The evidence is mounting that the US Chamber of Commerce (USCOC) is mounting its efforts to undermine legislative initiatives from the Obama Administration and the Democratic Party-controlled Congress using funds that, ultimately, come from the US taxpayer’s bailout funding of Wall Street firms. As discussed in Politico , Open Left, and elsewhere, the US Chamber of Commerce’s attacks on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) almost certainly rely on funding from firms with their hands quite deeply in the taxpayers’ pockets. Without its dues from bailed out firms, would the USCOC be able to afford a $1 million ad campaign (announced just Monday) against EFCA?
A serious question that merits asking: Are taxpayer funds being flipped from guaranteeing a firm’s survival and to helping get the financial market liquid again into lobbying on public policy issues?
As Adam Green wrote,
Taxpayer money went to companies so they could rebuild their fundamentals. By the Chamber’s now-admission, bailout recipients are giving some of that money to the Chamber (aka, not using it to rebuild their fundamentals). Then, the Chamber uses that taxpayer money to fund ads against workers in political swing states.
The question, of course, doesn’t stop with EFCA. Could the fossil-foolish USCOC be pursuing any of its other anti-America and anti-Americans agenda items without the resources coming from bailed-out firms?
For example, tomorrow the USCOC will be holding a blogger’s press call to advocate their new campaign: “Project? No Project!” to argue against NIMBYism. Now, to be absolutely honest, there are real painful issues with local NIMBYists hindering sensible moves forward to a prosperous, climate-friendly society. The astroturf-financed efforts against Cape Wind, the offshore Cape Cod wind project, is the poster child for hypocritical and counter-productive fighting of renewable energy projects.
However, the concern over “green” seems a thin sheen, at most, with the effort clearly seeking to provide at least a fig-leaf of concern over how NIMBY-ism (the “Not In My Back Yard” syndrome) is preventing moving forward with “Green jobs”-related projects to advocate, in fact, for opening the flood-gates for destructive fossil-fuel exploitation. It is, after all, the problem of “radical environmental activism” that requires focus, rather than discussion of how (for example) Mountain-Top Removal (MTR) is devastating Appalachia.
Listening to Bill Kovacs, Vice President of Environment, Technology, and Regulatory Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce [editorial note: “Environment” in his title makes one want to cry.] suggests the Chamber’s real agenda:
“Our experts tell us it will be 50 to 100 years before we can really develop the new technologies …”
Yes, for some reason, one has to be believe that those “experts” are all on Peabody and Exxon-Mobil fossil-foolish payrolls as the technologies already exist for making massive dents in our polluting energy practices.
Kovacs highlights that there is some $64 billion in coal-related projects that are being blocked by so-called “NIMBYism”. Reading through their list, however, reads like a Wall of Climate Heroes rather than some form of wall of NIMBY-ite shame..
The Renewable list is much more complex, with each case meriting more serious discussion and examination than available.
Considering NIMBYism, one has to wonder how many executives of dues-paying corporations live in neighborhoods run by NIMBY-ite Home Owners Associations (HOA) that ban clothes lines and solar panels or, even, require energy wasting practices like maintaining natural gas outdoor lighting be kept on 24/7.
In some ways, the Chamber’s engagement on this issue should be welcomed, as misguided NIMBY-ism will inhibit moving forward with a new energy future.
The Chamber’s concerns, however, clearly do not seem tied to moving forward toward a clean energy future with anything like the haste the climate crisis suggests is required. Their “Green” fig leaf is nothing more than a tool to open the gates for aggressive exploitation of polluting energy sources.
And, returning to the opening, one has to wonder just how much of a truthiness-ridden campaign the Chamber would be able to mount if it weren’t for the laundering of taxpayer funds from bailed-out corporations.
Note, if interested in learning more, the USCOC will be holding a blogger’s call on this Thursday, 16 April.
MEDIA ADVISORY
U.S. Chamber to Highlight Obstacles to ‘Green Projects’
Says Removing ‘Green Tap’ in Energy and Infrastructure is Key to Job Creation and Economic Recovery
Thursday, April 16, 2009, 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
BLOGGER CONFERENCE CALL
Dial-in: (866) 244-4616 Conference ID: 1352620
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Leading up to Earth Day and ahead of the EPA’s proposal to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, the Chamber will highlight a new effort called Project No Project to shine a bright light on energy and infrastructure projects that have been delayed or stopped due to opposition by environmental and activist groups.
If our nation is going to diversify and strengthen our energy sources, we must address the barriers that exist for new energy projects. Some of the projects being stopped or delayed include many “green energy” projects that are a part of President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan.
Featured speakers:
* Bill Kovacs, Vice President of Environment, Technology, and Regulatory Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Members of the media are invited to call in.
For more information or to register, e-mail press@uschamber.com or call XXXX.