studied whether locatable mineral exploration and mining projects would adversely affect habitat important to the greater sage grouse. That temporary segregation period expired September 24, 2017.
During the Obama administration, the Bureau of Land Management antagonized mining companies during its war on fossil fuels.
This article explains the BLM's original intent:
The Bureau of Land Management, part of the Department of the Interior, was established in 1946 to administer grazing and mineral rights when the U.S. Grazing Service was merged with the General Land Office. Today it manages 246 million acres of land, mostly in the Western U.S., ranging from lush Northwestern forests to arid, oil-rich sage grouse habitat. The BLM leases federal public lands for mineral mining, oil and gas extraction, grazing, timber production and solar and wind energy development. In 2016, the agency had a budget of $1.2 billion and about 11,000 employees, including 200 rangers and 70 special agents who enforce federal laws on public lands, plus about 25,000 volunteers.
The Trump administration has taken a different approach:
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any federal agency. This land is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield.
The Obama administration's days of mismanagement of federal lands are over. Thanks to the Trump administration's approach, the United States has become a net exporter of fossil fuels. That approach has also super-charged that portion of the economy.
Posted Saturday, October 7, 2017 9:30 AM
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Who is the BLM?
In a perfect world, the Bureau of Land Management would be seen as a positive force. These aren't perfect times but maybe excellence is making a comeback. One of the least-reported stories in DC is how the Trump administration is cleaning out the portion of the Swamp that helped the green energy industry exist. Saying that the Trump administration's approach is significantly different than the Obama administration's approach is understatement.
To appreciate the difference, we need a fundamental understanding of the regulatory Swamp. This article gives some insight into who the Swamp's gatekeepers are. How many people understand what the Bureau of Land Management's responsibilities are? I'd bet few know. How many people would know that the "BLM manages one in every 10 acres of land in the United States, and approximately 30 percent of the Nation's minerals?" How many people would know that these "lands and minerals are found in every state in the country and encompass forests, mountains, rangelands, arctic tundra, and deserts"?
That's the official explanation of BLM's responsibilities. The BLM's political usage is nicely explained in this article , especially including Rob Bishop's statement. (Bishop is chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources.)
On the topic of managing federal lands for both mining and protection of sage grouse habitat, Bishop said "These withdrawals were never about sage grouse conservation. It was all a ploy to assert more federal power, ignore actual data and best science, and diminish the influence and authority of states. States have proven to be more than capable of managing wildlife and conservation within their borders and will continue to be the best advocate for the species. Secretary Zinke is developing a better policy through input from states and people on the ground with local knowledge and expertise."
The truth is that environmental organizations have used the federal government to thwart mining activity. The goal of mining regulations isn't to protect the environment. Their goal is to halt mining while making it sound like they care about the environment:
"This administration is playing chicken with the sage grouse extinction," said Erik Molvar, a wildlife biologist and executive director with Western Watersheds Project. "The Department of Interior is now abandoning all pretense of protecting sage grouse in a stampede to ramp up commercial exploitation of public lands."
Molvar is upset that this administration isn't doing what he's telling them to do.
Posted Saturday, October 7, 2017 11:36 AM
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The NFLPA 's political activism
A month ago, the public was essentially told that the NFLPA was just getting started on the political activism front. According to this article , that's been exposed as BS.
According to the Washington Times' reporting, "Tax documents released by 2ndVote show the NFLPA donated $5,000 in 2015 to the Center for Community Change Action, a group active in the anti-Trump resistance and bankrolled by a host of liberal foundations, including top Democratic donor George Soros's Foundation for Open Society. A member of the AFL-CIO, the NFLPA also contributed in 2013 and 2015 to Working America, the AFL-CIO's community affiliate, which Open Secrets said spent $1 million in 2016 to defeat Trump."
Later, the article reports that "Working America has since mobilized against the Republican tax-cut framework, denouncing it as the 'Trump tax scam.' The NFLPA contributed $5,000 in 2014 to Jobs with Justice, another pro-union group backed by Soros, and $5,000 in 2013 to the progressive Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy."
I'm definitely familiar with Working America. In 2014, they essentially were the Zach Dorholt campaign. I'm familiar with them because I wrote about them in this post .
Working America's About Us page says "Together, and in solidarity with working people across the country, we fight for our common interests - good jobs, affordable health care, education, retirement security, corporate accountability and real democracy. We want to ensure our kids have a quality education, our grandparents don't have to decide between paying for their monthly medication or paying for food and that we will have a secure retirement when our working days have ended."
It isn't surprising that the NFLPA is tied into Soros. That's because DeMaurice Smith, the NFLPA's exec director, was part of President Obama's transition team. Of course, they'll have ties to Soros and other unions. This is interesting:
The Center for Community Change, whose 2015 annual report lists Planned Parenthood as a donor, plans to honor Democratic mega-donor Tom Steyer at its Oct. 12 awards dinner recognizing "heroes on the front lines of resistance."
I'm not surprised. Since the NFL protests started, I've repeatedly said that the NFLPA has become another wing of the Democratic Party.
Originally posted Saturday, October 7, 2017, revised 08-Oct 4:11 AM
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