FOX News Report Exposes Union Greenmail
During the August 7 edition of FOX News’ Happening Now, William La Jeunesse exposes union attempts to monopolize green construction through exploiting state and local environmental permitting processes – a tactic known as greenmail.
Don’t be fooled by Big Labor’s attempts to portray themselves as protectors of the environment. As this report shows, the only “green” they care about is money.
Also, be sure to watch Kevin Dayton’s June 19 appearance on the Neil Cavuto Show to discuss union greenmail.
August 8th Update from Kevin Dayton:
This reporter is speaking from the site of what would have been the $850 million Victorville 2 Solar Hybrid Power Plant. In 2007, California Unions for Reliable Energy (CURE) became an intervenor in the power plant licensing process at the California Energy Commission (CEC) for the power plant. Adams Broadwell Joseph & Cardoza, the law firm representing CURE, filed two massive data requests with the CEC and then filed a 136-page objection to the preliminary CEC staff report in January 2008. In addition, CURE filed a lawsuit in Riverside County Superior Court alleging that the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District inappropriately issued particulate matter credits to the city, thus violating the federal Clean Air Act.
In February 2008, ABC learned that the City of Victorville was seriously considering a PLA to remove these obstacles to approval of the power plant. ABC stepped up its pressure against the PLA with testimony at public hearings and outreach to the local news media and business groups that exposed CURE’s extortion. In May, the ABC Southern California Chapter mailed flyers to 10,000 Victorville residents warning them that construction unions were filing lawsuits and holding up the permitting process in order to win a PLA for the power plant. The mailer urged residents to contact the Victorville City Council and the power plant developer, Inland Energy, in opposition to a PLA.
CURE slowed the project down by several months, but the City of Victorville and the power plant developer did not surrender to the unions. ABC got a break on June 30, when a state superior court judge rejected CURE’s environmental lawsuit. On July 16, CURE experienced another setback to its scheme when the CEC voted 5-0 to approve a license for the power plant despite CURE’s objections. ABC was at the meeting to attack CURE and its motivations.
Now additional factors are contributing to the failure of this power plant to be built. But CURE started it and perhaps the project would be under construction or even finished now if it wasn’t for the union antics.
One Response to FOX News Report Exposes Union Greenmail
This reporter is speaking from the site of what would have been the $850 million Victorville 2 Solar Hybrid Power Plant. In 2007, California Unions for Reliable Energy (CURE) became an intervenor in the power plant licensing process at the California Energy Commission (CEC) for the power plant. Adams Broadwell Joseph & Cardoza, the law firm representing CURE, filed two massive data requests with the CEC and then filed a 136-page objection to the preliminary CEC staff report in January 2008. In addition, CURE filed a lawsuit in Riverside County Superior Court alleging that the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District inappropriately issued particulate matter credits to the city, thus violating the federal Clean Air Act.
In February 2008, ABC learned that the City of Victorville was seriously considering a PLA to remove these obstacles to approval of the power plant. ABC stepped up its pressure against the PLA with testimony at public hearings and outreach to the local news media and business groups that exposed CURE’s extortion. In May, the ABC Southern California Chapter mailed flyers to 10,000 Victorville residents warning them that construction unions were filing lawsuits and holding up the permitting process in order to win a PLA for the power plant. The mailer urged residents to contact the Victorville City Council and the power plant developer, Inland Energy, in opposition to a PLA.
CURE slowed the project down by several months, but the City of Victorville and the power plant developer did not surrender to the unions. ABC got a break on June 30, when a state superior court judge rejected CURE’s environmental lawsuit. On July 16, CURE experienced another setback to its scheme when the CEC voted 5-0 to approve a license for the power plant despite CURE’s objections. ABC was at the meeting to attack CURE and its motivations.
Now additional factors are contributing to the failure of this power plant to be built. But CURE started it and perhaps the project would be under construction or even finished now if it wasn’t for the union antics.