John Kerry visits Dallas, criticizes rival Howard Dean

Senator rips backing of W. Texas nuclear dump that didn't materialize


09:41 PM CDT on Wednesday, October 1, 2003

By RANDY LEE LOFTIS / The Dallas Morning News

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry attacked rival Howard Dean in Dallas on Wednesday for an environmental decision 10 years ago: backing a deal as Vermont governor to ship his state's low-level radioactive waste to the West Texas desert.

The proposed Sierra Blanca nuclear waste dump was never built. Texas' environmental commission vetoed the Hudspeth County site in 1998, saying studies of earthquake risks and economic and social impacts were inadequate.


Outside a Habitat for Humanity home in West Dallas, Democratic Sen. John Kerry called for a stronger federal commitment to easing pollution burdens on the poor and minorities.
Mr. Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, said Mr. Dean's support for the 1993 nuclear-waste compact among Maine, Vermont and Texas showed insensitivity to the mostly poor Hispanic residents near the proposed dump site. He linked Mr. Dean to President Bush, who was Texas' governor when Texas officials proposed the site, 90 miles southeast of El Paso

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/politics/local/stories/100203dnmetkerry.6d4f3.html

Dean and the Maine governor struck a deal with Texas to pay them to dump their waste, it was up to the Texas Legislature to pick a site and vote on it. Sierra Blanca was the first site, Dean didn't pick it, but what happened is in the 2nd paragraph of your article, they eventually picked a 1,300 acre lot in Andrews County which was already being used for toxic and other harmful chemicals. So Kerry can dwell on the past all he wants, I don't care, it won't change my opinion about Dean.

the poster was really upset.

in my experience with primaries, it's best to fight now and band together behind whoever wins the nomination.

Dean: New Bridge 'represents everything that is wrong with the Bush administration'
BURLINGTON—Howard Dean issued the following statement today:

"In the midst of a brewing Washington scandal over reckless leaks and a debate over whether to spend $87 billion to rescue a failed policy in Iraq comes word of close Bush associates feeding at the Washington special interest trough. Joseph Allbaugh--who, with Karl Rove and Karen Hughes, comprised Bush's 'iron triangle' of handlers--has founded a new firm, New Bridge Strategies, with a number of other Republican cronies. This firm represents everything that is wrong with the Bush administration--and why change is so desperately needed in Washington.

"Joe Allbaugh was the Chief of Staff for then-Governor George W. Bush and the campaign manager for the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign. Until recently, he was the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"Now he and two of the most prominent Republican lobbyists in Washington, along with other veterans of the Reagan and Bush years, have started this firm with the openly stated purpose of using their close ties to the Bush administration to help companies earn lucrative contracts in the reconstruction of Iraq.

"The American people have serious questions about the credibility of this Administration's actions regarding every angle of this war:

"They question why we went to war, when the stated rationales are apparently false.

"They question the lack of adequate planning for post-war Iraq, as more soldiers have been killed in the post-major combat phase than in the actual invasion.

"They question the Vice President's continuing ties to Halliburton, and why Halliburton is entitled to upwards of $2 billion in no-bid contracts.

"They question the motives of the 'senior administration officials' who allegedly engaged in criminal wrongdoing by disclosing the identity of an undercover CIA operative, thereby jeopardizing national security interests, her career, and possibly putting the lives of her contacts at risk.

"And now we learn about New Bridge Strategies, a company that confirms people's worst fears about their government by blatantly seeking to trade its insider-influence for lucrative contracts. Is rebuilding Iraq a humanitarian enterprise, or a massive giveaway program for Republican conglomerates and insiders? Who does this government belong to--the people or the special interests?

"Since January, my campaign will have raised $25 million dollars in average donations of less than $100 in almost 200,000 separate contributions. If I am elected, my government will belong to the people and theirs will be the only interest that I serve."

http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/001731.html#more


The compact with Maine and Texas was only about sending waste to Texas, not specifically to Sierra Blanca:
http://www.leg.state.vt.us/statutes/fullchapter.cfm?Title=10&Chapter=162

And Enright's response renders Kerry's desperate criticism moot:

snip>
"It said any site would have to meet very strict environmental and safety standards," Ms. Enright said. "It didn't meet them, so it was rejected. It's a moot point."

How about actually posting something relevant, instead of more Bush-bashing (always a good thing, but not always relevant)?

Despite not knowing where the site was, it was still a moronic and myopic idea on Dean's part - a rank form of NIMBY and ignorant of the massive public safety concerns over shipping nuclear waste over thousands of miles of rail.

Finally, Dean had no change of heart after he learned where the site was to be.

What kind of deal would Kerry have cut to get rid of toxic waste?

This, for me and I believe for most of middle America, is a non-issue. This will affect Dean's support among the Sierra Club/Earth First type progressives, but I doubt he had their support to begin with.

Now, about the off-shore wind powered generators Kerry is still hemming and hawing about... could that be his version of Not In My Backyard?

.

...to naderize Dean? :-)

on Dean.