Green energy company given federal stimulus funds lays off 125 workers, gives pay raise to executives

Green energy company given federal stimulus funds lays off 125 workers, gives pay raise to executives

 

Published February 26, 2012 | FoxNews.com

 

An electric car battery company reportedly has laid off 125 employees since receiving $390 million in government subsidies, but is still handing out big pay raises to company executives.

A123 systems, which was touted as a stimulus “success story” by former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, D-Mich., had a net loss of $172 million through the first three quarters of 2011, according to the Washington Examiner’s “Beltway Confidential” blog, citing a report from the Michigan-based Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

A123’s primary customer, Fisker Automotive, is also struggling financially. “Yet, this month A123’s Compensation Committee approved a $30,000 raise for [Chief Financial Officer David] Prystash just days after Fisker Automotive announced the U.S. Energy Department had cut off what was left of its $528.7 million loan it had previously received.”

This month has seen significant pay boosts for other A123 executives, as well, including vice presidents Robert Johnson and Jason Forcier.

The raises were reported by the company in its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to the Mackinac report.

“It looks highly suspicious,” Paul Chesser, associate fellow for the National Legal & Policy Center, told Mackinac. “It looks like they are trying to pad their top people’s wallets in case something really bad happens.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/26/green-energy-company-given-federal-stimulus-funds-lays-off-125-workers-gives/print#ixzz1nYKwUB1o

Evidence Southern Company Believes CO2 is Poisonous

“Southern Company supports carbon capture and storage as a critical tool
in addressing greenhouse gases and is proud of our efforts to bring this important technology
toward commercial viability.”

Karl R. Moor, Vice President and Associate
General Counsel of Southern Company

http://txccsa.org/publications/eei/EEI_Testimony_9-30-08.pdf

Cow Fart Game

Play Methane Madness: put a cork in Gore’s climate day

CFACT’s new game trains online players to help “Pal Gore” control the climate by corking cows and watching them float away, only to realize neither humans nor cows are threatening the planet and Al Gore is the one full of hot air!

http://methanemadness.cfact.org/

Obama Tightens Screw On America’s Coal Supply

Call Congress and stop SO 3315 before it starts

Weeks after the infamous BP oil spill in late-April 2010, the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the agency that managed leasing and regulation, was split up into three parts.

Addressing the reorganization, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, said: “We will be able to strengthen oversight of the companies that develop our nation’s energy resources.” He addressed a perceived conflict of interest between departments due to the leasing and regulatory functions being in one agency—one brings in revenue and one regulates (and perhaps punishes) the businesses generating the income.

His mid-May 2010 actions bring his new Secretarial Order to reorganize a different agency into question.

On October 26, 2011, Secretary Salazar signed Secretarial Order 3315 that will consolidate the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) within the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The Order states that “fee collections” and “regulation, inspection and enforcement, and state program oversight” will now be integrated—the very tasks split out within the MMS reorganization.

Because this new order seems in direct contradiction to the 2010 SO 3299, it raises suspicion as to the true purpose of the agency reorganization—especially since the impacted industry is the administration’s favorite villain—coal.

SO 3315 was announced to the surprise of most in the industry. Charlie Boddy, a mining and government relations consultant with more than 40 years in the industry and former VP of government relations with Usibelli Coal Mine Inc., said when he first heard the announcement, he thought it was a joke. “It is,” he said, “without a doubt, the most bizarre proposal to come out of the Obama Administration.”

The fact that there was no consultation with the stakeholders, states, or Congress raises additional concerns. If there was a desire to work with the industry, the general belief is that they would have been involved. The order’s surprise element can’t mean good things for coal mining.

On November 4, as a part of a hearing on an investigation into a re-write of the 2008 Stream Buffer Zone Rule, Representative Doug Lamborn (R-CO) stated: “In addition, we will also discuss the recent Secretarial Order requiring the merger of the Office of Surface Mining with the Bureau of Land Management. A proposal I am deeply concerned about impacting the ability of the nation’s ability to access our vast coal resources. Furthermore there are clear statutory limitations prohibiting the OSM from leasing or promoting coal, which is a key responsibility of the BLM.”

Doc Hastings (R-WA), Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, issued the following statement: “I have serious concerns about this Secretarial Order to suddenly and dramatically alter the management of coal mining and the multiple-use of Western BLM lands. The Obama Administration has not made secret its desire to put an end to America’s coal-mining industry, and this appears to be one more step in that direction.”

Because of the “bombshell” nature of the announcement, the administration’s attitude toward the coal industry, the totally different missions of the OSM and the BLM, and the fact that they operate under different specific provisions and acts of Congress, the proposed merger can only be considered suspect.

In an internal memo to the DOI team, Secretary Salazar states: “This integration reflects our ongoing commitment to good government” and claims that it is about “Doing more in a limited budget environment.”

The OSM is a little agency by comparison to the BLM. OSM’s 2011 budget appropriation is about $160 million compared to more than $1.1 billion for BLM. OSM has about 500 employees, compared to 10,000 at BLM. “In the scheme of government fat, OSM is one of the tiniest little targets you can take aim at,” said Kathy Karpan, a former OSM director. “It’s a little, tiny entity that would be lost at BLM.”

Industry sources fear that OSM will be lost inside the BLM and view the move as a way to make coal mining more difficult; to delay permitting. Normally a coal mine can be permitted through OSM in less than a year. Permitting of a hard rock mine through the BLM can take 7-10 years.

The OSM deals with mines on private or Indian lands—mostly in the east. They cooperate with the states. They do regulation.

The BLM deals with federal lands—mostly in the west. They have little experience with private lands or state agencies. The generate revenues.

Like last year’s SO 3310 that circumvented Congress’ unique ability to designate Wilderness Areas by creating a new “Wild Lands” designation, SO 3315 brings authority into question. Insiders believe that a reorganization of this magnitude requires congressional action.

Some industry groups are taking a wait-and-see approach: “It may be a good idea, but no one really knows.” Coal mining companies are still evaluating, but initial reactions are not supportive.

History tells us that we do not need to “wait and see.” The longer there is silence, the harder it will be to reverse the order, which is scheduled to become effective December 1, 2011—following consultation with applicable congressional committees and will remain in effect until “amended, superseded, or revoked, whichever occurs first.”

While this may seem like a little issue in light of all the big problems we are facing in America, it is one more in a string of power grabs designed to take away authority from the states and move it to the federal government—meaning more centralized power. Don’t let them slip it in until “revoked.”

Call Congress and stop SO 3315 before it starts.

Ultimately, less coal mining means job cuts, higher electricity prices, and a diminished America.

http://energymakesamericagreat.org/  Martina Noon

SHOCKING! Uncanny 1958 Prediction coming true; America’s Destruction

In 1958 Robert Welch founder of John Birch Society disclosed in a speech that America is going to be destroyed from within. Mr Welch goes on to tell how this will be done and destroying our liberties.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTS

Sustainable Development click to see short video.

How exciting to be a part of this age of sustainable developments.  Learn it now, don’t delay.

http://woody36060.blogspot.com/

Al Gore Says; We need a Change in Consciousness

Al GORE

Please listen to the connections between what Al Gore says about global warming, carbon trading, and a change in consciousness.  Do you see there is a connection between the dangerous idiocy of what he is saying and the expensive boondoggle of the Kemper County Lignite Coal CO2 capturing plant?

Club of Rome

“The common enemy of humanity is man.
In searching for a new enemy to unite us, we came up
with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming,
water shortages, famine and the like would fit the bill. All these
dangers are caused by human intervention, and it is only through
changed attitudes and behavior that they can be overcome.
The real enemy then, is humanity itself.”
– Club of Rome,
premier environmental think-tank,
consultants to the United Nations

 

http://green-agenda.com/index.html

Agenda 21 & Property Rights and Mississippi Power/Southern Company

Private property rights in Mississippi are being subjected to Agenda 21, a United Nations’ declaration on the collective society’s right to control private property.

Mississippi Power and Southern Company are playing several roles in Agenda 21.  After some research you will also be able to recognize the programs.

Please pray for the family whose property is about to be stolen from them for the profit of a private company called Mississippi Power under Southern Company.

See: “Stop Mississippi Power” on Facebook for more on this topic.

Mississippi Power Requests You Pay $900,000 Jet Expenses

PSC mulls limit on utilities’ travel repayment

by The Associated Press

JACKSON — The Mississippi Public Service Commission could vote this fall on a proposed rule designed to limit the corporate travel expenses that utility companies can pass along to customers.

The three-member commission took comments on the proposal Thursday in Jackson.

The rule would not prohibit utility companies from using private jets, but it would limit reimbursement to the equivalent cost of a coach rate on a commercial flight.

Southern District Commissioner Leonard Bentz told The Associated Press that the rule could come up for a vote in two months.

“We’ve got to come up with a good, sound, fair legal rule that will give them direction,” Bentz said, speaking of utility companies.

Northern District Commissioner Brandon Presley proposed the rule, saying companies should not pass along expenses to customers.

“What do they need a plane for in the first place? But if they’ve got one, let them pay for it. It shouldn’t be the guy or the gal on the street struggling to pay their power bill,” Presley told WLBT-TV on Thursday.

Presley said in July that Mississippi Power Co. had sought permission from the PSC to pass along $900,000 in corporate jet expenses to the company’s customers. The request was withdrawn.

“They should be ashamed for filing something at this commission asking to recover that kind of money for corporate jet expense,” Presley said Thursday. “It’s wrong, and they should pay for it out of their own pocket.”

Mississippi Power Co. spokeswoman Cindy Duvall said in a statement Thursday that state law allows all reasonable and prudent travel expenses to be recovered through public utility rates.

“Mississippi Power uses all modes of travel to conduct its business, including corporate aircraft, when necessary,” Duvall said. “The commission’s proposed rule unnecessarily assumes that commercial air is the most cost effective means of travel, that it is adequate to meet MPC’s needs and is available when needed.

“Reasonable and necessary travel expenses, regardless of the mode of transportation, are prudent and required to carry out public utility business and should be treated similar to any other operating expense.”

Read more: NEMS360.com – PSC mulls limit on utilities travel repayment