Public service message regarding KXL

Friends,

President Obama and the State Department are wavering on one of the most critical decisions facing our climate -- whether to approve the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

That’s why groups from across the country are working to deliver 1 million comments to the administration, urging them to reject the Keystone XL pipeline between today and Earth Day.

Add your name to the list of nearly 1 million people speaking out against the Keystone XL pipeline.  

President Obama has said the right things on global warming, and has taken some critical steps, like doubling our cars’ fuel efficiency. And thanks in part to his strong leadership, our consumption of oil has dropped over 10% since 2007.

But the progress we’ve made would be undermined if we increased our dependence on oil from tar sands, which has the potential to add 240 billion metric tons of global warming pollution to our environment.

Now, that’s just unacceptable.

Join me, and add your name now. Let’s give President Obama 1 million reasons to reject Keystone.

Occupiers attend Oglala Lakota Nation sponsored Rally on XL Pipeline

Yesterday was a very interesting day.  It started out the same as most Saturdays.  I read the paper and some other things online.  Several people called on the phone and we talked about the stuff we usually talk about.  Then at about eleven thirty, I went down town to join the other Occupy Rapid City protesters for what has become our standard activity for mid-day Saturday.

One of the Occupiers is a semi-retired professor and writer, Elisabeth Cook-Lynn.  She is a very interesting lady.  She told me that she intended to go to the Mother Butler Center at one o'clock for a gathering organized by the Ogalala Sioux Tribe Vice President Tom Poor Bear to discuss stopping the Keystone XL pipeline.

Marvin Kammerer had told me earlier during our phone conversation that he intended to go to that gathering and asked me if I would like to go.  Since Elisabeth had reminded me, I decided that I would go.  Several other members of Occupy Rapid City decided to go check out the gathering at the Mother Butler Center.

What an experience that turned out to be.  People were still arriving when I got to the gymnasium at the Mother Butler Center at about ten minutes after one.  A table was set near the door with some documents that looked like there were there for anyone that was interested, so I helped myself.  Next to that table was another table with jewelry on display and for sale.  The kitchen appeared to be in operation also.  The middle of the gym had several rows of chairs that would provide seating for around a hundred people. 

Behind the chairs, was a large drum and several drummers were seated around it.  A podium and tables were arranged near the west end of the gym which allowed for an open area in front of the chairs for the audience.   About ten people were seated at the tables, facing the audience.  It looked as though if everyone were to sit down, the audience seating would be at full capacity.

A friend of Marvin's that I recognized was at the podium, Alex White Plume.  He proceeded to introduce several of the people in attendance and to explain what the gathering was for.  He then introduced his cousin who opened the gathering with a prayer in Lakota.  Many of the speakers spoke in the Lakota language for a portion of their speeches.  

                  Figure 1 Vice President Tom Poor Bear seated and Deb White Plume speaking

Several members of the tribal council were in attendance.  Vice President Poor Bear introduced the grandson of Chief Red Cloud, who is a chief himself.  Chief Oliver Red Cloud was the first speaker to address the assembly.  The senior attorney for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Steve Emery, was one of the speakers.  He was followed by several people with special knowledge about the various aspects of the pipeline project, such as the potential for pollution, emanate domain proceedings, ongoing legislation, employment claims, tax revenue considerations, and more. 

There were people there from several states including Colorado, Minnesota, and Nebraska; there may have been more states represented, but those are three that I remember hearing mentioned.  There were several ranchers and farmers that were being directly impacted by the plans for the XL pipeline to cross their property.  Two ranchers, John Harter from the Winner area and Paul Seamans from Draper South Dakota talked their personal involvement with emanate domain proceedings.  There were environmental activists that were concerned about the impact of Tar Sands mining and refining.  There was a young musician there that had written songs about the Tar Sands and Pipeline.  She sang two of her songs and accompanied herself on the guitar.

All this was interspersed with music.  At one point, the speaker, Steve Emery, introduced his Auntie, Madonna Thunderhawk.  He invited her up front and then invited everyone to come up and shake hands with her or give her a hug.  It didn’t take that long to do and everyone appeared to enjoy the opportunity.

Figure 2 Steve Emery speaking and seated to the right Chief Red Cloud, Alex White Plume, and an un-named participant

Marvin was asked to speak and it appeared to me that he didn't know they were going to do that.  He had been taking some notes when others were speaking.  His notepad was an inch and a half by two inch piece of paper he had in his pocket.  Marvin really shines in settings like that and he said he had quite a bit to say.  He spoke for about thirty minutes and during that time he had the audience applauding, voicing their approval, and emotionally involved.

I'm glad I went.  Unfortunately, I did not take notes while I was there and just the two pictures.  For anyone that was there, if my memory is off a little in my account, please forgive me.  Forgive me too all those wonderful people that participated in this event and that I should have identified in this article.  Apparently, the Rapid news media didn't consider it news worthy event.

New Years Eve Protest

It is protest day again today; our last chance in 2011 to make a public statement about the issues we are concerned with in the Occupy Rapid City movement.  It is also very windy today and it the weather alternates between raining and snowing every so often.  The focus of our concern it centered on the Supreme Court’s decision with regard to Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.  We still have many other concerns, but in the interest of presenting a more nationally united front, our group has agreed to focus on reversing or overcoming corporate personhood.  If there is any issue that unites public opinion it is the issue of corporate personhood and excessive financial influence it allows.

Corporations have long been able to strongly influence state and federal politics and legislation.  All it takes in South Dakota to get the influence ball rolling is to associate job creation with the satisfaction of corporate desires.  In the past, the South Dakota state legislature has ignored the will of voting public in favor of corporate interests.  Recall the various entities that wanted to use the southern Black Hills area for a dumping ground for sewage ash, solid waste, and low-level nuclear waste from more populated areas of the country.  South Dakota appears willing to sacrifice just about anything for a job and members of the state’s US Congressional team aren’t too particular about requiring proof from corporate entities making job creation claims.

On a chilly blustery day in Rapid City, the Occupiers were standing again on downtown street corners displaying signs that would encourage others to question corporate motives and methods.  In the months ahead, Occupy Rapid City members will be working to increase public awareness of the issues that adversely affect all of us.  The group continues to encourage everyone to become informed.  A banner offered observers a place to begin their search and, perhaps, their participation in positive civic activity:  http://occupyrapidcity.org/.

Senator Rhoden responds to my Feb. 9, 2009 letter

Today, Senator Rhoden sent me an e-mail message asking me to speak with him on the phone regarding the questions I asked him in the letter I sent to him and published on this blog earlier. The Senator was very open and forthcoming about his reasons for voting the way he did with regard to pipeline legislation, SB171 and SB190. His main concern when SB171 was being reviewed in the Senate State Affairs Committee hearing was with the constitutionality of the bill. Upon pressing lobbyists for more information about their claim that at least one other state imposes a similar fee, Sen. Rhoden discovered that the circumstances in that state were quite different from the situation in South Dakota. The other state pipelines were intrastate systems and the pipelines in question crossing South Dakota will be inter-state transmission systems. Federal laws regarding inter-state commerce applied to the South Dakota systems that did not apply to the state lines used for comparison by the proponent lobbyists for the legislation.

My letter discounts his likely concern with the unconstitutionality of this issue compared to his apparent lack of concern for the constitutionality of other legislation. Sen. Rhoden explained that in the other case, testing the constitutionality of the legislation was the intention because of the potential for a positive outcome in the Senator's opinion. In the case of the pipeline legislation, the test stood little or no chance of resulting in a positive outcome and would therefore be nothing more than a large waste of money.

Sen. Rhoden is convinced that adequate funding is currently available to cover the costs of potential pipeline spill cleanup from two existing sources. He referenced the average estimated cost of spill cleanup based on documented historical experience numbers for pipelines in the United States.

Senator Rhoden also apologized for not getting back to me sooner. The timing of his response was not as important as the fact that he did respond and took time out to answer my questions personally, just as I had requested. The same cannot be said of all of my local district's elected officials and I thank Senator Rhoden for his time and his consideration.

The Sioux Falls Argus Leader printed my letter to the editor (posted below) under the heading State must protect itself, March 30,2009. The following three comments were posted by Argus readers:

surviveit wrote:

Replying to ManInBlue:

good one..another like opinion
Follow the money. How much has Rounds taken from them in the last 10 years!
3/30/2009 4:05:05 PM
___________________

ManInBlue wrote:

Follow the money. How much has Rounds taken from them in the last 10 years!
3/30/2009 11:07:33 AM
___________________

StopHype wrote:

SD is so anxious to become the pollution center of the US that our government doesn't stop to think about any protections for the state or for the residents!
3/30/2009 10:34:52 AM

To: sibbyonline@hotmail.com
Subject: SB171
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:08:46 -0600


Mr. Sibson,

We have never met, but it appears that we are both concerned about the potential consequences of a oil pipeline spill in South Dakota.

I listened to the testimony at the Senate State Affairs Committee hearing on SB171. In researching the issue, I also listened to testimony relating to SB190. A question by Senator Abdalah at the most recent hearing seemed to cut to the heart of the issue and lack of a satisfactory response left me wonder why anyone would be against this legislation.

Comments by Senator Rhoden regarding other legislation and the legislative process made me think that perhaps he could explain to me why this legislation (SB171) was killed in committee by a one vote margin. He did not respond to my letter. Consequently, I wrote to the editor of the Rapid City Journal 3-22-09, asking South Dakotans why we wouldn't want this limited, alternative protection.

Now, I'm asking you.

Sincerely,
Greg Olson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Greg,

Thanks for your email.

The answer to your question is that the Governor is against this idea. He is afraid of scaring away business. And the Governor pretty much runs thw show in Pierre.

I am surprised Larry did not reply to you. Larry is one of the better legislators, although he is not infalliable. He pushes the line as far as he can.

There is a lot of things we need to be concerned about today. Not sure if we can put a stop to them, but I for one believe the fight must happen.

Keep in touch,
Steve

Perhaps the general public will answer my question?

Note: Senator Rhoden chose not to respond to my letter to him (posted on this blog after a reasonable waiting period). Consequently, the following letter was submitted to the editors of several South Dakota newspapers. The Rapid City Journal published the letter on March 22, 2009.
__________

This year SB171 was proposed to provide for a fee of two cents per barrel to be levied on oil pumped through pipelines crossing South Dakota. A fund was to be created by the proceeds of the fee to be used for clean up in the event of an oil spill or some contamination emanating from the pipeline. A cap on this participating fund would be established at thirty million dollars. Similar legislation in another state requires a higher per barrel fee. For more details please refer to the actual text of the bill.
The bill was killed in the Senate State Affairs Committee by a one vote margin. The current South Dakota pipeline regulations and the testimonies by the pipeline supporters relating to pipeline spills and safety are mostly reassuring. However, there appears to be a deficiency with regard to who will pay for a clean up in the event that the pipeline company becomes insolvent or is no longer in business. This missing financial recourse is a very important consideration, especially when considering the state’s experience with specific gold mining and solid waste operations in the Black Hills area. Why wouldn’t we want this limited, alternative protection?

A letter to Senator Rhoden

February 9, 2009


The Honorable Larry Rhoden
The State Senate
PO Box 12
Union Center, SD 57787-0012

Dear Senator Rhoden,

Thank you for your service to South Dakota. It has been interesting to observe the 2009 session of the legislature. You are one of the few legislators that I have had an opportunity to meet in person. You have voiced in the senate and during committee hearings your particular interest in several issues that are important to me. Also, we both are residents of western South Dakota. When we met, a friend of mine had just testified at a House State Affairs committee hearing and after the meeting he introduced me to you just outside the committee chamber. During the discussion there, you told my friend, who shares many of my political views that you thought that you shared more of the same views with him on legislative issues than he might think. Consequently, it has been especially interesting to observe how you have voted on issues of interest to me, to my friend, to western South Dakota, and to the entire state.

It has been my opinion for a long time that members of political parties will vote in ways that reflect the general views of their political party. Generally this seems to be true, but on occasion, the party view does not coincide with the particular interests of the individual. You have expressed your concern for issues relating to agriculture and land owner rights. Considering how you make your living and where you come from, it is reasonable to expect that on occasion your views would differ from your own political party’s view. Also, some issues are considered nonpolitical so that party affiliation wouldn’t necessarily be an indicator of how you might vote.

With due consideration to the above statements and with no ill intention toward you in any way, your votes in Senate State Affairs Committee on SB171 were puzzling. Fortunately, with recordings of the committee hearings available, I was able to listen to the same testimony that you heard before you cast your votes relative to SB171. Compelling testimony was given by both proponents and opponents of the bill. A critical question that addresses the very heart of this issue was asked by Senator Abdallah at the initial hearing on February 13, 2009. Senator Abdallah asked the question twice; rewording it the second time for clarification and it does not appear that a complete answer was given either time. This is a paraphrase of the senator’s two questions: In the event that the pipeline company was to become financially insolvent for an unspecified reason, how is the required cleanup provided for?

One of the paid lobbyists for the pipeline company indicated that property taxes to be collected on the pipeline during the first two years of operation would be equal to the thirty million dollar fee fund outlined in SB171. How is that relevant or why should these two amounts be equated? The property taxes derived from other entities are not generally used to accumulate funds for the sole purpose of reparations.

While responding to one of your inquiries during the question portion of the hearing one of the proponents of the bill voiced a subtle concern about the makeup of the membership of the task force that was created to study the pipeline projects in South Dakota. The implication was clear that there may have been a bias that affected the reported findings of the task force.

Concern was expressed by Secretary Steve Pirner, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, for the constitutionality of charging a fee for the transportation of goods across South Dakota. Your votes on other nonrelated issues indicate that this is not necessarily a convincing enough concern to cause you to vote against legislation. Apparently, the opposite seems to be true, that in some cases you would appreciate the opportunity for the constitutionality of some legislation to be tested.

Last year SB190 started out to address the same issue of collecting a fee on barrels of oil transported by pipeline across South Dakota. The bill was passed in the senate and was presented to the House State Affairs Committee for consideration. At that hearing, the bill received a do pass recommendation from the committee, but not from you. Later in the house vote, you voted in favor of the bill. Of course, the bill was amended and no longer included the provisions for collecting a fee on products transported by pipelines. Again, audio recordings have provided the opportunity to hear what you heard during the committee hearings. What testimony from the committee meeting convinced you that this bill should not receive the do pass recommendation to the House? Further, what convinced you later to vote for the legislation during the House vote on the bill?

Since a one vote margin defeated SB171 in the Senate State Affairs Committee, I would appreciate hearing from you personally what convinced you to vote the way you did at that time. You stated in your address to the 2009 senate during the discussion before the vote on another bill of mutual interest, that it (HB1301) represented the legislative process at its best. When you and I met after the House State Affairs Committee meeting I agreed with your sentiments expressed then to that effect. Your consideration of my questions and a response would be appreciated.