Blagojvich mercury plans endanger Illinois
REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ANDY MARTIN
CHARGES BLAGOJEVICH MERCURY CONTROL PLAN ENDANGERS WORKING PEOPLE AND UNION MEMBERS IN ILLINOIS; ANDY SUGGESTS GOVERNOR IS CONTROLLED BY A DESPERATE "LEFT-WING, LUNATIC FRINGE" OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
(CHICAGO)(January 9, 2006) Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Andy Martin will hold a news conference Tuesday, January 10th to accuse Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich of proposing a mercury control plan that endangers working people and union members in Illinois. Martin suggests that Blagojevich is increasingly controlled by an extreme "left-wing, lunatic fringe" of the Democratic Party.
"Governor Blagojevich's mercury control plan, while posing as friendly to women and children, is really their mortal enemy," Martin will state. "We are all committed to clean air and clean water. Neither Democrats nor Republicans have a monopoly on environmental protection.
"Alone among the Republican candidates I have won major environmental lawsuits. Decades ago I popularized the use of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in Illinois courts. I stopped then-Illinois Power from building a high voltage line across the runway approaches at Willard Field in Champaign (Savoy). In 1972 I filed the first lawsuit challenging the president's power to 'impound' water pollution control funds. My legal theories were adopted by the U. S. Supreme Court. I don't have to ride at the back of the bus when it comes to environmental credentials.
"But I also realize that environmental controls must be implemented in a way that does not endanger our power grid and employment structure. Today, the heartland economy is hurting. Plants are endangered, pensions are evaporating, unemployment looms as our economy prospers without prosperity for working people and union members. We do not need any more economic shocks from a governor desperate to confuse the public and buy votes for his endangered reelection.
"Do we need to control mercury? Absolutely. Can we do it overnight, by political fiat? No we cannot. If Blagojevich succeeds, Illinois fails, Illinois workers lose their jobs, and Illinois families lose their homes. That's a 'toxic' tradeoff that only a desperate politician could support.
"Increasingly Blagojevich is tilting towards the radical, left-wing lunatic fringe of the Democratic Party. He thought he could ward off a primary challenge by being to the left of the left. It didn’t work. Eisendrath is in the race. Yet Blagojevich persists in proposing leftist nonsense and spewing forth programs that will bankrupt Illinois taxpayers.
"I want to be clear: there is a reasonable approach to mercury control, and there is an irrational approach. Blago has chosen the political approach, not the environmental approach. He may confuse a few voters and win a few votes, but in the long run Blago's shenanigans will endanger public confidence in and support for environmental control. No one who faces job loss and home loss would want to control mercury immediately, when a gradual program would work almost as well without endangering our economy.
"And so I issue this challenge to Blah Blah Blago: stop endangering the working families of Illinois; stop jeopardizing the jobs of union members. Stop threatening our power supply and electric grid with harebrained schemes than can only lead to disaster. In the immortal words of Joseph Welch, please stop manipulating your public trust in a manner than can only impose 'reckless cruelty' on the people of Illinois."
"Mercury control is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. It is a public health issue. There are lot of good Republicans and good Democrats who want to work together to protect our environment. Stop polarizing the public arena for your own selfish political purposes. I promise to work with both Democrats and Republicans to adopt sensible, cost-effective environmental plans. We will control mercury, and we will also keep Illinoisans at work and protect our power grid."
CHARGES BLAGOJEVICH MERCURY CONTROL PLAN ENDANGERS WORKING PEOPLE AND UNION MEMBERS IN ILLINOIS; ANDY SUGGESTS GOVERNOR IS CONTROLLED BY A DESPERATE "LEFT-WING, LUNATIC FRINGE" OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
(CHICAGO)(January 9, 2006) Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Andy Martin will hold a news conference Tuesday, January 10th to accuse Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich of proposing a mercury control plan that endangers working people and union members in Illinois. Martin suggests that Blagojevich is increasingly controlled by an extreme "left-wing, lunatic fringe" of the Democratic Party.
"Governor Blagojevich's mercury control plan, while posing as friendly to women and children, is really their mortal enemy," Martin will state. "We are all committed to clean air and clean water. Neither Democrats nor Republicans have a monopoly on environmental protection.
"Alone among the Republican candidates I have won major environmental lawsuits. Decades ago I popularized the use of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in Illinois courts. I stopped then-Illinois Power from building a high voltage line across the runway approaches at Willard Field in Champaign (Savoy). In 1972 I filed the first lawsuit challenging the president's power to 'impound' water pollution control funds. My legal theories were adopted by the U. S. Supreme Court. I don't have to ride at the back of the bus when it comes to environmental credentials.
"But I also realize that environmental controls must be implemented in a way that does not endanger our power grid and employment structure. Today, the heartland economy is hurting. Plants are endangered, pensions are evaporating, unemployment looms as our economy prospers without prosperity for working people and union members. We do not need any more economic shocks from a governor desperate to confuse the public and buy votes for his endangered reelection.
"Do we need to control mercury? Absolutely. Can we do it overnight, by political fiat? No we cannot. If Blagojevich succeeds, Illinois fails, Illinois workers lose their jobs, and Illinois families lose their homes. That's a 'toxic' tradeoff that only a desperate politician could support.
"Increasingly Blagojevich is tilting towards the radical, left-wing lunatic fringe of the Democratic Party. He thought he could ward off a primary challenge by being to the left of the left. It didn’t work. Eisendrath is in the race. Yet Blagojevich persists in proposing leftist nonsense and spewing forth programs that will bankrupt Illinois taxpayers.
"I want to be clear: there is a reasonable approach to mercury control, and there is an irrational approach. Blago has chosen the political approach, not the environmental approach. He may confuse a few voters and win a few votes, but in the long run Blago's shenanigans will endanger public confidence in and support for environmental control. No one who faces job loss and home loss would want to control mercury immediately, when a gradual program would work almost as well without endangering our economy.
"And so I issue this challenge to Blah Blah Blago: stop endangering the working families of Illinois; stop jeopardizing the jobs of union members. Stop threatening our power supply and electric grid with harebrained schemes than can only lead to disaster. In the immortal words of Joseph Welch, please stop manipulating your public trust in a manner than can only impose 'reckless cruelty' on the people of Illinois."
"Mercury control is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. It is a public health issue. There are lot of good Republicans and good Democrats who want to work together to protect our environment. Stop polarizing the public arena for your own selfish political purposes. I promise to work with both Democrats and Republicans to adopt sensible, cost-effective environmental plans. We will control mercury, and we will also keep Illinoisans at work and protect our power grid."
posted by Andy Martin at 3:15 PM
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