Many critics of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s denial of a permit for two coal-fired power plants rushed to the judgment that it was a political decision made by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius with an eye toward a Senate seat or Cabinet post. But the governor’s office contends that Sebelius didn’t discuss the issue with Health and Environment Secretary Rod Bremby until a meeting with him an hour before his decision was announced.
“They met at no other time during this process, nor did they have conversations about it,” said spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- Chas on Open thread 11/22
- BlueJay on Open thread 11/22
- Boxlock20 on Open thread 11/22
- satatom on Open thread 11/22
- JimJohnson on Open thread 11/22
- Regular on Open thread 11/22
- Regular on Open thread 11/22
- DavidB on Health care reform would save state money
- DavidB on Minority status in Senate; majority approval at home
- JimJohnson on Open thread 11/22
41 Comments
INTERESTING INFORMATION Rhonda Holman … Sebelius had minimal input on the magnificent decision by Kansas health and environment director, Rod Bremby, in canceling the two proposed coal fired, chemical belching, underground aquifer water gulping, power plants in western Kansas.
So, present the 2007 Kansas environmental award solely to Roderick Bremby for his courage in standing up to big non-political financial business interests. These people wanted to eviscerate the remaining protections of our Kansas environment that are already being dismanteled by big ethanol industry.
SO CONGRATULATIONS ROD BREMBY.
Good riddance for the coal powred plant. The air in western Kansas is already bad enough from the meat industry.
“But the governor’s office contends that Sebelius didn’t discuss the issue with Health and Environment Secretary Rod Bremby until a meeting with him an hour before his decision was announced.’They met at no other time during this process, nor did they have conversations about it,’ said spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran.”
Man, ksfarmgrrl’s gonna have a field day with this.
Sounds like the actions of someone afraid to take a stand.
We know this is going to be the biggest issue in the State Legislature next year. With both the Senate President and the House Leader both in the area or even have Holocomb in their district will be fighting for the approval.
Most politicians try to cover all there bases.
Looks like Kathy is trying to stay completely OFF the bases.
She wants no cred. for this popular and wise decision?
Good. No one assigned her any anyway.
Bremby for Governor I say.
“‘They met at no other time during this process, nor did they have conversations about it,’ said spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran.”
OMFG!!!!!!! :) heheheheeh!
Six impossible things, and I havent even had BREAKFAST yet!
Uh, let’s ask how many times third party minions carried info and question and ORDERS back and forth!
Jesus WEPT. That is how EVERY elected official gets around the open meetings laws, not that this would have been covered by them.
So.. how many times did joyce allegrucci talk to representitives of Bremby’s office? Joe Harkins?
Sumbiotch. They must think Kansans are even DUMBER than they are if they think we believe this crap.
Nicole? Are you planning to work for bushco soon? Is Dana leaving her job? ‘Cause if you can say this with a straight face, YOU TOO could be a bush propagandist.
True believers and kookaide drinkers come in both red AND BLUE!
Shit. I wonder how much they had to pay her to spout that crap?
Hmmmm…. I wonder why she keeps putting this distance between herself and Bremby.
Could it be that a most recent poll shows Kansans about 50/50 on approval of this decision?
Could it be, since governor “leadership” is known for having her cake AND eating it too, that she and her little dog toto are working on an under the radar deal to GET this plant built?
Stay tuned, there has GOT to be more of this. Oh, and look for the payoff money to start flowing to southwest Kansas, and for a feeble attempt at window dressing economic development west of Salina.
wKREDA anyone? You know that was and is Steve Miller’s baby. Any small wonder why the economic development hacks out here are whining like the good dogs they are?
WHEN will western Kansas learn that an extraction economy is the surest way to extinction?
…hehehehe. I wonder if Bremby had ALL the independence in running his shop that Clark Duffy had in running the water office before Janis Lee and Eber Phelps wet their panties and went to the gov and had her FIRE Clark?
And the last I heard, Clark, who was fired because he wouldnt give Russell and Hays special water rights, STILL hasnt gotten that “other state job” that sebelius promised him when he was fired.
Heheheheh. I wonder if Bremby woke up one morning with Clark Duffy’s head in his bed?
One simply MAY not cross the queen that way…
Yes, Morris and Neufeld along with the rest of the Republican led Kansas Legislature will do any thing to pass new laws to get those coal burning plants. The politicans NEED the campaign money.
If Kathy runs on a national ticket, she will claim expertise in appointing people who make “wise decisions protecting the environment” and appeal to the left without actually lying about her beliefs.If Kathy runs statewide, again, she can claim to be a “delegator” who gave responsibility for a tough decision to someone with more experience and knowledge than herself.
I call her Kathy on purpose.
Makes her REALLY mad!
Good riddance for the coal powred plant. The air in western Kansas is already bad enough from the meat industry.
TYPICAL TREE HUGGING VEGIE
I am no fan of Kathleen Sebelius (she and Bill Graves were two sides of the same coin). On the other hand, both are way better than the thing that came before them (Joan Finney, worst. governor. ever.)
On the other hand, I really hope she runs against that useless hack, Sam Brownback, when the time comes.
Regarding the topic, however, Sebelius’ backpedaling, holding a wet finger to the wind performance is pathetic. The fact that I hope she runs against Brownback speaks more to my thoughts about Brownback than my regard for Sebelius.
Sebelius is convinced that Kansas voters are stupid. She believes (and has successfully done so) for much of the past five years made sure that nothing stuck to her that she did not want stuck to her.
She hired Bremby and can fire Bremby. He serves at her pleasure. Bremby is not smart enough to have figured out the Attorney General thing but Kathy Sebelius is. Bremby had Attorney General Morrison give him the opinion that as KDHE head he was the final word on all permits. Even though his staff (who had done months of research) had recommended approval of the plant.
Kathy Sebelius made the decision and she should stand up and say so.
You may also want to watch her and the Democrats campaign finance reports. The gas company in Oklahoma that is running all of the ads against the coal plant will be giving them lots of money.
There are democrats that are just as mad as the republicans on this issue are. Therefore, it will be interesting to watch the process.
The right decision was made, time for a change, for reasons of water usage as well as and even more than greenhouse gases. There is no loss of credibility to “flip flop” if someone says “I changed my mind in light of new evidence”. In fact, that is what we need from people in office, the ability to look at issues and their long range effects and to listen to constituants who have knowledge of the issues. It isn’t being conservative, it isn’t being liberal, it’s having enough self objectivity to listen and to admit that one’s first impulse may be wrong.
All that being said, Kathleen Sebelius is not demonstrating that kind of leadership on this, and her apparent willingness to let Bremby stand out there on his own is a two edged sword. Bremby gets the blame, but he also gets the credit for making the call. Sebelius’ staff should have kept their mouths shut rather than try to distance their governor from the call her KDHE Secretary made. As head of the executive branch, she has the responsibility. But when she tries to pass off the responsibility, she also passes off the credit. Either way, as governor, she doesn’t look very good when she does that.
Still probably better off than we would have been under Barnett, however.
“Sebelius’ staff should have kept their mouths shut rather than try to distance their governor from the call her KDHE Secretary made.”
I’m tellin’ ya, she and her minions are working behind the scenes on a deal so this plant DOES get built.
THEN she’ll take credit for some sort of “solution”.
Bet on it that the “solution” will allow Sunflower to get what it wants.
TO everyone who thinks that killing the coal fired plants in western Kansas was a good idea. Make sure you support the wind farms when they are proposed for the Flint Hills. If wind farms are good enough for western Kansas they are good enough for eastern Kansas.
“I’m tellin’ ya, she and her minions are working behind the scenes on a deal so this plant DOES get built.
THEN she’ll take credit for some sort of ’solution’.
Bet on it that the ’solution’ will allow Sunflower to get what it wants.”
I do not share your certainty on this. I am not convinced that Sebelius is so enamored to the Sunflower Holcomb plant that she is set to get it built. In other words, I don’t think her convictions are that deep one way or the other. I think she saw a lose-lose proposition and this is her way to try to get out of it. If the legislature chamber of commerce types make this a “die on the hill” issue, she won’t get in their way. But, if the opposition rallies and the pro-plant position becomes more costly on a state wide basis, I strongly doubt she is going to get in the middle of that either.
I believe that she is in wait and see mode.
I concur Ksagnostic…………..Kathleen is too savvy of a politician to get dragged down in this quagmire. She’ll let the right-wingers bash it out with the moderates in the legislature this year on this matter.
“TO everyone who thinks that killing the coal fired plants in western Kansas was a good idea. Make sure you support the wind farms when they are proposed for the Flint Hills. If wind farms are good enough for western Kansas they are good enough for eastern Kansas.”
Sorry, non sequitur. One does not follow from the other. The looming water crisis, particularly in western Kansas, makes the coal plants (and also growing corn for ethanol) dumb ideas no matter what happens to wind farms in the Flint Hills.
Regarding wind farms: I know some people who are not wild about the prospect of wind farms in the Flint Hills, particularly close to the Konza Prairie in Riley County. However, while there are some valid reasons for opposing a wind farm in that location, my personal opinion is that a committment to renewable energy tips the balance towards some sort of wind farm in the region.
“ksfarmgrrl” –
I sincerely recognize your skepticism. But I’m inclined to give Kathleen the benefit of the doubt on this one.
Not that she didn’t decide it with politics as part of the mix. But the decision is obviously the result of studying the science, the potential environmental impact, and the potential economic benefits. The decision was that the pluses didn’t outweigh the minuses.
I love ya, “ksfarmgrrl,” but it seems like you’re not willing to take yes for an answer.
We all know Sunflower’s deep pockets will pay for a legion of lawyers to appeal the decision. But you were among those who were predisposed to assume there’d be no decision to appeal.
I’m fully willing to acknowledge that Sebelius is a political animal. But in this case, the *political* right thing to do was to have the Holcomb plant win or lose on the basis of the facts. That she delegated the decision to a subordinate reeks of playing politics, but you got the decision you wanted.
We only “need” to replace about 3000+ MW to get rid of coal and other fossil-fuel power plants in Kansas (Jeffrey Energy Center, Lawerence Energy Center, Tecumseh Energy Center should be about 3000 MW). How many square miles of wind farms will we need?
Look what will be coming to Kansas:
http://www.windaction.org/news/12345
Giant wind turbines face a storm of protest; General Electric plans generators with blades the size of a jumbo jet’s wingspan
A new generation of super-size wind farm could be on its way to a field near you. General Electric is developing wind turbines with blades longer than the tip-to-tip wingspan of a jumbo jet. In a move likely to dismay activists who view wind farms as a blot on the landscape, the American company has taken the wraps off a project to develop power-generating windmills with blades of 70 metres – some 75% longer than the typical existing length of 40 metres. …There was a hostile reaction yesterday from British campaigners who have fought wind farms on the grounds of their appearance, noise and economic viability. Angela Kelly, chairman of the pressure group Country Guardian, said she was “horrified” by jumbo jet-sized windmill blades and described the prospect as an “absolute disaster”.
Better to make the Right decision for the wrong reasons, than to make the wrong decisions for the wrong reasons, like our emperor.
Yes, I got the decision I wanted. For now.
You forget Kathleen’s ties to Hays. You forget Steve Miller’s ties to the legislature.
“I am not convinced that Sebelius is so enamored to the Sunflower Holcomb plant that she is set to get it built.”
No, she’s not enamored with the plant. But… look at her donations from Steve Irsik and his ilk. From folks in southwest Kansas in general.
She IS enamored with political campaign contributions. Just look up how much money she’s gotten from Ellis county and southwest Kansas.
And are you forgetting that democrats cant win state wide office without Ellis County?
Look for a “solution” that gets Ellis County, the home of Sunflower Electric, what it wants.
And what it wants are no wind and ALL holcomb.
…and while I agree with you on your point about water…
NO WHERE did she or Bremby mention water.
Until last week.
Looking for cover? Water should have been the real issue all along, but I’m happy with the decision.
For as long as it lasts….
“And are you forgetting that democrats can’t win state wide office without Ellis County?”
What is the basis of THAT declaration? It sure as hell isn’t population or voting numbers.
http://www.kssos.org/elections/06elec/ELGOV06G.xls
http://www.kssos.org/elections/06elec/ELAG06G.xls
Global warming is an issue that is gaining traction with not only Democrats but moderates of both parties, the very people who form the ranks of the foul weather voters who overwhelmingly returned Sebelius and put Morrison in office. Saying no to the Holcomb power plants may well gain her far more votes in the populated, relatively urban northeast than she would lose from Ellis County.
Of course, Sebelius is playing it wrong. If she really wants to hold back and see where the stronger wind is coming from, her staff needs to keep their mouths shut on the plausible deniability issue now.
Johnson County is the county that Kansas Democrats can’t do without. If they win Johnson, and they make strong showings in counties like Shawnee, Leavenworth, Sedgwick, and Riley, they can win in statewide elections. They have done just that, and in 2006, they did it convincingly. Of course, the biggest factor is when the ugliest voices of the Christian Right Republican Party overplay their hand.
Agnostic, if she cant carry Ellis county, she’s not going to carry a lot of others, as it is a reliable bell weather democratic voting county. I.e. eber phelps and janis lee.
Sorry, I didnt go into a county by county analysis. Of course, duh, she needs joco. I never said she didnt. She needs more than those two counties.
From your lips to god’s ears that ellis county has no power. That just hasnt been my experience with this or ANY democratic administration.
So Paulie thinks the governor should miro-manage instead of appointing qualified personell and letting them do their jobs? Of course, since Paulette likes appointees like Brown (”you’re doing a heckuva a job Brownie”) i guess I can see why.
Sorry Pauline; there are those who prefer to have experts make these decisions instead of totally politicizing everything.
http://www.kansas.com/205/story/212023.html
Vedy interesting.
Not only because someone decided not to echo her administration’s deniability message, but because of what she didn’t say (a lot about carbon, not much about water).
ksagnostic,
I agree, Gov. Sebelius made an important statement.
‘KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: PERMIT DENIAL WAS CORRECT DECISION’http://www.kansas.com/205/story/212023.html
On the water issue, she didn’t directly address the coal-fired plants usage, but she did cover what climate change could do to Kansas’ agriculture.
That may be a much bigger issue in the future than the water the coal plants would waste.
And to nit-pick, I’d add that the CO2 impact is global, not just Kansas and the U.S. It’s also long-term.
The thousand criminals of the Sedgwick County Empire descended upon us saying our arrows will blot out the sun.
The corrupt woman who fancied herself a god now feels a very human chill crawl up her spine
Now as before,the Beast approaches,confident & savoring the meal to come-
READY TO SNUFF OUT,THAT THERE IS HOPE FOR REASON & JUSTICE…THE COWARD SEBILIUS & HER CROOKED JUDGE HUSBAND SEARCHING FOR COVER-
AND THEY,KANSAS & CORRUPT SEDGWICK COUNTY WILL KNOW THAT FREE MEN STOOD AGAINST A TYRANT,
AND THAT THE GOD OF ABRAHAM,ISSAC & JACOB ALWAYS HEARS THE VOICE OF THE AFFLICTED.
AmerDAD, take your meds. Please.
Ksagnostic–
Ditto that, my friend.
Is there anything more piteous in feeling sorry for himself than a well-off Republican?
WATCH HOW FAST MY BLOG “ERASES” UNDER FEAR FROM THE CORRUPT OF SG COUNTY!
Thank you for responding CapnAmerica & ksagnostic! I appreciate your criticism,and know the corrupt of SG county cannot now erase my blog!
You have saved my blog,and now as we bring Foulston,Pilshaw,& Ladner to justice,and laugh at their criminal conduct,you have responded ensuring these corrupt persons are brought to justice!
By the way, I am a Democrat.
Bullsh*t.
Nice try PM (aka “Capn America”) you are not a “Captain” or about “America” – just another sheep in the SG county way of life.
So how long have you been hypnotized with your blind admiration for Pilshaw,Ladner,& Foulston?
Do they invite you over to wash their car & pickup their dry cleaning?
So you don’t think I am a Democrat,hmm…the only people who helped me (save one Republican) against the foul corruption from this county were Democrats,just not at your local county payoff level.
I know that people like “Capn Crunch” think that anyone who references God must be a Republican,that is not always the case.
Tell you what “Capn” when further complaints are submitted to Topeka we will see if your SG county heroes survive.
How many formal public complaints & reprimands does Pilshaw have,is it two,no,it is three and there will be four before the end of the year.
Hope you have a great day kissing butt (again) at the courthouse this morn.
I have to agree with capn and ksag; AmeriDAD please take your meds.
While you may have legitimate beefs against Pilshaw et.al. (in fact, I have often agreed with you there) your ramblings at 10:37 and 11:07 serve no useful purpose.
As to the thread and wind farms in the flint hills— Bring them on! I would love to see them all over those hill tops!!!