With timing that could not be better for political candidates who actually care about the environment and real sustainability for NEO and the world... the greatest demonstration of the unsustainable harm of our current leadership of Mayor Jackson and all or most Cleveland City Council members (did any oppose), and of our other Powers That Be, will be showcased here, tomorrow, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports "AMP Inc. on Monday holds its annual membership meeting in Cleveland [1]". AMP is planning a poorly conceived $3+ billion coal burning powerplant in Southern Ohio, at astounding ecological expense, that is largely the fault of Cleveland politicians committing to buy the unsustainable, dirty power to be generated there, for 50 years!
Yes, we have that poor of leaders [2], here! In fact, the councilman who appears most responsible for locking us into AMP, Matt Zone, has been showered with wealth for his ward, in reward, and is presented in the community as a near-hero.
A made man, for contracting citizens of Cleveland to buy 50 years worth of coal!
Are we for real, NEO?
From prior coverage of the Cleveland City Council decision to buy AMP:
If the city does not buy into this power plant, the future of the 100-year-old municipal system will be in doubt, Councilman Matt Zone, chair of council's Public Utilities Committee, said Tuesday.
"I am going to support this legislation," said Zone
50 More Years Of Frank Jackson, and Matt Zone, ruining Ohio... even if they die tomorrow.
Unless citizens take action.
The big-coal Cleveland Plain-Plan Dealer, which has been supportive of Cleveland buying into AMP, today reports:
The Sierra Club of Ohio [3] has opened a new front in its fight to prevent AMP Inc [4]. from building a 1,000-megawatt coal-burning power plant on the Ohio River.
Sierra has issued a six-page paper and simultaneous media campaign arguing that the $3 billion power plant simply won't be needed and could cost ratepayers a lot of unnecessary expense in Cleveland, Painesville and about 80 other cities with municipal systems that are AMP members and have agreed to purchase the power from the new plant.
The Plain Dealer does not link to the report, and I cannot find it on-line - to be added later.
If there is even a remote chance the AMP plant may be stopped, now is the time to act.
This week, before the November 3 election, all candidates for all offices should be asked to state a public position in support of or against Cleveland supporting AMP - if voters become informed now about how those they elect may harm generations of Ohioans, they may elect representatives to government who do not sell away 50 years of environmental well being for Ohioans, for personal political rewards.
This should be a deciding issue in the election, and a highly visible issue during AMP, Inc.'s meeting tomorrow, in Cleveland.
State your opinions!
Links:
[1] http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/10/post_12.html
[2] http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2007/10/cleveland_to_decide_fate_of_am.html
[3] http://ohio.sierraclub.org/index.html
[4] http://amppartners.org/