Meet Al Gore / The Real Bush and Cheney

There has been a wildfire raging in the mountains behind our home for almost two weeks now. It probably wouldn't have been so bad if there weren't so many dead white fir (pine) trees up there - set to burn as soon as conditions became bad enough.

But, this area has seen years of drought. And the bark (pine) beetles have killed a third of the trees in some areas. In a way, this was just a disaster in the making... And what is responsible? We can't ignore global warming. The effects of climate change have been brutal and continue to get worse.

There are some people who want to ignore the effects of global warming. But I can't. The forest behind my home is on fire.
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If you think you know who Al Gore is from what you've heard on TV; you're likely wrong. If you haven't heard his speeches, please get to know Al Gore. This is one of the most inspirational speeches I have ever heard.



"We're borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet," Al Gore said in this speech. "Every bit of that's got to change." For the first minute, Al Gore thanks a few people, but it's well worth the wait.

If you don't have a fast enough internet connection click here to read about his speech.

Al Gore was also on Meet the Press. You can watch his interview - click here.

To see Al Gore's update to An Inconvenient Truth - click here.

Once you see these videos, it becomes so much more apparent how much we've really lost in the past 8 years.

In contrast; George Bush has viscously insulted every responsible country (and person) on the planet at the G8 summit. Bush ended the meeting saying "Goodbye, from the world's biggest polluter." And then he punched at the air.

Also in contrast; a smoking gun has been found that shows, on paper, that Dick Cheney has been responsible for the suppression of evidence that global warming will harm us.

Longest Walk 2 Reaches Washington!

Today's the big day.

The Longest Walk 2 has made it all the way, walking across the nation. They were scheduled to walk to the White House this morning.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We in Ely, and the people of the country thank you.

You took many of our messages with you to Washington.

You represent a nation of people who have supported you.

Today, may your voices be heard.

We all know the attitudes of the people who run this country.

We know how they feel about the earth... they wish to dominate it.

But, we are only a part of the earth.

We must learn how to live as a part of the system of life.

And Native peoples have a slightly better comprehension of this fact of life.

Today, may your voices be heard.

There are those who believe that they are the voice of the people.

Or, at least they want us to believe it.

Some of them even believe they are above the law.

But no one is above the laws of nature.

Most people realize that, but some people don't care.

Unfortunately, the cost of apathy is far greater than we ever imagined.

Today, may your voices be heard.

Fools And Your Money

In 2007, parts of Nevada were declared “Disaster Areas” – due to drought. That drought was the most severe in the Southwest in its 100 year historical record... But this wasn't what got the mass media's attention. The big story was how Lake Mead, near Las Vegas, was at the lowest water levels in 40 years... Of course, Las Vegas still had plenty of water; but someday, they to might have to deal with a drought disaster.

Southern Nevada Water Authority's way of dealing with this impending crisis was to bring back the watergrab – of Lincoln and White Pine Counties' groundwater.

SNWA had tried this watergrab scheme back in the 90's – but were stopped. Even the people of Las Vegas wouldn't put up with it. The act was just unacceptable. It was seen as destroying your neighbors, so that you can be richer. It was seen as destroying an ecosystem larger than some of the smaller states, to keep the big bucks coming into Las Vegas.

So, SNWA gave up on the watergrab... for a while. But the drought, and the realization that Global warming is beginning to significantly effect the Southwest's climate gave them a new excuse. The new excuse for the watergrab boils down to this: Something has to be done about Global warming. Therefore, SNWA will take water from the rest of the State.

Of course, this makes no practical sense. Taking water from a drought stricken area to support growth in another drought stricken area will only make things worse overall in the long run.

The department of Agriculture has published a study that shows “Global warming in the West will likely get worse in the next 25 to 50 years, with intensified drought, continued declines in annual mountain snowpacks, and about a 20 percent reduction in runoff in Colorado and the Great Basin.”

The outlook isn't good. A 20 percent reduction of the flow of the Colorado River must sound pretty frightening to those who profit off of growth in Las Vegas. But what the media in Las Vegas often ignores is that the drought also effects the Great Basin. That's right, Las Vegas isn't the only place at risk. The rest of Nevada is even worse off. And Las Vegas should still care about that.

The valleys of the Central Great Basin may appear somewhat barren. But they are full of life. A study by the Desert Research Institute has shown that the Mojave Desert absorbs comparable amounts of greenhouse to temperate forests. Deserts inhale carbon dioxide at a far greater rate then expected. The valleys of Nevada hold very important ecosystems capable of counteracting Global warming.

If we allow the watergrab, we will allow SNWA to kill off vast swaths of old growth desert. Which, of course, will make Global warming worse. Which, of course, will further complicate Las Vegas' water predicament. It seems that SNWA doesn't really care that much about Global warming after all. But they should.

Global warming has already begun to effect far more than the Western U.S. The number of reported tornadoes in half of this year has exceeded the 10 year average for an entire year. There has been flooding in the Midwest. There have been hundreds of fires in California. This Spring saw Cyclone Nargis devastate Myanmar, where almost 80,000 people died. And scientists predict a 50/50 chance of the North Pole losing it's ice cap this summer.

It has become imperative that we do everything within our power to stop Global warming.

Yet, the scientific community has known about Global warming for well over 50 years. So, why has it been so difficult to do something about it?... The answer lies in our economic system – which is based upon unbridled greed. Maybe it isn't just a coincidence that Global warming coincides with explosive concentration of wealth for a few? Maybe it isn't just a coincidence that Exxon made $40 billion in profits last year while spending millions on global warming skeptic propaganda? And moreover, maybe the corporatist effort to privatize everything, including water, isn't good for the environment either?

Corporatism without standards, without boundaries, without laws; becomes a race for the bottom – a stampede towards corporate anarchy. You may have heard of the term “Disaster Capitalism.”

The fact is; those at the top of the power structure are using perceived disasters as opportunities to increase their wealth and power. Our system forces the “captains of industry” to act like pirates. These industry leaders, and corrupt politicians are nefariously implementing policies that would never be passed during less stressful times.

It looks like the drought is the disaster SNWA has been waiting for to scare people into allowing the watergrab.

By Nevada law, the water SNWA covets can't be sold at a profit. So, on the surface, it would seem there isn't a profit motive for taking the water. But remember; Enron didn't drill or refine natural gas. Enron didn't generate power or own power lines. Yet Enron made a multi-billion dollar killing delivering electric power. Very likely, someone has already figured out a way to siphon off profits from “delivering” the water.

Even so, there are those in Las Vegas who would pay any price for more water.

Any price?... Apparently, we're willing to pay any price for oil right now. And America's economy is suffering greatly for it.

We have to remember that SNWA executives don't really care how much the water will cost. The residents of Southern Nevada will ultimately pay for it all. Could it be that SNWA executives don't care if the watergrab is a bad investment?

One of the main reasons the pipeline network is such a bad investment is because it cannot be built incrementally – as needed. To reduce environmental damage, SNWA needs to take water from over a vast area. Which means the whole Groundwater “Development” Project has to be completed to be useful. This means the commitment of billions of dollars – and likely, billions more for cost overruns.

And what happens if Las Vegas doesn't grow as expected? This could happen. Las Vegas' economy is heavily dependent upon the price of oil. And the price of visiting and shipping goods to Las Vegas is skyrocketing. The mortgage crisis has shown us that Las Vegas' economy is not recession proof. There is a possibility that this pipeline could be built to support growth that just won't happen.

And what happens if the expected water isn't there? The USGS estimates that there is groundwater in the Central Great Basin, but they never drilled any wells. Moreover, even if there is water to be taken; there is no guarantee the water will be drinkable. There are a number of oil wells in the Central Great Basin. Which means that there is more than just water underground here. Once the water starts pumping, it could become contaminated with oil.

There is one more great risk SNWA is taking with the watergrab. The desert is a very fragile environment. Water is the most important resource here. In fact, water is the limiting factor of life in the desert. Deputy General Manager of SNWA, Kay Brothers said; “We recognize that our efforts to reduce Southern Nevada's reliance upon the drought-plagued Colorado River cannot come at the expense of Nevada's environment.” What if the Federal Government holds SNWA to that statement? The blatantly obvious truth is that SNWA cannot pull a river of water out of a place that has no rivers without consequences. Those consequences could include turning the Central Great Basin into a giant dust bowl. The Federal Government someday may not allow that.

These and other risks make the watergrab a very risky project. Which makes one wonder why SNWA executives are so committed to gambling with billions of Southern Nevada's dollars. Aren't there alternatives? Yes... Of course, there's conservation. But let's assume that eventually Las Vegans will learn to conserve water. What else?

There's desalination. Currently there are 15,000 desalination plants worldwide generating between 10 and 13 billion gallons of fresh water per day. For SNWA to claim that desalination is not practical is almost laughable. Moreover, the price of desalination just keeps getting cheaper. The company Siemens has come up with a desalination technology for Singapore that uses half the energy of reverse osmosis. And a University of Ottawa PhD student claims to have developed a prototype desalination system that is 600 to 700 percent more efficient than current technology.

But, SNWA executives don't even want to talk about desalination. Are they privy to some secret technical information about desalination that the rest of us don't know about? I doubt it. If there's anything being kept secret, it's most likely the law of supply and demand. If SNWA makes more fresh water, a greater supply means they won't be able to charge as much.

There is another alternative to the watergrab that is already cheaper than desalination. SNWA could pay to recycle other cities' water in exchange for a bigger allotment of the Colorado River. Presently, desalination is 50 to 400 percent more expensive than water recycling. Which means that SNWA could offer significantly more recycled water in exchange. It would likely be too tempting for other Southwestern cities to pass up on an offer of 50 percent more, or even twice as much water than what they get (and have to treat) from the Colorado River.

There is even more good news. A team of researchers at the University of California, Davis has genetically engineered crop plants that can grow with 70 percent less irrigation water. If SNWA could subsidize the farms that utilize these drought resistant crops, and purchase the unused water, everyone would have enough water.

Unfortunately, we can't expect bureaucrats and executives to make the best decisions. The Las Vegas Review Journal reports that snowpack in the Colorado River basin was 122 percent of normal this year. The extra water for Lake Mead will mean that the lake level will drop by only 5 feet... Now think about that. With 22 percent greater than average snow pack, Lake Mead is still dropping? This blatantly shows that Lake Mead's water elevation isn't just an environmental problem. This is also an administrative problem. Bureaucrats are allowing Lake Mead to be drained. And SNWA is opportunistically using this crisis in administration as a propaganda tool for the watergrab.

But why?

Let's consider the price of water. The Southern Utah Spectrum reported the Virgin Valley Water District water at $8,600 an acre-foot. And in Heber Valley, Utah the price is $12,000 an acre-foot. That's far more expensive than what the California Coastal Commission estimates the price of water produced by desalination plants at - $1,000 to $4,000 per acre-foot. One would think the choice is obvious.

But... Let's look at this from a SNWA executives' point of view. Coyote Springs Development has already agreed to pay $5,000 an acre-foot, just to “deliver” their own water from Geyser Ranch (in Lake Valley, Nevada). SNWA has applied for 200,000 acre feet in this watergrab. If we just estimate the gross profits utilizing the Coyote Springs $5,000 an acre-foot price; that calculates out to a billion dollars a year! A BILLION DOLLARS a year!

Nevada Senator Bob Beers has posted, on his blog:

“My idea is to amend federal law to allow the Southern Nevada Water Authority to buy ranches downstream from us on the Colorado River, fallow them, and draw into Nevada their water allotments, through our Lake Mead water intakes, whose capacity is double today's requirements. This plan harms no one, solves Clark County's water shortage, and costs very little compared to the costs already incurred in the earliest stages of sucking Northeastern Nevada's water table dry – much less than costs yet to come. My plan avoids the sure environmental ruin of the current plan, is much cheaper and faster, and is a market solution...

SNWA steadfastly refuses to discuss my idea, or to explain what is wrong with it. I have been advocating this plan for more than a year, with nothing but SNWA’s cold shoulder. The reporter noted, correctly, that my proposal made a lot of sense...

(Later) The reporter explained that she had talked to Pat Mulroy, and my plan wouldn’t work. The reasons were “too complicated” ...

It’s almost as if there are some politically powerful entities out there who SNWA is catering to who would profit from building the pipeline to Northeasten Nevada, and who don’t care if the whole idea is stupid, expensive and environmentally damaging.

By the way, SNWA this week increased their underestimate of the pipeline’s cost to being equivalent to the entire Nevada State Government’s annual general fund. This is double the underestimate from two years ago”

Could it be that the executives (and maybe the board) of SNWA are in on some kind of a scheme? One sure sign of a corrupt bureaucrat is that they are more concerned about their next job than the one they have. The revolving door of government to private careers has been a corrupting influence for decades. To investigate this potential corruption, all we have to do is follow the money. And the pipeline construction monies are the first billions available.

Guess what? The construction money will go to companies that almost entirely exist to secure government contracts to perform work formerly done by the government. Two of the pipeline contractors; CH2M Hill and KBR, have made billions off of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

In case you didn't know; the BBC has reported that “around $23 billion may have been lost, stolen, or just not properly accounted for in Iraq.” Congressman Henry Waxman, who chairs the House Committee on oversight and government reform, has said “It may well turn out to be the largest war profiteering in history.”

CH2M Hill has annual revenues of about $4.5 billion. From 2002 to 2004 CH2M Hill made over $1.5 billion in Iraq and Afghanistan. But if you check their website, CH2M Hill barely even mentions Iraq. Why aren't they bragging? Maybe they have nothing to brag about?

One of the contracts CH2M Hill had in Iraq was to provide support to the Public Works Sector program office. The joint venture oversaw work done on public works and water projects.

A General Accounting Office report shows that by July 2008:

Only 36% of targeted potable water has been achieved.

0% of targeted sewage treatment capacity has been achieved.

Only 50% of repair to dams and canals has been achieved.

And only 8% of land irrigation has been achieved.

In Iraq; gastro-enteritis, brucellosis, hepatitis, and typhoid fever are common among children due to bad drinking water. No wonder that oversight project wasn't mentioned on the CH2M Hill website.

And the other watergrab contractor, KBR (formerly known as Kellogg, Brown, and Root) has been reported (by Rolling Stone magazine) as the “undisputed master of milking the system.”

A former Army civilian official has told the New York Times that when he refused to sign off on more than $1 billion in questionable charges, KBR went over his head. He was suddenly replaced, and the billings were approved.

KBR has dodged paying $500 million in Social Security and Medicare taxes by operating a shell company in the Cayman Islands.

And the Washington Post reports that KBR has been accused of providing contaminated water to U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

You have to wonder; couldn't SNWA executives have picked more reputable partners in this project? You have to wonder; maybe they didn't want to. Maybe, just maybe, these are the perfect partners for a corporate feeding frenzy.

Much of SNWA's money has come from BLM land swaps. What that means is that federal land sales are subsidizing the watergrab. What that means is that; in a way, Nevadans, and the American people will be subsidizing this pipeline.

But, most Nevadans and the American people have no say concerning the pipeline. Doesn't that sound like taxation without representation?

SNWA has approximately a billion dollars – that could be much more wisely spent than on a pipeline into the desert. Smaller projects; such as desalination plants, water recycling, and support of low water use crops could be incrementally accomplished, as needed, to support the population of Southern Nevada.

Some of SNWA's money could even be used to help out with the immediate financial crisis in the State of Nevada. There are things Nevadans need much more than a watergrab.

But we won't be getting anything if we don't take back our power.

Organize.

Las Vegas should consider firing their SNWA executives.

Nevadans should force real reform of Nevada water law.

And White Pine and Lincoln counties may wish to consider secession from Nevada.

For if White Pine and Lincoln counties were a part of Utah, Nevada water law would not apply – and the watergrab would be over.

The Price Of Apathy Is Higher Than You Think

I've read some interesting articles recently that, together, tell the story of how we are being treated like sheep for the slaughter.

The first was a commentary called “Why Oil Prices Are So High”

“The speculation now doing so much damage at America’s gas pumps comes mostly out of hedge funds, those shadowy mutual funds on steroids open only to the deepest of deep-pocket investors. This special status largely frees hedge funds from any federal financial oversight and regulation...

Such trading, as billionaire investor George Soros told a June 3 U.S. Senate hearing, only serves to help inflate commodity price bubbles.”

So, oil prices are overinflated. That probably doesn't surprise anyone. But why now? It is very likely that we have reached effective peak oil. Oil production follows a bell curve. And recently worldwide oil consumption has been growing exponentially. Consumption was bound to outstrip production eventually. We all knew that. We all knew that 30 years ago.

Peak oil would be a pretty good impetus to spark a huge round of speculation and risky futures investments. It might even spark an oil grab. Why else would we still be in Iraq? To inspire some more terrorists?

The New York Times has reported:

“Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP — the original partners in the Iraq Petroleum Company — along with Chevron and a number of smaller oil companies, are in talks with Iraq’s Oil Ministry for no-bid contracts to service Iraq’s largest fields”

If you think $4 a gallon gas is expensive, you haven't considered the hidden costs. Add another trillion dollars in taxes we have to pay to subdue Iraq – to get these no bid contracts – to help those giant oil corporations make more record profits.

And John McCain's idea of fixing things; cut gas taxes in the summer. Gee, won't that stimulate consumption and even further enrich the gas companies? Won't that ultimately result in less oil in the future – and even higher gas prices in the long run?

Oh yeah, John McCain has another “fix;” open up offshore drilling off the coast of the US – though he has admitted the benefits of this would be mostly “psychological.” Meaning the price of gas won't go down. Of course, the benefits for the oil companies won't be psychological. They will be able to sell US oil at overinflated prices.

AP has reported:

“Yet energy experts and economists -- and even some of the candidates' own advisers -- say none of their signature proposals will have any impact on $4 gasoline or $130 a barrel oil in the near term, or even the intermediate term.”

So, who's side are these politicians on?

We all know the answer to that. They're on the side of those who will give them the most campaign contributions.

Until we fix the electoral process, everyone in this country who isn't filthy rich and immorally powerful is headed towards poverty.

And don't expect any politician to fix the electoral process for us. They've gotten elected by playing the game. They're not going to quit now – not without overwhelming pressure from us.

No Freedom to Curse? SH!T

This might not seem like a newsworthy story – but this is much more than a story about a local forum. It is also a story about media manipulation, hacking mass media, freedom of speech, privacy (and its abuses), and corporate control of our information – in one of the most remote towns in the United States.

Question: Why would the editor of the Ely Times shut down the popular comments section of their online articles?

The editor's excuse for shutting down the comments section was that disguised cuss words were being used. But that so much sounds like a BS cover story. Most likely, there were many reasons. They probably could be summed up as the headaches weren't worth the profits. But, what were the headaches? That is the critical question.

The Ely Times is a small town newspaper that is owned by a far off corporation. This newspaper is not a big cash cow. So, at first it seems a little strange that some corporation would be interested in owning a weekly newspaper for a town of only 5000 people. If a fourth of the people in Ely buy the paper, that doesn't add up to $1000 a week in sales. On the other hand, the Ely Times is the only source of local news here. Which means that if they own the paper, they control what the people of this town know.

Though their news reporting isn't that bad, even a casual observer can tell that the Ely Times editorials are less objective than even Fox News. They have viciously attacked Nevada's Democratic Senator Harry Reid, but barely even mentioned Nevada's Republican Senator John Ensign. They only publish right wing pundits on their opinion pages. And they obsess on discrediting global warming.

If you don't live in Ely, you might wonder why global warming should be such an issue. But it is – because two corporations are planning to build coal-fired power plants nearby. If all seven units get built, that will mean these corporations will be burning over 15 million tons of coal a year within 35 miles of Ely. That ought to be frightening enough to get any town riled up. But the residents of Ely are passive – and some are even welcoming these massive polluters. Its amazing. How could the people here be so fooled (or intimidated)?

There is one more issue of grave importance to this area. The Las Vegas water grab of Central Great Basin high desert groundwater. Las Vegas intends to take a river of water from a place that has no rivers. This will ultimately destroy the environment, the economy, and culture of Eastern Nevada. Everyone here is against it, but there is no organized local resistance in Ely. Why?

I don't blame the Ely Times for all of Ely's ills. But something is not quite right. Ignorance is not bliss. The locals are ill informed. And I can blame that on the Ely Times. I suspect that the Ely Times reporters and editors aren't all that independent from the paper's corporate owners. And I'm convinced that the corporate owners of this newspaper don't give a damn about Ely. This little town is almost screaming for a second, more independent newspaper.

But, up until now, that hasn't been necessary. There has been a forum for independent input. There has been a forum for locals to post comments about the Ely Times articles online. And in the past few months, I have made prodigious use of these comment posts. You might go so far as to say that I have hacked into their system. Whenever an editorial came out claiming that global warming was in doubt, I would have a definitive reply posted within a day. Whenever a political attack or propaganda sounding statement was made, I would step in and clear the air. This must have been extraordinarily frustrating for the powers that be.

You could tell I was making a difference. The paper reduced their attacks on Harry Reid. They toned down their attacks on environmentalists. And they stopped printing my letters to the editor.

I wasn't the only one hacking into the Ely Times comment sections, however. There was at least one rep from the coal industry. His job was simple; denigrate anyone who spoke out against the coal-fired power plants. This had a multi-faceted effect. It gave the appearance that there were violent people who would hurt anyone who spoke out against the coal-burners. It gave the appearance that the coal-burners were popular. It put doubts in the minds of casual observers that those against the coal-fired power plants knew what they were talking about. And it made the posting experience painful for anyone who spoke out against coal pollution. In other words, this hacker had succeeded in shutting down any resistance online.

But I figured him out. I realized that the more I posted, the more he would attack me, and the more he would look like a raving jerk. After a time, I was able to show, within a reasonable doubt, that he somehow was associated with the coal industry and that his “friends” were likely just other aliases of his.

His slanderous attacks were likely part of the reason the editor of the Ely Times lost faith in the comments sections. But I dealt with them, and in the end; anyone who paid attention knew I was the more likable, honest, and informed person.

I knew that I was accomplishing something when I was away for a week. When I came back and checked the comments sections, I saw that others had taken the responsibility to confront this jerk – and they had done a great job. The community was starting to speak out against what we all know is a dangerous situation. It was beautiful!

But it wasn't beautiful for my online nemesis. With no real arguments to defend his position, and only rude comments to belittle his opposition; he, and the coal industry that was paying him, were losing the battle of minds. The tide was starting to turn against the coal-fired power plants and towards truly clean energy generation.

I can only guess what coal industry people must have been thinking. But I wouldn't be surprised if they put pressure on the parent company of the Ely Times to do something (to keep us ignorant and disorganized).

During this time, I kept sending letters to the editor; hoping that they would print them. By the fourth letter, it became obvious that they had stopped publishing my letters. I sent it three times anyway, with no luck.

I felt it was time for somewhat drastic action. We were running out of time to do something about the water grab. And I needed a video clip to show that Ely really was against the water grab. So, I posted my letter to the Editor in the comments section of all of the opinion pages.

I plead with the citizens of Ely to declare independence from Southern Nevada Water Authority. The perfect time would be the upcoming Independence Day parade. Even if all the people of Ely did was wear an armband, it would look impressive on press releases.

To my surprise; the pro-coal character assassins went crazy with hate. Up until then, they didn't seem to care about the water grab. But when it started to look like I might convince the people of Ely to organize, they came after me like I'd said something about coal.

And within a couple of days, the Editor of the Ely Times announced that they would be shutting down the comments sections.

Question: Who benefits from the shutting down of the comments sections?

The coal industry will still be able to get their articles published.

SNWA won't have as active a resistance from Ely.

Local politicians won't have things said about them online (that people would be afraid to say in public).

Do some people really want to keep us ignorant and weak? Absolutely. You'd be a fool to think otherwise. Some people will make millions (at our expense) if we do nothing to stop them. Is the Ely Times in on it? Possibly, but it's likely more complicated than that.

I think the Editor of the Ely Times was chosen for his radical political opinions. He may not feel pressured by higher ups. I also suspect he has the best of intentions. But there is only so much he is willing to put up with – from influential people, from us, and from zealots for clean speech.

People can be rude when they are anonymous. They have said rude things about local politicians and the powers that be. (click the picture above for an example)

When you combine that with minority opinion being aired, people really speaking their minds, and efforts to organize against powerful corporations; all of the cards are stacked against a free and anonymous forum.

Speak up if you're not happy about this.

Secession to Combat Corruption

From Nevada State Senator Bob Beers' website:

"My idea is to amend federal law to allow the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) to buy ranches downstream from us on the Colorado River, fallow them, and draw into Nevada their water allotments, through our Lake Mead water intakes, whose capacity is double today’s requirements. This plan harms no one, solves Clark County’s water shortage, and costs very little compared to the costs already incurred in the earliest stages of sucking Northeastern Nevada’s water table dry - much less the costs yet to come. My plan avoids the sure environmental ruin of the current plan, is much cheaper and faster, and is a market solution.... It’s almost as if there are some politically powerful entities out there who SNWA is catering to who would profit from building the pipeline to Northeasten Nevada, and who don’t care if the whole idea is stupid, expensive and environmentally damaging."

Hmmm... I've heard that KBR (Kellogg, Brown, and Root) is the contractor SNWA intends to pay billions to build the pipeline network

From Rolling Stone magazine:

“The undisputed master of milking the system is KBR, the former Halliburton subsidiary ... The company has been exposed by whistle-blowers in numerous Senate hearings for everything from double-charging taxpayers for $617,000 worth of sodas to overcharging the government 600 percent for fuel shipments. When things went wrong, KBR simply scrapped expensive gear: The company dumped 50,000 pounds of nails in the desert because they were too short, and left the Army no choice but to set fire to a supply truck that had a flat tire...

In perhaps the ultimate example of military capitalism, KBR reportedly ran convoys of empty trucks back and forth across the insurgent-laden desert, pointlessly risking the lives of soldiers and drivers so the company could charge the taxpayer for its phantom deliveries. Truckers for KBR, knowing full well that the trips were bullshit, derisively referred to their cargo as "sailboat fuel."

How can anyone believe for one minute that KBR won't milk Las Vegas (and the State of Nevada) for everything they can get?

This water grab will ruin the Central Great Basin - environmentally, economically, and culturally.

There may come a day when White Pine and Lincoln Counties have no choice but secession from Nevada.

If White Pine and Lincoln Counties are a part of Utah, Nevada water law will not apply - and there won't be a water grab pipeline.

I love Nevada. I've lived in Nevada all of my life. But, the state wants to take far more from here than it will ever give.

Good ideas are getting ignored for the sake of corporate profits. Someday soon, Eastern Nevada may have to consider secession – to save both the Central Great Basin and Las Vegas from environmental and financial ruin.

Protest is Illegal in Ohio

You may recall my post about the Longest Walk 2 passing through Nevada. They were treated like hero's here – and throughout most of the country. I met and walked with these people. They are good people with high ideals. Their cause is not only legitimate, but worthy. So why were they roughed up, and almost mass arrested, by Columbus, Ohio police?

You can get a full account of the story at:

Earthcycles.net – (go to 2008-06-03) “The local police live up to the reputation of Columbus, as they tried to arrest the walkers yesterday, 40 plus police and several patty-wagons as they initiated the confrontation and only later with calls from the supporters and organizers did they stand down ...”

Longestwalk.org – “Unprovoked Columbus, Ohio police attacked Long Walkers, by first pointing a taser at the head of Michael Lane and then forcing Luv the Mezenger to the ground and handcuffing him.”

Narcosphere.com – “The harassment by Ohio police continued, Tuesday, June 3, when police ordered Longest Walk drummers off an area at the Ohio State Capitol.”

Why?

Why Ohio?

Since the Columbus police didn't end up arresting anyone, it doesn't appear this police action was premeditated. Since no one I met in the group was an agitator, I believe them when they say nothing was said to instigate a mass arrest. So, most likely, the decision to arrest everybody was made on the spot – with precedent set some time ago.

Does Columbus Ohio have a no protest policy?

It would seem so.

If so, this is something you would only expect in communist China.

At worst, all the Longest Walkers were doing is jaywalking and singing. And no community from California to Ohio had been bothered by that up until now.

So, why would Ohio want to oppress protest?

Could it have something to do with the Election?

Ohio stole the election for Bush in 2004. And it looks like there will be a fraud factor in the 2008 election also. Could it be that Ohio knows something about the future, and has prepared their police for it? Could it be that Ohio is preparing their police force to crack down on any sign of protest after the election?