Obama's War on WV Mountain Mamas Hits Progressive Paradise

It's not just Mama Grizzlies that Obama has it out for.

As William Jacobson pointed out today, "Obama already had it out for West Virginia" well before  Democrats in at least 10 West Virginia counties demonstrated that, given their druthers, they'd prefer Keith Judd (aka federal prison inmate Number 11593-051) as their 2012 presidential candidate to that other guy. Way back in January of 2011, as part of Obama's Cap and Trade "investment," the EPA moved

to revoke the long-standing permits for a mammoth coal mine in West Virginia send[ing] a strong signal that President Obama plans to implement key parts of his agenda . . . .

I have to hand it to West Virginia's Democrats for their clear appreciation of the disastrous effects that Obama's goal to bankrupt clean-coal power plants is having on their lives.

I wish the same were true here in Progressive Paradise, where Obama's war on clean coal recently shut down our local clean-coal power plant, AES Cayuga (formerly Milliken Station). This power supplier used to consume 80 to 100 railroad carloads of West Virginia and western Pennsylvania coal several times a week, back before Obama waged war on clean coal, clean-coal technologies, and the people whose livelihoods and energy use depend on it.

One of America's newly idle power stations. Brownouts, anyone?

AES Cayuga has not produced power since early March because it cannot compete with power plants using lower cost natural gas. . . . The company has sustained losses of tens of millions of dollars since 2010.

Way to go, Progressive Democrats.

But oops, what's this?

AES Cayuga [had] not only been the largest single entity tax payer for the Town of Lansing and the Lansing Central School District, but in better times they had also subsidized local charities, organizations, and facilities such as the YMCA.

Observed one county legislator here in Progressive Paradise:

AES Cayuga has been a major source of tax revenue for the past 50 years, and its downturn has had a major negative effect on Tompkins County and the Town of Lansing in particular.

In the twisty-turny landscape of Progressive Paradise, one of New York State's lonely Republicans has taken it upon himself to save the anti-coal, anti-fracking, anti-Constitution (i.e., pro-Obama) Democrats of Progressive Paradise from themselves.

Sen. Michael Nozzolio, a Republican state senator from a neighboring county, has proposed legislation to aid the plant. Which means, in layman's terms, a quick role reversal: Instead of profits from the power plant keeping local schools and charities running, New York State's Obama-lovin' Progressive moms will be emptying their "hope 'n change" purses to keep the power plant running. At Obama-inflated prices.

Pretty slick, eh?

Naturally, local Democrats are grateful: "Sen. Nozzolio learned of the difficulties facing AES in the fall of 2011 and has worked toward a positive outcome for all involved. We truly appreciate all of his efforts."

I won't count on that gratitude turning into votes on the Republican ticket come November.

I will count it as another opportunity for local Progressive Democrats to deny responsibility for the financial disasters caused by their own policies.
 
Update: For more on this issue, see South of 5 and 20 and One of Nine.
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