[ RadSafe ] Sen. Murkowski vs. U.S. PIRG

[Muckerheide, James]

Friends,

 

This is fascinating look at the "opposition" and another call for the people
of Alaska, and Americans, to engage the enemy by combining their passion with
a love for the truth!? :-) 

 

Regards, Jim Muckerheide

=========================

 

  Article Published: Sunday, August 21, 2005

 

You be the judge: Environmental activism or just a job?

 

By SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI

 

Several weeks ago on a weekend when I remained in Washington, I was surprised
when my doorbell rang. At the door was a young man in his early 20s holding a
clipboard and wearing a "U.S. PIRG" T-shirt. He was going door to door on
behalf of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group to talk about our nation's
energy issues, urging opposition to President Bush and his energy plan.

 

The man clearly did not recognize me, nor did I offer my background as an
Alaskan. He informed me that the president's energy plan was only about
drilling in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which
was a bad decision. When I suggested there was more to the president's energy
plan, he told me I was flat out wrong.

 

I don't usually engage people on door-to-door missions, but there was
something that made me decide to engage this young man. Taking his brochure
with the factually challenged anti-ANWR rhetoric, I stopped myself from
shutting the door. Our conversation offered me a new perspective on political
activism and the spreading of misinformation by groups like U.S. PIRG.

 

I began to engage the young man on the merits of the president's and
Congress's energy plans beyond oil production, like conservation, renewables
and efficiency standards. He rejected nuclear power as too dangerous,
assuring me wind power was the way to go, regardless of the amount of land
needed to generate enough power, the number of birds that would be killed or
the viewshed issues. I brought up ocean energy, but he was concerned about
its impact on fish. He conceded the merits of natural gas but insisted it
should come from foreign sources--never mind that most nations' environmental
standards are nowhere near America's.

 

We had been discussing energy issues almost 20 minutes with me challenging
him point for point when he broke down. "Ma'am," he said, "this is just a
job." He continued, "I don't really believe that we shouldn't drill in the
Arctic. I've never been to Alaska. If we drill for oil anywhere, we ought to
drill up there--that state is huge. I agree about wind and nuclear energy. It
bugs me what they [PIRG] tell us to say." He confessed he wasn't interested
in energy issues but was using talking points for his summer job.

 

He told me he was a university student and had seen the U.S. PIRG job posted
on a campus bulletin board. For a few hours each night, he would go
door-to-door talking about energy issues and encouraging people to become
U.S. PIRG members. He "seeded" his clipboard of membership names by writing
down false names next to addresses in the neighborhood, making people think
their neighbors had signed up. After the first membership fee over $75, the
young man earned 35 percent of any additional monies raised. 

For only a few hours' work each night he averaged about $190. "This is the
best summer job I've ever had," he said.

 

He explained he was doing this for leadership skills as he was a team leader
for four others canvassing the neighborhood that night. I informed him what
he was doing wasn't leadership--leadership is about advocating for issues he
truly cared about, regardless of financial reward. While I was certainly
concerned about his actions, Alaskans should be even more concerned about the
motivation of opponents to opening ANWR and their willingness to mislead and
deceive the public in the process.

 

Rather than focus on the distortions and fundraising tactics of U.S. PIRG,
Alaskans should recognize how committed the forces that want to stop us from
responsible energy development truly are. Alaskans must become equally
passionate about increased energy production in this country and why the
perfect site is a tiny portion of the Arctic coastal plain.

 

This young man was just a disingenuous salesperson. Americans, however, need
to become ardent hawkers of a sound energy policy that combines renewable
energy, conservation and new technology with a balanced willingness to
produce more energy domestically. Congress took giant steps forward with the
newly signed energy bill, and we will go even further when we take up ANWR
again this fall.

 

Alaskans need to team the passion of our opponents with a love for the truth.
That is how we will emerge victorious in our battle to open ANWR to
responsible oil development.

 

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski has represented Alaska in the Senate since December
2002.

 

http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7252~3020259,00.html