Jumat, 11 April 2008

time for a check up

I get mail ... from the League of Conservation Voters, an historically non-partisan pro-environmental organization. (Btw, did you see this absurdity?)

And I am wondering if other gardeners are concerned about such political things as Senators' voting records on the environment as I am? If so, then why is there so little written about it in the majority of self described 'garden blogs'? Just askin'...

Here is the e-mail from the LCV (it's a few weeks old) and the look up I did in response. I've been hoping to read some other garden bloggers who might be concerned. I'd appreciate a couple links if anyone finds one.

How did your representatives vote on clean energy and global warming last year? You can find out in the League of Conservation Voters just-released 2007 National Environmental Scorecard!

A big highlight of 2007 was passage of the Energy Bill. Thanks to thousands of emails and calls to Congress by LCV supporters, the new energy law increased fuel efficiency for the first time in over three decades!

The progress we saw in 2007 was largely due to new pro-environment leaders that you helped LCV elect in 2006.

As a matter of fact, Dirty Dozen politicians we defeated in 2006 had a combined average lifetime score of just 8%. The new members who defeated them had a combined average score of 88%. What an improvement!

Despite the progress on fuel efficiency, there is still a lot of work to do. In the Senate, a minority forced the removal of a renewable electricity standard from last year's Energy Bill. We also lost a repeal of billions of dollars in unnecessary tax breaks for Big Oil and Gas – by just one vote!

Check the 2007 Scorecard to see how your Members of Congress voted on these critical provisions of last year's Energy Bill.

After checking your Members' scores, please forward this to friends and family so they can see if their representatives vote for the environment.


So I did:
==
Michigan:
Stabenow: 67%
Levin: 67%

The Candidates:
Obama: 67%
McCain: 0%, He didn't vote (absent!!!)
Hillary: 73%

But we have a record!
Past Senate Voting Record

on the environment
by John McCain and Hillary Clinton:

2006=
Mac 41%
Hill 89%

2004=
Mac 56%
Hill 92%

2002=
Mac 36%
Hill 88%

2000=
Mac 6%

SIX PERCENT! Shame on you, John 'Maverick'* McCain.

*his adoring press's fond nickname.