Hearsay trash talk... uninformed rumor, with no Mpls connection. Permit me to make a Mpls connection and maybe help James clarify his statements and their relationship to Mpls.
I don't recall Wellstone ever being charged with a crime in connection with those power line struggles. The main issues if I remember correctly, involved the widespread surface mining of lignite coals in ND, Montana and Wyoming and the associated environmental impacts; mine mouth electric power production in ND (w/air quality impacts); and, the transmission of said electric power over high-voltage power lines to rural electrics serving our metro customers, thereby freeing up NSP' urban capacity to serve Mpls. customers (the local connection). The environmental health aspects of the high-voltage power lines were in question and remain a subject of scientific enquiry to this day. Farmers and residents along the power line route were/are concerned over the health-related electromagnetic impacts on nearby people and animals. There was also concern over the use of eminent domain and the taking of land for power line right of way-- all this to facilitate urban sprawl and allow metro consumers (including those in Mpls) to continue installing electric water heaters, baseboard space heaters, etc. Many folks (in Mpls and elsewhere) were concerned with the environmental health impacts associated with this 'new' electric capacity and the continued marketing of what they considered inefficient end-use applications of high-grade non-renewable energy to heat air and domestic hot water. Much of West Bank protest in those days was directed at 'establishment' interests, including big government/big private interest involvement with urban renewal, the perceived destruction of local neighborhoods by non-resident special interests (bldgs, highways, etc.), the use of police power to implement such actions by 'outsiders'-- all backed by 'reactionary' government forces at all levels. To my mind it wasn't a Democrat/Republican thing. This was the Nixon/Watergate/Vietnam/ Kent State/Attica/Black Panther/ hippie era, and all those in power were suspect, regardless of party affiliation. I witnessed 'seven-sister' offshore oil rigs in waters just off S. Vietnam; I saw nuclear power plants being built even though there was no long term waste storage plan/strategy; I viewed the lignite strip mines in ND and on tribal lands in Wyoming, and I questioned the Chairman of NSP at the time over their energy policy plans-- back when electricity was penny cheap! People in Mpls. have been questioning the authority and soundness of local, regional and national energy policy and development decision making for over 30 years. Similar questions continue to be asked by Mpls residents today-- a healthy phenomena I believe. I hope that adds some historic context to the discussion. Now, what was your problem with West Bank residents, et al., James? Michael Hohmann Linden Hills 'let's reclaim the lignite strip mines with wind-energy farms financed with long-term bonds at record-low interest rates' > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:mpls-admin@;mnforum.org]On Behalf Of > James E. Jacobsen > Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 8:03 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [Mpls] good news / bad news > > > I had no clue about connect between Wellstone and the Crookston > powerline sabatage until the other day -after the plane crash, I saw > University History Prof Hy Berman on Almanac telling about it and telling > about Wellstone as being the main charactor behind dynamiting the > towers and... snip > ...As to my experience with the politics on the West Bank, I won't go > into it further but Mr. 'Wizard' marks would gain by a lot of > learning about > Minneapolis, the West Bank and Democrats and in some kind of historical > context. > James Jacobsen // Whittier > snip _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
