90% of Life is Just Showing Up.
Last night, we had a great turnout at the PDD event for Sen. Coons. Unfortunately, at the same time, an important meeting was taking place down in Dover. The Public Service Commision was holding a hearing on Bloom Energy’s plan for turning the old Chrysler plant into a factory making fuel cells and “Bloom Boxes.” The hearing also concerned Delmarva’s plans to place two clusters of Bloom Boxes on two sites in New Castle County adjacent to Delmarva electrical substaions. These clusters themselves will generate approximately 30 megawatts of power for the electrical grid, which is enough to power approximately 25,000 homes.
And guess what? The hearing room was filled with 9/12 Teabaggers, who all probably said Bloom Boxes were Boxes full of Socialism, or some such tripe, and that global warming is a hoax, and they we should drill baby drill off Rehoboth. Yes, that is what our public officials on the Commissions heard last night. The News Journal was there last night. They won’t be coming to the meeting tonight in Wilmington, because they have their story: Bloom Boxes are evil.
So tonight and tomorrow, progressives get their second chance, not to sway public opinion through the News Journal, but to buck up our public officials that the plan does have support, and that some of their public, if not most of their public, wants renewable and alternative energy.
The meeting is tonight at 7 pm at the Carvel State Office Building Auditorium, Mezzanine Level, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington, Delaware. Tomorrow, our great Progressive neighbors in Sussex County get their chance, with a meeting at the Del Tech Community College, Owens Campus, Arts and Sciences Building, Theater, Georgetown, DE 19930.
And if can’t make either of these meetings, then you simply must send a written comment to the Commission supporting the Bloom Energy plan.
Email your comments by Friday, September 30, 2011 to Kevin Neilson, Regulatory Policy Administrator for the PSC at kevin.neilson@state.de.us
These battles are often won by who shows up and who speaks out. Conservatives will always show up and always speak out. It is what they do. They sit at home all day listening to Rush and Jensen and Colley and Hannity, and then they get emailed orders from the 9/12 Racists to show here or there. And they show up. And when they open their mouths, nothing but bile comes out.
If you don’t want them winning all the time, if you do want a better world, then you have to fight too.
Yes, you.
And yes, you have to get over yourself.
Is the Bloom Energy plan perfect? No.
Should be doing more for renewable and alternative energy? Fuck yeah
But isn’t this at least a step in the right direction? Absolutely.
If this plan is successful, wouldn’t it lead to more plans and more clusters of Bloom Boxes and other types of renewable and alternative energies being explored? Yes!
So what’s the problem?
Either show up at the meetings tonight and tomorrow, or email Mr. Neilson by Friday. You have no other choice. No, you don’t.
Last night, several of the questions asked of and comments to Senator Coons were along the lines of why can’t Democrats, Liberals and Progressives all be on the same page and speak with the same message and why can’t that message get through to the media and to the people. You know why? Because Democrats, Liberals and Progressives are never on the same page and we never speak with the same voice. Sometimes that is a good thing, for it shows that we all have intelligence and that we prefer not to have our opinions handed to us in a talking points memo.
But Conservatives do have their opinions handed to them in a talking points memo. And they all speak with the same voice.
So if you want to fight that and win, you have to put your pride and your purity aside.
This is going to be a theme that we are going to come back to in the coming year. But right now, pound out those emails. Woody Allen said 90% of life is just showing up.
So show the fuck up.
I’ll be there this evening.
Excellent. So will I.
It is a rotten plan, but you may as well stay home and relax. It is a done deal.
It doesn’t work that way, Dave, but then you have so little going for you in the knowledge concerning citizens that don’t teabag that you’ll never understand.
It was really ignorant and stupid of the PSC to schedule two of the hearings during the Jewish high holidays. Tonight is the start of Rosh Hashanah; many observant Jews also are going to be blocked from attending Friday night’s hearing in Georgetown, as it’s the Sabbath.
You’d think that a Jewish governor and lieutenant governor would be far more reasonable than past administrations when it comes to scheduling. Another sign that the skids have been greased for this company.
I don’t yet understand the whole Bloom Boxes concept, I’ll be the first to admit. It seems like we’re betting the farm on an untested proprietary technology that we’re not allowed to dig into but are being told to pay the bill for anyway. And I really don’t like the idea of cherry-picking one company and giving it a huge wet-kiss behind-closed-doors deal, as a general principle. That goes for all of Markell’s “economic development” initiatives, which read as though they came out of the Carper Administration’s credit-card-company playbook.
Well, the meeting in Georgetown is tomorrow night at 7, so perhaps observant Jews can still attend.
I am not privy to why it was scheduled for this week, but I do know it is on an expedited schedule, so perhaps there was no other time for it. I admit it does suck. I would not enjoy public hearings being scheduled on Easter or Good Friday.
OK, sorry, I thought Georgetown’s was on Friday. Still, it’s right at the start of the holiday.
That raises the question of WHY it’s on an expedited schedule. What difference would delaying it a week have made? Did Bloom throw a fit if it didn’t happen on a certain date?
I don’t like being held hostage to people who say “Trust me, this will work out.” And that’s what Markell and Levin seem to be doing lots of.
I can’t wait to read about the Dover meeting. I’m sure the NJ will give full disclosure regarding the CRI’s funding.
I crack myself up.
The News Journal was there last night. They won’t be coming to the meeting tonight in Wilmington, because they have their story: Bloom Boxes are evil.
Damn that incompetent newspaper for not attending!
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110929/BUSINESS/109290338/NCCo-residents-face-off-Bloom-deal?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home
Ohhh …
@anon, quite a victory for you! So tell me, are you for the News Journal when you’re not against it? I was there and I think the NJ did fair reporting but that’s not what sells papers. The reporters over there do good work but the editorial board stinks on ice.
So glad you got a win!
Ah, Joe, I wish I knew you were there. I would have introduced myself.
Gee LG – Joe saw me the other evening and didnt even recognize me – I was so distressed…
I had to poke him to get him turned around…LOL
@Aoine, you happen to be blindingly beautiful, at the time I was under the spells of John Kowalko then Chris Coons. I apologize for my inattentiveness.
Mr.Geek, I try to meet as many Delaware Liberals as I am able. I was fortunate enough to be in Dewey when I met Aoine and MJ. I met another DL super star at the Queen Theater the night Jason, whom I’ve never met, should have been chosen to make a presentation, but she too was far too attractive for me to chat up because it gets weird, you know? She’s hot and you’re not and somebody’s involved with somebody and I mean no offense. Your take away is that I’m an mellow fellow and you name the time and the place. You drop some science and I’ll make an incredible effort not to embarrass myself.
Joe: As usual, I have no idea what you’re trying to say. Please put down the bottle and go breathe into a paper bag.
Are you trying to say that the editorial pages sell papers? The pages BURIED IN THE BACK OF THE PAPER that people can’t see in the coin box? The ones that are so deadly dull after they canned Ron Williams that they put me to sleep?
The real victory goes to DD, who not only showed the fuck up, but spoke out and got quoted in TNJ!
anon, as usual you have no idea. You peg DD for his thought on the NJ.
Damn that incompetent newspaper for not attending!
You post a link and end with the Ohhh …
I only wish I had as many bottles as pipes you’ve been smoking. DD showed up, I showed up and many others showed up. Make your point or blaze away.
My point was that he slammed TNJ in advance, saying they wouldn’t show up because they already had their storyline. They did show up, in fact. I was mocking him.
I know not snark when I read it?
@Joe – humbled, gee thanks….the shine from Chris’ sweet head was blinding….but I still saw you
even tho, after listening to him all I wanted to do is kiss him….I was under his spell too