tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2530918412383233012024-02-20T18:09:17.485-05:00Rural and ProgressiveRural communities are unique, and cookie cutter solutions aren't the way to help sustain them. We need innovative ideas and team players who are willing to take the long view.Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-16552756999779259472012-02-03T11:38:00.000-05:002012-02-03T11:38:17.164-05:00I've moved!Please bookmark or subscribe to my blog at its new address: <a href="http://ruralandprogressive.org/">http://ruralandprogressive.org/</a> Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-78057663235534046642012-02-02T14:51:00.000-05:002012-02-02T14:51:34.848-05:00SB 269: Georgia's rivers and streams for sale to the lowest bidderNew post up at my new address: <a href="http://ruralandprogressive.org/">http://ruralandprogressive.org/</a>Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-21866599705991222472012-02-01T18:21:00.000-05:002012-02-01T18:21:25.518-05:00Breast cancer survivors for Planned Parenthood<br />
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Last year in January while I was recovering from a lumpectomy and waiting to start radiation (because early detection saves lives and contributes to better outcomes), a group of friends wanted to make a donation in honor of a young friend (32 at the time) who had just lost both breasts to cancer (she has the BRCA gene). We got the comfort food and flowers to her, but wanted to really do our homework on which organization to donate to in her honor.</div>
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Several of us checked <a href="http://www.charitynavigator.org/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #743399; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Charity Navigotor">Charity Navigator </a>and <a href="http://www.charitywatch.org/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #743399; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Charity Watch">Charity Watch</a> (<a href="http://www2.guidestar.org/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #743399; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="GuideStar">Guide Star</a> is also good) to learn what percentage of funds are used for admin costs, research, providing screenings and other preventive care, and education (we agreed on the <a href="http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #743399; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="NBCF">National Breast Cancer Foundation</a>).</div>
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At the same time, Steven Colbert gave a<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/04/colbert-komen-cure-cancer_n_804233.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #743399; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Colbert Tip of the hat to Komen"> Tip of the Hat</a> to Susan G. Komen and their use of at least $1M of donor dollars a year to sue mom and pop groups working to support cancer research and cancer patients. That’s a lot of money spent to essentially bully small efforts to help sick people be healthy.</div>
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Fast forward almost 13 months later, and <a href="http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2012/02/01/abortion-politics-has-nothing-to-do-with-breast-cancer/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #743399; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Jay Bookman ">Komen has caved to pressure from anti-choice advocates and Rep. Cliff Stearns of Florida</a>. Yesterday the GOP primary candidates were competing with coverage of Komen’s decision to defund Planned Parenthood.</div>
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Komen’s funding has been used to provide breast exams to women who rely on Planned Parenthood for healthcare services. These women are often poor, underinsured or uninsured, and do not have access to a family doctor or gynecologist for regular care.</div>
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Now Komen, an organization established to honor a breast cancer victim, has said it won’t help fund preventive care services like breast exams (and cervical cancer screenings, which is one of the most difficult cancers to identify because the cancer is usually advanced before the patient suspects a problem).</div>
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There is no evidence that Planned Parenthood misappropriated the funds for abortion or other services. What is known is that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/31/komen-planned-parenthood-cuts-karen-handel_n_1245568.html?ref=mostpopular" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #743399; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Huffington Post">Komen Vice-President Karen Handel</a>, who served as the Secretary of State for Georgia before resigning to launch a failed bid for the GOP nomination for governor here, campaigned long and hard against state funding for breast and cervical cancer screenings which went to Planned Parenthood. Unfortunately what she couldn’t accomplish in Georgia she has now managed on a national level.</div>
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And, because it bears repeating by women who grew up while the battle was waged for safe and legal access to abortions, or came to adulthood not long after the dust began to settle, the issue isn’t whether abortion is good, moral, a form of birth control, etc. Really desperate women who want to end a pregnancy will find a way to do that regardless of whether it is safe or legal. We endanger lives without access to safe and legal abortion.</div>
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This defunding is a result of politics driven by such socially, politically, and religiously conservative officials that they will strip away access to preventive health care for poor women. If the lost funds aren’t made up to Planned Parenthood, how many women will not find the cancer soon enough? How many young children will suffer, and perhaps be left without a mother who makes pancakes from scratch on Sunday morning before going to church?</div>
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I donated to <a href="http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/newsroom/politics-policy-issues/komen-foundation-ends-funding-breast-cancer-screenings-after-years-political-pressure-38620.htm?__utma=1.843694994.1328117093.1328117093.1328117093.1&__utmb=1.1.10.1328117093&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1328117093.1.1.utmcsr=facebook.com|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/l.php&__utmv=-&__utmk=174343330" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #743399; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Planned Parenthood">Planned Parenthood</a> last night. I am remiss in not giving them even a small donation in the past.</div>
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Later today I am stuffing all my Komen Race for the Cure t-shirts and the return address labels they have sent me into an envelope and sending them back to:</div>
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Nancy Brinker<br />CEO, Susan G. Komen<br />5005 LBJ Freeeway<br />Suite 250<br />Dallas, TX 75244</div>
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I support access to preventive health care and good health information for all Americans. Especially for the mothers, daughters, wives, sisters, aunts, and godmothers, now more than ever.</div>Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-85523097231613829922012-01-30T13:37:00.001-05:002012-01-30T13:37:34.458-05:00Funeral party tonight!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJ_aBEInZQKQLXwSonkpDA5gZe7eAtgDxllv6quUpuMXU_YqRy5ftGd3K3ufXj4HaBU9pApYUCjt3g_790VG5sxeE3ZS5S3oCM7GwYbvqHdwmNoiuyoeRTLq1LYbNSjjk6Rk-ZzYpCJo5/s1600/Bobby+and+Jane+compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJ_aBEInZQKQLXwSonkpDA5gZe7eAtgDxllv6quUpuMXU_YqRy5ftGd3K3ufXj4HaBU9pApYUCjt3g_790VG5sxeE3ZS5S3oCM7GwYbvqHdwmNoiuyoeRTLq1LYbNSjjk6Rk-ZzYpCJo5/s320/Bobby+and+Jane+compressed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
When I fell into the "no new coal plant world", I was fortunate to meet Bobby and Jane McLendon, who led with fearless determination, the fight to stop Longleaf, a 1200MW proposed coal plant in Early County. They had plenty of good help in the trenches from a few brave souls, organizations like the Sierra Club and the Flint Riverkeeper, and attorneys at GreenLaw. It was clear to me and the other novice coal plant opponents in Washington County that we could learn a lot from the McLendons, who are humble, unassuming, and determined to do what is right and best.<br /><br />Bobby once called after we captured an orange flag on Plant Washington and told me I was his hero. <i>That was high praise coming from someone who led, and won, the longest active fight in our country against a proposed coal plant.</i> They spent 11 years of their lives standing up in a small community, which, if you ask anyone fighting Plant Washington (or Plant Ben Hill), is no easy thing to do.<br /><br />Tonight some of us are sending Longleaf off with a funeral party. It won't be a wake to honor the fine proposal Longleaf was, because it wasn't fine. Instead it will be a celebration of what two people began 11 years ago because it was the right thing to do. It is an honor to be invited to stand among real heroes. Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-57501387909943016242012-01-27T08:54:00.001-05:002012-01-27T14:08:28.138-05:00WEMC Board Member supports forensic auditYesterday following the Washington EMC (WEMC) monthly board meeting my district rep, Billy Helton, was nice enough to spend a good bit of time talking with me despite his need to return to work. Billy has been on the board since October 2010, and he worked hard to defeat an incumbent who had been there for decades. He will readily say that he is still learning, as I am too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkMoZfEHb4xWUGnocsGjGl2Cnbf7r6yyB_Dyun96rHcn908VGh1R7s-QXdoMXKEQlYfSfSCSeM4Mnx849LZUjmB-XtQRDCNub2mvNID1bazAGSCdYTuE7iSQQkgUsF6rmNcVVAqXXOF9k/s1600/burning-money.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkMoZfEHb4xWUGnocsGjGl2Cnbf7r6yyB_Dyun96rHcn908VGh1R7s-QXdoMXKEQlYfSfSCSeM4Mnx849LZUjmB-XtQRDCNub2mvNID1bazAGSCdYTuE7iSQQkgUsF6rmNcVVAqXXOF9k/s200/burning-money.jpg" width="200" /></a>Billy is very concerned about the money that has been spent on Plant Washington by WEMC, which totals about $1M. Understandably, he wants to make the most of the money spent, and worries that abandoning the project will result in wasted money. <br />
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<i><b>A worthless permit</b></i><br />
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One option he raised is getting the permit and selling it. That permit won't be worth the additional money required to get it, if it can be had at all. LS Energy cancelled a coal plant in Southwest Georgia just last month in part because there is a surplus of power and the cost of construction and emission controls would not be profitable.Power suppliers across Georgia, and the Southeast, already have surplus that they can't sell with consumers reducing use now. And as Cobb EMC demonstrated with their RFP in December, there are ample options among supplier offerings. Trying to sell a coal permit in Georgia now would be about as easy as selling bottled water to a drowning man. <br />
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<i><b>And the attorney fees</b></i><br />
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And the cost to get the permit? Those of us who have sat on the hard benches in the Administrative Courtroom in Atlanta will contest, P4G has a deep bench of expensive lawyers from King and Spalding when they are in court. The cost? Based on going rates for "Big Name" firms, we conservatively and confidently estimate that each lawyer is billing AT LEAST $500 PER HOUR to sit in the room. They haven't had fewer than three attorneys there when I have attended. That doesn't include the billable hours prepping for court and other P4G work. I could do a lot of good work with $15K per hour. And like the P4G attorneys, I would be willing to put in a lot of billable hours. <br />
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<i><b>And the cost per EMC member <br /><br /></b></i>With Cobb EMC no longer propping up Plant Washington, the math looks like this (and note to Dapper Dean: if P4G can announce a $2.1B coal plant without a pro forma estimate, plant opponents can use real numbers like customer base, and do our own math. And please don't use that "naive or just intellectually dishonest" stuff on us. We are neither and the truth validates our points). When Plant Washington was announced four years ago, the customer base among the nine participating EMCs was 741,000. Fast forward to this week, and the customer base for Plant Washington with the four remaining co-ops has been reduced by 77 percent to 167,000 customer meters. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrfOut1gvU_A8F6OIzvUbujunKaETcV70IcFVduolguAIuApZujAvQyl-ghiuqpJTauaYkCtNrX9D6XbSJ1WzZyDQf8KUo3XuIQ01Rc2xNrc1uWO82z0Vb6K-WhX_fzhHl3BXhqsZNKob/s1600/switch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrfOut1gvU_A8F6OIzvUbujunKaETcV70IcFVduolguAIuApZujAvQyl-ghiuqpJTauaYkCtNrX9D6XbSJ1WzZyDQf8KUo3XuIQ01Rc2xNrc1uWO82z0Vb6K-WhX_fzhHl3BXhqsZNKob/s320/switch.jpg" width="320" /></a>The math looks like this: Washington EMC has spent $1M of owner dollars on Plant Washington. That equates to $67 per customer so far. With just four remaining co-ops participating in a $2.1M project, <b>the cost per member skyrockets to $12,575 PER MEMBER. </b>I don't know about other folks, but I don't think I can squeeze that kind of money out of my household budget to support Plant Washington. Suddenly the assurances of affordable power don't hold water. <br />
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<i><b>We can put an end to the madness </b></i><br />
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WEMC owner members need to contact their board rep and tell them that it is in the best interests of the co-op to stop now. Let's give them some encouragement to change course for the better.
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<b><br /></b><i><b>Helton: I support a forensic audit<br /></b></i><br />
While I may be the one shouting the loudest and the most often, I am not the only one speaking up, or talking with friends and family about the sad state of governance and transparency with the co-op. Billy appreciates the lack of confidence that many members have in how things have been handled.<br />
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With that in mind, he agreed that a forensic audit could be a helpful way to provide information to the owner members and also serve as a way to begin to repair the broken relationship. I added that there should be a committee, with members making up the majority of the group, selected to handle the selection of a firm to conduct the audit, and then report back to the Board and members when it is completed. He agrees there too.<br />
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This could be a huge step forward for our co-op. The members want to have confidence in the decisions that are made. Those decisions impact each and every one of us where we work and live every day.<br />
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WEMC owner members need to tell the Board that instead of being disappointed if they leave Power4Georgians and Dapper Dean's water sucking, money burning, toxin spewing dirty old coal plant, we will congratulate them for recognizing that a lot has changed and been revealed in four years. <b><i>We need to do that now.</i></b><br />
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And while we're at it, let's all thank Billy for wanting to make our co-op the best possible by restoring some confidence in fiscal operations and decisions. <br />
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<b><i>Not a WEMC member? You can help too</i></b>.<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />If you aren't a WEMC member, contact them anyway. The changes at Cobb EMC and other co-ops were augmented by members who asked for help across the state. We all need clean air and water and affordable power, and operating in a silo doesn't make sense. </span><br />
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<div style="background-color: white; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>WEMC Board and Senior Staff</b><br /><br />Mike McDonald, District 1.....706–465–9414<br />Jeff Larksen, District 2...........706–444–7556<br />Joe Taylor, District 3..............478–452–7817<br />Bill Helton, District 4..............478-348-3078<br />Mildred Jackson, District 5.....478–552–9438<br />Chair Mike McCoy, District 6..478–552–0895<br />Ken Vickers, District 7............478–864–2459<br />Washington EMC office.........478.552.2577</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Email:</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Frank Askew, CEO f.askew@washingtonemc.com<br /><br />Chair Mike McCoy, mmccoy@washemc.net<br /><br />Wendy Sellers, CFO w.sellers@washingtonemc.com</span></div>
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Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-27539706885574637172012-01-27T07:59:00.002-05:002012-01-27T08:00:59.151-05:00There would have been more, but I ran out.<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The Friday Photo</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>A weekly photo inspired by spontaneity, art, and community.</i></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BXKKS75cjL5BExaj9NLW1sosBkmIic9k2lLt5-xxUQzTdgkLGReoQhT4gk7IRV1EtaFSi-szWdYgmVpdj9QlYJg800JsQw4BmujmS82JIlfuayLgfPHgx9bet3142sGFQ-TdJJfIDDx8/s1600/331432_368905589803218_1yard+signs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BXKKS75cjL5BExaj9NLW1sosBkmIic9k2lLt5-xxUQzTdgkLGReoQhT4gk7IRV1EtaFSi-szWdYgmVpdj9QlYJg800JsQw4BmujmS82JIlfuayLgfPHgx9bet3142sGFQ-TdJJfIDDx8/s320/331432_368905589803218_1yard+signs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Work was interrupted for a short celebration this week</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Dapper Dean's coal plant lost its sugar daddy on Tuesday</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>This week's work has been powered by passion </i></span></span></div>Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-10532376158468540142012-01-26T16:07:00.000-05:002012-01-26T16:17:03.676-05:00Is Washington EMC "winging it" on Plant Washington finances?My electric co-op requires that owner members fill out a form to ask permission to attend part of the Washington EMC's (WEMC) monthly board meeting. Yes, owner members must fill out a form, have it reviewed, and be approved to attend the board meeting for the co-op we own. We are allowed in just long enough to raise whatever concerns we have specified in our request, and absolutely nothing more than that. Earlier today fellow co-op owners Larry Warthen and Lyle Lansdell joined me and Mark Hackett, a Cobb EMC member and electric energy expert, for a <a href="http://faceenvironment.org/reports/Mark_Hackett_Presentation_to_WEMC_Pro_Forma_%20Statements_Jan_26_2012.pdf?">presentation on pro forma estimates</a> and how that pertains to Plant Washington (because we learned two weeks ago today that there never has been a pro forma estimate for the $2.1B Plant Washington.<br />
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Hackett did a good job of explaining in layman's terms what a pro forma estimate is, why it is important, and how it can be used for making good decisions. His Power Point not only explains why a pro forma estimate is critical for a project as large and expensive as Plant Washington, but he also included charts which demonstrate that there is, and will be, sufficient power available for my EMC without this plant.<br />
<br />
Following the presentation only one board member, Billy Helton (who happens to be my district rep) asked a question about power generation and supply which showed he was really thinking through the information that was presented. When CEO Frank Askew asked if any of us had a question, I asked how much the co-op has budgeted for 2012 expenses for this $2.1+B project which has no pro forma estimate and just lost the funding from the largest co-op in the project. It seemed germane to the the discussion.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGq9eazEp0RljRv9IdfVeenAapgJ_wIaQGXgRKmWUpd8Se-e3o_RmpU5Ob_MvlQ5_z8s1QXw8-Yu1YBe0BKpxSMsfQFUGbC22yLLQ4Bbqdn1ii0RMIjKSYqiwl_g8LEJTzgzjEjT9fJNpU/s1600/money-in-toilet-245x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGq9eazEp0RljRv9IdfVeenAapgJ_wIaQGXgRKmWUpd8Se-e3o_RmpU5Ob_MvlQ5_z8s1QXw8-Yu1YBe0BKpxSMsfQFUGbC22yLLQ4Bbqdn1ii0RMIjKSYqiwl_g8LEJTzgzjEjT9fJNpU/s1600/money-in-toilet-245x300.jpg" /></a><br />
Askew said that my question wasn't specific to the form I had filled out 10 days ago. Since we were talking about budgeting and decisions relying on owner member dollars, I thought it was appropriate. Call me crazy. The money comes from the members so I feel like I have a vested interest in what they decide.<br />
<br />
As the board left the building I approached Mike McCoy, the Chair. He said that <b>WEMC doesn't even have a P4G budget for 2012 and in fact the four remaining co-ops will meet soon to discuss that.</b> It made my head swim. We are almost one month into the year on a project which even by conservative figures is well over the announced $2.1B dollars to build, and still lacks a pro forma estimate. <br />
<br />
Since the money decisions seem to be made by moving some numbers around on the back of an envelope, maybe they ought to consider this: when Plant Washington was announced four years ago, the customer base among the nine Power4Georgians co-op participants was 741,000. Four years later, with just four co-ops clinging to this project, the customer base is 167,000. <b>That's a reduction of 77 percent in customer load.</b> In a state where there is a surplus of readily available and affordable power. <br />
<br />
Hmmm. They have spent $1M of our money, have no budget for 2012, and the largest co-op just took their marbles and left based on the fact that Plant Washington isn't a sound financial project to continue pursuing.<br />
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So, although I am repeating a question that has been asked often in the last four years,<b> "What does the WEMC Board and senior staff know about new coal plants that companies abandoning coal don't know?"</b> Owner members deserve an answer. Now. <br />
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<br />Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-53446957973444218102012-01-25T00:17:00.000-05:002012-01-25T00:19:13.256-05:00Cobb EMC just left Plant Washington at the alterThe Cobb EMC Board of Directors voted to call off the wedding with Plant Washington Tuesday after a four year engagement which involved a swollen budget, court actions, 35 indictments, and in the end, a realization that this marriage was a bad idea from the beginning.<br />
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Cobb EMC owner members have demonstrated that it is possible to regain control of a co-op, and Tuesday's decision in favor of better fiscal action reflects that. Washington EMC members are urged to call their board member and the office on Wednesday and tell them, "NOT ANOTHER DOLLAR ON PLANT WASHINGTON! GET OUT NOW!"<br />
<br />
The timing is uncanny. Last week I filled out the "permission form" so I can attend the board meeting of the co-op where I am an owner. That's kind of like asking your first grader if you can see the report card because you are the parent. I asked to attend (the board doesn't believe in members attending the regular meetings and participating in the co-op we own) the meeting by filling out a form and explaining exactly why I wanted to be there.<br />
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Fortunately the CEO and Board agreed I could be there, along with two other co-op members and an energy expert, who happens to be a Cobb EMC member. Tomorrow Mark Hackett, who is one of the nicest people anyone could ever wish to meet, will share information about pro forma cost and revenue estimates on projects like a coal plant.<br />
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That's especially handy because a V-P at Cobb EMC told the Marietta Daily Journal less than two weeks ago that there is no pro forma estimate for Plant Washington. Should the WEMC Board have any lingering doubts about the financial soundness of Plant Washington, or their legal obligation to carry out their fiduciary responsibilities on the members' behalf, if they listen with open minds and hearts they will see that there is no future in Dean Alford's no-bid Plant Washington.<br />
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So, to all the people who have spoken out against Plant Washington, and taken great risks in doing that, your bravery and moral fiber have helped bring us where we are today. For those who know this project is wrong for our community but haven't spoken out yet, there is a huge and important opportunity for you today.<br />
<br />
Call the Washington EMC office at 478.552.2577 and tell them to VOTE TO QUIT PLANT WASHINGTON on Thursday, January 26. This plant will impact all citizens in the area and it is absolutely appropriate for anyone to call. If you are an EMC member call your Board Representative too and speak up.<br />
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There have never been any good reasons for Plant Washington to be pursued. There are no good reasons for Washington EMC and the citizens of Washington to worry about another dime being spent on it. STOP PLANT WASHINGTON NOW. SPEAK UP. DO WHAT IS RIGHT. This is the time. Don't worry about what you could have done or wish you had done. Do it now. Today.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mike McDonald, District 1.......706–465–9414</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jeff Larksen, District 2...........706–444–7556<br />Joe Taylor, District 3..............478–452–7817<br />Bill Helton, District 4..............478-348-3078<br />Mildred Jackson, District 5.....478–552–9438<br />Chair Mike McCoy, District 6..478–552–0895<br />Ken Vickers, District 7............478–864–2459</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">Washington EMC office.........478.552.2577</span> </span> Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-6064003839771158802012-01-23T01:00:00.000-05:002012-01-23T17:39:21.443-05:00Better told with pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNM1dsNsLPiWz8KCOaysEi0OsjHM0iyIJiTiOkAnRIsVLBhqhJ6dbjC-UJYYer9LyrBywoENfo_6XiuF473cckIcBZsl4pvryCjxReSr5D-_LpSKS4JVsPrUrScmhLkfHOgIpC-7yd8B8/s1600/Gingrich+wins+S.C..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNM1dsNsLPiWz8KCOaysEi0OsjHM0iyIJiTiOkAnRIsVLBhqhJ6dbjC-UJYYer9LyrBywoENfo_6XiuF473cckIcBZsl4pvryCjxReSr5D-_LpSKS4JVsPrUrScmhLkfHOgIpC-7yd8B8/s320/Gingrich+wins+S.C..jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZbY4l2KEEnPvzHhOCUK_cbkT9IKAxnSnD30CCSTwlpal8kktF7Xr28eOgVXMojC4OsLbi_LXJ4kDCVwJJRGEXHmB7cKv6mO2E2Gt5YSX6uiLUYggJVwoQYYeKn91uiX_rg0wJNemloAm/s1600/Married.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZbY4l2KEEnPvzHhOCUK_cbkT9IKAxnSnD30CCSTwlpal8kktF7Xr28eOgVXMojC4OsLbi_LXJ4kDCVwJJRGEXHmB7cKv6mO2E2Gt5YSX6uiLUYggJVwoQYYeKn91uiX_rg0wJNemloAm/s320/Married.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WzZ9xmWXZccSYBGz2QpBtYyk80MKxZY7XjMBJTkIDf58rBRPukuz3xOyvYM2K3CXUAV07qkmiY1TmRL36zKzWC1rWLKsEAy1vL2dnQNVtyPWcDY6PXxg-YesyZJRjal5N1LiGndixf7G/s1600/Good+luck+in+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WzZ9xmWXZccSYBGz2QpBtYyk80MKxZY7XjMBJTkIDf58rBRPukuz3xOyvYM2K3CXUAV07qkmiY1TmRL36zKzWC1rWLKsEAy1vL2dnQNVtyPWcDY6PXxg-YesyZJRjal5N1LiGndixf7G/s320/Good+luck+in+2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-56006004944114460692012-01-20T00:00:00.000-05:002012-01-20T07:32:33.214-05:00Lost time, found time<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The Friday Photo</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A weekly photo inspired by spontaneity, art, and community.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAc7PvwJt0AhBaRlV_MJP01UwET2nZySsgqN9dIvEcy6eO8WL-8iGP3NcQ7yKV_7Q4XDS-Pviwh7-goPdPuF4fpAFiZvH4TqlO3aOyajcIDJP0QVMni3nxTKMv51S6ezNCwco3KZ6aAu79/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAc7PvwJt0AhBaRlV_MJP01UwET2nZySsgqN9dIvEcy6eO8WL-8iGP3NcQ7yKV_7Q4XDS-Pviwh7-goPdPuF4fpAFiZvH4TqlO3aOyajcIDJP0QVMni3nxTKMv51S6ezNCwco3KZ6aAu79/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">When I was a stay at home mom years ago I sewed a lot</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I made play clothes and
a few "nice" dresses for my daughters</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">When we finished
restoring our simple farmhouse</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I worked on curtains,
chair cushions, quilted duvets, and dust ruffles</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I stopped sewing when I
began working outside the house</span></i>
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<i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I
didn't really miss it much</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">No time between work,
dance classes and homework,</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> groceries, and laundry</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Last year in March, on a
warm early spring day</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">on what should have been
the last few days of </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">radiation treatment for breast cancer</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">the computer on the
equipment crashed</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">It was the worst day of
having cancer </span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Sunburned from
radiation, </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> too exhausted to even think </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">of </span></i><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">anything that would
have given me respite</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I decided to start
sewing again</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">This weekend I will try
something new </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">using cast off and thrift store sweaters</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I have learned how to
felt them</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> cashmere, wool,
angora</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">cabled, patterned, plain
</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I hope by Sunday night
to have a new scarf</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">and make others with
scavenged finds</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I sobbed outside the
waiting room while my car was serviced that day</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">but I finally realized</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">that I will never have
the time back</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">so now I want to use it
well</span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">and not just pass
through so much of it </span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-1503272032515348402012-01-19T07:00:00.000-05:002012-01-19T08:24:43.426-05:00They never fail to disappointThe Georgia General Assembly never fails to entertain the taxpayers with both proposed legislation and their behavior as well while they are in Atlanta. Two (or three, depending on how you count them) of the highlights of this year's General Assembly session, so far, are H.B. 464 and H.B. 1130.<br />
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Representative Kip Smith (R-Columbus) managed to get himself stopped for poor driving last week in Atlanta. While he was busy failing a breathalizer test (initial reading was .091, the second was .99, and the third .100, when the legal limit is .08), he made sure to mention he is a member of the General Assembly. Fortunately that didn't impress the officer who stopped him. Smith was booked with two charges of DUI and ignoring a red light.<br />
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Republicans aren't the only ones who have done this, but Smith is a co-sponsor of H.R. 464, which would require Georgians who receive welfare to submit to random drug tests. Smith underwent a random drug test the night of January 12 in Buckhead, and he failed. He is a recipient of taxpayer funds, and yet his legislation doesn't require him to tow the same line. Rep. Scott Holcomb, (D-Atlanta) volleyed back with H.R. 677, which would make lawmakers who fail a drug test subject to removal. Unfortunately Holcomb's bill most likely won't muster adequate support, and Smith's bill won't die because of his poor decisions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAY7su8Hx87lcyQs3Lf0zPauHUIbic4c2xVeXk1OYQeTboo0j_3IHv9GAqlGl1p4wFUs8LaLrYLpbwo5zI6H9Hv_lnjY3VdCS6nxwonEc3X5zlUMCguKvpBSvtyyRcPstwcjks0T23ZE_B/s1600/image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAY7su8Hx87lcyQs3Lf0zPauHUIbic4c2xVeXk1OYQeTboo0j_3IHv9GAqlGl1p4wFUs8LaLrYLpbwo5zI6H9Hv_lnjY3VdCS6nxwonEc3X5zlUMCguKvpBSvtyyRcPstwcjks0T23ZE_B/s200/image1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
In the top 10 (so far) of bills filed this session, H.R. 1130 is absolutely stunning. This bill, filed by Representatives Kevin Cooke (R-Carrollton), Josh Clark (R-Buford), Delvis Dutton (R-Glennville), Buzz Brockway (R-Lawrenceville) ,and Christian Coomer(R-Cartersville), would repeal the 17th Amendment to the Constitution and allow state legislators to elect Georgia's U.S. Senators. This amendment, passed in 1913, finally took the power to elect Senators away from state legislators and put it in the hands of the citizens.<br />
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The U.S. Senate operates like a country club. Their staffers are notorious for refusing to attend meetings on the other side of the Capitol in the House offices. They have the luxury of standing for election every six years, allowing them ample time to stoke their campaign coffers and influence other state elections.If they can carry a large enough percentage of urban populations across the state, they can write off rural (rural generally gets the short end of the deal from our current Senators now) because they are elected statewide. It is a matter of managing the urban areas and letting rural ice the cake.<br />
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H.R. 1130 turns the electoral process on its head, stripping rights out of the hands of citizens and giving it to an already privileged group of white men under the Gold Dome. Surely if this gains any traction people of both parties, plus the Tea Party, will see if for what it is. This type of legislation is grandstanding and shouldn't be tolerated by Speaker Ralston and party leaders. Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-58726740108231876102012-01-18T10:48:00.000-05:002012-01-18T10:59:28.740-05:00No more rhymin' with the bitchesThe materialism, violence, and blatant sexism that pervade so much of rap music are an assault against all women. The degrading way that women are referred to as a bitch or a ho doesn't pose as "art" when the images and words are repeated over and over again in demeaning tones.<br />
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If any number of reports hold true, this week a respected and successful musician and producer has sworn off any more bitches in his music. Since the birth of his daughter Blue Ivy Carter, proud father Jay-Z, has decided that calling a female a bitch just for the sake of using the word isn't o.k. In fact, he reportedly goes even further with this, <span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">“I never realized while on the fast track that I'd give riddance to the word bitch/To leave her innocence intact/No man will degrade her, or call her name/Forever young you may pass/Blue Ivy Carter, my angel."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">If having a daughter brought this about, then congratulations are due to the father for quickly realizing that he doesn't want anyone calling his daughter a bitch (why he didn't give the word up out of respect for his wife or mother is another question). It is odd how a pink bow on the front door can change the way you speak (or rap). How many dads figure out that a lot of those doors will never open for their daughter?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Better pay? Women still earn about 77 cents to every dollar a man earns. Chances of leading a Fortune 500 company? </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">The numbers are down to 12 women in that role because three left their posts in the last year and were replaced by men.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Women have made some significant gains in political leadership, but the United States Senate has 100 members and only 17 are women. In the House of Representatives 16.8% of the 435 seats belong to women. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Last year Georgia State Rep. Bobby Franklin (R-Marietta, deceased) wanted legislation passed which would require rape victims to be called accusers. If rape were predominantly a crime committed against men, would any man in the Georgia General Assembly supported a bill requiring that they be referred to as accusers? Semantics? I don't think so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Like all new parents, I suspect that while Jay-Z and Beyonce know they can provide for Blue Ivy, they worry about the world that she will grow up in beyond their guarded home. If her father knows it shouldn't be a world where women are casually and routinely called bitches, I hope he can also do something about women also being considered a ho. That's another verse to be sung. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-86805938785485168872012-01-16T22:02:00.001-05:002012-01-16T22:02:14.517-05:00I hear the Fat Lady warming up off stageFour years ago this month I was invited to a meeting with other community leaders to hear our Washington EMC Board and Chamber of Commerce leaders introduce Dean Alford, the spokesperson for Power4Georgians (P4G). Dapper Dean, as we have so fondly come to call him since watching him operate, told a stunned group about Plant Washington, which was presented to us as a "done deal." Alford did add that he expected some environmental groups to oppose the plant, but that would be dealt with summarily and they would move on with this project.<br />
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Four years later, Dwight Brown, the former Cobb EMC CEO who organized P4G, has been indicted on 35 counts which include racketeering, theft, making false statements (in layman's terms, lying) and intimidating witnesses. Cobb EMC members are taking back their co-op by electing new board members who are committed to operating with the members' best interest at the forefront of their decisions. Along the way Brown funneled millions of Cobb EMC co-op dollars into Allied Energy Services, lead by Alford, which tidily secured a no bid contract for the coal plant. Later this month Dapper Dean is scheduled to make a presentation to the Cobb EMC Board in what should be a last ditch effort to keep his project on Cobb EMC's financial life support.<br />
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Cobb EMC Vice-President Sam Kelly told the <i><a href="http://mdjonline.com/view/full_story/17084357/article-Cobb-EMC%E2%80%99s-pursuit-cools-on-coal-fired-power-plant?instance=secondary_story_left_column">Marietta Daily Journal </a></i>last Thursday what so many people have suspected for a long time: there is no pro forma plan for Plant Washington. All we've heard up until now is essentially this is a good investment "because we said it is good." Can you imagine telling a bank that they should loan money "because I said it is good"?<br />
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Alford is quoted in the same article saying that Cobb's recent request for power proposals is "no big deal." Well Dean, it is a big deal. And we also know that Plant Washington isn't a "done deal." And that's a big deal too. I know it, you know, and now everyone else knows it.<br />
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For a long time I wanted to believe that Washington EMC, Chamber of Commerce, appointed officials, and elected leaders had been hoodwinked into a bad deal. Now that we know without a doubt that there never was a pro forma cost estimate the questions get even tougher.<br />
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Did they blindly agree to this project (in which case we all need to think about how much confidence we can have in them about anything else) or did they simply not tell us the truth when they answered our questions? It was a big deal then. It is an even bigger deal now. <br />
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The Fat Lady hasn't sung yet, but I can hear her warming up off stage. It sounds like she is rehearsing a funeral dirge for Plant Washington.Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-18303810371553597992012-01-16T09:57:00.002-05:002012-01-16T09:57:53.347-05:00"Shed a little light"This song, written by James Taylor, with its simple but poignant lyrics, delivered without fancy production work, is a wonderful tribute to Dr. King. On days when the vitriol and ugliness are tipping the scales, taking a minute to listen to it helps to clear the mental clutter. It reminds me that there are reasons to shut out the hate and greed and continue the work that Dr. King and so many others taught us is fundamental to communities both small and large. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UOMUIhQCm10" width="475"></iframe>Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-19982414033406991402012-01-13T19:25:00.000-05:002012-01-20T07:32:22.139-05:00Remember these?<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Friday Photo</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A weekly photo inspired by spontaneity, art, and community.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wonder if people squeeze into this tiny phone box,</span></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> shut the door, and use their cell phone.</span></i></span>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i>NYU Law School, 2nd floor </i></span></span></div>
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</div>Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-19124500602488396472012-01-06T11:33:00.001-05:002012-01-13T00:27:07.349-05:00Brilliant sun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Friday Photo</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A weekly photo inspired by spontaneity, art, and community.</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GYzlhWilFb9XT6oE5gGpAkqGGZhgm_KHFDbaz5FPzi6hYotgt_dndbqXd5zjbd7t5QmwZt2jpJ4LvsKyAQRFAjNXRqgt9_zqPcOn1FvRFs1CDh-eXpEc-8j81gec8pgRQ8r2aZMYvgrW/s1600/photo-730564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GYzlhWilFb9XT6oE5gGpAkqGGZhgm_KHFDbaz5FPzi6hYotgt_dndbqXd5zjbd7t5QmwZt2jpJ4LvsKyAQRFAjNXRqgt9_zqPcOn1FvRFs1CDh-eXpEc-8j81gec8pgRQ8r2aZMYvgrW/s320/photo-730564.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A brilliant sun so far away on </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a frigid January afternoon</span></div>
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<br /></div>Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-55832409828071019232012-01-01T21:29:00.000-05:002012-01-06T11:35:29.672-05:00A New Year and a New AdventureFour years ago my eyes were opened wide to how fragile and vulnerable the world around me really is when a coal fired power plant was planned about eight miles from my front door. The benefits have included trying new things like paddling, fishing, looking for slave graves deep in the woods on a hot afternoon with church elders (I was lucky and walked behind my boss who spotted a large rattlesnake obscured by overgrowth. And yes, it was a large snake and he killed it with a stick).<br />
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These adventures have allowed me to see the world around me, and especially the world outside the confines of my house and car, with a new perspective. It has changed the food I buy, what I like to eat (fighting coal taught me to like egg salad sandwiches), who my friends are (and aren't), expanded my news resources, and made me a pretty decent social media user.<br />
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In an effort to dial back the work a little, I am posting a photo here every Friday, called The Friday Photo. The photo will be something that caught my eye, maybe the first time I saw it, or the 20th time. I hope it will encourage others to look at the world around them with fresh eyes occasionally, or better yet, a world you haven't ventured into before. <br />
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Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-46158654197927065222011-12-25T15:11:00.000-05:002011-12-25T15:11:01.452-05:00A gift and a story rooted in timeless teachingsMy daily world doesn't include young teens anymore, but I am fortunate to know a young man in Sandersville who I consider to be my friend. Cody is a voracious reader and loves animals so for several years I gave him a subscription to National Geographic Kids for Christmas. A couple of years ago I switched to a young adult type literary bi-monthly which didn't take off like wildfire with him (and Cody was very gracious when he told me it wasn't the right fit for him). <br />
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This year I thought about a new magazine subscription until I ordered an anniversary edition DVD of "To Kill a Mockingbird" for my daughter's birthday. I checked and found out that Cody had not seen the movie or read the book, so today he unwrapped copies of both.<br />
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Harper Lee's story of deep racial prejudice (as well as economic and social injustices) holds just a true today as it did when it was published in 1960, in September 2011, and today. But perhaps what makes Lee's novel an appropriate Christmas gift, is that it teaches a timeless lesson of kindness and respect for all people, regardless of the color of their skin, how much money they make, where they go to church, or how far they got in school. In fact, it seems to be grounded in many of the teachings of the man whose birth is celebrated by millions around the world today.Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-30203426482361425402011-12-17T16:07:00.001-05:002011-12-17T16:16:06.586-05:00Because it is the season (my killer eggnog recipe)<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXosxqSOe05BWq0-4e2-6UYO7iekmNCr173AG3_LPiKpXr0A2kgoZ7QpuLRDOJ20zCsg3h-Ruq-tIAUnaktN9Hu9yzTRvA2ObbeJCfgicYFTrOYIqQn2oOd9n1P37blupSh5pwymAlSvn/s1600/eggnog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXosxqSOe05BWq0-4e2-6UYO7iekmNCr173AG3_LPiKpXr0A2kgoZ7QpuLRDOJ20zCsg3h-Ruq-tIAUnaktN9Hu9yzTRvA2ObbeJCfgicYFTrOYIqQn2oOd9n1P37blupSh5pwymAlSvn/s200/eggnog.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I was never a fan of eggnog until visiting Sandersville over the holidays before I married my husband. We were invited to have eggnog with a neighbor on New Year's Eve and the sweet whipped version that was served made me a quick convert. I have made this with Kahlua instead of bourbon and it works nicely for a coffee/chocolate variety. I tried a chocolate eggnog once but it wasn't worth the effort. My husband has pasteurized the eggs when we were serving it to someone whose immune system was perhaps weakened by illness.<br />
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</b><br />
<b>New York Times Cookbook Eggnog </b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">12 eggs separated</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 cup granulated sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 cup bourbon</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 cup cognac</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ teaspoon salt</div><div class="MsoNormal">3 pints heavy cream</div><div class="MsoNormal">Grated nutmeg (optional in my opinion))</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In electric mixer beat egg yolks with sugar until thick and lemon colored. Slowly add bourbon and cognac while beating at low speed. Chill several hours (in a hurry? an hour works find but overnight is o.k. too)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Add salt to egg whites and beat until almost stiff or until beaten whites form a peak that bends slightly. Whip the cream until stiff. Fold the yolk mixture into the whipped cream, then fold in the egg whites. Don't mix it in too hard or it will lose some of the fluffiness (directions call to chill mixture one hour, but I don’t).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Serve in small cups along with a spoon. Top with nutmeg if desired.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">¼ recipe serves six people who really love eggnog</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 people (or one who REALLY needs some eggnog) 2 eggs, 1/8 cup each of sugar, bourbon, cognac, 1 cup whipping cream, pinch of salt </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-76344272641280083922011-12-14T10:05:00.001-05:002011-12-14T10:12:27.781-05:00Co-op members expect more than a pat on the headWashington EMC co-op members may have been pleasantly surprised when they found dividend checks in the mail this week. The checks come two weeks before Christmas, and while it isn't a large check (just under $35.00) I am glad to have the extra cash before the holidays.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1joqaybUF4p_8hKZ2t0QaizmScIYET7bE_Rqfd6fvy8Q9ycM3v2xvyB_W01MEZXzNIJ89KVztZ4zijvaovFeaat6aMBnAYM_9ObuDr36bX_3iOlEmVSYcmofJ8adsqF1Q_T2oyusw4J2T/s1600/154613_1718629571948_1424520107_1817682_4991688_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1joqaybUF4p_8hKZ2t0QaizmScIYET7bE_Rqfd6fvy8Q9ycM3v2xvyB_W01MEZXzNIJ89KVztZ4zijvaovFeaat6aMBnAYM_9ObuDr36bX_3iOlEmVSYcmofJ8adsqF1Q_T2oyusw4J2T/s1600/154613_1718629571948_1424520107_1817682_4991688_n.jpg" /></a></div>But the check didn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy, despite its unexpected arrival in the mailbox. It kind of feels icky, like the Board knows the members are really unhappy, and we aren't going to tolerate the way things have been done in the past. Did they send us a dividend just before Christmas to take the edge off member unhappiness with the Board's interaction with members? Is the check a pat on the head like the Grinch gave Cindy Lou Who when he gave her a glass of water and sent her back to bed so he could continue to steal every bit of Christmas from her house?<br />
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Just simple coincidence to arrive 12 days before Santa gets here? How would we know? Board meeting minutes and financials aren't readily available to the members, so we don't know if the Board felt the hot breath of the members on their necks and decided to distract us with a little money just before Christmas.<br />
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The members are not easily fooled or placated. Our eyes are wide open.We turned a corner at the October Member Meeting and the Board knows it too. WEMC leaders can embrace better governance now and lead the way among EMCs in Georgia, or they can dig in their heels and hide behind a closed door. The choice is theirs. And Santa is watching to see who is being good.Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-39517561697999845082011-12-12T13:24:00.000-05:002011-12-12T13:24:36.336-05:00Longleaf fight brought tears to my eyes this morningThe longest active fight to stop a proposed coal plant came to a close today with a huge victory for the health of Georgia's citizens and our fragile natural resources. As soon as I realized what the call was about (we had no idea why we were asked to participate) my eyes welled with tears. Stopping this 1200MW proposed coal plant is a HUGE VICTORY for grassroots organizers across the country.<br />
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Bobby and Jane McClendon have taken lots of grief from their neighbors in Early County while opposing Longleaf, but they remained steadfast in their determination to stop a coal plant that would ruin the air they breathe, the water they drink, the fish swimming nearby, and the health of their friends and family (now and future generations). With the help of Colleen Kiernan at the Sierra Club, Erin Glynn with the Beyond Coal Campaign, Justine Thompson at GreenLaw, and a very long list of other organizations, individual citizens, attorneys, experts, and funders (remember, no one on the coal plant opposition side of the equation is billing $750+ per hour for legal work to stop these nightmare plants, philanthropic groups play a vital role in this work).<br />
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What does this mean for Plant Washington? It should serve as notice to the leaders of P4G, my local EMC Board, co-op members, AND the citizens who are fighting Plant Washington that in fact coal can be stopped in Georgia, despite the high priced lawyers and experts, and millions of shareholder dollars that are sunk into a project like this.<br />
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In one day's work this summer individuals shut down the phone system at LS Energy, the developer of Longleaf, with calls opposing the plant. That day was one of many spent during the past 11 years developing opposition to this pollution spewing plant. The grit and determination, skilled work and strategy, and long hours (and funding) have resulted in a victory that serves as a model for work against Plant Washington. I hope it is the last proposed coal plant that must be defeated in our country.<br />
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That sounds ambitious, but with Georgia being one of the few states still issuing new coal plant permits (never mind that our rivers are already full of mercury, we don't have enough water to power new plants, our air quality is declining, and the health of our state's citizens is impacted negatively in both the long term and short term pictures), we still have work to do.<br />
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With the news today about Longleaf, I've rolled my sleeves up a little more. If you want to make a difference right now in the work that I am doing via FACE, <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://faceenvironment.org/getinvolved.html">please consider joining or making a contribution here.</a> </b>I love a good fight, and I am in this one to win.Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-12523286152296992632011-12-09T14:31:00.003-05:002011-12-09T14:45:59.018-05:00Let's call the EPD what it really isWhen I started learning about coal and the impact a coal plant would have on my community, someone with many years of experience in environmental work referred to the Environmental Protection Division as the "Environmental Permitting Division." As a novice, I thought that was pretty clever. It isn't now, unfortunately.<br />
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Almost two months ago in this blog I asked if ANY state agency/department in the state is protecting our health. There are no searchable news releases from the Georgia Department of Community Health concerning the impact of coal plants on the state's citizens (there are from other health organizations such as the American Lung Association). That begs the question of why, with high asthma rates among children, and high cardiopulmonary disease rates in adults, DCH isn't at the front line on coal plant emissions in the state (both existing and proposed). <br />
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It is for sure we can't count on the Environmental "Protection" Division to protect our health by reducing pollutants spewing into the air or dumping into our waterways. Based on his support of adding new coal plants in the state, Gov. Deal isn't an advocate for our health. He allowed Allen Barnes to continue as Director of EPD after the state's largest fish kill occurred on his watch, followed by the EPD's overdue admission that it hadn't properly monitored the company responsible for the dumping that killed the fish. Another fish kill happened on Brier Creek, and another was reported in Commission Creek. And yet Deal was happy to allow the E"P"D leader to continue.<br />
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Allen Barnes has left his job at E"P"D and his replacement, Jud Turner, a lobbyist, opened the door for a warm welcome from environmentalists by saying just after his appointment was announced, that he will <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">“adopt the policies of his predecessor in trying to keep economic development coming into the state while regulating its impact on the environment.”</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">My comments submitted to the E"P"D during the last air permit hearing on Plant Washington included this:</span><br />
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</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt;">The EPD’s mission is:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">protects and restores Georgia’s environment. </span><b style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">We take the lead in ensuring clean air, water and</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"> </span><b style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">land</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">. With our partners, we pursue a sustainable environment that provides a foundation for a vibrant economy and healthy communities.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt;">Your vision statement includes:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Georgia’s environment is healthy and sustainable</span></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">. Natural resources are protected and managed to meet the needs of current and future generations.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: inherit;">Your principles include:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt;">EPD serves the public</span></i></b><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt;"> by implementing state laws, rules, and policies to protect human health and the environment.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt;">EPD applies and enforces environmental laws and standards in a consistent, fair, and timely manner.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt;">EPD is proactive</span></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt;"> <b>and results-oriented</b>, and helps develop new approaches to meet Georgia’s environmental challenges.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt;">Georgians have a right to and a responsibility for a healthy environment</span></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt;"> and the conservation of our natural resources.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt;">Georgia’s environment consists of diverse ecosystems of interrelated and interdependent components, including people, plants, animals and their habitats, as well as air, water, and land.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt;">Environmental stewardship, protection of human health</span></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt;">, and economic vitality are compatible and mutually beneficial goals.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Several concerned citizens joined me that night and said the E"P"D's job is to protect the natural resources in our state and the health of the people who live here. Economic vitality is mentioned in the last part of the department's vision, but it seems that the Department has narrowed its work to solely focus on the economic vitality of a few private companies and their shareholders.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">While I was out of the office earlier this week (and mulling over any number of topics for an update to this blog) the <i>Columbus Ledger-Enquirer </i>was working on an editorial which was quickly picked up and circulated today by the very people (environmentalists) that Turner should be courting. Tom Crawford thought it was worth quoting in full (and I agree):</span><br />
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 22px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><i>Jud Turner, Gov. Nathan Deal’s choice to head the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, will officially succeed EPD Director Allen Barnes in the new year. At Wednesday’s meeting of the state Natural Resources Board, Turner pledged, as reported by Morris News Service, to “adopt the policies of his predecessor in trying to keep economic development coming into the state while regulating its impact on the environment.”</i></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 22px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">The reaction of Georgia’s environmental community was almost certainly less than enthusiastic. And that skepticism might ultimately have less to do with Turner’s qualifications and values (or with those of his predecessor) than with the years-old conflict inherent in the agency he has been tapped to lead.</span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 22px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Barnes, who has led the EPD for slightly more than two years after succeeding Columbus native Carol Couch, acknowledged his conflicts with environmentalists but said part of the office’s responsibility is “to find that balance between a sustainable economy and a sustainable environment.” Turner echoed the observation: “There is a balance, as Allen has talked about, between economic sustainability and environmental sustainability.”</span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 22px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Of course such a balance is essential, in Georgia and everywhere else. So what’s the problem?</span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 22px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">The problem is that while both economic development and environmental protection are critical, an agency officially titled the Environmental Protection Division should be primarily — perhaps exclusively — concerned with the latter.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><br />
The fact that Georgia’s top-ranking environmental watchdog is expected to concern himself/herself with economics, beyond the obvious responsibility of managing the department’s budget, goes to the chronic structural dysfunction of this part of state government. And that structural problem goes all the way back to the Carter administration. (That’s Jimmy Carter the governor, not Carter the later president.)</span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 22px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">As part of a well-intentioned and efficiency-minded reorganization of state government, EPD was placed under the Department of Natural Resources, largely an economic development agency. As the decades have gone by, the tension between industrial and environmental interests — a familiar tension, but in Georgia one that plays out under the same bureaucratic roof — has made the merger look more and more like a shotgun wedding.</span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 22px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Environmental protectors should be protecting the environment … period. Surely there are ample forces in Georgia government to effect that balance to which the current and future EPD directors alluded. (Rest assured that in the Georgia General Assembly, business interests will be devoutly represented.)</span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 22px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Turner, like Barnes before him, would have a tough enough job just protecting Georgia’s precious and beautifully diverse environment. Having to worry about economic growth as well shouldn’t be part of his mission. But until Georgia leaders rethink the role and importance of environmental protection, EPD is destined to remain a second-tier bureaucracy.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In this time of budget crunching and nickel squeezing, will the Governor's next spending reduction suggestion be to simply roll the E"P"D into the state's Department of Economic Development and let them pursue and permit more companies to degrade and poison our environment? At the current pace, it would be in keeping with the state's safeguarding of our natural resources and our health.</span><br />
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<i> </i> Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-46080212204050088592011-11-23T17:11:00.000-05:002011-11-23T17:11:04.616-05:00Simple is Plenty for MeI was just 14 years old when <a href="http://www.garyweis.com/SNL_files/page11-movie.mov">this aired on Saturday Night Live</a>, but I have never forgotten it. It reminds me, especially having flown just two weeks ago, of a much simpler time when people eagerly waited for their friends and family at the gate where people came up the jetway.<br />
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Our lives are so complex now with 24 hour news, tiny computers that are also phones, cameras, telegraph equipment (think txt mssg), video cameras, and shopping centers (Ebay), plus laptop computers, and cars that respond to our voices. In 1975 sales of the microwave exceeded gas ranges for the first time. Children don't know that pancakes start with eggs, flour, and buttermilk in liquid form, or that French toast didn't originate as French toast sticks.<br />
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Tomorrow families across our country, and those serving our country here and in every corner of the Earth, will come together to share a meal and be thankful. Thanksgiving isn't about presents, shiny ribbon, or battery operated toys. It is meant to give all of us a day to pause and reflect.<br />
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Some of us will not set as many places at the table as last year, but hopefully we will feel the warmth and love of those who aren't with us. Others may be painfully aware of having much less in their checkbooks than they did last year, and dread the constant onslaught of "buy this" that has already begun without mercy. Whether spoken or not, some of us will know that while all the seats are filled at the table, next year they may not be. <br />
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I hope that tomorrow each of us will find a reason to smile at some point during the day. Some smiles may come from the deep satisfaction of seeing a newborn nestled in the crook of a great-grandparent's arm. Children will smile when they think no one has seen them pinching a taste of melted marshmallow from the sweet potatoes. A young cook will smile with relief that the meal is more than just edible, it is actually good.<br />
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I don't have a cooking assignment tomorrow (mine is for Friday night's meal with 22 people). Instead, tomorrow I will cover two large tables with heavy brown paper. Then I will put out brand new crayons (a total of 96) within easy reach of each chair. I know my family well enough to be sure that just about everyone, including the great grandparents, will at the least play tic-tac-toe with one of the younger children. Linen tablecloths and ironed napkins just don't feel right this year.<br />
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A year ago on the day before Thanksgiving, I had a follow up mammogram because something didn't look right. Last week I was told there is no indication that the early stage cancer I had removed from my left breast in late December has returned. So simple is a good fit for me this year: a simple thankfulness that I am well, and that the people I know and love are well. And that is reason enough to smile. And to be thankful. Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-19899415213220482302011-11-22T19:06:00.000-05:002011-11-22T19:06:42.660-05:00New Leadership Signals Trouble Ahead for Plant WashingtonMy friends at SACE have summed up the release of the air permit for Plant Washington and the new direction expected to be chosen by newly elected Cobb EMC directors. <a href="http://blog.cleanenergy.org/2011/11/22/new-leadership-signals-trouble-ahead-for-plant-washington/">Read their blog here</a>.Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253091841238323301.post-10101900712577693502011-11-08T12:46:00.001-05:002011-11-08T17:16:16.484-05:00The glass won't even be half fullThe Georgia Water Coalition released a list of the state's 12 dirtiest or threatened rivers over the weekend, and my little community has the embarrassing distinction of being on it (at number 6) due to the foolish pursuit of a coal fired power plant that will suck 16 million gallons of water a day out of either the Oconee River (which is always critically low), or 15 wells in the recharge area of the Ogeechee River. Now home owners and farmers will have to compete with a coal plant for sufficient water for daily use.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI85fulIrTwErD8FvnsbBVRMy3f1LGT8V3GdXlcPMDxYY9kJoh0ZtD4dsGdgXtSBSqw5hf8rk2imNs7Z9pCFdu1nKKOhzavhn6q__PkBsWY72gj9aSzdBBYNEsEAvkmQ3Pi3LwkFliI8Ls/s1600/Oconee+River+stage+4+drought+2007+pic+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI85fulIrTwErD8FvnsbBVRMy3f1LGT8V3GdXlcPMDxYY9kJoh0ZtD4dsGdgXtSBSqw5hf8rk2imNs7Z9pCFdu1nKKOhzavhn6q__PkBsWY72gj9aSzdBBYNEsEAvkmQ3Pi3LwkFliI8Ls/s320/Oconee+River+stage+4+drought+2007+pic+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Wondering what the Oconee looks like during a stage 4 drought? You could walk across it and not get your feet wet (photo from the state of Georgia, 2007). Since Plant Washington was announced in January 2008, the developers, Power4Georgians, have admitted that the river levels were too low to supply the plant during one summer and they would have relied entirely on the ground water supplies.<br />
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Let me make this clear: I know and love many good people in Atlanta and other metropolitan cities in Georgia who have serious water shortage issues. I know they need water for their families and communities just like the rural folks do.<br />
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The difference is, when the only source of water you have for your home or farm is a well, you treat it with incredible respect and conservation. Losing your water trumps everything else on your day's agenda. The solution isn't as easy as calling the city utility department and finding out that it is something simple like flushing the lines. Not having water demands immediate attention, and it can also mean considerable costs.<br />
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The people who depend on wells in the area around the proposed plant site understand better than anyone else that the threat to our wells is real. If we lose our water permanently due to the draw down (and a USGS staffer with no skin in the game said it will happen sooner rather than later if the plant is built), everything we have invested in our homes and farms will be dried up, literally. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCL7sXuPe2CMvCHqdssi_BUrLpD3cvmlwfaxjAm9GV1PG9pe49mCbPLnzAd8g3Op47TQCYjOtv9i6gwkps9Gtcse9inyxDHqXuUziwAXRIuRmss3iiD9y-kezbhHIvC0H8Hnng0k4FfNJp/s1600/6832241-drops-of-water-drip-from-green-garden-hose-space-for-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCL7sXuPe2CMvCHqdssi_BUrLpD3cvmlwfaxjAm9GV1PG9pe49mCbPLnzAd8g3Op47TQCYjOtv9i6gwkps9Gtcse9inyxDHqXuUziwAXRIuRmss3iiD9y-kezbhHIvC0H8Hnng0k4FfNJp/s1600/6832241-drops-of-water-drip-from-green-garden-hose-space-for-copy.jpg" /></a></div>Even if there was a work around for the water that has sustained families here for hundred of years, P4G hasn't stood behind their promises in writing to make sure we have water if the plant impacts us. That confirms what we have known all along: our water supplies can't sustain the additional demand of 16 million gallons per day from the Oconee or local wells. Period. <br />
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Katherine Helms Cummingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11947351507648930123noreply@blogger.com0