Category Archives: Environment

Thomas Steyer’s interest in the 26th Legislative District race

In a Facebook post on Oct. 18, state Rep. Jan Angel, running to unseat appointed incumbent state Sen. Nathan Schlicher in as the 26th Legislative District’s senator, wrote:

“Don’t allow this man to buy this election—mark the box by Jan Angel–I have lived and worked right here for over 30 yrs and no California dude can buy this seat unless you allow it!! Time to fight back 26th District!!”

The “dude” in question is Thomas Steyer, a California hedge fund manager who has since become a bigtime contributor to environmental causes. Angel links to this story from the Washington State Wire, which does a pretty good job of explaining who Steyer is and where the $6.3 million he put into committee named “NextGen CLimate Action Committee Sponsored by Thomas Steyer” can and cannot go. More recent Public Disclosure Commission reporting shows that of the $6.3 million Steyer put into the committee, all but about a half million has been spent, the bulk of it on out-of-state causes. What’s more is that NextGen cannot put a donation greater than $5,000 into the legislative races anymore.

Why so much money is reported in Washington is unclear. I tried to contact Steyer and got no response. Lori Anderson, PDC spokeswoman, said it’s possible Steyer is just operating his overall political spending operation here for convenience sake, because he has to report here anyway.

Steyer has put in $525,000 into two Washington committees. She’s Changed PAC, the organization doing all the advertising against Angel, has received $250,000. Washington Conservation Voters has received the rest. That committee then donated $150,000 to She’s Changed PAC, meaning Steyer has spent $400,000 to defeat Jan Angel.

Before getting to Steyer’s presence in Washington, it’s worth pointing out that most of the attention he gets recently has been for his opposition to the Keystone Pipeline. He has done plenty of work elsewhere to suggest his environmentalist leanings are legitimate, but one element of his opposition against Keystone provides easy fodder for his critics. He made the bulk of his money with Farallon Capital, which owns a boatload of stock in Kinder Morgan, which owns the Canada-U.S. West Coast pipeline that would be a major competitor to Keystone. If Keystone is blocked, Steyer’s critics argue, Steyer stands to benefit financially in a huge way. He has since said he will divest his portfolio of “dirty energy” holdings within a year.

A New Yorker story on Steyer and his opposition to Keystone is a great read, and shows that some of Steyer’s allies on other environmental issues are not solid with him on Keystone.

That story also illustrates some of what might be moving Steyer to invest in Washington.

Steyer wanted to test (former Al Gore and Bill Clinton operative Chris) Lehane’s theory that traditional campaign politics—the world of Super PACs and field organizations and TV ads—was the best way to spend his money. “Once politicians start to become aware that this issue can either help them or hurt them, you begin to change the conduct and behavior of those who are in elected office,” Lehane insisted. “Politicians very rarely lead, despite the fact that they talk about leadership in every speech. They typically follow.”

Where that first showed itself was in the Massachussetts Senate race to replace John Kerry, who had been named Secretary of State. Edward Markey opposed Keystone and Steve Lynch supported it. Both were Demcorats and faced each other in the primary.

Steyer’s group spent $1.8 million attacking Lynch and backing Markey. Lehane said they used the same “formula” that had been successful in California: an “enemy” oil company pursuing its own self-interest was hurting the state. Markey won, and went on to victory in the general election. Steyer began looking for his next opportunity.

Schlicher and Angel don’t appear in the New Yorker story, but Steyer’s financial presence just very will might owe itself to the success Steyer saw in Massachusetts and in his philosophical compatibility with Inslee.

In May the online site ClimateSolutions.org reported on speeches Inslee and Steyer gave at the Climate Solutions annual breakfast in Seattle. Both said the West needs to lead the way in battling climate change.

“What are we on the West Coast going to do about the bigger picture of climate change?” Steyer asked during his keynote address. “I think the solution is pretty straightforward: the West Coast needs to lead. And we will do so by exploiting every opportunity in the proposition process, the electoral process and the legislative process. It’s a big task.”

Remarks from Steyer paralleled earlier comments from Governor Jay Inslee. “The West Coast of the United States does not have to wait for the District of Columbia to move forward on strong climate policy,” the Governor stated. “I believe we are a laboratory of innovation and I believe we have the power to set a deadline for reducing our CO2 admissions, and to lead the world as we have done in so many ways.”

That Facebook post wasn’t the first time Angel referred to Steyer as a “dude.” Two days earlier she wrote:

“Rumor has it this billionaire dude putting all this money against me has had meetings with the Governor and perhaps swapping deals/favors –this is all starting to smell real bad!!!!”

I don’t know what deals/favors Angel has heard Inslee and Steyer might be swapping. I contacted Jay Inslee’s spokesman, David Postman, to see if the governor would like to respond to Angel’s comment. Postman wrote back, “Thanks for reaching out, but I’m not going to have a comment.”

Were the 26th Legislative District not the only district with a two-party race this year, it’s unlikely all of Steyer’s money would be in it. As it is, it’s the only real party challenge in the Legislature this year, and it’s between one legislator who has a lifetime score of 11 (out of 100) from Washington Conservation Voters against another who during the first half of the 2013-14 session scored a 100, according to WCV officials. Steyer advocated “exploiting every opportunity in the proposition process, the electoral process and the legislative process,” so in that context it should no longer be a surprise that Steyer is making good on his claim that the West should lead the way on climate change and that he is backing up that claim with his money.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Confronted with the bag ban

This L.A. Times story about Los Angeles preparing to ban plastic grocery bags reminded me of something else that reminded me of bag bans.

A couple of weeks ago I made an all-too-infrequent trip to Seattle and went by way of Bainbridge Island. I stopped at a grocery store, not saying which one for fear of the political ramifications, and bought just a couple of items I planned to consume quickly. The bagger asked if I wanted a bag. I considered it, but had forgotten that Bainbridge Island has a plastic bag ban and charges a nickel for the paper ones. I said “No, thanks,” because I didn’t need the bag, but it wasn’t until then that I noticed the bagger reaching for a paper bag. It seemed odd to me that there were no plastic bags around, and then the island’s legal reality dawned on me. It was the first time I had ever been confronted with a bag ban.

The second time was when I went to Seattle that same day. I bought some things, the checker put the items in a paper bag, then mentioned that she had forgotten to charge me for it. There wasn’t a whole lot of concern, because I was spending enough that the store was not going to miss that nickel. This was the Seattle bag ban.

Of course this is how life works. You go months without being confronted with something and then twice in one day it hits you. There is a Sizzler connection there, too. In the almost 11 years I have lived here I don’t recall ever going to Sizzler, but when I lived elsewhere I was kind of a frequent customer. I saw Steve Young in there once with one of the fiancees he had before he found the one he would end up marrying. My brother, with whom I had shared many a previous Sizzler experience, was in town this last week and we decided we’d go. It was Thursday, the day after the restaurant closed.

Neither circumstance — the bag ban or the Sizzler closure — was much of an inconvenience.

Does the bag ban bother you, or would you like to see more cities and counties pass restrictions on their use?

Dunagan posted this video three years ago, but I’m resurrecting it here. It makes a point, but manages to be hilarious in the process. Is there anything more dangerous than a Yorkie?

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Commissioner Garrido sponsors showing of film on global warming

The Sustainable Cinema series, sponsored by District 2 Commissioner Charlotte Garrido, continues 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Dragonfly Cinema in downtown Port Orchard, with a showing of “The Age of Stupid.”

According to a press release on the county’s website, the documentary film “takes a look back from the year 2055 and asks why we didn’t stop climate change when we had the chance.”

The Age of Stupid is directed by Frannie Armstrong and stars Pete Postlethwaite. The film runs 98 minutes.

There is no charge for admission, but the suggested donation is $5 per person.

A discussion will follow the film.

“The Sustainable Cinema Series was created to provide interactive and educational information to Kitsap County residents about sustainable living,” the press release says.

For more information, contact Aimee Gordon Warthen, District 2 Liaison, at 360.337.7097.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Considering our nuclear future

If you wonder whether what is happening at Fukushima in Japan is having an impact on the future of nuclear power, it is, at least in terms of how people are talking about nuclear power.

I just found a story that highlights the hurdles nuclear energy was having anyway. Surprisingly, most of its problems are not political. They may be a question of economics.

That’s why some outside experts have long thought the nuclear renaissance was overblown, even before Fukushima. In a 2007 report for the Council on Foreign Relations, Charles Ferguson noted that all of the 104 reactors currently operating in the United States will likely need to be decommissioned by mid-century. Replacing those reactors (so simply preserving the status quo) would mean building a new reactor every four or five months for 50 years—already a “daunting” pace.

The New Republic has the goods on a nuclear future, written by Bradford Plummer.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

North Kitsap Legacy Partnership: A Year Later

Brynn Grimley writes:

One year ago Tuesday Olympic Property Group President Jon Rose and County Commissioner Steve Bauer met with me and environmental reporter Chris Dunagan to tell us about the North Kitsap Legacy Partnership.

Since then we’ve covered the different stages of the project, including initial reaction from economic development leaders and the environmental community. I think we’ve done a pretty good job of staying on top of the latest developments with the project, but because they’ve spanned the last year and been so varied in their makeup, I thought it might help people to see a chronological list of stories to help you remember what’s happened in the last year.

These are stories I used to refresh my memory while writing the Sunday story on the most recent development with the project. As that story states, the tribes are now willing to come to the table to talk with OPG and county officials — a significant turn in events.

One part of the equation I did not include in my story was the idea of creating a fully contained community land use designation that would allow OPG to develop  Port Gamble at a higher density than currently allowed. OPG has not said explicitly that it needs a FCC for the project to go forward, but leaders have said they’d like to see it as an option because there aren’t many “tools left in the toolbox.”

Dunagan recently wrote about FCCs and the countywide planning policies that will be up for discussion Jan. 27 during a hearing of the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council.

Here’s the list of stories I used to write my Sunday story, and additional stories I think are important to the larger NKLP project — including Dunagan’s most recent countywide planning policies story:

I realize there’s a lot here, but it might help give context heading into 2011 as the county and OPG look to work with the tribes to create a plan that tries to address everyone’s concerns.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Los Angelena Goes Chicken

Bremerton residents are still (pardon me) clucking away about chickens. At 6 p.m. on Monday City Councilman Roy Runyon will host a district meeting at the Norm Dicks Government Center.

The subject matter: City chickens.

At one point he said Assistant City Attorney Ken Bagwell would be there to explain to residents how they might launch a citizens’ initiative. I think that is still the plan, though some council members have said they’re not thrilled with a city employee getting paid to help residents craft an initiative.

To some, having chickens seems like a bad idea. It did to Am Seidenwurm, a writer for the Los Angeles Times Magazine.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Inslee Is in Copenhagen

Inslee’s office sent the following:

Rep. Inslee Joins Speaker Pelosi’s Delegation to Copenhagen

(Washington, DC) – This evening, Congressman Jay Inslee (D-WA) will be joining Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Congressional delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. The delegation will spend several days, beginning Thursday December 17th, meeting with lawmakers and scientists from around the world to address climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases.

“I’m honored by the Speaker’s invitation to join her on this critical trip to Copenhagen,” said Rep. Inslee. “This year the House took a major step in addressing global warming while laying the foundation to become the leader in the new energy economy. Copenhagen is a real opportunity to address what the facts are telling us; the earth is warming and humans are primarily responsible.”

Congressman Inslee, a respected member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, member of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Co-Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), and was one of the lead proponents of H.R. 2454: American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.

“An international agreement to address global warming will drive the growth of the clean tech industry, allowing America’s innovative and entrepreneurial talents to flourish,” Rep Inslee continued. “We are in a race with other countries to capture these clean tech jobs, and Washington State is well positioned to lead.”

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Bainbridge Company Gets Huge Federal Grant for Texas Project

A reader who goes by Oldsalt in the comments section has had a little to say about the Bainbridge Island grant for the boat, the same one McCain had something to say about. Oldsalt posted a link to a story about some place in Michigan not getting a Department of Energy carbon sequestration grant. Down the way, though, the story got interesting for Kitsap locals. From the story:

The DOE selected three other sites: Columbus, Ohio; Birmingham, Ala.; and Bainbridge Island, Wash

What the . . .? How much carbon is there to capture on Bainbridge? (Begin the jokes now.)

I did a search on the DOE Web site and found a press release from Dec. 4 announcing $3 billion in carbon capture and sequestration grants, an announcement that included this:

Summit Texas Clean Energy, LLC (Bainbridge Island, WA)
Project Title: Texas Clean Energy Project (TCEP)
Summit Texas Clean Energy, LLC will integrate Siemens gasification and power generating technology with carbon capture technologies to effectively capture 90% of the carbon dioxide (2.7 million metric tons per year) at a 400 megawatt plant to be built near Midland-Odessa, TX. The captured CO2 will be treated, compressed and then transported by CO2 pipeline to oilfields in the Permian Basin of West Texas, for use in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations. The Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) at the University of Texas will design and assure compliance with a state-of-the-art CO2 sequestration monitoring, verification and accounting program. (DOE share: $350 million; project duration: 8 years)

Eric Gjelde is listed as the registered agent for Summit Texas Clean Energy in the Washington Secretary of State’s site dealing with corporations. The company is affiliated with Summit Power Group, also of Bainbridge Island.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Municipally Powering a Revenue Source

Carlos Jara, a candidate for mayor in Bremerton, has proposed a wind farm in Bremerton’s watershed and rooftop wind devices downtown to generate power the city could sell back to the utility company. I haven’t done the research to devise whether the concept is feasible.

According to this story in the Seattle Times, solar power isn’t the bad option in this region some might think it is.

While hot days generate lots of energy, the optimal temperature is 77 degrees, they say. Extremes can make generating power more difficult. Cloudy weather doesn’t stop power generation.

Does anyone know of any municipalities that have tried or considered generating power in this fashion?

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Fresh Vegetables in the Age of Growth Management

Maybe there is a simple solution we’re not thinking about, but Vivian Henderson of KAPO fame raised a question last night (Monday) that is worth discussing here, assuming anyone still reads this blog.

KAPO, for the uninitiated, is the Kitsap Alliance of Property Owners. The organization tends to rally for the rights of property owners to do what they want with their properties. They’re often against land-use rules that are designed to soften the impact of development on the environment. The idea of zoning that limits people to smaller places tighter together, allowing more land to remain undeveloped is a “pack ’em and stack ’em” philosophy that doesn’t let people do what they want, if I’ve characterized KAPO’s philosophy correctly.

Anyway, Henderson told Kitsap County commissioners Monday she had a conversation with state Rep. Kathy Haigh, D-Shelton, and the two were talking about how it was a shame people couldn’t grow their own food anymore.

Perhaps this is a personal issue for me, because we have a nice big yard that we do plan to grow food on. Plus, our neighbors made available some pea patches they have in their backyard for us to grow and share vegetables on, at least until we get our yard figured out. We’ve got tomatoes growing off one of our decks in those contraptions that let you grow them upside down. It’s our first year doing this and we’re hopeful, though I wouldn’t say confident.

The concept of growth management is to have people living with smaller yards. Not everyone needs a swimming pool and a pickle ball court on site. And at the same time, if a mass of people decided they wanted to depend less on the grocery store for food, resulting in fewer car trips and benefiting the environment in that way, it would be harder to do under growth management. And yet without growth management, you have the never ending sprawl that is Los Angeles, which is where I grew up.

I’ve probably only scratched the surface here. Dig in.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Getting Better MPG by Painting the Car White

One of the items posted in the Kitsap Reader was also discussed on radio talk shows Thursday. In at least one place it was regarded with hysterical derision, given the host’s certainty that man has nothing to do with climate change. Obama’s Secretary of Energy suggested white roofs as a way to save on energy costs. White roofs, he said, reflect heat, while darker roofs absorb it, causing temperatures inside to increase, and occupants inside to rely more on air conditioning.

Now California is considering applying the same thinking to automobiles. At least one columnist thinks it’s hooey.

You can read the California Air Resources Board report on the idea by downloading this PDF.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Inslee Accompanies Pelosi to China

Headlines for the story refer mostly to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s silence on human rights as she visits China.

Bainbridge Island Democrat U.S. Jay Inslee is also on the trip.

The trip has more to do with efforts to clean up energy and fight climate change. Inslee’s name appears constantly in stories related to energy and climate change. He has taken a leadership role, and under a Democratic president and larger majority in the House, has been able to see more of his efforts get passed, including incentives Congress passed for Americans to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles. For many that bill is more about propping up the American auto industry, but there are fuel savings built in.

China has become a major energy user as part of its economic resurgence. As a result, air pollution has become a big problem. You may recall there were concerns prior to the summer Olympics that the air would be so bad as to be a hazard for athletes and for tourists.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

UPDATED: Rockefeller Bill Fails, Survives Through Executive Order

In an April 27 story about the possibility of a special legislative session, I included discussion by state Sen. Phil Rockefeller, D-Bainbridge Island, who was the one legislator who had something specific he hoped would be part of the session:

One locally authored bill that could be heard again is Bainbridge Island Democratic Sen. Phil Rockefeller’s bill, Senate Bill 5735, dealing with greenhouse gases. That bill was scheduled for a floor vote Sunday night, but budget-related bills took precedence. “The clock just ran out,” Rockefeller said.

Since it is a bill the governor wanted, however, there is a good chance it will be one of the few to be considered again.

Rockefeller said he spoke with Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown about the measure.

“I’ve made my wishes known,” he said. “I believe that bill is important and important to the citizens of our state. We did have the votes for it so I’d like to see it have its day.”

Well, as you know, there was no special session, but Rockefeller got what he wanted anyway when Gov. Chris Gregoire signed an executive order on climate change.

In fact, there’s more in the executive order than there was in the bill that didn’t get a vote. State Rep. Larry Seaquist, D-Gig Harbor, sent an e-mail saying these were the items in the order that were not in the bill:

  • Developing emission benchmarks by industry sector
  • A low-carbon fuel standard
  • Working with cities and counties on adapting to sea-level rise resulting from climate change
  • Working with public agencies on changes in water resources likely to result from climate change
  • Working with public and private entities on potential changes to the vehicle-miles-travelled benchmarks.

By request, here is a copy (Download PDF) of the executive order. I don’t know if we made it available elsewhere, but in case we didn’t I thought I’d provide it.

UPDATED: I’ve been getting e-mails from the Washington Policy Center for months and the first two times I’m referencing the organization are yesterday and today. Moments after I posted this entry, I received an e-mail from WPC for a blog entry calling into question whether the governor’s executive has any force in law. From the blog:

In 1991 the Attorney General’s office issued an opinion, AGO 1991 No. 12, regarding the use of Executive Order that, in part, concluded:

“The legislative authority of the State of Washington is vested in the Legislature.  In absence of a statute or constitutional provision that serves as a source of authority authorizing the Governor to act, the Governor cannot create obligations, responsibilities, conditions or processes having the force and effect of law by the issuance of an executive order.”

In light of the AGO from 1991, perhaps the Legislature,  which chose not to implement similar policies during the past legislative session, will want to ask the current Attorney General to review Executive Order 09-05 to ensure that the Governor has not exceeded her legal authority.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

You Get a Year to Get That Thing Off the Road

Before
Before
After
After

The U.S. House of Representatives agreed on a deal that could net you a $4,500 voucher if you trade in your gas guzzling behemoth for a nifty little efficient number. For passenger cars a 4-mile-per-gallon difference is worth $3,500. For the full pot you need to show a 10 mpg gain.

This thing still has to go to the Senate.

After the jump you’ll find Bainbridge Island Democratic Congressman Jay Inslee’s take on the “Cash for Clunkers” agreement and a pretty specific explanation of how it would work. I didn’t include the graph, but the written explanation should suffice.

Continue reading →

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Gas Price to Go Up for Clean Water? — Bill Passed

Once it was ruled a fee, the $1.50 per barrel the fee the state will charge for petroleum, that didn’t make the tax versus fee argument go away.

As of 4:12 p.m. the House was still debating the fee, which Republicans charge will mean oil companies will raise gas prices 4 cents a gallon in Washington. The fee is designed to be charged on oil used for stuff that ends up washing into the waters. The bill’s report states:

“Petroleum products that contribute to storm water pollution” means asphalt and road oil, lubricants, motor vehicle fuel, motor diesel fuel, residual fuel oil, and any other petroleum substance that the DOE determines contributes to storm water pollution in the state.

The term does not incude crude oil, aviation gasoline, jet fuel, home heating oil, dyed special fuel, or clear special fuel used for agricultural purposes

Fred Finn, 35th District Democrat, said small businesses in the 35th need this legislation, because it helps preserve the waters that make this place attractive. He named a few businesses, including Seabeck Pizza.

South Kitsap Republican Jan Angel agreed on Seabeck Pizza, but warned against them delivering because of the increase costs she said this legislation would pass on, or oil companies would pass on.

Bainbridge Island Democrat said we will not let Puget Sound die and that citizens have been paying for storm water clean-up through property taxes and local fees, that it’s time for oil companies to help.

Republicans argue oil companies will pass the cost on to consumers.

UPDATE: The bill passed at 4:28 p.m. or so.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Pentagon Seeks Alternative Energy

What did we get from the space program? Tang and calculators. At least those are the two most frequent things I hear about.

Not to belittle the real implications of war, but it appears our involvement in Iraq and Aghanistan may be the impetus for a shift to alternative fuels. From Monday’s Washington Post:

“Every time you bring a gallon of fuel forward, you have to send a convoy,” said Alan R. Shaffer, director of defense research and engineering at the Pentagon. “That puts people’s lives at risk.”

Spurred by this grim reality, the Pentagon, which traditionally has not made saving energy much of a priority, has launched initiatives to find alternative fuel sources. The goals include saving money, preserving dwindling natural resources and lessening U.S. dependence on foreign sources.

Work is ongoing to turn trash into fuel, create flexible solar panels, use algae for jet fuel and spraying foam on tents to insulate them, reducing fuel use to heat or cool them. All of that takes trucks off the road, saving lives as well as fuel.

In the arguments about the Kitsap Sustainable Energy and Economic Development project, some have made the case that businesses within the park could be ideally located to partner with the Naval shipyard in developing fuel and other resources that would save energy. At least, now, we know the Pentagon is interested in such solutions.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Inslee Praise Green Energy Elements of Stimulus Bill

U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge Island, leads with his consistent support of green energy projects in his offical statement on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as the economic stimulus bill.

“Washington state has much to gain in this bill. The bill will save and create 75,000 jobs in Washington — and 8,500 in my district alone. I worked with the Washington federal delegation to make sure that the Bonneville Power Authority has an additional $3.25 billion in borrowing authority to build up transmission capacity to accommodate new, clean energy sources. In addition, the Washington state energy program will get over $60 million dollars to implement local renewable energy and energy efficiency programs.

Inslee calls the bill the start of the New Apollo Energy project, because it provides $90 billion for the green economy. You can read the rest of his press release in the jump.

Continue reading →

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

County to Open Ballots at a Faster Clip

Kitsap County will spend $206,433 to buy equipment to process election ballots quicker.

The county plans to use its election reserve fund to buy the Pitney Bowes Relia-Vote Solution Compact Server, which will increase the county’s ability to scan envelopes and verify signatures four times faster, according to Walt Washington, county auditor.

Dolores Gilmore, county elections manager, said staff now take each ballot envelope and use a handheld scanner to read the exterior bar code. They then by hand compare signatures on the envelopes with those on file.

The Pitney Bowes system will scan the bar codes and create an image of the voter’s signature, placing it next to the signature on file on a screen for an election worker to verify. The new system is expected to be four times faster.

Gilmore said it will probably mean more ballots will be counted sooner in the election process. The bulk are typically counted by the Friday after election day, she said. The new system should get those results in sooner and will require less staff to do it.

Washington, speaking to county commissioners Monday, said the system is estimated to save the county $18,000 in odd -numbered years, 25,000 in even-numbered years and $30,000 in presidential election years.

Money for the system comes out of fees the county collects by those paying for the election. Fifteen percent of those fees are set aside for technology and capital improvements, Gilmore said.

Gilmore said the system will be used for the May election if the county can have it installed that quickly.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Rockefeller Proposes Green Jobs Bill

State Sen. Phil Rockefeller, D-Bainbridge Island, is sponsoring the Green Jobs and Climate Action bill (It’s a PDF download) in the state Senate.

The bill has cap-and-trade provisions and money to create energy-saving transportation options, green buildings and energy and incentives for people to buy plug-in vehicles.

You can get some details of the bill after the jump from press releases, or by downloading the bill above, or by reading this story from The Olympian. The bill is being done at the request of the governor. State Reps. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island, and Sherry Appleton, D-Poulsbo, have their names on the House bill.
Continue reading →

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Obama on Climate Change Goals

While we’re on the subject, here’s this from the New York Times, comments from President-elect Barack Obama on whether he’d scale back his climate change goals until the economy improves. Short answer: No.

“When I am president, any governor who’s willing to promote clean energy will have a partner in the White House. Any company that’s willing to invest in clean energy will have an ally in Washington. And any nation that’s willing to join the cause of combating climate change will have an ally in the United States of America.”

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post