Serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis. © James Conner.
Sens. Jon Tester and John Walsh start Saturday at 0800 in Kalispell. Details below, and free coffee at the event.
At the more civilized hour of 1000, a “makers faire” kicks off at FVCC, sponsored by both the college and the Flathead County Library, aka ImagineIF Libraries. One of the exhibits is on making a pneumatic cannon, which, if it shoots potatoes, should fit in with the library’s plan to offer a workshop on building a chicken coop.
After you get back from the faire, you can read my comments on the Keystone XL pipeline and possible political blackmail by green voters and organizations.
This is a meet and greet, primarily for veterans, I think, but with everyone welcome, and a rare chance to meet both of Montana’s senators at the same time. It runs from 0800 to 0900 at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post at 330 First Avenue West in Kalispell. (The early hour is not a hoax, which is why I’m posting the roundup on Friday night.)
There’s a free continental breakfast, and those attending are asked to bring an item of food to donate to the Northwest Veterans Food Pantry (“suggestions are cans [or packages] of mixed vegetables, chili, tomato sauce, sugar, coffee, potatoes, instant potatoes, pasta, or oatmeal”).
There’ll be how-to-do-it presentations, including one on 3D printing, and exhibits, including one on building a pneumatic cannon (a propane powered potato gun, perhaps?). Its sponsors — FVCC and the Flathead County Library, aka ImagineIF Libraries — call it a “mini faire,” and apparently it’s part of a nationwide program.
Go to FVCC’s Arts and Technology building. A schedule of presentations and list of exhibitors is available online.
It’s hard to see how that would help achieve green objectives, but that prediction — or threat — is being made.
After the State Department concluded that redlighting the pipeline wouldn’t stop development of Alberta’s Athabasca Tar Sands, The Hill reported that:
“It is very likely that there will be negative consequences for Democrats if Keystone were approved,” said Kate Colarulli, the associate director for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Oil campaign. “This is a tremendous opportunity to protect the climate and build the Democratic base if Obama rejects Keystone XL.”
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Jamie Henn of the green group 350.org called the dispute over Keystone “the most iconic fight of a generation” and said the youth vote, which played an important part in Obama’s rise, could hang in the balance.
“A Keystone XL approval will turn a lot of people off from the process, and they will get involved in action that could be disruptive,” Henn said.
More than 75,000 activists have threatened to engage in acts of civil disobedience if Obama or Secretary of State John Kerry gives Keystone XL the green light, Colarulli said.
And a couple of days ago, Flathead Beacon columnist Mike Jopek observed:
Few expect Obama to make the pipeline decision this year. Any tar sands pipeline now would likely disenfranchise too many college-aged midterm voters who seek real conservation and more power from energy sources like wind, solar, hydro, or geothermal.
Voting and engaging in “disruptive activities” are not mutually exclusive activities. I’m amazed Colarulli hasn’t been fired for her remarks. Beating back global warming is now the Sierra Club’s raison d’être, but one of the club’s most effective tools for advancing its policy agenda is supporting environmentally minded political candidates. Nowadays, that means supporting Democrats almost exclusively. And it means getting voters to the polls. If I were running the Sierra Club, and I’m not, I’d run Colarulli out of her job.
The age 18–29 cohort of Democratic voters turns out in smaller numbers in midterm elections than in Presidential elections, so even if they do stay home, it will be hard, if not impossible, to know whether they stayed home out of habit or to punish Democrats by helping to elect Republicans.