Archive for the 'Mountaintop Removal' Category

Senator Mitch McConnell And John McCain Hold Fund Raiser In Louisville, Ky. And The Protesters Were There!

Jim Pence June 29th, 2008

Some of Kentucky’s most influential Republicans attended the $1,000 per plate event at the Kentucky International Convention Center. Organizers said the total raised was $2 million.
The $2 million will be divided among the Republican National Committee, John McCain’s campaign fund and the Kentucky Republican Party.
Who would have thought these two with their history would ever get together for a fund raiser, but times are tough for Republicans and it appears they are willing to sacrifice their values for self preservation.
What won’t make the news is the protesters at the event and Elaine Chao, Senator Mitch McConnell ’s wife and The Secretary of Labor getting her nails done, before the event, a few blocks from her house with a entourage of 2 SUV’s and as many as 6 security people. We have a short video clip, shot at a distance, of that incorporated in the video below.
Getting back to the protesters at the event. The protesters set up with the approval of the Kentucky State Police on the North West corner of 3rd and Jefferson Street, but were later ask to move across the street to the South West corner of 3rd and Jefferson, by the Kentucky State Police and then the protesters were asked to move to the corner of 3rd and Market Street by the Louisville Metro Police. It was obvious the secret service didn’t want us to view John McCain And Senator Mitch McConnell pulling into the Kentucky International Convention Center and it seems they didn’t want John McCain and Senator Mitch McConnell to see the protesters and their signs.
One of the protesters had his back pack searched by the Secret Service.
The Kentucky State Police and the Louisville Metro Police seemed to understand what we were doing and were very professional, but it seemed to me they were being jacked around by by the Secret Service, I feel at the request of Senator Mitch McConnell. Take a look at the video and judge for yourself.
Senator Mitch McConnell has a history of avoiding regular folks. I know this because I’ve tried to get video of him in the following places: Buckner, Ky ., Berea, Ky ., Louisville, Ky. at the Olmsted BOO-LA-LA Fete D’Halloween gala and even at his own home but the chickenshit Senator from Kentucky sneaks in and out of these venues avoiding his constituents.
I must say, I didn’t feel very free today!!!!!!!!!!
Click here to view photos of the event.

Is This Land Made For You and Me?

Terri Whitehouse October 30th, 2007

I don’t read DailyKos very often, but happened to look at it today and saw a great article about Appalachian coal frontpaged there.

Being a Western Kentuckian and not much of an environmentalist, I’m embarrassed to admit that I really haven’t known just how bad of a problem some mining tactics are for the communities in which they occur.

Incidentally, Sen. Mitch McConnell’s good budies over at Peabody Energy have just confirmed that they will build a coal gasification plant in the western part of the state. Good work, guhvnah.

Mitch McConnell — Bush’s Biggest Ally in Destroying Appalachia

Shawn Dixon August 24th, 2007

This deep into Bush’s disastrous presidency, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that the administration is putting regulation into place today that will give a big break to the coal industry by no longer holding them accountable for cleaning up the mess they make during mountaintop removal. However, the disgusting part of this whole process is that Kentucky’s political leaders are allies in this grand scheme to ease regulation on the coal industry whose practices are destroying our natural resources all across Appalachia.

From the New York Times Article on the issue:

“From 1985 to 2001, 724 miles of streams were buried under mining waste, according to the environmental impact statement accompanying the new rule.

If current practices continue, another 724 river miles will be buried by 2018, the report says.”

It’s one thing to be loyal to a president of your own party, but it’s quite another to help him destroy the state your were elected to represent. Shame on you Mitch McConnell. I guess you’ve spent too much time sitting in your D.C. townhouse to appreciate Kentucky’s natural beauty.