It\’s Getting Hot In Here

Things have been heating up in Michigan over the past few months, especially here in the Sixth Congressional District. Michiganders are tired of the status quo in Michigan, everything from runaway dirty energy politicians to constant attacks on education funding. Students and communities are not taking it lightly and have been coordinating a fight for our own rights to breath clean air, drink clean water, and to live in healthy, vibrant communities. If you haven’t heard, Congressman Fred Upton, Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee has proposed massive attacks on the EPA, including budget cuts and limitations of their authority to regulate carbon emissions and clean air.

Congressman Upton hasn’t always been this way; historically a moderate and supporter of nuclear energy, elected to represent Michigan’s Sixth District since 1987. Any reputation as a moderate quickly vanished during the 2010 elections when he accepted campaign contributions from Koch Industries and more dirty energy companies than ever. Upton’s constituents are not necessarily going along with this change in views, recent polls of his district by NRDC show nearly 62% of them disagree with his dismantling of the EPA by reducing their enforcement on carbon dioxide and other pollutants. The survey also found 67% of his constituents agree that “Congress should let the EPA do its job”. We won’t stand for it.

Last week, student organizers from Western Michigan University coordinated students and community members of the across Michigan’s Sixth District to have full coverage of Congressman Upton’s “Listening Tour” events. Spread out across three days, with a new stop every two hours, students hit hardest on the first day. From Congressman Upton’s flip-flop on climate change following campaign contributions from Koch Industries in 2010, to his vain authoring of a pseudo pipeline safety bill and his senseless attacks on the EPA, students and community members raised hard-hitting concerns about the environment.

Unprepared and visibly uncomfortable, many of Congressman Upton’s answers regarding the environment were defending his valse claims that the EPA’s authority to regulate emissions would supposedly hurt “jobs” and “businesses.” Having clean air and water requires us to kill jobs and the economy, right? Wrong, Mr. Upton! According to the government’s own EPA report, by 2020 the Clean Air Act will prevent over 230,000 premature deaths, 2.4 million asthma attacks, and save American’s over $2 trillion, mostly in healthcare costs. Yes, TWO TRILLION dollars. Yet, Congressman Upton would not explain how an additional two trillion dollars in the pockets of healthy Americans could be a bad thing.

Last week ended with a rally between communities, labor unions, and environmental groups to send a clear message that we won’t put up with taking steps backward, the people demand steps forward. Much of the rally focused on drawing attention the unconstitutionality of Governor-appointed “emergency financial managers” who would have the power to over-rule and fire elected officials. Students turned-out to fight the Governor’s budget cuts to education funding (up to 23% at some Universities, and over $600 per pupil K-12). More students, joined by the Blue Green Alliance, were also there to show support for the environment and opposition to Congressman Upton’s attacks on the EPA. Leading the rally to the offices of State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker and Congressman Fred Upton, community members were locked out and shifted their attention on Kalamazoo’s City Hall to show solidarity and support for city workers.

From the actions taken in Michigan, to the political unrest in Wisconsin, to the thousands of young people registering for Power Shift 2011, it clear that a real Power Shift has begun. I hope all the dirty energy politicians are listening, because ready or not, here we come (and failure is not in our future).

By Joe Szuszwalak & Nick Wikar, Western Michigan University