The Watchdog is at the Door!

American Federation of Teachers union spends $37million on politics - The 2015 American Federation of Teachers annual report shows a left-wing political machine humming on all cylinders — with teachers buying the gas.  For the fiscal year ending June 30, the union reported $37.6 million in political activity and lobbying expenditures, a $12.7 million increase from the previous year.  Even more political spending was tucked away elsewhere in AFT’s annual U.S. Department of Labor filing, reported as “Contributions, Gifts and Grants,” “General Overhead” or “Representational Activities.”  AFT paid union president Randi Weingarten, one of the nation’s most prominent “progressive” activists, a total of $497,118. The union reported only 2 percent of her time as political activity.  Other expenditures suggest AFT’s decision to endorse Weingarten’s friend Hillary Clinton for president — a move that angered many AFT members — had been made long before it was announced in July……

Study of native-health costs taxpayers $15 million - Taxpayers spent nearly $15 million since 2003 for a Colorado researcher to study health disparities between Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, which some argue was a waste of money. “They could’ve provided a lot of health care for $15 million in cash to care for people and not just study it,” said Jon Caldara, president of the Independence Institute, a free-market think tank in Denver. Led by University of Colorado-Denver Professor Spero Martin Manson, the study apparently does offer some health care, but this year will focus on the impact of trauma on the two populations. The review, funded this year for $1.1 million, will also “seed money for community research conferences,” build capacity at those conferences and train community advocates in “Digital Storytelling” to energize public health efforts in the communities, the grant summary said. Previous studies, which often were funded at more than $1 million a year since 2003, apparently focused on different aspects of health disparities between the native peoples. But Caldara said this type of research is more about filling researchers’ pockets than helping indigenous populations.   “This is a way to retire the debt for post-graduate degrees,” he quipped.….

 

Vermont’s green energy plan to have no impact on global warming  -  At the first public hearing for Vermont’s updated energy plan, audience members criticized the siting of wind and solar projects, and the plan’s policy expert told Vermont Watchdog going completely green will have no impact on global warming. The Vermont Public Service Department on Wednesday held the first of five public hearings on the state’s 2015 Comprehensive Energy Plan. The 380-page draft lays out a path to reaching Vermont’s goal of operating on 90 percent renewable energy by 2050. The plan’s targets include reaching 25 percent renewable power by 2025, up from 16 percent in 2015. Targets also include a 15 percent reduction in Vermonters’ energy use by 2025, and a one-third reduction by mid-century. Also by 2025, planners expect to attain 10 percent renewable transportation and 30 percent renewable buildings. A full 67 percent of electric power will be generated by renewable sources…… While the objectives look good on paper, prominent environmentalists around the state say the goals could require siting wind turbines on one-third of Vermont’s mountain ridgelines, or solar panels across 90,000 acres. One well-known developer, David Blittersdorf, predicts Vermonters may have to abandon cars in favor of electric mass transit……

 

Latest Nebraska move could delay Keystone XL three more years - TransCanada’s decision to take its case for the Keystone XL oil pipeline to an obscure Nebraska regulatory board could delay the process another three years.  This week, the Canadian pipeline company reversed course and walked away from condemnation proceedings against about 90 remaining holdouts in Nebraska. TransCanada first applied in 2008 to transport tar sands oil from Canada through Nebraska and other states to get to Gulf Coast refineries. But their efforts have been repeatedly blocked by Nebraska activists.…..