Congress REMOVING Support For Renewable Energy - URGENT Call To Action

Mary, I wanted to give you an update. I called my Senators Mel Martinez (R-FL) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) the day you posted this originally (one day prior to the vote, I think). I spoke to someone, at both offices, who answered the phone (probably an intern or aid) and told them to urge the Senators not to compromise on promoting the research and development of renewable energy sources. I urged them to encourage the Senators to vote NO on this politically expedient but detrimental energy bill because it would remove the very credits that encouraged the further development of renewable energy sources. Both Senators Martinez and Nelson had opposed previous bills that would have permitted offshore oil drilling closer to Florida's beaches and have been supporters of the Everglades Restoration Project but I got widely different answers from each Senator's office. Senator Nelson's aid responded that he would pass along my feelings but that the bill would not effect tax credits for solar power and that Renewable Portfolio Standards and tax credits were different issues. What???Was this person insane or just incompetent???Of course the two things are tied together. I was upset to say the least because this long term, fairly liberal Senator's office was telling me the Senator was going to vote to pass this energy bill when it makes it to the Senate floor! Senator Martinez had quite a different stance on this issue. His office informed me that the Senator supported tax credits for renewable energy sources and did not believe that stripping this out of the energy bill was wise! I was shocked that a recently elected, fairly right wing Senator's office was supportive of Renewable Portfolio Standards. I'm sure my shock is due to my media inundated bias that everything Republican is anti-environmental and everything Democratic is pro-environmental. It is my hope that Senator Nelson will reconsider when the bill reaches the Senate floor.

As for how my Representative actually voted...Connie Mack (R-FL) didn't even vote.

thanks for the updated information! You have to wonder where their heads are???

HI Mary:

I am coming late to the discussion but does anyone know why both Democratic leaders in the House and Senate would decide to do this? It seems so strange and definitely reeks of politics somewhere. If I knew why it might make a bit more sense, maybe...

Mary- This is political bull at its core! I am so sick of both sides doing these slippery snake tactics at the last minute, it was probably planned all along. The dems and reps are all bad, all greedy, all do what they get paid by the highest bidder to do, The oil companies rule and I have a post I have been working on for some time now that is highly controversial but I don't care, the word needs to get out. If only Ron Paul could get a footing in. I doubt it, the biggies are just too big with the bucks, grass roots movements still don't have the momentum they need. To think the dems pretend that they are for cleaning up the environment is just a smoke screen. Katerina

Mary- This is political bull at its core! I am so sick of both sides doing these slippery snake tactics at the last minute, it was probably planned all along. The dems and reps are all bad, all greedy, all do what they get paid by the highest bidder to do, The oil companies rule and I have a post I have been working on for some time now that is highly controversial but I don't care, the word needs to get out. If only Ron Paul could get a footing in. I doubt it, the biggies are just too big with the bucks, grass roots movements still don't have the momentum they need. To think the dems pretend that they are for cleaning up the environment is just a smoke screen. Katerina

Thanks Mary. I just dont get Pelosi and Reid doing this. I am hoping that there is some other end game here that they are not telling us. Guess we will just have to wait and see.  

Hey Mary,

 Thank you so much for staying on such an important issue.  I also hope that this discouraging news turns around into something good.

Mary:

I have seen so many bizarre things done in the name of politics not much surprises me any more. Since the credits are still in place for 2008 I would not be surprised to see the issue come back again somehow some way.

What a problem we have with our elected representatitves, I am personally appalled by their behavior, why are they going against the wishes of the American People in such a blatant disregard for the voters? Should we vote the bums out of office? - Lance

Hi Mary:

I was discussing this issue with a green architect friend of mine and he indicated the reason they took the tax credits out was that they tied paying for these tax credits by cutting tax credits for the oil industry. Dont know if that is accurate or not but thought I would pass it along.