Texas is the only state to refuse to sign on to the federal government's new regulations on greenhouse gas emissions
Related story with professor's edited article: Houston Chronicle | By Harvey Rice University professor says state censored his article – The deletions by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality are ideological and political, said John Anderson, the Maurice Ewing professor of oceanography at Rice.
Think Progress | By Joe Romm Flood-gate: Perry officials try to hide sea level rises from Texans – In one of the most flagrant recent instances of scientific censorship, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) refused to publish a report chapter unless all mention of climate change and its impact on sea level rise were eliminated. The author — Rice University oceanographer John Anderson, a leading expert on sea level rise with more than 200 publications — refused. As a result, TCEQ killed his chapter in The State of the Bay, a regular publication of the Galveston Bay Estuary Program.
By Suzanne GoldenbergThe Guardian
Read the complete story
(Friday, Oct. 14, 2011) - Officials in Rick Perry's home state of Texas have set off a scientists' revolt after purging mentions of climate change and sea-level rise from what was supposed to be a landmark environmental report. The scientists said they were disowning the report on the state of Galveston Bay because of political interference and censorship from Perry appointees at the state's environmental agency.
By academic standards, the protest amounts to the beginnings of a rebellion: every single scientist associated with the 200-page report has demanded their names be struck from the document. "None of us can be party to scientific censorship so we would all have our names removed," said Jim Lester, a co-author of the report and vice-president of the Houston Advanced Research Centre.
"To me it is simply a question of maintaining scientific credibility. This is simply antithetical to what a scientist does," Lester said. "We can't be censored." Scientists see Texas as at high risk because of climate change, from the increased exposure to hurricanes and extreme weather on its long coastline to this summer's season of wildfires and drought.
15 comments:
Rick Perry is a blustering fool. It is so obvious now that he is out in the national spotlight.
Not only would Perry be a nightmare for our national environment, but Texans seem to be the only indipendent citizens ignorant enough to support him.
A recent study by the Federal Election Commission shows that Perry is suffering from an inability to raise money from a broad base of supporters, measured by the number of small-dollar donors.
Perry raised $13.4 million of his $17.2 million from donors giving between $2,500 and $5,000. He only raised $698,820 from donors giving less than $200, which was 4 percent of his total contributions, the lowest percentage for any current presidential candidate.
Not surprisingly Perry is largely reliant on money from Texas. He gathered $9.7 million from his home state, almost 60 percent of his total.
While Texas is unfortunately the bread basket of campaign money for neoRepublican politicians generally, Perry has not been able to broaden his base outside the state.
Some crony Texas companies probably getting business from Perry's shady dealings gave big to his campaign.
Those working for the accounting firm Brint Ryan, a Perry backer also affiliated with the pro-Perry super PAC "Make Us Great Again" (clearly an oxymoron with our incompetent and corporate elite owned Governor), donated a total of $152,800. You can tell CEO Ryan Britt what you think by e-mailing him directy at brint.ryan@ryan.com.
USAA Financial, the San Antonio, Texas company who makes most of their protits from tax payer and government funded Vets, foolishly gave $44,000 to the Perry campaign. The USAA contributions were likely facilitated by company lobbyist Dan Brouillette, who reported bundling $77,000 for Perry's campaign.
You should call USAA's Media Relations department at Media Relations at 1-210-498-0940 and give them a few harsh words about their hypocritical Perry backing.
Other big totals from a single company's employees include $32,500from Contran Corp., owned by major GOP and Perry donor Harold Simmons.
Harold Simmons is the hypocrite right winger who wants the federal government to pay him so the US can dump their nuclear waste in Texas, jeapordizing the health of our children in Texas.
And another $40,500 came from big corporate accounting firm Ernst & Young. You can contact Holly L. Humphrey, Ernst & Young Public Relations, at 1-215-841-0613 and give her a piece of your mind.
For those of you who believe in sound and intelligent business governance and their relationship to government, the above companies should be boycotted - or at minimum we all should send an e-mail to each of the above company PR departments telling them you resent them giving any money to such an ignorant and corporatocracy corrupted poltician.
On the other side, you Texans who support such a fool as Perry can continue to buy goods and services from those companies and further damage the US economy by supporting their corporate ignorance and right wing political cronyism - designed to destroy the middle class in America.
At least we know there are at least 200 people out there who still retain their integrity - the people who refuse to let their names be associated with political censorship.
What Anonymous is talking about is this quote from the article:
"In one of the most flagrant recent instances of scientific censorship, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) refused to publish a report chapter unless all mention of climate change and its impact on sea level rise were eliminated. The author — Rice University oceanographer John Anderson, a leading expert on sea level rise with more than 200 publications — refused. As a result, TCEQ killed his chapter in The State of the Bay, a regular publication of the Galveston Bay Estuary Program."
That just goes to show all Texas citizens what a corrupted "regulatory" organization the TCEQ really is.
Anyone who expects TCEQ to hold industry accountable for their pollution and public health degradation are lying to themselves.
This is what always happens under
the power addicted right wing neoRepublican governments. It's early stages started with Reagan and continued on to a whole new danger level under George W. Bush.
And now the neoRepublicans want to use the bogus "jobs" excuse - and while they are at it trash voting rights for "undesirables" - to further degrade the environment - just to make their crony polluter friends richer.
Anyone with a thinking brain that looks back to the exact same policies under 8 years of W. Bush will see that Republican Party leadership will create more unemployment and further economic disparity - and further increase the risk to public health and public safety (let alone the financial markets).
I once had great respect for the Republican Party, when they stood for fighting corruption. Just look at the old Democratic-run Tammany Hall days. Now it's the Republican Party that's run by shameless business political corruption. Perry and the TCEQ are perfect examples of the on-going demise of Republican Party honor.
But what is even more disturbing is their right wing voting base mindlessly going along with their lies under the manipulative "spiritual" banner of of Christian free markets.
The truth is Jesus would be out there with the 99% protestors if he came back today. In fact, if Jesus came back today, the phony right wing evangelical "free markets" leaders who control their flock would be exposed for the charlatans they are - and the world would surely turn in a much more compassionate and kind direction.
Jesus was a great compassionate and caring man. I doubt that he would be a member of today's Republican Party.
Poll of Likely Voters in NEW HAMPSHIRE Primary (as of Oct. 17):
Romney 39%
Cain 24%
Paul 11%
Bachmann 5%
Huntsman 5%
Perry 2%.
Perry will take part in another debate for Republican candidates tomorrow night (Tues, Oct 18) on CNN.
Rick Perry needs to get back on the phone with God. No disrespect to any faith, but today's uncorrupted environmental scientists are God's messengers for His plans for our world. We should be paying attention. Amen.
It's easy to see the presidential preference in Wimberley.
The Perry yard signs have been up for going on 2 years now.
Texas has long fought clean air standards under Perry. Just another indication that Perry is little more than a facilitator for business interests (and largely for those who contribute to him or the Republican Governor's Association.)
to justsayin':
Who leaves a yard sign up for 2 years?! I bet the neighbors are tired of looking at it....
Most people wait until the primaries, at least, to stick signs in their yards.
@ Anon 10:59 am 10/18. I guess you didn't get my drift or may be the only one in Wimberley who hasn't seen them. It seems to me they're everywhere.
Better than the Dr. No signs that have been up forever.
Polls as of October 18:
ABC/Washington Post:
Candidate/Favorable/Unfavorable-
Cain 31%/27%
Romney 33%/36%
Perry 26%/38%
************
Hawaii Republican Primary
Cain 36%
Romney 24%
Gingrich 8%
Perry 5%
************
Ohio Republican Primary
Cain 34%
Romney 19%
Gingrich 14%
Paul 7%
Perry 5%
Vegas debate showed the true Perry, an ill mannered oaf. I'll suggest a simple fix for the next debate; if you're not on the clock, your mic is turned off.
The polls show that the TPers are backing Cain now; Perry is no longer the poster child of the ultra right. The real question will soon become, who controls the GOP, TPers or the old guard? Second question will be, if the old guard wins and Romney is the candidate, will the TPers vote for him?
Tax plans of Republican candidates:
Perry said today that he wants to do away with the current tax code and implement a flat tax. He probably came up with this latest brainstorm, er, knee-jerk reaction because of Herman Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan. More details next week, sez Perry. He'll try to think of some before then.
Romney says, among 58 other things, that he wanst to lower the tax on investment income (on interest & stock dividends) -- which poor people and many middle class people don't even have. Helping out the weathy again, as Republicans love to do.
Cain has a catchy phrase in his 9-9-9 plan, but every credible economist who has examined the plan says it spells disaster. Cain wants a 9% flat income tax (no matter how much money you make); a 9% corporate tax; and a 9% national sales tax. For Texans the sales tax would then be almost 18% -- 9% Federal and 8.25% state and local! Back to the drawing board, Herman.
9-9-9 is reported to be the tax plan devised for SimCity 4.
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