Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Reading of Bill Ayers' statement on Cheney Plaza
Several students staged a reading of Bill Ayers' statement, "Doublespeak at the University of Wyoming" this Friday. I happened to walk by, camera phone in hand.
Not all students wanted this event cancelled and are speaking up.
Memorial service scheduled for UW professor
Memorial service scheduled for UW professor
Meg Lanker
Monday, January 10, 2010 7:11 PM MDT
Meg Lanker
Monday, January 10, 2010 7:11 PM MDT
The service is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the University of Wyoming Art Museum in the Centennial Complex, at 2111 Willett Drive. Zamudio died Dec. 25th at her home.
According to a UW news release, Zamudio joined the UW faculty in 2002 and taught in the Sociology, Women's Studies, and Chicano Studies departments. She received tenure in spring 2009.
Zamudio taught several classes at UW focusing on issues of race, immigration, social justice, and gender relations.
Her book, "Critical Race Theory in Education" will be published later this year by Routledge.
A scholarship has been established in her name. Contributions to the Margie Zamudio Memorial Fund can be made at the UniWyo Federal Credit Union in Laramie.
The University of Wyoming released a full obituary for Zamudio Monday:
Dr. Margaret "Margie" Zamudio passed away Dec. 25, 2009. She was 45 years old.
Margie was born in Los Angeles in 1964. She attended UCLA as both an undergraduate and graduate student where she received her B.A. in 1989, her M.A. in 1991 and her Ph.D. in 1996, all in sociology. Margie taught at the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1996-2002 and came to the University of Wyoming in 2002. She taught in the Department of Sociology as well as the Chicano Studies and Women's Studies programs. Margie received tenure at UW in the spring of 2009.
Margie's advocacy and scholarship on issues of social justice, immigration, race, class and gender provided inspiration to many of her friends, colleagues and students. Her book on Critical Race Theory in Education will be published by Routledge in late 2010. Just before she died, Margie was researching the socioeconomic forces behind the immigration of El Salvadorian women in the 1950s and 60s. Her passion and devotion for social justice and racial equality will be greatly missed at UW.
Margie loved the outdoors. The mountains around Happy Jack had a special place in Margie's heart. Margie was an avid cross country skier and mountain biker. She also loved camping in the Medicine Bow Mountains -- the North Fork of the Little Laramie in particular. Margie is survived by her many family, friends and students who will greatly miss her intelligence, compassion, and wonderful sense of humor. Margie will be especially missed by her dog Harley.
A public Memorial Service for Margie will be held Friday, Jan. 15, at 6 p.m. at the University of Wyoming Art Museum in the American Heritage Center at 2111 Willett Drive, Laramie.
In lieu of flowers, well wishers are encouraged to donate to the Margie Zamudio Memorial Fund at the UniWyo Federal Credit Union in Laramie. The proceeds of this fund will create a scholarship in Margie's name.
UW professor found dead outside home
Photo: UW Associate Professor Margaret Zamudio, from Department of Sociology website, University of Wyoming
UW professor found dead outside home
Meg Lanker
Monday, December 28, 2009 1:21 PM MDT
A popular professor at the University of Wyoming has died.
Laramie resident Margaret "Margie" Zamudio, 45, was found dead outside her home Saturday after a concerned resident called police shortly after noon after seeing boots outside of a snowdrift. Authorities discovered Zamudio's body outside her home at approximately 12:30 p.m.
According to Commander Mitchell Cushman of the Laramie Police Department, authorities do not believe any foul play was involved and Zamudio's death appears to be accidental. "We believe she stepped outside at some point, slipped and became unconscious. Due to the weather conditions, she most likely froze to death," he said.
On Friday and Saturday, temperatures in Laramie dipped into the single digits with wind chills as low as -20°F. Cushman said extreme winter weather conditions of this type can quickly take a toll on an individual.
Cushman said the investigation is ongoing and toxicology results could take six to eight weeks.
University of Wyoming President Tom Buchanan released a statement Monday. "I know I speak for the University of Wyoming community when I say we’re all saddened by Margaret’s death; we will all miss her and her contributions to UW very much," he said.
Zamudio was an associate professor at UW and taught several classes, specializing in Chicano studies and social inequality. According to the UW Department of Sociology's website, she was beginning research "examining the political economy of pre-1960's gendered migration to the U.S. with an emphasis on Salvadoran women."
She received her doctorate from the University of California in 1996 and focused her research on issues of immigration and labor, on race, class, and gender, and on critical race studies in education.
UW professor found dead outside home
Meg Lanker
Monday, December 28, 2009 1:21 PM MDT
A popular professor at the University of Wyoming has died.
Laramie resident Margaret "Margie" Zamudio, 45, was found dead outside her home Saturday after a concerned resident called police shortly after noon after seeing boots outside of a snowdrift. Authorities discovered Zamudio's body outside her home at approximately 12:30 p.m.
According to Commander Mitchell Cushman of the Laramie Police Department, authorities do not believe any foul play was involved and Zamudio's death appears to be accidental. "We believe she stepped outside at some point, slipped and became unconscious. Due to the weather conditions, she most likely froze to death," he said.
On Friday and Saturday, temperatures in Laramie dipped into the single digits with wind chills as low as -20°F. Cushman said extreme winter weather conditions of this type can quickly take a toll on an individual.
Cushman said the investigation is ongoing and toxicology results could take six to eight weeks.
University of Wyoming President Tom Buchanan released a statement Monday. "I know I speak for the University of Wyoming community when I say we’re all saddened by Margaret’s death; we will all miss her and her contributions to UW very much," he said.
Zamudio was an associate professor at UW and taught several classes, specializing in Chicano studies and social inequality. According to the UW Department of Sociology's website, she was beginning research "examining the political economy of pre-1960's gendered migration to the U.S. with an emphasis on Salvadoran women."
She received her doctorate from the University of California in 1996 and focused her research on issues of immigration and labor, on race, class, and gender, and on critical race studies in education.
Health care panels scheduled for tonight
Health care panels scheduled for tonightWyoming health care professionals and students will debate reform
Meg Lanker
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 2:21 PM MDT
Southeast Wyoming residents will get two chances today to find out how health care reform could affect them.
According to a news release from the Wyoming Democratic Party, local health care professionals will discuss health care reform at a panel at Laramie County Community College Center for Conferences and Institutes.
The panel is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will include Wyoming Department of Health Director Dr. Brent Sherard; Lorraine Saulino-Klein, RN; and Mary Forrester, FNP. Other healthcare professionals will also attend and discuss what reform will mean for Wyoming residents and how it can impact Wyoming.
“No one knows more about the urgent need for health insurance reform than those who work within the health care system every day,” said Wyoming Democratic Party Executive Director Bill Luckett in the release. “It is important that we have the opportunity to hear their perspective.”
Wyoming Democratic Party Vice Chair Mike Bell will moderate the discussion and a short question and answer period following the panel’s comments.
Elsewhere in the state, the University of Wyoming College Democrats and College Republicans will hold a debate regarding health care reform and the issues surrounding various proposed bills.
The debate is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Wyoming Union West Ballroom and will also feature a question and answer session afterwards. The College Democrats invited the College Republicans to debate in the interest of having a bipartisan view on health care presented.
Both clubs are aiming to educate Wyoming residents and UW students about the concerns surrounding health care reform. In pre-debate meetings, College Republicans president Caitlin Wallace and College Democrats president Dana Walton both said they wished to see a civil, enlightening debate.
Laramie resident and activist Matt Stannard will blog live during the debate at theunderview.blogspot.com and will follow with commentary on the debate during his nightly “Shared Sacrifice” podcast from 8-9 p.m., accessible to the public at blogtalkradio.com/shared_sacrifice.
Stannard is looking forward to liveblogging the debate. “The liveblogging serves two purposes: In addition to the important global exposure it provides for UW and the health care debate, it also serves as an opportunity for anyone and everyone to fact-check the debate,” he said. “I hope people will look over the notes I post during the debate, research the facts, and post their findings on the blog.”
According to Shared Sacrifice’s website, the daily podcast is also co-hosted by Iraq veteran Gary Barkley. The website describes the show as “progressive in nature” but emphasizes “all Americans have the right to be heard.”
Listeners are invited to call in during the podcast with their questions and comments. Stannard said the entire hour will be used to discuss the debate and health care reform. "We'll continue the conversation on tomorrow night's podcast too, if there's interest," said Stannard.
SUFP dedicates peace pole
Photos: (top) Local peace activists Paul Turley and Mike Oxley in 2004. (bottom) The Laramie peace pole in Optimist Park. Courtesy of Will Welch.Stand Up For Peace Wyoming dedicates peace pole in Laramie
Pole honors two Laramie activists
Will Welch
Wednesday, September 30, 2009 12:56 PM MDT
The next time Laramie residents find themselves
venturing down Laramie’s Greenbelt in Optimist Park, they will notice a new addition.Close to the corner of Spruce and W. Park streets, riverside to the path, is planted a four sided wooden post with the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth,” engraved in eight different languages, including English, Mandarin, Japanese, Vietnamese, Arapaho, Shoshoni, Arabic and American Sign Language.
A small plaque with the dedication, “In Memory of our Dear Friends Paul Z. Turley, and J. Michael Oxley Stand Up For Peace Wyoming 2008” is affixed to the side of the pole facing the shore of the Laramie River.
The dedication of the peace pole was held this Saturday on a beautiful sunny afternoon at the site of the pole in Optimist Park.
This new addition to the Laramie community is a known as a peace pole and it is one of approximately 200,000 standing in different places all over the world, according to the website peacepoles.com. The peace pole is part of a continuing project that was started in Japan in 1955 in response to the nuclear bombings on Hiroshima.
Laramie’s peace pole, which was donated to the community the organization Stand Up For Peace Wyoming (SUFP), was approved by the Trees, Parks and Recreation board in the summer of 2008 after a request was sent by letter, according to SUFP member Nancy Sindelar.
Members of the community may wonder just who Paul Z. Turley and J. Michael Oxley were and how they came to such an honor. Paul Zeno Turley passed away from an aneurism in 2008 and John Michael Oxley died unexpectedly, at 40, from a brain complication.
“[Stand Up For Peace] had been discussing the purchase of the peace pole for a number of years,” said Leslie Wischmann, a member of SUFP. “When Mike died, and then Paul, we all became very committed. We wanted the community to remember them, to remember Stand Up For Peace, and to remember peace.”
At the dedication ceremony and the following potluck, attendees shared stories and offered insight about the two activists.
Paul Turley was a World War II veteran, student, gymnast, husband, father and peace activist. Conversations with the attendees revealed that he and his point of view were very well respected amongst members of the local peace crowd, especially since Turley was a veteran.
“He reminded us to respect the soldiers. He made a point to remind us that the war is not their fault.” said Wischmann. “It was because of him that Stand Up For Peace sent care packages to the troops in Iraq on three separate occasions.”
Turley was a committed demonstrator, almost never missing a week to sit on the corner of 3rd Street and Grand Avenue on Friday afternoons where SUFP still demonstrates weekly.
He also took one class per semester from the University of Wyoming and at 82, was the oldest person ever on the UW gymnastics team. “I just looked over and saw this old man standing on his head in the grass,” said Skye Swoboa-Colberg of Laramie at Laramie’s annual Freedom has a Birthday celebrations where Turley was known show the crowd a full backflip.
Leona Turley, Paul's widow, said, “He really loved his gymnastics.”
J. Michael (Mike) Oxley, was remembered as an incredibly avid activist, and a political aficionado whose sense of humor and wit were enjoyed by all who knew him.
“He was driven by curiosity,” said Wischmann. “If you asked him a question he didn’t know the answer to, it would drive him nuts and he would know the next time you saw him.”
“Mike was a real trickster,” said Sarah Egolf, his fiancée at the time of his death.
Oxley, a known progressive, ran as a Republican to challenge Barbara Cubin for her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the Republican primary of 2004 – reportedly, just to have the chance to debate her about issues he was sure she wouldn’t know about. Oxley was unable to stay in the race to due to family complications.
Egolf said he did succeed at becoming the elected Republican precinct committeeman for his precinct in Laramie when he wrote himself in for the position in the 2006 election. He, along with close friend John Hanks, were known for distributing tiny pictures of then-President Bush pasted to toothpicks and planting them in dog feces in public parks during Bush’s second term. They encouraged others to do the same.
Oxley also started the Laramie chapter of Drinking Liberally.
He passed away peacefully in his sleep while at his favorite music festival, NedFest, where he was tabling for the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. He was found curled up in his booth with his flashlight and a book by the Sierra Club about grassroots organizing.
At the dedication of the peace pole, members of Stand Up For Peace and family members of the honorees told stories, shared memories, expressed dedication to peace and spoke of the good feelings and reminders of goodwill that the peace pole will bring to passersby in the community.
Paul Taylor, a Laramie resident originally from Australia, told, and sang, an Aborigine legend from South Australia that reminded others of the necessity of resolving conflicts peacefully and the need for members of communities to spend time with each other. He followed his tale by a piece on didgeridoo.
At the end of the ceremony, Sally Palmer, a Laramie minister, led the group in the chorus, written by Fred Small: “Peace is the bread we break; Love is the river rolling; Life is the chance we take; when we make this Earth our home.”
The pole can be visited by Laramie residents in Optimist Park, located on the west side of Laramie.
Photo slideshow of the dedication, photos courtesy Larry Jansen of Laramie:
Photo slideshow: Cheney International Center dedication
The University of Wyoming dedicated the brand-new Cheney International Center on Sept. 10. The center houses the programs for International Studies and a lounge for international students.
Around 120-200 people gathered to protest the dedication, which generated nationwide recognition and controversy.
Photos: Meg Lanker
All photos remain copyright The Underground and Meg Lanker
UW to dedicate Cheney International Center
UW to dedicate Cheney International Center
Meg Lanker
Sunday, August 30, 2009 10:24 PM MDT
Update: Monday September 7, 1:21 AM MDT
Dick and Lynne Cheney will return to Laramie next month to dedicate the newly-constructed Cheney International Center at the University of Wyoming.
The dedication is scheduled for Sept. 10 at 10:30 a.m. according to University of Wyoming Director of Institutional Communications Jessica Lowell.
The naming of the building generated nationwide controversy but Lowell said the university followed an “identified policy and process” for the naming the building. “That process was followed in this instance,” said Lowell.
According to the "University of Wyoming Named Gift Criteria," approved by the UW Board of Trustees in 2006, the criteria for approving the naming of a pre-existing building is the amount of the monetary gift.
The reports states: "Previously constructed facilities, which are unnamed, can be named by a donor or a donor's representative through a substantial contribution of 50 percent or more of the renovation cost of the facility."
The Cheney family's gift “created for UW the largest single-university endowment dedicated to study abroad support,” said UW President Tom Buchanan in a news release Sept. 7, 2007. The total endowment of $1.8 million was matched by state funds.
According to the UW Foundation's annual report, much of the initial donation went to fund the renovation of the Student Health building and the necessary renovations to add the Cheney International Center.
In November 2008, UW Board of Trustees President Chuck Brown and President Buchanan issued a joint statement to Fred Vanden Heede and Suzy Pelican, both of Laramie, which ran in The Casper-Star Tribune as part of a letter to the editor. In the statement, Brown and Buchanan explained the rationale behind the naming of the building.
“In 2006, UW President Tom Buchanan, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Ben Blalock and former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson visited with the Cheney family at the White House to discuss the intended purpose(s) of the gift. At that meeting, the Cheney family emphasized its desire to focus the gift on students and on international programs at UW,” said Brown and Buchanan.
They also said UW responded with a plan for international scholarships and a “bricks-and-mortar” proposal for the center.
In a September 2008 letter which appeared in UW’s student-run paper, The Branding Iron, Heede and Pelican said, “UW and its international programs cannot avoid being identified with the ideology behind and approach to U.S. global politics championed by the Bush-Cheney administration.”
The controversy is expected to re-ignite with the dedication.
Sunday's Casper Star-Tribune featured an editorial authored by Buchanan in which he cited a list of people opposed to the Cheney International Center and said, "It came as no surprise that, having lived in Wyoming for more than 30 years, I know many of those objecting to UW's decision."
"The list includes some good friends and colleagues who have previously admonished the UW administration to support greater diversity and increased tolerance for all views," said Buchanan. "So it is ironic that they show so little of it when confronted by a situation that challenges their own comfort zone."
Buchanan did not mention the planned dedication.
A group of Laramie students and community members dismayed by the center's naming are planning to protest the dedication with a march to campus and signs with various messages for Cheney and the UW administration. Organizers of the demonstration are emphasizing the need for peaceful assembly.
The “UW Students Against the Cheney International Center” Facebook group was created by Daniel DePeyer, a graduate student in the international studies program. The group allows students to post their thoughts on the naming of the center and to get information on its construction and eventual dedication.
"I recently helped to organize a conference at UW which focused on the subject of human rights. The conference chair made it adamantly clear that he did not want 'Cheney International Center' to appear as a sponsor on any of the program material," DePeyer said in a statement to The Underground Monday.
DePeyer said the Cheney family's endowment was "laudable" and acknowledged that many students have benefited from the opportunities presented by the scholarships. He also said the benefit was not without its risks.
"I went to Tunisia for six weeks as part of a UW sponsored cultural exchange program," said DePeyer. "I do not know if any Cheney money was used to help fund the program, however, I do know that if the Tunisian government or even some of the Tunisian students we interacted with had found out that we were funded by 'blood' money, our lives could have been at risk."
DePeyer said although the program will benefit future students, the "future implications will undoubtedly hurt the University of Wyoming's credibility and ability to attract world renowned scholars for faculty positions, conferences, speeches, and panels."
Other Laramie residents echoed DePeyer's concerns. “I feel sorry for the University of Wyoming and the state of Wyoming when they have to change the name after he’s indicted,” said Nancy Sindelar, a Laramie peace activist helping to organize the demonstration. Sindelar referenced the ongoing investigations into what the previous administration called “enhanced interrogation methods.”
Recently released and declassified White House documents detail actions that may have been authorized by or known to Cheney in interrogations conducted by CIA members, including mock executions of prisoners and threats of rape directed at the family members of detainees.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder authorized investigations into alleged abuses this week. In an interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace Aug. 30, Cheney said Holder’s investigation “offends the hell out of me” and called Holder’s actions “an outrageous political act.”
Cheney also questioned President Barack Obama’s ability to lead the nation in difficult times. “I have serious doubts about his policies, especially, about the extent to which he understands and is prepared to do what needs to be done to defend the nation,” he said.
UW previously faced criticism from within the state when the decision to name the building after Cheney was announced. Numerous editorials have appeared in Wyoming newspapers since the naming was announced – both for and against the decision.
In the Casper Star-Tribune Sept. 24, 2008, Donal O’Toole of Laramie suggested the university look into “other initiatives from hitherto untapped sources,” including, “[T]he Beelzebub's College of Theology, Enron's Institute of Business Ethics, the Tom Ridge Observation Center, the Michael Vick Dog Shelter, and the Kim Jong Il School of Hairstyling.”
In a letter to the Tribune Sept. 14, 2008 Lowell defended the decision and said, “The university has a procedure in place, and university officials followed that procedure and accordingly recognized this very generous gift for a laudable educational purpose.”
According to Lowell, the event is open to the public. She did not say whether or not the administration is aware of any planned demonstrations. The dedication will take place in front of the new Cheney International Center on Dick and Lynne Cheney plaza.
The UW Police Department will coordinate with the Secret Service to provide security for the event.
Meg Lanker
Sunday, August 30, 2009 10:24 PM MDT
Update: Monday September 7, 1:21 AM MDT
Dick and Lynne Cheney will return to Laramie next month to dedicate the newly-constructed Cheney International Center at the University of Wyoming.
The dedication is scheduled for Sept. 10 at 10:30 a.m. according to University of Wyoming Director of Institutional Communications Jessica Lowell.
The naming of the building generated nationwide controversy but Lowell said the university followed an “identified policy and process” for the naming the building. “That process was followed in this instance,” said Lowell.
According to the "University of Wyoming Named Gift Criteria," approved by the UW Board of Trustees in 2006, the criteria for approving the naming of a pre-existing building is the amount of the monetary gift.
The reports states: "Previously constructed facilities, which are unnamed, can be named by a donor or a donor's representative through a substantial contribution of 50 percent or more of the renovation cost of the facility."
The Cheney family's gift “created for UW the largest single-university endowment dedicated to study abroad support,” said UW President Tom Buchanan in a news release Sept. 7, 2007. The total endowment of $1.8 million was matched by state funds.
According to the UW Foundation's annual report, much of the initial donation went to fund the renovation of the Student Health building and the necessary renovations to add the Cheney International Center.
In November 2008, UW Board of Trustees President Chuck Brown and President Buchanan issued a joint statement to Fred Vanden Heede and Suzy Pelican, both of Laramie, which ran in The Casper-Star Tribune as part of a letter to the editor. In the statement, Brown and Buchanan explained the rationale behind the naming of the building.
“In 2006, UW President Tom Buchanan, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Ben Blalock and former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson visited with the Cheney family at the White House to discuss the intended purpose(s) of the gift. At that meeting, the Cheney family emphasized its desire to focus the gift on students and on international programs at UW,” said Brown and Buchanan.
They also said UW responded with a plan for international scholarships and a “bricks-and-mortar” proposal for the center.
In a September 2008 letter which appeared in UW’s student-run paper, The Branding Iron, Heede and Pelican said, “UW and its international programs cannot avoid being identified with the ideology behind and approach to U.S. global politics championed by the Bush-Cheney administration.”
The controversy is expected to re-ignite with the dedication.
Sunday's Casper Star-Tribune featured an editorial authored by Buchanan in which he cited a list of people opposed to the Cheney International Center and said, "It came as no surprise that, having lived in Wyoming for more than 30 years, I know many of those objecting to UW's decision."
"The list includes some good friends and colleagues who have previously admonished the UW administration to support greater diversity and increased tolerance for all views," said Buchanan. "So it is ironic that they show so little of it when confronted by a situation that challenges their own comfort zone."
Buchanan did not mention the planned dedication.
A group of Laramie students and community members dismayed by the center's naming are planning to protest the dedication with a march to campus and signs with various messages for Cheney and the UW administration. Organizers of the demonstration are emphasizing the need for peaceful assembly.
The “UW Students Against the Cheney International Center” Facebook group was created by Daniel DePeyer, a graduate student in the international studies program. The group allows students to post their thoughts on the naming of the center and to get information on its construction and eventual dedication.
"I recently helped to organize a conference at UW which focused on the subject of human rights. The conference chair made it adamantly clear that he did not want 'Cheney International Center' to appear as a sponsor on any of the program material," DePeyer said in a statement to The Underground Monday.
DePeyer said the Cheney family's endowment was "laudable" and acknowledged that many students have benefited from the opportunities presented by the scholarships. He also said the benefit was not without its risks.
"I went to Tunisia for six weeks as part of a UW sponsored cultural exchange program," said DePeyer. "I do not know if any Cheney money was used to help fund the program, however, I do know that if the Tunisian government or even some of the Tunisian students we interacted with had found out that we were funded by 'blood' money, our lives could have been at risk."
DePeyer said although the program will benefit future students, the "future implications will undoubtedly hurt the University of Wyoming's credibility and ability to attract world renowned scholars for faculty positions, conferences, speeches, and panels."
Other Laramie residents echoed DePeyer's concerns. “I feel sorry for the University of Wyoming and the state of Wyoming when they have to change the name after he’s indicted,” said Nancy Sindelar, a Laramie peace activist helping to organize the demonstration. Sindelar referenced the ongoing investigations into what the previous administration called “enhanced interrogation methods.”
Recently released and declassified White House documents detail actions that may have been authorized by or known to Cheney in interrogations conducted by CIA members, including mock executions of prisoners and threats of rape directed at the family members of detainees.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder authorized investigations into alleged abuses this week. In an interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace Aug. 30, Cheney said Holder’s investigation “offends the hell out of me” and called Holder’s actions “an outrageous political act.”
Cheney also questioned President Barack Obama’s ability to lead the nation in difficult times. “I have serious doubts about his policies, especially, about the extent to which he understands and is prepared to do what needs to be done to defend the nation,” he said.
UW previously faced criticism from within the state when the decision to name the building after Cheney was announced. Numerous editorials have appeared in Wyoming newspapers since the naming was announced – both for and against the decision.
In the Casper Star-Tribune Sept. 24, 2008, Donal O’Toole of Laramie suggested the university look into “other initiatives from hitherto untapped sources,” including, “[T]he Beelzebub's College of Theology, Enron's Institute of Business Ethics, the Tom Ridge Observation Center, the Michael Vick Dog Shelter, and the Kim Jong Il School of Hairstyling.”
In a letter to the Tribune Sept. 14, 2008 Lowell defended the decision and said, “The university has a procedure in place, and university officials followed that procedure and accordingly recognized this very generous gift for a laudable educational purpose.”
According to Lowell, the event is open to the public. She did not say whether or not the administration is aware of any planned demonstrations. The dedication will take place in front of the new Cheney International Center on Dick and Lynne Cheney plaza.
The UW Police Department will coordinate with the Secret Service to provide security for the event.
Spotlight: Wyo. State House Rep. Pete Illoway
Spotlighting Wyoming’s State Congressmen: Wyoming House Representative Pete IllowayMeg Lanker
Friday, August 28, 2009 2:54 PM MDT
Wyoming State House Representative Pete Illoway, R-Cheyenne believes it’s time for Wyoming to assert its sovereignty to the federal government granted under the Tenth Amendment.
“We don’t have much input in Washington compared to larger states, but we need to let the federal government know that we matter as a state,” Illoway said. “The federal government has run amok and I feel Wyoming should stand along with other states who believe the same as we do.”
Illoway authored a state sovereignty resolution similar to those passed in other states recently. The bill requests that Congress “cease and desist from enacting mandates that are beyond the scope of the enumerated powers granted to Congress by the Constitution of the United States.”
State sovereignty resolutions similar to the one drafted by Illoway gained popularity in recent years, particularly with conservative legislators who feel the federal government has expanded to the point of encroaching on individual states’ rights.
The resolution is non-binding but can be officially entered in the U.S. congressional record. Illoway said, “Sometimes resolutions work and sometimes they’re ignored, but we won’t know what will happen unless we make our views known.”
The resolution contains a paragraph naming specific federal laws that “constitutional authority for which is either absent or tenuous,” including the Real ID Act and the Endangered Species Act. Illoway said those specific laws were added by Governor Dave Freudenthal at the suggestion of Wyoming Attorney General Bruce Salzburg.
According to Illoway, Wyoming should not be entirely disconnected from the federal government. Wyoming received federal stimulus funding for infrastructure improvement projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
“The money WYDOT [Wyoming Department of Transportation] received went to shovel-ready projects which put Wyoming people to work,” said Illoway. “If Wyoming didn’t take the money, it would have gone somewhere else.”
Illoway was recently attacked by the Wyoming Patriot Alliance as not supporting sovereignty “because he believes in it.” The Wyoming Patriot Alliance's website describes the group as “concerned citizens that have banded together and want to hold Government (at all levels) accountable for their actions.” They also claim no allegiance to political parties and state: “We've adopted the 9 Principles and 12 Values from Glenn Beck's 9/12 Project because they are a great starting point.”
Illoway met with several individuals at the request of Janie White, a constituent of his who is a member of Wyoming Patriot Alliance and owner of the group’s website. According to Illoway, White told him they wished to discuss the state sovereignty resolution.
He said he told White and those present at the meeting his reasons for sponsoring the resolution but White abruptly switched gears into asking him to support a copy of the federal Defense of Marriage Amendment (DOMA) being inserted into Wyoming’s constitution.
Social conservatives in Wyoming have attempted to get the DOMA into the Wyoming constitution for many years. The latest effort in 2008 was House Joint Resolution 17 which failed on the House floor with 25 members voting “aye” and 35 members voting “nay.” Illoway voted against the bill.
The heavily-debated resolution read: “A Joint Resolution proposing to amend the Wyoming Constitution by creating a new section specifying that a marriage between a man and a woman shall be the only legal union that shall be valid or recognized in Wyoming” – fundamentally stating that Wyoming will not recognize same-sex marriages performed out of state.
Illoway said he had no warning White and the others wanted to discuss a DOMA resolution and characterized the meeting as “an absolute ambush.” Illoway said, “I was told we were there to discuss the state sovereignty resolution and nothing else. I feel these are two separate issues, and when I tried to explain this to Mrs. White, she became defensive.”
White wrote a post about the meeting on Wyoming Patriot Alliance’s website later. “He [Illoway] said he will NOT discuss marriage between one man and one woman because he doesn't believe in it,” she said.
Illoway said this assertion by White is false. He disagreed with HJ 17 because Wyoming already has a statute defining marriage as between a man and a woman – HJ 17 would add the extra piece of not recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states.
He also disputed the necessity of HJ 17 – Wyoming recognizes Common Law marriages from other states, so HJ 17 would single out one type of marriage for non-recognition. “We have a statute already that says marriage is between a man and a woman period – we don’t need to go any further. Gay people are people too. They have the right to exist like the rest of us,” Illoway said.
White also criticized Illoway as “pro-abortion” and said his “positions on abortion, gay marriage and other conservatives [sic] values did NOT coincide with the base.”
In a statement to The Underground, Illoway said he is not “pro-abortion” but is pro-choice. “I am pro-choice. I have been for years – this is nothing new,” he said. “No one is ever pro-abortion. Abortion is never something anyone wishes to happen.”
Illoway emailed White to clarify his positions on same-sex marriage and abortion. White pasted the email exchange below the original post about her meeting with Illoway. In the exchange White said, “If Ms. Lone and I believed I had mis-stated[sic] your comments, I would have been glad to retract but as you can see, and with the witnesses of that meeting, I have not and will not.”
On the Wyoming Patriot Alliance’s website, White said, “I don't have to work with Legislators and I definitely don't work for them, they work for me.”
Illoway disagrees with this notion and said the best way for constituents to get legislation passed is to work with legislators to reach common ground. “The town halls are a good example,” Illoway said. “It’s good for people to get involved, but nothing gets done by screaming at the people in office. There’s a level of respect needed.”
White did not respond to a request for comment from The Underground.
Illoway came to Wyoming in the early 1960s and was elected to the Wyoming State House to represent House District 42 in 1998. He previously served as the Vice President of Cheyenne LEADS (Cheyenne-Laramie County Corporation for Economic Development).
As the Wyoming legislature prepares to returns in 2010 to a rapidly changing economy, The Underground will put the spotlight on members of Wyoming’s House and Senate. Rep. Pete Illoway can be reached through his website, www.peteilloway.com
Freudenthal supports state sovereignty resolution
Freudenthal supports state sovereignty resolution
Meg Lanker
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 6:35 PM MDT
update: Tuesday, August 25, 2009 8:12 PM MDT
Gov. Dave Freudenthal supports reminding Washington D.C. that Wyoming is a sovereign state under the Tenth Amendment.
The resolution was authored by Wyoming State House Representative Pete Illoway, R-Cheyenne and transmitted to the Wyoming Legislature’s Management Council July 29. Freudenthal said, in a memo attached to the resolution on his website, “From time to time we all wonder whether sending resolutions to Washington D.C. really does any good. On the other hand, it’s nice to at least get our view on the record.”
The proposed resolution is similar to resolutions adopted by other states in recent years, including Oklahoma and Michigan. The movement for states to declare sovereignty has gained momentum with the election of President Barack Obama. Much of the momentum stems from a belief, that in recent years, the federal government has gained too much power and has become what The Tenth Amendment Center calls “an oppressive central [federal] government.”
The Tenth Amendment Center, according to its website, “works to preserve and protect Tenth Amendment freedoms through information and education.” The center also “serves as a forum for the study and exploration of state and individual sovereignty issues, focusing primarily on the decentralization of federal government power.”
On the website, Thomas Grady, the founder of the Missouri Sovereignty Project, said, “It was the Bill of Rights’ final amendment, as if our Founding Fathers said, ‘By the grace of God, if the first nine amendments don’t prevent tyranny, the 10th will do so.’”
The website also features a boilerplate template for a suggested Tenth Amendment resolution for citizens to send to their governors and state legislators. Illoway’s proposed resolution follows the template closely, declaring “many powers assumed by the federal government and federal mandates are directly in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.”
Illoway said Tuesday he decided to pursue a state sovereignty resolution to stand up for Wyoming's rights as a state and cited a primary reason for the resolution as a "federal government run amock."
"A majority of the States are pursuing similar resolutions and even though Wyoming has a budget session coming up, I felt we needed to pursue a sovereignty bill and stand along with other states who believe the same as we do," said Illoway.
In an interview Aug. 12 with Andrew Simons, host of Laramie’s political talk show Checks and Balances, U.S. House Representative Cynthia Lummis said she supports resolutions like these and is a “big advocate” of state sovereignty.
“The states are the most important units of government in this country,” Lummis said. “The federal government didn’t create the states. The states created the federal government.”
Simons supports Illoway's resolution as well, but had his own thoughts about the governor's support of state sovereignty.
“Governor Freudenthal supports this resolution to potentially get around current federal regulation on energy development and wolf management – not to mention currying favor with Republican voters after supporting President Obama’s candidacy,” said Simons. “He’s trying rebuild his base for a 2010 gubernatorial campaign.”
Freudenthal has not ruled out a run for governor in 2010, although he is considered term-limited. However, the Wyoming Supreme Court invalidated legislative term limits in 2004, leaving the opportunity for Freudenthal to challenge the constitutionality of his own term limits to run for re-election in 2010.
According to the Washington Post Feb. 16, when asked about the possibility that Freudenthal would seek a third term, his spokeswoman Cara Eastwood said, "When the governor has something to announce, he will announce it."
Recently, Wyoming citizens have been ramping up efforts to see Wyoming declare itself a sovereign state. At the Wyoming State Fair in Douglas, visitors were welcomed back to their cars with a newspaper published by an organization aligned with the national “Tea Party” movement. The paper accused “Gov. Dave” of supporting tyranny for not coming out against the Real ID Act and called for a Tenth Amendment resolution.
The Real ID Act, enacted under former President George W. Bush’s directive, aims to curtail terrorism by instituting a national ID program. In the state sovereignty resolution supported by Freudenthal, the Real ID Act is mentioned as one of the federal laws “where the constitutional authority for which is either absent or tenuous.”
Other federal laws mentioned were the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act – all areas where Wyoming has seen federal conflict in regards to wolf and sage grouse management, energy development and Forest Service policies.
Illoway said the specific laws mentioned in the resolution as examples of the federal government overstepping its authority were added by Freudenthal at the suggestion of Wyoming Attorney General Bruce Salzburg.
Freudenthal and his staff did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Meg Lanker
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 6:35 PM MDT
update: Tuesday, August 25, 2009 8:12 PM MDT
Gov. Dave Freudenthal supports reminding Washington D.C. that Wyoming is a sovereign state under the Tenth Amendment.
The resolution was authored by Wyoming State House Representative Pete Illoway, R-Cheyenne and transmitted to the Wyoming Legislature’s Management Council July 29. Freudenthal said, in a memo attached to the resolution on his website, “From time to time we all wonder whether sending resolutions to Washington D.C. really does any good. On the other hand, it’s nice to at least get our view on the record.”
The proposed resolution is similar to resolutions adopted by other states in recent years, including Oklahoma and Michigan. The movement for states to declare sovereignty has gained momentum with the election of President Barack Obama. Much of the momentum stems from a belief, that in recent years, the federal government has gained too much power and has become what The Tenth Amendment Center calls “an oppressive central [federal] government.”
The Tenth Amendment Center, according to its website, “works to preserve and protect Tenth Amendment freedoms through information and education.” The center also “serves as a forum for the study and exploration of state and individual sovereignty issues, focusing primarily on the decentralization of federal government power.”
On the website, Thomas Grady, the founder of the Missouri Sovereignty Project, said, “It was the Bill of Rights’ final amendment, as if our Founding Fathers said, ‘By the grace of God, if the first nine amendments don’t prevent tyranny, the 10th will do so.’”
The website also features a boilerplate template for a suggested Tenth Amendment resolution for citizens to send to their governors and state legislators. Illoway’s proposed resolution follows the template closely, declaring “many powers assumed by the federal government and federal mandates are directly in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.”
Illoway said Tuesday he decided to pursue a state sovereignty resolution to stand up for Wyoming's rights as a state and cited a primary reason for the resolution as a "federal government run amock."
"A majority of the States are pursuing similar resolutions and even though Wyoming has a budget session coming up, I felt we needed to pursue a sovereignty bill and stand along with other states who believe the same as we do," said Illoway.
In an interview Aug. 12 with Andrew Simons, host of Laramie’s political talk show Checks and Balances, U.S. House Representative Cynthia Lummis said she supports resolutions like these and is a “big advocate” of state sovereignty.
“The states are the most important units of government in this country,” Lummis said. “The federal government didn’t create the states. The states created the federal government.”
Simons supports Illoway's resolution as well, but had his own thoughts about the governor's support of state sovereignty.
“Governor Freudenthal supports this resolution to potentially get around current federal regulation on energy development and wolf management – not to mention currying favor with Republican voters after supporting President Obama’s candidacy,” said Simons. “He’s trying rebuild his base for a 2010 gubernatorial campaign.”
Freudenthal has not ruled out a run for governor in 2010, although he is considered term-limited. However, the Wyoming Supreme Court invalidated legislative term limits in 2004, leaving the opportunity for Freudenthal to challenge the constitutionality of his own term limits to run for re-election in 2010.
According to the Washington Post Feb. 16, when asked about the possibility that Freudenthal would seek a third term, his spokeswoman Cara Eastwood said, "When the governor has something to announce, he will announce it."
Recently, Wyoming citizens have been ramping up efforts to see Wyoming declare itself a sovereign state. At the Wyoming State Fair in Douglas, visitors were welcomed back to their cars with a newspaper published by an organization aligned with the national “Tea Party” movement. The paper accused “Gov. Dave” of supporting tyranny for not coming out against the Real ID Act and called for a Tenth Amendment resolution.
The Real ID Act, enacted under former President George W. Bush’s directive, aims to curtail terrorism by instituting a national ID program. In the state sovereignty resolution supported by Freudenthal, the Real ID Act is mentioned as one of the federal laws “where the constitutional authority for which is either absent or tenuous.”
Other federal laws mentioned were the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act – all areas where Wyoming has seen federal conflict in regards to wolf and sage grouse management, energy development and Forest Service policies.
Illoway said the specific laws mentioned in the resolution as examples of the federal government overstepping its authority were added by Freudenthal at the suggestion of Wyoming Attorney General Bruce Salzburg.
Freudenthal and his staff did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Sen. Mike Enzi and Sen. John Barrasso - Nay on Sonia Sotomayor
Enzi and Barrasso vote against Sotomayor
Meg Lanker
Monday, August 11, 2009 7:35 PM MDT
The U.S. Senate confirmed Sonia Sotomayor Thursday by a vote of 68-31 as the 111th Supreme Court Justice and the first Hispanic justice to serve on the court.
Sotomayor was sworn in Saturday by Chief Justice John Roberts.
The vote fell largely along party lines with nine Republican Senators voting to confirm Sotomayor, and 31 voting against her confirmation. Senate Democrats voted in the majority, with 59 voting to confirm. Sen. Ted Kennedy D-Mass., who is currently battling brain cancer, was not able to vote.
Both of Wyoming’s Republican senators, Sen. Mike Enzi and Sen. John Barrasso, voted against Sotomayor’s confirmation, citing concerns over the Second Amendment and abortion. “The [Puerto Rican Defense and Education] Fund, while Judge Sotomayor served in a leadership capacity, filed briefs with the Supreme Court not only supporting abortion rights, but in support of federal funds for abortion services," said Enzi, in a statement on his official website.
Enzi stated his disagreement with the organization’s positions and said, “I cannot help but wonder how Judge Sotomayor would use her experiences with the Fund to rule on a possible case before the Supreme Court.” He also cited concerns with her positions on international law and of judicial impartiality.
Sen. John Barrasso shared Enzi’s concerns over judicial impartiality in an official statement on his website Thursday. “At her confirmation hearing, Judge Sotomayor stated that her judicial philosophy is ‘fidelity to the law,'” said Barrasso. He said this contrasts “her extensive commentary over the past 15 years” and was worried that Sotomayor would value “personal experience over impartiality” in her decision-making should she be confirmed to the Supreme Court.
In a previous statement July 23, after meeting with Sotomayor, Barrasso said he had concerns on her stance on the Second Amendment and the reverse discrimination case of Ricci v. DeStefano.
According to a news release Thursday, Wyoming Democratic Party Chair Leslie Petersen said she wished to congratulate Judge Sotomayor and “wish her the best of luck as she embarks on this important journey.”
Petersen said that the Wyoming Democratic Party was “ashamed and disappointed that neither of our Senators voted for this outstanding woman.”
She said, “Today’s confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor is a historic event for the U.S. Supreme Court and for the American people. Our nation’s highest court will gain a sharp mind and a highly experienced justice to its bench.”
Petersen cited Sotomayor’s “expansive legal career as a judge, a litigator and a prosecutor” as an asset to the Supreme Court. “With more judicial experience than any justice on the court in the last 70 years, she couldn’t be more prepared to rise to the monumental task of serving our country as a Supreme Court Justice,” said Petersen.
The chair of the Wyoming Republican Party, Diana Vaughan, could not be reached for comment.
Meg Lanker
Monday, August 11, 2009 7:35 PM MDT
The U.S. Senate confirmed Sonia Sotomayor Thursday by a vote of 68-31 as the 111th Supreme Court Justice and the first Hispanic justice to serve on the court.
Sotomayor was sworn in Saturday by Chief Justice John Roberts.
The vote fell largely along party lines with nine Republican Senators voting to confirm Sotomayor, and 31 voting against her confirmation. Senate Democrats voted in the majority, with 59 voting to confirm. Sen. Ted Kennedy D-Mass., who is currently battling brain cancer, was not able to vote.
Both of Wyoming’s Republican senators, Sen. Mike Enzi and Sen. John Barrasso, voted against Sotomayor’s confirmation, citing concerns over the Second Amendment and abortion. “The [Puerto Rican Defense and Education] Fund, while Judge Sotomayor served in a leadership capacity, filed briefs with the Supreme Court not only supporting abortion rights, but in support of federal funds for abortion services," said Enzi, in a statement on his official website.
Enzi stated his disagreement with the organization’s positions and said, “I cannot help but wonder how Judge Sotomayor would use her experiences with the Fund to rule on a possible case before the Supreme Court.” He also cited concerns with her positions on international law and of judicial impartiality.
Sen. John Barrasso shared Enzi’s concerns over judicial impartiality in an official statement on his website Thursday. “At her confirmation hearing, Judge Sotomayor stated that her judicial philosophy is ‘fidelity to the law,'” said Barrasso. He said this contrasts “her extensive commentary over the past 15 years” and was worried that Sotomayor would value “personal experience over impartiality” in her decision-making should she be confirmed to the Supreme Court.
In a previous statement July 23, after meeting with Sotomayor, Barrasso said he had concerns on her stance on the Second Amendment and the reverse discrimination case of Ricci v. DeStefano.
According to a news release Thursday, Wyoming Democratic Party Chair Leslie Petersen said she wished to congratulate Judge Sotomayor and “wish her the best of luck as she embarks on this important journey.”
Petersen said that the Wyoming Democratic Party was “ashamed and disappointed that neither of our Senators voted for this outstanding woman.”
She said, “Today’s confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor is a historic event for the U.S. Supreme Court and for the American people. Our nation’s highest court will gain a sharp mind and a highly experienced justice to its bench.”
Petersen cited Sotomayor’s “expansive legal career as a judge, a litigator and a prosecutor” as an asset to the Supreme Court. “With more judicial experience than any justice on the court in the last 70 years, she couldn’t be more prepared to rise to the monumental task of serving our country as a Supreme Court Justice,” said Petersen.
The chair of the Wyoming Republican Party, Diana Vaughan, could not be reached for comment.
Rep. Lummis looking forward to August recess
Rep. Lummis looking forward to August District Work Period Meg Lanker
Wednesday, August 5, 2009 12:21 PM MDT
The U.S. House of Representatives recessed Monday for August, but for Rep. Cynthia Lummis-R, Wyo., it’s anything but a break.
The website for the U.S. House calls the break the “Summer District Work Period,” and bills it in news releases as a chance for representatives to meet with constituents, hold town hall meetings, and gear up for the next session.
Lummis said in an interview with The Underground Friday she is looking forward to meeting with constituents in Wyoming and discussing issues important to them. “I have, I believe, six town hall meetings, multiple interviews with the press and many constituent meetings,” she said.
With a vote on health care reform looming large in September, Lummis is using August to prepare for discussions on the House floor. Lummis does not support the health care plan the Democrats are proposing, and instead, supports the ten-point plan set forth by Sen. Mike Enzi R-Wyo.
“Sen. Enzi’s ten steps, which are laid out in bullet points on his website, are, in fact, extremely comprehensive, well thought-out, well fleshed-out, and have a lot of support on a bipartisan basis here in Congress,” Lummis said. “Sen. Enzi’s work is highly respected, and is based on years of experience.”
According to Enzi’s website, the “Ten Steps to Transform Health Care in America” include providing cross-state pooling to reduce health care costs and increase accessibility for small business owners, individuals, and families; increasing affordable options for families to purchase health insurance through a standard tax deduction; and emphasizing preventive benefits.
Lummis is using the time in August to read the entire proposal authored by House Democrats and said the proposal is a “1000-page plus” bill. She said she has not seen what it covers in its entirety, but said, “I do know this – it creates at least 31 new government agencies, and has a health commissioner that will decide whether the plan I have meets their criteria.”
Lummis is concerned about portability of health insurance and potential penalties to employers. “One of the employers I talked to in Wyoming, a physician’s office, went through the Democrats’ bill and found out it would be cheaper for them to pay the eight percent penalty and shift their own employees onto the government plan rather than provide the insurance they have now,” said Lummis. “The President’s express notion that if you like your insurance you can keep it is not embodied in the Democrats’ bill.”
Proponents of the health care plan disagree, including Milt Shook, a former Washington D.C. paralegal-turned-author who read the entire bill and purports to debunk many of the Republican Party’s statements on the health care bill on his website. Referring to the eight percent penalty, Shook said, “The section [on penalties to employers] only refers to any employer who doesn't offer any insurance to his employees. If they offer either private insurance or the public insurance, they do not have to pay the 8%, regardless of the size of their payroll.”
However, if the employer’s payroll is over $400,000 a year, the eight percent payroll tax would kick in, potentially affecting small business owners who may find it cheaper to pull the current insurance and not offer the government’s health care public option. In this case, an employee could enroll in the public option and pay an amount indexed to the employee’s current yearly pay.
Lummis is also worried about whether or not people could keep their current insurance in all circumstances. “Yesterday [Thursday], in the House Energy and Resources committee, a number of Republicans offered amendments to that bill to make sure the bill allows you to keep your insurance if you like it, and all of those amendments were defeated,” she said. “I have serious reservations, and am in fact, opposed to the Democrats’ health care bill as it is written now and am very concerned about the notion of a public plan and how it could bring about lower quality health care and health care rationing.”
Lummis acknowledged people are seeing somewhat of a rationing due to high health care costs, but said the plan will bring about “more serious rationing on a broader level.” She said, “My big concern is that it will not elevate opportunities for those who cannot currently afford insurance, but will instead decrease opportunities for affordable health care for those who do have insurance.”
Lummis also supports a review of the reimbursements doctors and hospitals receive under current Medicare and Medicaid fee schedules. “I know from visiting with Wyoming hospitals and Wyoming doctors that they are under-reimbursed,” said Lummis. “It’s critical, that for Medicare to perform properly, that we level the playing field in order to ensure the long-term health of the Medicare system.”
She said that fixing Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements is particularly important for Wyoming, since some providers have stopped accepting Medicare and Medicaid – reducing the number of already limited providers available to patients.
“I want our doctors and our hospitals reimbursed at rates that will allow them to continue to take Medicare patients as Wyoming people age, as our population ages,” said Lummis. “Health care reform will be my highest priority when I return in the fall.”
Numerous energy issues are on the table as well. Lummis opposed the cap-and-trade bill, called the “Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009,” and was uneasy about promises made by Democrats in the House that the bill would not increase energy costs for the average consumer.
Lummis emphasized the need for Washington to look to Wyoming for energy resources including solar power and uranium for nuclear power. “We are number one in uranium reserves and I am a big supporter of nuclear energy. It is the most abundant, zero-emissions source of energy our country has,” she said.
She cited large numbers of nuclear plants in Europe as an example of implementation that could take place in the U.S. “Currently nuclear power produces 20 percent of the electricity in this country, and without it, we will not be able to meet the kinds of standards that are required under the cap-and-trade bill,” she said.
Democrats and Republicans alike in Wyoming – and the rest of the U.S. – worry about storing nuclear waste as a by-product of a nuclear power plant, but Lummis supports other renewable energy resources such as solar and wind power, calling solar power an “efficient energy source” that Wyoming could lead the way in developing. She said, “Our moderate, cooler temperatures allow solar panels to operate more efficiently. That’s an area where I see tremendous growth for Wyoming.”
Lummis acknowledged the need for clean energy development to reduce air pollution, especially in urban areas. “Urban communities like Los Angeles do have higher rates of asthma, and that’s tied to things like automobile emissions. Whether or not a person believes in global warming, these issues must be addressed.”
She is working with other legislators to draft and sponsor numerous bills to benefit Wyoming residents. Before the House recess, Lummis introduced the “Statewide Public Television Access Act,” which will allow DISH Network subscribers in Wyoming to have access to Wyoming Public Television.
Many subscribers in Wyoming receive their public television from Denver, Salt Lake City, or Rapid City, SD. According to Lummis, federal law prohibits satellite television subscribers from receiving Wyoming Public Television, but this new bill would attempt to change that.
Lummis cited the bill as an example of reaching across the aisle in an environment that she said is divided along party lines. She is the lead sponsor, with three Democrats and three Republicans co-sponsoring the bill on public television access.
Wyoming PBS features programming relevant to the state. According to the Wyoming PBS website, one popular series, Main Street, Wyoming, highlights the uniqueness of Wyoming’s communities, history and people. During the election cycles, Wyoming PBS also features local candidate forums and debates – unavailable to those subscribers who have DISH network.
“Over half of the Wyoming counties do not get access to Wyoming Public Television. And, I believe, 18 other states are in the same boat as Wyoming – where you cannot get your own public television within the four corners of your state,” Lummis said. “When you have so many Wyoming residents getting their public television from neighboring states, it’s not possible to have a cohesive community dialogue.”
Lummis also pointed out the bill would allow for easier access to local news, weather and sports and said it did not make sense that residents don’t already receive Wyoming PBS.
August has already been packed full by Lummis’ staff with what she called a “near-campaign schedule.” She said, “I just can’t wait to be back home in Wyoming. This will be a great opportunity to get feedback from the people I represent, so when I do come back in September, I have wise counsel and good Wyoming common-sense to carry back with me.”
However, Lummis does plan to take some time to relax after a grueling House session full of discussions on controversial issues by going fishing. After describing her schedule, she chucked and said, “I would just love to be able to stand in a stream and drown a fly.”
The U.S. House will reconvene after Labor Day in September.
US Rep. Cynthia Lummis does not support "birther" movement
Lummis does not support “birther” movement
Meg Lanker
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 2:41 PM MDT
US House Representative Cynthia Lummis-R Wyo. is no friend of the “birther” movement.
Rep. Lummis believes President Barack Obama is an American citizen, his birth certificate is valid, and he is qualified to be president under the native-born citizenship requirement of the US Constitution.
Orly Taitz, a California dentist and attorney, is challenging the validity of Obama’s birth certificate and US citizenship in the media and in court. Taitz wrote on her official blog Monday that she had made “high-profile” friends in the GOP on the social networking website Facebook, including House Republican Whip Eric Cantor, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, and Rep. Lummis.
Taitz said she was “greatly honored” to see leaders in the Republican Party become her friends on Facebook. “To me it means that the leadership of the Republican party understands the importance of the issues and legal cases I brought forward. I hope more congressmen and senators join and either become additional plaintiffs or bring to the House and Senate judicial committee hearings the issues of Obama’s illegitimacy to presidency as well as suspected illegal activities by Obama and his supporters,” she said.
Tuesday, Rep. Lummis’ Press Secretary Ryan Taylor said in a phone interview that Rep. Lummis receives friend requests as a representative frequently, and it is common practice for legislators to add people as friends. He said this does not imply an endorsement or support of the person’s views and, as of Tuesday, Taitz had been removed from Lummis’ list of friends on Facebook.
Taylor said Lummis absolutely does not support the belief that Obama is not an American citizen and said, “His birth certificate was authenticated by the State of Hawaii and by factcheck.org.”
Factcheck.org describes itself on its website as a “non-partisan, non-profit ‘consumer advocate’ for voters,” and is run by The Annenberg Political Fact Check, a community of scholars that addresses public policy issues at the local, state and federal levels.
Taylor also said that Lummis feels this is a needless distraction from other much more important issues at hand, citing the need for a solid plan for health care reform, and that questions about Obama’s citizenship are a “non-issue.”
This is not the first time Lummis has dealt with the matter of Obama’s citizenship. In April, Rep. Lummis held a town hall meeting in Cheyenne at her alma mater, East High School. When a member of the audience asked her about Obama’s citizenship, Lummis said she had seen nothing to refute the birth certificate that places his birth in Hawaii. According to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Lummis said, “I’m not questioning your concern. I am questioning whether there is credible evidence.”
Meg Lanker
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 2:41 PM MDT
US House Representative Cynthia Lummis-R Wyo. is no friend of the “birther” movement.
Rep. Lummis believes President Barack Obama is an American citizen, his birth certificate is valid, and he is qualified to be president under the native-born citizenship requirement of the US Constitution.
Orly Taitz, a California dentist and attorney, is challenging the validity of Obama’s birth certificate and US citizenship in the media and in court. Taitz wrote on her official blog Monday that she had made “high-profile” friends in the GOP on the social networking website Facebook, including House Republican Whip Eric Cantor, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, and Rep. Lummis.
Taitz said she was “greatly honored” to see leaders in the Republican Party become her friends on Facebook. “To me it means that the leadership of the Republican party understands the importance of the issues and legal cases I brought forward. I hope more congressmen and senators join and either become additional plaintiffs or bring to the House and Senate judicial committee hearings the issues of Obama’s illegitimacy to presidency as well as suspected illegal activities by Obama and his supporters,” she said.
Tuesday, Rep. Lummis’ Press Secretary Ryan Taylor said in a phone interview that Rep. Lummis receives friend requests as a representative frequently, and it is common practice for legislators to add people as friends. He said this does not imply an endorsement or support of the person’s views and, as of Tuesday, Taitz had been removed from Lummis’ list of friends on Facebook.
Taylor said Lummis absolutely does not support the belief that Obama is not an American citizen and said, “His birth certificate was authenticated by the State of Hawaii and by factcheck.org.”
Factcheck.org describes itself on its website as a “non-partisan, non-profit ‘consumer advocate’ for voters,” and is run by The Annenberg Political Fact Check, a community of scholars that addresses public policy issues at the local, state and federal levels.
Taylor also said that Lummis feels this is a needless distraction from other much more important issues at hand, citing the need for a solid plan for health care reform, and that questions about Obama’s citizenship are a “non-issue.”
This is not the first time Lummis has dealt with the matter of Obama’s citizenship. In April, Rep. Lummis held a town hall meeting in Cheyenne at her alma mater, East High School. When a member of the audience asked her about Obama’s citizenship, Lummis said she had seen nothing to refute the birth certificate that places his birth in Hawaii. According to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Lummis said, “I’m not questioning your concern. I am questioning whether there is credible evidence.”
