July 06, 2009 01:10 AM UTC

Rep. Salazar joins with Party-of-No

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• by: ClubTwitty

(Disclosure: The author of this diary accepts that there is sufficient evidence of human-caused global warming to merit serious attention, and also believes in evolution.   – promoted by ClubTwitty)

Citing economic impacts to his rural Third District, Rep. John Salazar was one of forty-four House Democrats to vote against the American Clean Energy Security Act (ACES), which would have taken a first step toward limiting carbon emissions.  

A story in the Post-Independent quotes an email the paper received from Salazar’s press secretary Eric Wortman:

“The CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimate that folks like to use – $165 annual per household is a national average. Some areas of the country fall under that, some over, and a rural district like Colorado’s 3rd would be on the high end.”

The article goes on to note that Salazar was barraged by calls from angry citizens urging that he oppose the legislation.  But Salazar’s vote is now drawing fire from those who think that addressing climate change and developing new energy policies should be high priorities for the Democratic Party and Congress.  The Post-Independent article reports:

“I simply don’t buy his reasons,” said Rifle attorney Ed Sands, chair of the Garfield County Democratic Party. “I mean, it will be 10 years before the caps are fully effective. Who knows where the economy will be in 10 years? I think we [Democrats] believe it’s very important, landmark legislation, to turn around the direction this country’s been going in” regarding global warming and energy consumption.

Rep. Salazar’s position is certainly part a product of his district-which although ranging from deep red to deep blue, remains reliably conservative even as the Democratic Party makes inroads.  

Still, many would think that Salazar is overly cautious, perhaps too fearful of being labeled as green-and that he is wrong on this vote. Rather than taking the first important step toward a solution, Rep. Salazar has aligned himself–on this issue–with the Party-of-No.  

Water and snowpack are one good reason that the Western Slope (and much of the western U.S.) should be worried about climate change.  And ACES–if passed in a similar fashion by the Senate and signed into law–will encourage new innovation in clean energy technologies and applications. But the political rubric is probably safe for Mr. Salazar too. As one person in the Post-Independent article put it:  

“He had nothing to lose by supporting it,” said longtime Democratic activist Leslie Robinson of Rifle, maintaining that Salazar’s job was not on the line with this vote. “It just doesn’t make sense for him to vote that way, and make his base upset.”

Consider fourteen Western Slope, Third District counties in 2008-Moffat, Routt, Rio Blanco, Garfield, Mesa, Delta, Pitkin, Gunnison, Montrose, Hinsdale, San Miguel, Dolores, San Juan and Montezuma. Obama won in five (losing Garfield County by only 85 votes out of almost 23,000 cast). Sen. Udall won in six (picking up Garfield). John Salazar won in ten of these counties, including Garfield along with Montezuma, Hinsdale, Dolores, and Moffat (by 3 votes).  In 2008 Rep. Salazar won the 3rd District overall by almost 23%, a nearly identical margin to his 2006 victory.

But when it came to convincing Congressman Salazar that he should support clean energy and carbon caps, environmentalists and their allies were out-organized as they often are on the Western Slope.  Fear and exaggeration won out.   People were made excitable by frightening inserts (pdf) with electric bills that warned of spiking utility bills and pushed angry calls into congressional offices.

All this highlights the massive monies being spent by the old regime to maintain the energy status quo–keeping consumers over the barrel. As we saw in the 2008 election, for instance in Garfield County where illegal ‘independent’ expenditures tipped races to Republicans, money from the coal industry, the power companies, and the oil and gas industry to spread fear in targeted congressional districts was not in short supply around this legislation.  

Fear, of course, is the oldest of political tactics, one that the Republican and their allies have well-honed.  This time it’s high electric bills, taxes, and lost jobs, but it could just as easily be terrorists, communists, Mexicans, or hippies, depending on the year and climate.  It might even be scary wolves prowling our neighborhoods…  

None of this is to suggest that there isn’t significant opposition within the Third District to this legislation (and global warming, or evolution for that matter).  Salazar’s district does include coal mines and rural electric cooperatives, both of which fought Waxman-Markey.

But the Third District also includes water districts, irrigators, agricultural interests and many of the state’s winter resorts–all of which depend on water in one form or another. Given his strong showing in the Third District, the shifting political demographics of the region, and the strong allies that support this legislation and a carbon cap more generally, what does Salazar gain politically by his vote?

Rep. Salazar has gotten a handful of supportive letters to newspapers around his district for his ‘No’ on ACES, but there is some question about how loyal these new friends are when it comes to election time.  If many of them are among the 35% of the district that would never vote for Salazar anyhow he hasn’t gained a thing.  

The Post-Independent article notes that:

“Obviously the congressman represents a pretty broad district,” said Matt Hamilton, a spokesman for the Aspen Skiing Co., which backed the bill, adding, “We’re definitely disappointed he chose not to support the bill.”

Hamilton said he and Skico CEO Mike Kaplan went to Washington, D.C., to lobby for the bill, but were unable to get any time with Salazar himself.

His base, and a growing alliance of businesses, municipalities, counties, and other interests are left wondering how much Salazar is listening to their concerns–and why has he joined with the Party-of-No?