My Page: Joan McCarter

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Commentary: Joan McCarter

It seems the nation's thirst for fossil fuels is matched only by their actual thirst. And we quench that just as irrationally as the former. Yeah, those little plastic bottles that everyone is so addicted to, and that people like me try to make them feel guilty about. I admit it--I'm a anti-bottled water zealot. Seeing cases of the stuff in people's Costco carts drives me almost as insane as the vision I saw last fall in Phoenix--sprinklers running on bright green lawns, in the middle of the day, water gushing down the gutter. But bottled water has a special place in my scold's heart. [more]

Political Commentary: Joan McCarter

A little closer to home, the Western Resource Advocates have already made their contribution to the general water discussion by cataloging "all the water rights that have been acquired by oil shale interests, or could be used by them, to develop oil shale on a commercial scale." A perusal of their resulting report (available at this link), justifies their general conclusion: "The volume of both water and rights is staggering," and that the six energy companies involved have "cornered the market" on northwestern Colorado's water. [more]

Political Commentary: Joan McCarter

I'm not faulting the Obama administration for putting the kibosh on Yucca Mountain as the nation's nuclear waste dump, which it did in releasing its budget a few weeks ago. The Yucca repository was defunded, which wasn't a huge surprise, since Obama campaigned in Nevada on that promise.

It also wasn't a bad idea based on the science of the place. Geologists have learned that water flows through the mountain much faster than was believed when Yucca was settled on as the site. Because of the high volume of water flowing through, the water table in this area just 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas stands a much greater chance of being poisoned than anyone previously knew. Of course, when Yucca was decided upon, back in 1987, science didn't really play any part of it. The politicians just decided it was "out there" far enough in the desert, and Nevada was weak enough politically, that it might as well go there.

And speaking of politically weak, here's one of the main problems with the decision to scrap Yucca--what about Idaho? [more]

Diary of a Mad Voter: Joan McCarter

On February 18th, too few in the literary (and political, and conservation) world remarked upon the anniversary of the birth of one of the most significant and influential westerners, Wallace Stegner. [more]

Political Commentary: Joan McCarter

When I wrote about Jon Huntsman last week, the likelihood that the governor of Utah, especially one that was bucking the current GOP talking points, would be heard above the din seemed slim. He sure wasn't at CPAC last week, but his absence seems to have actually raised his profile. [more]

Political Commentary: Joan McCarter

You can just see the wheels turning in Republican politicians' brains. They're facing a President with wildly good approval numbers. They've got a base that's as rabid as ever, but that is shrinking. They've watched two consecutive elections in which independent voters moved into the Democratic column. And they have constituents who are as frightened as they've ever been about their own, and the nation's, economic future.

It's a treacherous mix for the nations Republicans, though somewhat less of a problem for members of Congress. Even those Republicans who railed against the stimulus package while on the floor in DC can come home and brag about the jobs they're bringing home. The governors don't have that luxury, since they're the ones responsible for actually making it work back home. So watching how these Republican governors, particularly those with higher aspirations, is providing a glimpse of how the battle lines in the Republican primary are likely to be drawn. [more]

Commentary: Joan McCarter

The last three weeks have likely proven the old, "be careful what you wish for" adage for President Obama. The White House is his, as is the wrecked economy. But there's a modicum of hope seen on that front, as his administration and the Congress lurch toward the finish line with the stimulus bill. There's some lessons for the new president in that, too.

The job for Vice President Biden is a far sight easier, and this week included a visit to Boise to celebrate the Special Olympics with the city, and to spread and receive some local good cheer and good will. He endeared himself to long-time Idaho Democrats with this: [more]

Commentary: Joan McCarter

We now know that this new political world we live in is neither so new, nor post-partisan. With no Republican votes in the House, and Republican opposition solidifying in the Senate, it's time for President Obama and the Democrats to stop the elusive chase for a bipartisan bill, and to refocus on making this the best bill possible, make it a bill that will put people back to work and stabilize incomes. Solving this economic crisis isn't just good policy, it's much better politics than bowing before the shrine of David Broder style bipartisanship. Bipartisanship is a lot like compromise that way--it only works when both parties are negotiating in good faith. I don't think we need any more demonstration of the Republicans' lack of good faith in this process. [more]

Commentary: Joan McCarter

The Interior West is going to see a fair chunk of that $825 billion total bill, of which $541 billion is going to be allocated to the states. The Center for American Progress has created this nifty map that shows the allocations that can be determined on a state-by-state basis (here's another, that breaks it out per capita). North to south, Montana gets $1.79 billion; Idaho $2.48; Wyoming $1.07; Colorado $7.07 billion; Utah $3.8 billion; Nevada $4.26 billion; Arizona $10.34 billion; and New Mexico $3.46 billion. Rounding out the west, Washington gets $10.39 billion; Oregon $6.34 billion; and the behemoth California $63.37 billion. (The giant sucking sound out here? California.) [more]

Commentary: Joan McCarter

For the last several years, there's been a lot of political focus on the West as the new region that will shape American politics and the prospects of the Democrats. Seeing how Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and very nearly Montana went in the presidential vote of 2008, and factoring in the rapid population growth the entire region is seeing, it's a pretty safe bet that Democrats are going to be serious about building up their base in the Rockies.

But they've still got the past to deal with, and a lot of little landmines, courtesy the Bush administration, to maneuver through. Hard as it may be to believe, given the totality of the destruction left in Bush's wake (the economy, Iraq, Afghanistan, our standing in the world, important bits of the Constitution), the past administration didn't pursue its wrecking-ball policy on the environment just because they liked destroying things. It wasn't even, entirely, as a gift to their cronies in industry. [more]

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