Archive for June 21, 2012
Dave Loebsack Receives Wind Jobs Award
Rep. Loebsack receives the USA Wind Jobs Champion Award
Dear Friend,
I wanted to provide you with an update on my continued advocacy on behalf of Iowa’s renewable energy industry and in particular for the wind energy industry. Wind energy manufacturers in our state provide good paying jobs for thousands of Iowans and have made significant contributions to our state being the second largest producer of wind energy in the country.
This is why I was so pleased to recently be named a USA Wind Jobs Champion by the 2,400 member companies of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). The award recognizes work to create and sustain U.S. jobs in the wind energy industry and its manufacturing supply chain. I was pleased to accept this award instead for the hard-working employees of the wind energy manufacturing companies in Iowa.
To highlight the need to reauthorize the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy, I used the award as an opportunity to visit Siemens Wind in Fort Madison and Acciona Turbines in West Branch to talk about the importance of wind energy to Iowa with the employees there. I’ve been working to bring attention to the PTC and push the Majority in the House to bring up legislation to reauthorize it and a variety of other renewable energy support like for biodiesel. Unfortunately many wind manufacturers are already seeing orders drop off as a result of inaction on the PTC.
Support for the wind energy industry is going to be critical for our continued move away from imported fossil fuels and energy independence for the US. I’m happy Iowa is playing such a critical role in this new beginning for renewable energy which is continuing to provide more homegrown power for Iowa homes and businesses every day. I will continue to work to highlight the importance of wind energy for Iowa’s economy and jobs.
Sincerely,
Dave Loebsack
Iowa’s Second District
Tags: alternative energy, American Wind Energy Association, dave loebsack, Iowa's 2nd District, wind energy, wind jobs | 
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Conservative Talk Radio Pummels Fox News
“Everyone worries about FOX News. But as you’ll see in these charts, Fox is the puny kid on the block. Talk Radio is the big bully.” Source: talk-radio-v-fox-news
- 53 million people in the U.S. listen to Talk Radio. (source: Arbitron Radio Today,2009.)
- 91% of Talk Radio Programs are Conservative. (source: Structural Imbalance of Talk Radio, Center for American Progress and Free Press, 2007).
- 2,570 hours of Conservative Talk Radio are broadcast each week day on these stations compared to 254 hours of Progressive Talk. (source: Structural Imbalance of Talk Radio)
- 92 percent of talk radio stations do not broadcast a single minute of progressive talk radio programming. (source: Structural Imbalance of Talk Radio).
- Despite the availability of numerous new media alternatives, radio’s weekly reach has declined only modestly in the past several years, from 94.9% in Spring 2001, when the iPod was introduced, to 91% in Fall ’08 (source: Arbitron Radio Today, 2009)
Sorry conservatives, it is not because of popular demand. It is because 5 corporations own 96% of all media. Clear Channel owns more radio stations than anyone, 850 at last count.
Here in Iowa, where Democrats, Republicans and Independents are essentially evenly split, we are not choosing to have the publicly owned airwaves completely and utterly saturated with Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, Savage, etc., day in and day out, in one station’s case, 24-7. These corporate-produced-and-disseminated programs are being rammed down our throats, to borrow a famous former Alaska governor’s phrase. Even the People’s Republic of Johnson County is forced to endure 6 hours daily of conservative blather on our “local” station, KXIC. [See Blog for Iowa's research on the state of talk radio in Iowa, Iowa's Talk Radio Landscape].
And it’s not just the conservative blather that is the problem. It is what the conservative blather takes the place of.
“Clear Channel neglects its emergency system, disaster strikes, and people die. Pentagon Pundits profit from the same war they promote. Fox News gets a court ruling that news does not have to be true. And Hate Radio rules.
Media Policy is killing people in this country. Literally. And it is killing our democracy, too. Corporate financed lawmakers have stacked the media policy deck against We the People. “
It is past time to fight back. Check out this educational movie Broadcast Blues. A public viewing in your community might be a good place to start.
Tags: Broadcast Blues, clear channel stations, conservative talk radio, corporate media, hate radio, iowa radio, media policy, media reform, shock jocks | No Comments »
- Cheating Determines Iowa’s Elections, Schultz Implies
- Cownie Unconvincing
- Too Many Little Elections?
- Like Iowa, Like Armenia
- Who Can Vote?
- Schultz Vindicated: Voter Fraud Proven!
- Schultz Raises Dead Voter Scare Again
- Repubs Stage Crime at NH Polls
- Wondering About GOP Caucus Count
- Judge Fires Voting Machine Investigators
