idarastar (Anonymous) says…

It doesn't surprise me one bit to see the ones who oppose the veto are money-hungry Republicans. Is it really better to see money in your pockets today than see the health of your grandchildren's environment down the road?
I'm glad Kansas is one of the states taking a stand against global warming and standing up for “green” solutions.

jackbinkelman (Anonymous) says…

Right on! Kansas!!!!!

KEITHMILES05 (Anonymous) says…

It is sad to see this governor use this issue for political purposes rather than promoting it as a state of the art method for energy with the newest techology and providing jobs for Kansans in the western portion of the state. Not to mention a strong committment from Sunflower to expedite alternative forms of energy. This governor has turned her back on those out west and only for political gain. Shame on her.

For those who advocate “clean” air with all the alternative types of energy please be mindful those types will only provide a very, very small portion of todays demands. Those are the facts. It will take many, many years of strong committment from all energy providers to transform from coal powered to the alternative types.

For those in the eastern part of the state they need to be more mindful of the horrible energy outputs in this area (other than Wolf Creek Nuclear). You are breathing death as we speak. Why are you not clamoring for instant upgrades to these filthy plants? The one outside of Lawrence is one of THE worst offenders in the country!

The SAD truth is an overwhelming percentage of legislators strongly support the Sunflower expansion.
It is the militant minority who are crying foul for political gain.

KsTwister (Anonymous) says…

Thank you Governor. Our children thank you too.

Multidisciplinary (Anonymous) says…

Gonna need help people.
One of my tall pines is leaning, ball is uprooted some.
I gave away all my fence posts, but I have a pole driver somewhere. Chain and turnbuckle too if I can find where the man moved them to when he cleaned the garage.
But I can't get back there to do it myself, and it'll need to be done soon or I'll lose the tree.
I can't hire it done, no funds right now.
House is supposed to be listed today too.

Any helpful people out there?
Know of a tree service kind enough to help a disabled woman out in a bind?

Baille (Anonymous) says…

Uh-oh. Melvin is getting fired up. His fellow legislators better watch their step or Melvin will start calling their friends and family and making baseless accusations of moral turpitude.

http://www.kscourts.org/cases-and-opinio…

Baille (Anonymous) says…

“he one outside of Lawrence is one of THE worst offenders in the country!”

Absolutely right. Our legislators, including Tom Sloan whose record has been somewhat disappointing this session, should turn their attention to plants like that one and get it cleaned up.

toe (Anonymous) says…

Republicans failed. Working with a politically ambitious Governor is a mistake. Perhaps the Republicans will realize that now and oppose funding for anything that increases the tax burden.

northtown (Anonymous) says…

Build them WEST of the rockies!!!!!!!!!!

bennric (Anonymous) says…

Way to go Governor. Aside from the obvious pollutants that will be released from the power plants, we need to think about the tons of coal that will be used to fuel these plants. Where is this coal coming from? How much irreversible damage to the environment was caused obtaining this coal? What about the diesel fueled locomotives transporting this coal to the plant?

kugrad (Anonymous) says…

Thank you Governor and thanks to the Representatives who had the courage to stand up to the well-financed energy industry lobbyists and do the right thing for Kansas.

teacher4ku (Anonymous) says…

I have laughed a lot during the past couple of months reading all of the postings about these coal fired plants. Coal isn't the best idea, but for all of those people who think wind power is the solution don't understand how things work. If you need 600 megawatts of power and you get 400 from coal/natural gas/nuclear, and the other 200 is coming from wind, you better hope the wind is blowing all of the time. If it's not, there are going to be a lot of somebodies without electricity. I've also read that western Kansas is perfect for wind generation. Having lived in both parts of this state, the wind is just stronger out here, so strong that many days the turbines would have to be shut down so they wouldn't be damaged. Then there was the complaining of people because the electric companies were going to make the consumer help pay for wind generation. (If you want it, you're going to have to pay for it.) One last thing that I found interesting is that when I read the Capital Journal and notice Mr. Bremby via email telling a developer of an oil refinery that if he submitted a permit, he would approve it. Not a big surprise that the refinery was looking to build in the eastern part of the state!

merrill (Anonymous) says…

It’s a great day for America. It is amazing that so many scream about corporate welfare, special interest funding of campaigns and the known corruption attached to both yet get behind coal and nuke power corporate welfare beggars and their legislative counterparts . When is the last time either told the truth? Deregulation is not working!

There are thousands of new jobs attached to wind power,solar power, refined hydropower and geo thermal. It’s all available now. Why not go for it?

love2eat (Anonymous) says…

Thank you so much to the governor and all the senators and representatives who have done the right thing here! Investing more in coal is short sighted and merely postpones development of sensible energy policy. If this thing does go through, it will become uneconomic in a very short time — the writing is on the wall and it will be all of us (who didn't make a fortune up front when it got approved) whose taxes will increase to bail out the financial institutions who loaned money for the construction. WAKE up fiscal conservatives — the time to address egregiious spending is NOW

To the brave representatives and senators who did not follow the pack — we will be voting for you in the next elections. We need more like you who are willing to stand up to the monied interrests and do what is right! Thank YOU!

Sen_Fudgepack (Anonymous) says…

The very people who want to complain about the governor overstepping her authority are the same ones who belong to the party that do nothing but overstep their authority…. Hypocrisy… Alive and well among the GOP in KS…

Can you say 'warantless wire taps' or 'waterboarding' or 'Terry Schiavo'?

Thank GOD the governor will stand up to those white old farts out (and their Stepford wives) in western KS who only care about T Boone Picken's money and Viagra… They'll be long dead before it's an issue so thank GOD again that greed and selfishness lose once in awhile…

unlikelystory (Anonymous) says…

Yay Gov. Sebelius!

anxiousatheist (Anonymous) says…

“you better hope the wind is blowing all of the time.” - teacher4ku

Um, yeah, the wind does blow all the time…what exactly do you teach again?

a_flock_of_jayhawks (Anonymous) says…

bkgarner says…
“What I mean by that is that CO2 is not listed as a pollutant in any regulation or law.”

Guess you must have missed this, Brent:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/03/washin…

Funny that you used the term capriciousness, the SCOTUS ruling described the EPA that way.

gr (Anonymous) says…

“Wilk urged his colleagues to approve the bill and override Sebelius’ veto, saying that the plants would be among the cleanest coal-burning units in the country,”

Sebel voted against clean coal plants.

Mackadoo (Anonymous) says…

Great news!!! Thank you for all who had the courage to do the right thing!

jayhawklawrence (Anonymous) says…

The embarrassing days of Melvin Nuefeld and his cronies are nearing an end and better days for Kansans are coming.

Thank you Governor Sebelius for standing up to the bullies!

WilburM (Anonymous) says…

Purely politically, the confrontation between Gov. Sebelius and Speaker Neufeld is a gross mis-match. This guy costs the GOP both votes and credibility. Given his mishandling of gambling. the coal plant, and any number of other issues — often to the Governor's benefit — the House GOP would be crazy to re-elect him speaker next year.

c_dubya (Anonymous) says…

She won't be governor much longer. She has higher ambitions. Expect a short delay, and then these plants will be built. She is putting a taste in the mouth of Kansas outside of Lawrence that people will not soon forget. Think of the way you all think about President Bush; that's pretty close to how western Kansans think about Sebelius right now. After everything Lawrencians went through with the city council and Wal-Mart you'd think people would have learned how this works by now.

Baille (Anonymous) says…

Yep, teacher4ku, except that we would only get the pollution from those plants. The power would have gone to OK, CO, and TX, which did not want the plants in their backyard.

If any “clean” coal burning plants are going to be built in KS, they should replace the crappy ones we have now.

dirkleisure (Anonymous) says…

As for the continuing myth about the Lawrence plant and “cleaning it up”:

Here in Lawrence

Westar has plans to spend $750 million making upgrades to its generating plants in Kansas, starting with the Jeffrey Energy Center and, after that, others in the system. Among them: the Lawrence Energy Center north of the Kansas Turnpike.

The work in Lawrence, expected in 2009 and 2010, would entail installing equipment to reduce specific emissions other than CO2, officials said. The upgrades would be designed to reduce releases of particulates and nitrous oxide, a precursor to smog.

“Our customers are pretty clear on wanting to be good environmental stewards,” said Bill Eastman, director of environmental services for Topeka-based Westar.

jayhawklawrence (Anonymous) says…

LIstening to conservative talk shows all day long on your radios is not the way to get a good education, quite the opposite. Whenever I travel in rural areas, that is all I can find on the radio. It is sad.

We can all be deceived, but eventually fossils like Neufeld fade away and the truth remains.

Uhlrick_Hetfield_III (Anonymous) says…

Before you go too gaga over Kathleen keep in mind that she supported these plants until she went to DC and found out that if she did it would hurt her chances of becoming a potential VP candidate. All of a sudden she found religion in the same way she's found every other position she takes, i.e. it benefits Kathleen to take it.

Oh well, Saul Alinsky always said people would do the right things for the wrong reasons.

merrill (Anonymous) says…

It's time to replace coal plants with new energy sources so your point is well taken. Sooooo in order to get rid of coal plants eastern Kansas needs another source of energy.
Anybody out there want our business?

Perhaps a western Kansas wind farm would seek new eastern Kansas ratepayers. Don't kid yourself kansasman plenty here would love the opportunity to cut themselves off coal power. Just give us a call and we're off.

logicsound04 (Anonymous) says…

“Shut it down and buy some cleaner energy from Holcomb.”

–––––-

If this was a proposed option, I think you might be surprised at how many of us “evil” Eastern Kansans would be receptive to it.

However, since the Holcomb plants would have been contracted to ship 85% of their power out of state for the purposes of lowering rates, that was not an option.

I would agree, however, that anyone who clamors for coal-alternative energy sources but complains about a fraction of a dollar rate increase is betraying their own cause. If we want cleaner energy options to become the standard, then one of two things need to happen:

1) the government needs to subsidize alternative energy research and development (not a very viable option in the face of our record level deficit).

2) the people need to be willing to pay the increased costs until the development curve brings the price:power generation ratio down.

jhawks1510 (Anonymous) says…

The environmental impact reasoning the governor used is a red herring. If in fact Colorado & Texas wanted that power, design the plant such that its emissions are limited and scrubbed, even if it makes it more expensive. Then propose the deal. CO & TX may still have wanted it, so we get the investment, the jobs, a little extra power for Western Kansas, CO & TX get the power they need, and everybody could have won.

You environmentalists have to realize that the NIMBY (not in my backyard) philosophy is counterproductive. A responsibly planned and constructed plant would have helped the environment, because it could have been used as a model for future efficient plants. You're not helping yourselves.

Look at what companies like Sassol in South Africa are doing…coal gas liquefication, pre-processing coal so that its energy potential is more concentrated, and cleaner burning. Personally, I'd rather see a nuclear plant, since it's CO2, NO2, SO2, etc. emissions are virtually nil. But wholesaledly standing in the way of progress w/o making an attempt to guide that progress hinders us all. The radical environmental lobby is its own worst enemy.

georgeofwesternkansas (Anonymous) says…

This is not dead yet! Some things happened in the Senate after midnight that give Nufeld total control over the Omnibus spending bill differences between house and senate. They could cut around $30 million in social programs targeted for Wichita if they do not get the votes for an over ride, and force the gov to cut the education budget. Not too excited about the prospects but it could happen.

number1jayhawker (Anonymous) says…

If anyone thinks the Gov't isn't already subsidizing alternative energy, they are either ignorant or just have so much hate in them, that they can not accept it.

georgeofwesternkansas (Anonymous) says…

Not over yet folks!!

After some after midnight action in the senate Nufeld now has total control over the differences in the house and senate omnibus spending bill.

dirkleisure (Anonymous) says…

“Shut it down and buy some cleaner energy from Holcomb.”

Absolutely. Love to do it. Too bad Sunflower won't play ball.

georgeofwesternkansas, you are in real trouble if you get all your political insights from Martin Hawver.

vpete69 (Anonymous) says…

Here's what is funny about this:

If the veto had been overturned, the left would have taken the issue to court.

The veto held, and the right respects the democratic process and refuses to make a court case out of this.

a_flock_of_jayhawks (Anonymous) says…

IGW says…
“Shut it down and buy some cleaner energy from Holcomb.”

That was on the table, but there was no indication of how much it would cost or when/if the transmission capacity would be built to get it here. This was brought up by Rep. Burroughs during the “debate” (if you can call it that) on the companion measure last night. Ringing the dinner bell and saying “come an git it” doesn't do you much good if there's a massive obstacle between you and it. BPU was approached and asked to commit to it. They said they would need some time, maybe weeks to study it. They were given *6 hours* to make a decision.

a_flock_of_jayhawks (Anonymous) says…

vpete69 (Anonymous) says…

“The veto held, and the right respects the democratic process and refuses to make a court case out of this.”

Hmmm. You must have missed this part of the article above:

'But after the failure to override, Neufeld said supporters of the plants weren’t giving up.

“We have other options,” he said, but declined to say what they were.'

*declined to say what they were*
In previous statements, they said that they would, in fact, consider remedy via the courts. They respect the democratic process *so much* that, according to Rep. Burroughs statements during debate on the House floor last night, a rep from the WY Co. delegation had a relative threatened to be kicked off of a job site if the legislator did not change their vote.

Baille (Anonymous) says…

“If the veto had been overturned, the left would have taken the issue to court.”

What? On what grounds? That's just a silly statement.

“They could cut around $30 million in social programs targeted for Wichita if they do not get the votes for an over ride, and force the gov to cut the education budget.”

That sounds like Melvin: if you can't call the opposition's spouses and spread nasty rumors then target the children of their constituents.

For all this talk about alternate energy sources, one would think there were plethora of options. There aren't. But this deal did not die because it involved coal, but because it gave Kansans the short end of the stick. Big business pollutes our air and takes what little is left of our water for nothing more than a few temporary jobs. Meanwhile, we are stuck with the same crappy plants, the same rates, dirtier air, no water in the aquifer, and an inherently flawed economic model in western Kansas propped up to limp along for another couple of years.

Our “representatives” need to stop taking a short view and stop acting in favor of their own personal best interests, and think about what is good for our state in the long-term. Instead, complex problems are addressed with greed, willful ignorance, and vitriol from those that damn well know better.

OnlyTheOne (Anonymous) says…

I urge all to take note of those lackies (obviously more interested in $$$ in pockets than the wishes of Kansans) who voted to override the veto and remember their names at reelection time.

yourworstnightmare (Anonymous) says…

Neufeld is a buffoon.

Melvin, go back to farming and leave running the state to grown-up professionals who understand the issues.

You are of much more use to kansas as a farmer.

ENGWOOD (Anonymous) says…

We will see what the Eco Nazi's comments are when they have to get a 3rd job to pay their utility bills in the near future.
Obama's Mama has closed all of Kansas for new development.

TeresaBinstock (Anonymous) says…

Coal plants are associated with autism rates, as summarized in a recent peer-reviewed research article, “Proximity to point sources of environmental mercury release as a predictor of autism prevalence” at http://tinyurl.com/5u59wv

Furthermore, air particulates, ozone, and smog are increasingly realized to have adverse effects. On behalf of the Autism Research Institute, I recently created a mildly annotated bibliography of peer-reviewed articles. One such collection focuses upon air pollution and its effects and can be enjoyed at http://tinyurl.com/3lewll

As metastasizing economic growth increasingly pollutes, we'll have recurring choice between community health and investor profits.

jonas (Anonymous) says…

teacher4ku (Anonymous) says…

“Coal isn't the best idea, but for all of those people who think wind power is the solution don't understand how things work.”

Personally, I think the only solution, and one we will eventually have to painfully implement, is a dramatic change in our lifestyles. By most any measures, our standard of living consumes more resources per capita than any other nation in the world.

jonas (Anonymous) says…

At least by the ones I've run across so far. You all can feel free to inform me of where I'm wrong.

gr (Anonymous) says…

“Guess you must have missed this, Brent:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/03/washin…

Guess you think a split is a “consensus” and therefore a fact which doesn't ever need to be looked at again?

“Writing for the majority, Justice John Paul Stevens said the only way the agency could “avoid taking further action” now was “if it determines that greenhouse gases do not contribute to climate change” or provides a good explanation why it cannot or will not find out whether they do.”

It's an assumed fact and must be disproved? Which means, they can make up anything. Let's say that obese people unbalance the planet. Therefore, the EPA must regulate obese people or prove they don't unbalance the planet.

“Massachusetts, one of the 12 state plaintiffs, met the test, Justice Stevens said, because it had made a case that global warming was raising the sea level along its coast, presenting the state with a “risk of catastrophic harm” that “would be reduced to some extent” if the government undertook the regulation the state sought.”

What a loser state. They can no more prove CO2 is raising sea levels, nor regulation would reduce sea levels.

People of the areas where rainforests are being destroyed, and there soil is being destroyed due to ethanol, ought to sue Sebil for permanently destroying their country.

a_flock_of_jayhawks (Anonymous) says…

gr (Anonymous) says…
“Guess you think a split is a “consensus” and therefore a fact which doesn't ever need to be looked at again?”

Guess again. I believe a SCOTUS decision, whether split or not, is a decision and a majority opinion prevails and sets legal precedent in a pretty big way. You said split >> consensus >> fact. I see you out on a limb with that one, gr.
I just pointed out that there is a SCOTUS decision whereas Brent claimed there was no law. Call it a split if you like, but it is the majority decision that prevails. As the article points out, it sets the stage for more.

Sen_Fudgepack (Anonymous) says…

I find it hilarious to read the asinine comments about how this veto will end future investment in KS.

Companies will go where they can pay cheap wages. Eliminating a coffin factory posing as a power plant will not prevent other companies from coming if they truly want to come. If anything, it will show that we care about what happens to the state and the planet. That will be an enticement in itself to companies who actually care instead of trying to use western KS as a toilet.

If this sends a message to polluters that KS is off limits, then that's a good message IMO.

dirkleisure (Anonymous) says…

Westar wants job of building out west
By Sarah Kessinger - Harris News Service - kessinger@dailynews.net

topeka - With more wind farms dotting western Kansas, Westar Energy wants state regulators to scrap another transmission company's bid to build lines into southwest Kansas and let it do it.
–––

The transmission lines argument keeps being made, and it is wholly without merit. The transmission capacity to move power generated in the western half of our state to multiple locations is being built, and will continue to be built without a rate increase to Kansas consumers.

This would be much like Westar's $500 million investment in wind energy, again without a rate increase.

Doom and gloom predictions of massive rate hikes if a 1400 MW coal burning dinosaur isn't constructed are proven to be specious on a daily basis.

Oh, and IGW - stop trolling.

dirkleisure (Anonymous) says…

http://www.harrisnewsservice.com/news/Tr…

It's called reading for comprehension. Try it out.

Unlike Sunflower, which has convinced the Legislature to grant them the authority to raise rates whenever they like for however much they please, Westar must have any rate hike approved by the KCC.

Their investment is ongoing. Their rate hike is nowhere to be seen. Just because you post something doesn't make it true. Rarely does IGW present anything other than her own statements, which can hardly be called opinions because they typically have no rational basis.

You are full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Enjoy your arbitrary rate hikes from your “cooperative.”

ralphralph (Anonymous) says…

Clean. Safe. Reliable. Nuclear.

p.s. - adios, Gov Chatty Kathy. It's been good to know you.

ralphralph (Anonymous) says…

This just in from the Topeka C-J:

Blizzard warning issued for northwest Kansas
The Associated Press May 2, 2008 at 10:58 a.m. CDT
http://cjonline.com/stories/050208/bre_b…

Must be a CO2 shortage out there!

Sen_Fudgepack (Anonymous) says…

Global warming means that there are extreme climate shifts… Maybe that would explain the May blizzard in KS?

Trying watching something besides Bill O' Lielly or Hee Haw… Hearing people spout off about something they know little about is like watching Faux News…

LeonTrotsky (Anonymous) says…

This line of comments brought to you by:

Blue Coal-Pennsylvania Anthracite!

And now…
back to The Shadow…
oh, I mean the comments.

blessed3x (Anonymous) says…

More Nuclear Now!!! Shoot, even the French have figured that out!

dirkleisure (Anonymous) says…

The only reasonable argument posted here today is the suggestion that the polluting coal plants in this state be shut down and power from a cleaner burning coal plant newly constructed by Sunflower be sold to companies needing to replace the power produced by older plants.

Unfortunately, the Sunflower executives have no interest in that plan.

Who, then, could make it happen?

Well, Sunflower Electric Power Corporation is a consumer-owned, nonprofit corporation operated cooperatively by six rural electric distribution cooperatives that serve people located in 34 western Kansas counties.

It is those consumers in those 34 western Kansas counties who, by a democratic vote, could demand that Sunflower market its proposed new power not to Colorado and Texas, but to Kansans.

Kansans who are obviously clamoring for cleaner sources of power and a major reduction in CO2 emissions.

So, why don't the members in those 34 western Kansas counties take control of the situation and end this stalemate?

hipgal (Anonymous) says…

thank you, governor sebelius and to all those who supported her.

Anthony Brown, shame on you. Your constituents deserve better. . .

KEITHMILES05 (Anonymous) says…

Not one of you people who posted here talked about the votes on this issue.

Both chambers voted overwhelmingly to override the veto.

Senate: 32-7=80%
House: 80-45=64%

As you can see the legislators were voting in huge numbers representing their constituents.

It's only a small amount of legislators who went against the wishes of the people of the state.

No way this large amount of representatives from BOTH parties are wrong.

So, you people saying “thank you Kathleen for saving my air” are full of yourselves.

just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (Anonymous) says…

“Senate: 32-7=80%
House: 80-45=64%

As you can see the legislators were voting in huge numbers representing their constituents.”

You forgot one vote, that of the governor, who was elected to represent the views of her constituents, and she has a lot more of them than any Senator or Representative.

Governorship 1-0=100%

dirkleisure (Anonymous) says…

Sunflower is a cooperative, and as such Sunflower *is* its customers.

If the customers are so interested in selling power to the east, then they should voice their opinion and end this stalemate.

Instead, you just have drones like IGW spreading the same old tired lines of the Sunflower executives. I cannot think of a single person who has ever “pooh-pooh'd” the idea of Lawrence using power generated by Sunflower.

It is the suits, the corporate barons, the Sunflower executives who have led us down this primrose path. And the customers who actually control Sunflower apparently being led around by their wallets.