Are you a mother in Kansas?

  For some reason Typepad insists on removing my paragraphs, so sorry!!

I am (and I've got the goofy picture to prove it! By the way, the Absentminded Prof put Sam's hat on backwards, not me.)!

My family and I work  hard at recycling, keeping our heat down and turning off our lights to help the environment  But our state legislature is doing exactly the opposite.  Both Senator Pyle and Representative Carlson of Pottawatomie County voted to allow the creation of new coal fired plants in Kansas with little to no pollution guidelines.  Only a small portion of the proposed coal plants would supply Kansas with power, the rest will be sent to other states.  However, all the pollution, cancers and other health problems will be left here for the people of Kansas.  Does this sound like good common sense?   The current legislation promoted by Pyle and Carlson would make is very easy and even encourage companies to build even more coal fired plants in our state and send the power elsewhere.   We will become the air pollution dump of the Heartland!  How can people who were elected to serve the best interests of the people of Kansas give in so readily to the demands of big business?

Please let your opinion be known to your elected officials!  If you live in Pott or most of Wabaunsee your representative is Richard Carlson, carlson@house.state.ks.us , 785-296-7641.  Your senator for Pott (also Brown, Jackson, Atchison and Doniphan) is Dennis Pyle, pyle@senate.state.ks.us , 785-296-7379 (bizarrely enough he is on the Natural Resource Committee, obviously not doing a very good job).  If you live somewhere else, you can call the Kansas legislative hotline (1-800-432-3924) for help in finding your legislator and to ask how they voted.  Or you can get an email address by going to www.kslegislature.org, clicking on the link for House or Senate, then clicking on the link for Find Your Legislator.  Both methods are very easy and don't take very much time. Giving your representative your very important opinion is the only way we have to stand up for our family's health and our beautiful, clear blue, Kansas skies.

Please feel free to copy this post and send it to all you know in Kansas.  This is my one women/mother stand against poor judgment!  Please join me and show our legislature we care about this issue and that we refuse to be pushed around by the big businesses who want to destroy our state and our health to line their pockets!  We are Moms and we rock Kansas!!!

If someone wants an emailable copy, just let me know and I will send you one!

Comments

[Lara]

It's just so unbelievable to me that they want to build more coal-fired power plants when Kansas is perfect for wind farms. We have space, we have constant wind. It seems like a no-brainer to me.

[Laura]

I thought of you last night as I listened to them talking about this on the news. Sounds like Kathleen Sebelius (how DO you spell that?) is on our side, thank goodness. Let's just hope it matters - apparently if enough people want this to happen they can find a way to do it.

I'm not against having coal plants but come ON. How can it be possible that they could legally operate without environmental regulation and guidelines? Insane.

[Jenny]

I just had my dear Senator email me that they need coal fired plants to provide baseline energy for wind energy development. ???? Then WHY are they going to send 3/4 of the energy produced to Colorado and Texas? Why do we get the honor of having Colorado's and Texa's pollution? And WHY take away all the CO2 regulations demanded by the KDHE? They are so obviously in the pockets of the coal power companies! Yes, the Governor is on our side, and she will veto this stupid legislation, but the legislature is very close to being able to over ride her veto power.
SO please, please, please, email your rep and senator! (And also drop a note to the Governor's office giving her a thumb's up.) If only so they don't think I'm the only crazy nutter mother in Kansas! :D