Tag Archives: corruption

Gone national and press conference this morning: FL Gov. Rick Scott pipeline share ownership

Gone viral and now a big issue in the Florida governor’s race: Broward Bulldog, Tampa Bay Times, Time.com, Florida Democratic Party, WFTV, YouTube, Rachel Maddow’s producer, and Climate Progress, all from the Miami Herald story revealing FL Gov. Rick Scott owned shares in Spectra Energy before his appointees approved its Sabal Trail pipeline. Maybe you’d like to mention this corruption scandal at the Climate Rally and EPA hearings in Atlanta Tuesday next week. And there’s a press conference 11AM this morning at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida.

Tampa Bay Times picked up 21 July 2014 in The FPL-Rick Scott investment connection what Dan Christensen wrote for the Broward Bulldog 21 July 2014, Rick Scott privately profited in FPL pipeline deal approved by governor’s appointees,

Before the story, here’s the governor’s whole statement: Continue reading Gone national and press conference this morning: FL Gov. Rick Scott pipeline share ownership

Community Bill of Rights against pipelines

Local governments can fight pipelines, even though FERC is funded by the companies it regulates and basically acts as a marketing firm for them, which is why FERC has only denied two pipelines. Pass a community bill of rights. And dare Spectra or FPL or Williams or whoever to challenge it in court.

John Trallo wrote for Sane Energy Project 7 July 2014, FERC and the Regulatory Trap

That is not to say that citizens should not get involved with the FERC regulatory process. You should, to get on record. You just have to also act outside the FERC process on the local municipality level to zone it out, or make it too expensive for the operator.

The ideal way to stop pipelines is by establishing a Community Bill of Rights that essentially “zones out” this kind of activity, or restricts it and establishes safety standards and set-backs in such a way that it is no longer economically worthwhile for an operator to build. The concept of a Community Bill of Rights has been championed by Continue reading Community Bill of Rights against pipelines