Oil lobby to fund campaign against Obama’s climate change strategy

The US oil and gas lobby are planning to stage public events to give the appearance of a groundswell of public opinion against legislation that is key to Barack Obama’s climate change strategy, according to campaigners.A key lobbying group will bankroll and organise 20 ”energy citizen” rallies in 20 states. In an email obtained by Greenpeace, Jack Gerard, the president of the American Petroleum Institute (API), outlined what he called a “sensitive” plan to stage events during the August congressional recess to put a “human face” on opposition to climate and energy reform.After the clamour over healthcare, the memo raises the possibility of a new round of protests against a key Obama issue.”Our goal is to energise people and show them that they are not alone,” said Cathy Landry, for API, who confirmed that the memo was authentic.The email from Gerard lays out ambitious plans to stage a series of lunchtime rallies to try to shape the climate bill that was passed by the house in June and will come before the Senate in September. “We must move aggressively,” it reads.The API strategy also extends to a PR drive. Gerard cites polls to test the effectiveness of its arguments against climate change legislation. It offers up the “energy citizen” rallies as ready-made events, noting that allies – which include manufacturing and farm alliances as well as 400 oil and gas member organizations – will have to do little more than turn up.”API will provide the up-front resources,” the email said. “This includes contracting with a highly experienced events management company that has produced successful rallies for presidential campaigns.”However, it said member organizations should encourage employees to attend to command the attention of senators. “In the 11 states with an industry core, our member company local leadership – including your facility manager’s commitment to provide significant attendance – is essential,” said the email.Greenpeace described the meetings as “astroturfing” – events intended to exert pressure on legislators by giving the impression of a groundswell of public opinion. Kert Davies, its research director, said: “It is the behind the scenes plan to disrupt the debate and weaken political support for climate regulation.”The rally sites were chosen to exert maximum pressure on Democrats in conservative areas. The API also included talking points for the rallies – including figures on the costs of energy reform that were refuted weeks ago by the congressional budget office.The API drive also points to a possible fracturing of the US Climate Action Partnership (Uscap), a broad coalition of corporations and energy organizations which was instrumental in drafting the Waxman-Markey climate change bill that passed in the House of Representatives in June.Passage of the legislation is seen as crucial to the prospects of getting the world to sign on to a climate change treaty at Copenhagen next December.Five members of Uscap are also in API, including BP which said its employees were aware of the rallies. Conoco Phillips, which was also a member of the climate action partnership, has also turned against climate change, warning on its website that the legislation will put jobs at risk, and compromise America’s energy security. The company is also advertising the energy rallies on its website, urging readers: “Make your voice heard.”However, Shell, also a member of both groups, said it did not support the rallies. Bill Tenner, a spokesman, said: “We are not participating.”

Once again it will remain to be seen how many of the blind followers will jump on Corporate America’s bandwagon? Your interests ARE NOT theirs!

Contact @ ONCE for Impeachment

Dave “For the People” Gregory

I hope to have weekly newscast, of the real news, on this site in the near future! Anyone interested in participating in this endeavor please email me. The more the better.

RESPONSE TO CITRUS CHRONICLE EDITORIAL, JUNE 30, 2007

CITRUS CHRONICLE EDITORIAL

It is the height of naivety to believe that someone who has been serving in Tallahassee for the last 6 years, or more, Charles Dean, will abruptly change coats and put the concerns of the people on the front burner. And that his carbon copy, Ron Schlutz will do likewise. These individuals will represent the big money interests that got them elected, the same interests that the chronicle is a devotee of, big business and be damn to the people. I don’t expect you to print this anymore than you printed the coverage of the debate between the other candidates and I, your selective process on what is news and what is not, is tantamount to propaganda. The press use to be a noble institution in this country, keeping our political leaders honest, but now they too are part of the corruption that exists today covering up the vile political misdeeds of those who are suppose to represent us.

You need to take a step back and ask why society is crumbling. The rampant misdeeds by so many individuals across this Nation are an indication of the lack of value that is placed on the individual today. This devaluation is propagated through the mass media (corporate America) through their programs and advertisement. The reality shows that promote how you might best stab your neighbors in the back, i.e., Survivor, Big Brother, to mention a few, to the necessity to prove your worth by having to own, Lincolns, Reeboks, Bling Jewelry, etc. If you think a police state is an answer to our problems you are sadly mistaken and one day the people will be heard again.

CITRUS CHRONICLE BURIES ME!

If you check out the Chronicle this morning you’ll realize where their interests lie, they pretty much buried me and to a lesser degree the Democratic candidate Sophia Diaz Fronseca. They only printed about 4 sentences of what I had said to the reporter that called me and they absolutely refuse to make mention of my website, EVEN ON THEIR BLOG PAGE! So this is ANOTHER blatant example of Corporate America pulling the wool over the public’s eye. YOU no longer get the news, only the filtered content. My fellow Americans, the time is at hand, believe in yourself and your right to hear the truth. When reporting becomes a selective process it is no longer reporting, but propaganda.

My wife, Corl and I, went to Playhouse 19 last night in Crystal River and saw their production of “HAIR”. It is amazing how relevant that a play that was written 40 years ago is to present day. “Hair” was written about the tragedy that lasted over ten years that this country was involved in, the Viet Nam War. This was the granddaddy of Corporate America’s manipulation of our Nation. Of course, since then they have refined their manipulated skills and have taken possession of most of the media outlets in the country, so who knows how long our struggle in Iraq will continued unabated? The Cast and Crew at Playhouse 19 did an excellent job and I would recommend anyone to go and see one of their productions!