Community Energy Solutions Is Born

We have a birth announcement. In Waterloo last week, a new Iowa nonprofit called Community Energy Solutions was born, midwifed (i.e., they're officers) by a hardworking group of local volunteers. The general goals of the organization are to raise awareness about Iowa's energy choices and educate Iowans about the clean options available to us before we settle for another 30 years of dirty coal power. We're setting up a bank account, so in the future all contributions can go to Community Energy Solutions. So far contributions have helped print lawn signs, fact sheets, fliers and stickers and paid booth fees at public events. At the Sturgis Fair this weekend we got nearly 90 more signatures in addition to the 3000 who've already signed petitions against the proposed coal plant.

In other news of support, Community Energy Solutions members have made presentations recently to the Iowa chapters of Physicians for Social Responsibility and Environmental Advocates, and those groups will be running articles about the coal plant proposal in their next newsletters. Across the state, people are taking steps to support Waterloo in its stand for better energy solutions.

A "Done Deal"? Really, Ron?

Everyone seems to remember Waterloo news anchor Ron Steele's confident words after the May 11 informational meeting: "It's a done deal," Ron said.

Is it? Maybe Ron knows something we don't. Maybe Ron knows why LS Power should be confident that it will receive permits from Iowa DNR and the Army Corps of Engineers, and a Certificate of Need from the Iowa Utilities Board. Maybe Ron knows why the City Council can't be swayed by an ever-growing local opposition to this proposal. Maybe Ron knows why the growing list of state legislators who oppose the proposal don't have the influence to defeat it.

If Ron does know all this, he's sitting on the story of the decade. Why would any good newsman do that? Come on, Ron, tell us what you know. Otherwise, stop trying to stifle the people's democratic right to try to influence public policy decisions that affect all our lives. That's what a good newsman would do.