I did everything per protocol. I submitted my resolution with plenty of time and answered questions on it at a workshop.  It was, however, still a contentious battle that ended with my colleagues attempting to rewrite history. They refused to pass the resolution that I penned in celebration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812. (Click here to view that resolution) 

 

Evidently, citing the date of the start of the first revolution, April 19, 1775 on a resolution about the "second revolution" was too inflammatory. (I wonder if they feel that way in Bothell every year when they do a reenactment of the battle of the bridge in Concord at their Fourth of July celebration.) You can learn extensively about the start of the first revolution at next year's Appleseed Project at the Central Whidbey Sportsmen's Association.

 

Apparently the concept of "manifest destiny" is too inflammatory as well. The bulk of the support for the war was from the western frontier that was being defended by British firepower.

 

This resolution was "encouraging all freedom loving Americans to 'know their history.'" How can you do that when you are striking such pertinent parts of it?

 

There was no way I would sign my name on a recorded document that was so evasive of our country's history.  That is why I ended up abstaining from the vote on the amended document. (Click here to view the amended resolution).  

 

Whether you go along with renewable energy or not, this was a no taxpayer expense opportunity to join a bipartisan effort and lobby congress on conservative principals. The issue was Senate bill 1775, The Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act of 2011. I was there to pitch the revenue sharing side, which is the reason our Public Lands Legislative Steering Committee was supporting the bill.  

 

(I'll remind you why I serve on the Public Lands LSC when we don't have an abundance of public lands in Island County. My first choice was the Energy, Environment and Land Use LSC and I was appointed. However, one of my colleagues was also appointed to that committee and was unhappy that we would be serving together. She made such a big deal that I changed committees. How's that for working across the aisle, huh?)  

 

But I digress. You may say, "Going to congress and begging for money is not a conservative principal." I don't necessarily disagree. However, if a large portion of your county is tied up in public lands, and the feds want to put windmills or solar panels on it, your county is going to see increased costs relating to the development and your constituents should not have to pay for it.

 

While that may not be happening in Island County presently, a part of the bill that I felt could be advantageous at some point had to do with military installations. While I am focusing a great deal of effort on shoring up relations with our largest economic driver, I am also watching out for ways to replace that source in the tragic event that we lose it. (The base has been eyed for closure in the past.)

 

That section of the bill did not specify wind or solar, which could mean the door's open for biomass and that source is producing some profits. Wind and solar, on the other hand, continue to fail all across the nation. So much so that even a democrat led senate gave the illusion that subsidies will stop. That will be tough on a state like ours which has mandated the use of renewables and won't consider hydro.

 

It will be equally difficult for the hundreds of staff at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) whom the current administration has directed to work on plans for wind and solar. That information came from the evening's dinner speaker who was from the BLM. Those plans need to "change."

 

The group I lobbied with included Peter Dykstra of the Wilderness Society and David Bowen of a forestry group. We visited many WA congressional offices including our Congressman Rick Larsen's (D-02), Congressman Dave Reichert's (R-08) and Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell. We met with Senator Cantwell in the "lobby" of the capitol basement in between votes on the floor. She was most pleasant.