Ryan Challenger Rob Zerban Blasts Congressman on Great Lakes Drilling
Zerban says Ryan's support of drilling for oil in the Great Lakes threatens millions of residents' jobs.
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Saying Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) is more interested in lining his pockets with Big Oil money than protecting the economic interests of Wisconsin residents, Rob Zerban released a statement on Feb. 16 blasting Ryan for his stance.
Here is the full release:
I am appalled, yet not surprised, that Congressman Paul Ryan chose to sell out Wisconsin and our Great Lakes to the Big Oil corporations who fuel his campaign. It is immoral to put filling one’s own campaign coffers over the best interests of Wisconsinites who use the Great Lakes for economic and recreational purposes every day. Our state thrives when our Great Lakes thrive. This issue is simply too important for Paul Ryan to continue to play politics with.
Because of our lakes, anglers spend billions each year in our communities. Tourists come from neighboring states and beyond. Wisconsin has nearly 175,000 Great Lakes-dependent jobs. Paul Ryan’s dependence on Big Oil’s campaign contributions should never outweigh the disastrous economic effects of drilling in the Great Lakes. But with this vote tonight, he made his priorities devastatingly clear.
I started my public service going door-to-door talking to people about the importance of protecting our Great Lakes with the League of Conservation Voters. I know people throughout our lakefront communities and around our state who survive because of our Great Lakes, and who do not want to see oil rigs on the horizon; a sad reminder of Paul Ryan’s blatant ignorance of our state.
It is a shame that with one vote Paul Ryan attempted to destroy all of the hard work so many have done to ensure healthy lakes for Wisconsin. Paul Ryan made it clear tonight that he is so grossly out of touch that he simply cannot be trusted to protect our Great Lakes, or Wisconsin.
Kevin Presser
9:52 pm on Thursday, February 16, 2012
Am I missing something, or is this the same hot button issue that didn't work for the Democrats in the 2010 Senate election? Is there some new move afoot to even explore Great Lakes drilling options? If there is not, then Zerban is really reaching for anything to malign Paul Ryan.
James R Hoffa
11:42 pm on Thursday, February 16, 2012
All of this blustering over Ryan's support of oil drilling and yet not a single word about Barrett's policy of allowing the City of Milwaukee to discharge hundreds of millions of gallons of raw untreated sewage into the Lake nearly every single year. Where's the Dem outrage over this policy?
I guess it's OK for a Democratic politician to actually pollute but a crime against humanity for a Republican politician to suggest responsible job and energy dependency creating drilling. That's quite an interesting position for Mr. Zerban to be taking, albeit a bit HYPOCRITICAL if you ask me.
And just as I predicted, instead of offering up his own brilliant ideas on the issues, the only thing that Zerban brings to the table is negative attack.
Looks like Ryan won't have to do much to keep his seat, does it?
Rees Roberts
12:39 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012
@lias Hoffa:
I actually agree that discharging hundreds of millions of gallons of raw untreated sewage into the Lake nearly every single year is also not good policy. That, however, just means that we should do neither drilling or discharging. When are we going to come to agreement over the simplest of survival policies?
We simply need fresh water for survival. Whether it is too risky to drill with it's inherent potential for oil spills or dumping sewage into the lake should logically make not a bit of difference.
Shouldn't we be working together on this? Please understand if we just argue against a political opponent we aren't constructively doing a tinkers damn. I again implore you to look at where we have more to gain by looking at what we have more in common instead of what we haven't.
mau
5:47 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012
So now we have Chicago Mayor Emanuel (Illinois) coming to Milwaukee to raise money for Milwaukee Mayor Barrett. A fund raiser charging $400/person or a table of 10 for $2500 (not exactly a 99% event). The same Chicago that doesn't want to do anything effective to keep the Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes to prevent a catastrophic effect on the lakes. So where's the uproar.
Rees Roberts
6:22 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012
@lias mau 5:47pm
modification of my reply to @lias Hoffa:
I actually agree keeping the Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes to prevent a catastrophic effect on the lakes is good policy. That, however, just means that we should do neither drilling or ignoring Asian Carp. When are we going to come to agreement over the simplest of policies?
We simply need fresh water for survival. Whether it is too risky to drill with it's inherent potential for oil spills or ignoring Asian Carp should logically make not a bit of difference.
Shouldn't we be working together on this? Please understand if we just argue against a political opponent we aren't constructively doing a tinkers damn. I again implore you to look at where we have more to gain by looking at what we have more in common instead of what we haven't.
End of almost duplicate comment.
Common gang, thinking of your pet political issue and changing the subject isn't going to change what needs to be done. Preventing Great Lakes Oil drilling.
mau
6:44 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012
First, mau is not an alias. The police recommended I get an unlisted unpublished phone number because I was getting harassing phone calls, so why should I write out my full name.
Second, every time an idea is brought forward, that could get us off of foreign oil that only causes wars and the deaths of thousands of innocent people caught in the middle, it is shot down. We could have had the oil line from Canada, there is oil in the southern states, even Illinois. There are many untapped resources in Colorado and other western states. All those wasted billions of dollars would go a long way to make us energy independent. But neither party wants this or it would be done. And until everybody, rich, poor, middle class, is willing to give up their modern lifestyle, it is not going to happen.
Rees Roberts
7:56 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012
@lias mau
First, you are not using your real name so by definition you are using an alias.
Second, the reason we are not being positive about your comments about drilling for oil in the Great Lakes is for the reasons stated. It simply is too dangerous, too risky. It has nothing to do about pipelines nor what other states have for oil resources.
mau
8:16 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012
Until everybody gets serious about not consuming, it will always be an issue of where can we get more oil. It's kind of a which came first the chicken or the egg. There was no need for President Obama to fly to Wisconsin, wasting all that energy and oil, to make a campaign stop at Master Lock. That is where we start.
Tim Scott
6:22 am on Friday, February 17, 2012
Another certified bona-fide nut case who fails to understand that without oil large scale civilization would collapse and we would all be dead. Oil = Modern Life.
I wonder what the size of his energy footprint is? Usually the nuttier they are, the larger the footprint, just like Al "I Invented the Internet" Gore, the Internut.
Rob - educate yourself and fill that big empty head with some useful information: http://www.theoildrum.com/
Daniel Lafond
2:16 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012
when everything is said and done , you need fresh water over oil , we need to keep our great lakes clean , if they can get oil out in a safe way then im all for it , safe being the key word here , when you see things like what happened in the golf you have to be varry werry about this ,
Tim Scott
6:49 am on Friday, February 17, 2012
"It is immoral to put filling one’s own campaign coffers over the best interests of Wisconsinites who use the Great Lakes for economic and recreational purposes every day."
No morality about it.
Also, a FREE CLUE for you, without oil and it's many finished products NONE of that economic or recreational activity would take place. Without oil, you would be living a hunter-gatherer existence, short life span, pooping on the land, and traversing the Great Lakes in a hand-made Birch Bark canoe while clothed in (GASP!) animal skins.
Ron Vandenboom
9:35 am on Friday, February 17, 2012
The C.O.D. (Culture of Death) party wants the Northwoods citizens to starve. They sure do hate prosperity, enna hey?
Frances Martin
10:15 am on Friday, February 17, 2012
Are some of you out there thinking that there's an infinite supply of oil, or is it just a belief that our generation and the next few should take it all, whatever the consequences,and let our children and grandchildren deal with what happens next?
Rees Roberts
12:16 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012
The biggest reason not to drill for oil on the Great Lakes: "Fresh Water".
Folks, do you honestly want to risk contaminating the most significant survival resource we have on our door step, fresh water? Paul Ryan, get a grip on this fact. Fresh Water, for the vast majority of your constituency is way more important for our survival than your electability. If Ryan doesn't "get this" we are doomed because all it would take is one gulf style oil spill to contaminate the biggest fresh water source we have in all of North America.
If you conservatives want to argue for drilling in the Great Lakes then go ahead but please tell your adult children that you did that too. Remember, all it takes is one good spill to turn our Great Lakes from a blessing to a curse. It simply isn't worth the risk in my book.
DJ
12:19 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012
Studying politics is like playing a chess game - you need to study your opponent and their moves to find the underlying strategies (and there are always underlying strategies).
EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE does EVERYTHING for a reason, whether it be selfish or (some try) unselfish reasons and I for one would like to know:
The League of Women Voters – they are speaking for the “supposed disenfranchised” but what is it specifically that their GROUP is personally getting out of their lawsuit challenging the Voter ID law?
Democrat candidates – what is it specifically that they as an individual will PERSONALLY get by being voted in? who will personally benefit if this person is elected?
Republican candidates - what is it specifically that they as an individual will PERSONALLY get by being voted in? who will personally benefit if this person is elected?
Corporate sponsors - what is it specifically that they as a business will PERSONALLY get by sponsoring a candidate? Will they alone or will their neighbor also benefit if their candidate is elected?
Unions - what is it specifically that they as a member-paid organization will PERSONALLY get by sponsoring a candidate? Will they alone or will their neighbor also benefit if their candidate is elected?
As for this article, people do nothing for free so what Rob Zerban getting out of it?
Bren
4:44 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012
As one of the world's largest freshwater supplies, the Great Lakes are a precious resource and need to be protected. Recent oil spills in the Gulf and the Yellowstone River and resulting clean-up shortfalls show that oil companies are still more focused on drilling technology than on improving clean up. Damage from leftover pockets of crude oil continues to plague Port William Sound, Alaska, decades after the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. For example, clean-up from the Yellowstone River spill last year (from a broken pipeline that was improperly constructed at the wrong depth beneath the riverbed), included the use of absorbant paper towels almost unchanged from those used in 1989.
People of every walk of life enjoy the Great Lakes or depend upon them for work and for life, not to mention fish, birds, and other animals. Surely we should not be looking to our water supply for oil.
Here's a link to a story in today's HuffPost about a tanker collision in the Mississippi, which dumped thousands of gallons of oil into the river: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/17/mississippi-river-barge-collision_n_1284166.html
According to the Coast Guard, the spill was contained but clean up is needed.
Let's think carefully about drilling in the Great Lakes.
Rees Roberts
5:15 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012
@lias DJ
Holy cow. My comments today on this subject had absolutely no alternative motive attached to them. I am not running for office. I am retired and get no benefit for any corporate interest. I simply have concluded that not drilling for oil in the Great Lakes is in our human interest to have good clean fresh water. PERIOD. I regret you feel otherwise. Not everyone is playing a game, as you suggest.
So, how do you honestly feel about this subject? Emphasis on honesty and why.
Kevin Presser
6:43 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012
Once again I ask the question, is there something new and immediate about Great Lakes drilling that I have missed? I watch the news and read multiple newspaper every day, and I haven't heard anything about Great Lakes drilling since the 2010 Senate Election. The only thing I have heard about the Great Lakes is the possible Asian Carp invasion of Lake Michigan. So is Zerban trying to find an issue that has no immediacy to run against Ryan? Is this misdirection? How about the issues that matter today. How is Zerban going to serve the constituents of this district should he be elected? Raise taxes? Increase spending? These are the issues that frozen action in Washington? How is Zerban going to change that?
patchreader 123
8:06 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012
Kevin:
"So is Zerban trying to find an issue that has no immediacy to run against Ryan? Is this misdirection?"
Agreed. Read my below post.
Assuming Ryan has indeed accepted campaign $ from big oil, is Zerban merely inferring that Ryan supports oil drilling in the GLs?
The following is from Ryan's web site: http://paulryan.house.gov/Issues/Issue/?IssueID=9976
Protecting the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are one of Wisconsin’s greatest natural resources. They contain nearly 20 percent of the world’s freshwater and supply more than 30 million Americans with their daily drinking water. It is absolutely essential that we make every effort to protect this treasured resource for future generations of Wisconsinites.
In 2004, President Bush established a Great Lakes Interagency Task Force chaired by the EPA that would develop a strategy guiding federal Great Lakes protection and restoration efforts. During debate on the FY2012 Interior Appropriations legislation, I supported several amendments restoring funding to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. As you may know, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is charged with cleaning up toxins and areas of concerns, combating invasive species, promoting healthy waterways, restoring wetlands and other habitats, and working with a variety of partners to protect and preserve the Great Lakes.
Again, what am I missing here?
patchreader 123
7:48 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012
I agree that we should keep oil drilling out of the Great Lakes. Just think of the BP Gulf oil disaster. Need I say more?
HOWEVER, I cannot find anything showing that Ryan supports oil drilling in the GLs. Plenty of 2010 news regarding Ron Johnson and the issue. But no news regarding Ryan.
Am I missing something?
patchreader 123
7:58 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012
BTW:
Zerban cites the Grand Rapids Press within his statement in support of the numerous jobs that depend upon the Great Lakes. Fair enough.
However, the Grand Rapids Press has also been extremely critical of President Obama's lack of aggression in addressing the Illinois Asian carp fiasco.
http://www.mlive.com/opinion/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/02/editorial_mr_obama_and_the_car.html
Where's Zerban's outrage towards our President?
Bren
2:30 am on Saturday, February 18, 2012
Here is a Reuters update about yesterday's fire at BP's Cherry Point Refinery in Washington State. Concerning this plant, "In 2010, Labor & Industries issued 12 citations for serious violations in the safe management of processes involving highly hazardous chemicals at the hydrocracking unit."
Oil processing is a messy, dangerous business.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/18/refinery-operations-bp-cherrypoint-idUSL2E8DHD5I20120218
patchreader 123
9:22 am on Saturday, February 18, 2012
I have Googled all sorts of searches on the sublect matter, yet I cannot find anything linking Ryan to oil drilling in the GLs.
Bren:
Are you aware of what Zerban is talking about? If so, could you provide a link of cite? You appear to be very thoughtful in your discussions on the Patch, often backing up your positions w/ facts.
Although I support Ryan on a number of issues, I would oppose him on this issue. However, I cannot find any proof regarding his purported support.
Any assistance you provide is appreciated.