6 March 2011 Mr. Roe’s comprehensive energy policy and other fairy tales

March 4, 2011 E-mail broadcast by Roe R TN1st:

“No one I know wants to harm the environment, but new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules and regulations are unnecessarily slowing development and having a negative effect on American jobs…“Tax credits have proven effective time and again at producing desired change in business.”

Cassi Creek:

In his e-mail to constituents, Mr. Roe defends the energy industry, claiming that the EPA prevents energy development. Mr. Roe fails to tell us that his idea of a comprehensive energy policy includes his vote to continue $40 billion in subsidies to the oil industry at a time when that industry is logging record profits. His party line vote helped defeat HJ-44, an effort to halt subsidies and other tax breaks to the oil industry being paid by American taxpayers who can barely afford basic necessities.

I have yet to see any energy company change practices that harm our environment unless forced to by legislation or regulation. If Mr. Roe wishes to wave “lost jobs” like a banner, he should consider the jobs lost on our Gulf Coast as a result of an oil industry that lobbied for and got reduced regulation. That’s the ugly side of the GOP’s fairy tale.

Mr. Roe also forgets to announce that he voted to continue funding for the “bridge to nowhere. He’s eager to defund NPR and Planned Parenthood, used by millions of Americans every day but still wants to build a $398 million bridge for 50 Alaskans served by existing ferries. Funding for the "Bridge to Nowhere" has continued as of Mar 2nd, 2011 in the passing of H.R. 662: Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011. No hatchery for Tennessee but bridges for Alaska. Thank you GOP/teahadists.

The three paragraphs above were submitted to the Johnson City Press as a letter to the editor. I’ve much more to say about this poor excuse for a representative but the newspaper limits writers to 250 words. I can think of 250 adjectives, each more contemptuous than its predecessor that would apply to any description of Rep. Roe.

It seems to me that his e-mail broadcasts are designed to be sent to people who believe what he says without ever bothering to verify the facts of the matter. All it took was a comparison of the latest release to the Congressional voting record to fish out these two bits of information that show him clearly following the teavangelist party line while feeding a series of lies to the folks at home.

His voting patterns demonstrate that he is just another party hack following the party line and hoping to be rewarded with a committee chair. He needs to be returned to private life at the earliest opportunity.

Tonight we will dine on ham and eggs, in Tennessee, not Carolina.