Melancon (D for TX 4) Fights Ralph "Dirty Energy" Hall

by: Glenn Melancon

Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 05:12 PM CDT

It's time to change fundamentally the dynamics of the energy industry. America's future depends on clean, affordable energy from a variety of sources. In the 1970s America faced a similar challenge to today's energy crisis. A small group of countries had threatened the prosperity of the entire world. The United States Congress led the way to reducing our nation's reliance on foreign oil, requiring new technologies to reduce home and automobile energy use. Instead of the disaster the doomsayers predicted, consumption fell and the economy bounced back. A wise energy policy makes a stronger America.

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Todd Staples Finally Realizes What Hank Gilbert Knew Two Years Ago

by: David Mauro

Sat Jul 26, 2008 at 01:00 PM CDT

During the 2006 campaign for Texas Agriculture Commissioner, Democratic nominee Hank Gilbert said that consumers were getting shorted due to faulty gas pumps.

The question I ask consumers, particularly urban consumers, is, "how many of you can go buy top-notch electronic equipment and it works perfectly, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for four years without malfunctioning?" It just doesn't happen.
So every time you buy gas now, every time you buy any type of packaged meat that has been weighed, or fruits, or vegetables weighed on a scale, you're probably getting less than what you are paying for.
Even according to the current Commissioner's own documents, there a lot of regions in the state where the weights and measures are off. They are never off on the side of the consumer.

Well, turns out he was right ... even the guy who defeated him, Todd Staples is admiting it.

"At a time when families are struggling to purchase fuel, I am sure all Texans would agree with me that despicable violations such as these are repulsive and must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said Staples, whose agency is responsible for checking gas pumps for accuracy.

Wow, Todd sure seems angry. Of course, if he had acknowledged the problem back in 2006 -- like Hank did -- it could have addressed back then.

But no, Staples has waited until now, when astronomically high gas prices make his outrage the politcally convenient thing to do.

Not all the blame is on Staples. Previous Republican Agriculture Commissioners Rick Perry and Susan Combs "instituted legislation to where the scales and pumps are now calibrated only every four years."

We'll be lucky when Todd Staples tries to run for higher office and loses in 2010.

Of course, we'd be even luckier if Hank Gilbert decided to run again.

McBlogger and South Texas Chisme have more on this story.

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Guerrilla Flyers to Get the Word out on Cornyn

by: Texican

Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 10:17 PM CDT

The concept is simple; use flyers to get the word out about John Cornyn's record. I thought about how John Cornyn is one of Big Oil's favorite Senators because he votes in their interests, not ours. The people I talk to in my neighborhood are upset about high gas prices, but aren't aware of how politics impacts those prices. So I thought it would be a good idea to do a little research and spread the word. I figured people are upset when they have to pump their gas nowadays and if they found a flyer or fact-sheet at the pump (in the little ad container or slot) while they were filling up, they might read it and get thinking about how they could send a message to Cornyn this November. I came up with this: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=...

Anyone could print out 50 copies and place them around their local community. Cornyn has all that money from Big Oil and other corporate donors to advertise all over the state. I say we use our computers, printers and energy to get out the other side of the story. I will stress that a flyer effort should stick only to facts and show respect for property, but I think it's a traditional grass-roots way to inform people about their elected officials.

If my fellow Texans out there spread the word about this tactic, it can have a big impact. Also if y'all have other ideas for Guerrilla flyers, feel free to use the format I used above or improve upon it as you see fit.

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The Right Solution to Lower Gas Prices: John Cornyn right on the money

by: allonghorns

Fri Jun 13, 2008 at 06:34 AM CDT

My nightly research of news articles, found an article by John Cornyn (the Senate Village Idiot) The Right Solution to Lower Gas Prices

As if we need any more ammunition. I have a few quotes that just sound more ridiculous when you read them the third fourth and fifth times.

1. Cornyn really believes in taking care of our environment:

It is vital that we be the best possible stewards of the environment. Fortunately, improved technology has enabled us to take advantage of America's own abundant natural resources in an environmentally sensitive way. Yet the U.S. remains the only country in the world that refuses to develop many of its natural resources.

Drill, Drill, Drill - ANWR, ANWR, ANWR - What is environmentally sensitive about that? What about wind and solar power? How do you feel about that?

2. Cornyn really cares about lowering gas prices:

Gas prices are now hovering near $4 per gallon. High fuel costs are causing disruption in our society, prompting layoffs in some industries. Yet Congress is doing virtually nothing to address the problem. In fact, it's talking about ways to make the problem worse.

Did you vote for or against the windfall profits tax on oil companies? Do you take contributions from all five of these companies every cycle? Do you know that you are in the U.S. Senate.

check out his PAC contributions again

3. The Climate Change Bill would have cost 300k jobs :

But earlier this month, the Senate actually considered a massive climate tax bill that headed in the exact opposite direction. This massive $6.7 trillion Rube Goldberg scheme proposed by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., would undermine our economy and likely lead to $10 per gallon gasoline. It could well eliminate some 330,000 Texas jobs, sending them to places with limited regulation like China and India.

What have you done to keep jobs going overseas? Did you ever figure out how this would cost Texas 330k Jobs? Does the figure go up every time you think about it? Do you know there are eventually going to be green jobs created?

I'm not sure I can take any more of this. I know that I am giving a small donation tonight. Can anyone match me? This guy gets more and more ridiculous. Does he know that the windfall profits tax would have also created incentives for development of alternative energy?

My act blue page

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Melancon (D for TX 4th), "Is Tokyo Rose a professor in American journalism schools?"

by: Glenn Melancon

Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 02:40 PM CDT

Just like in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, a local TV station is pushing Republican propaganda on energy. How many times do Ralph Hall and his corporate cronies have to be wrong before the media question their judgment? Is Tokyo Rose a professor in American journalism schools?

A perfect case in point is this KXII's story, "Texas-born petition supports fight against high gas prices in Washington." Reporter Emi FitzGerald simply repeated Hall's false assertions without ever reading the details of his proposal. FitzGerald also neglected to report any counter arguments or explain how this plan offers more of Hall's same tired proposals. During a heated national election you would think FitzGerald might call Hall's opponent. You would be wrong.

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