Protection for Manatees vs. the Koch Brothers

A euphemistically named organization called Save Crystal River is trying to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove all protections for manatees.  Because property rights.

Save Crystal River has petitioned — twice! — the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to remove all manatee protection in Kings Bay.  Both petitions were denied.  But like a cat that keeps jumping up on the table no matter how many times you push him off, Save Crystal River is baaack.  This time they're suing the federal government, and they're being bankrolled by the deep pockets of the Pacific Legal Foundation.

And the Pacific Legal Foundation is one of umpteen jillion Astroturf front groups for...drumroll...the Koch Brothers.

When I lived in California, it seemed like every time there was a conflict between a developer and a local environmental ordinance, some shadowy group called the Pacific Legal Foundation would step in and offer free legal counsel to the developer.  Food stamps for millionaires, you might say.

At the time I'd never heard of the Koch Brothers, but it turns out that the Pacific Legal Foundation — for that matter, most organizations that are called “__________ Legal Foundation” — is indeed one of the Koch Brothers' front groups.

Is there any environmental cause the Koch Brothers aren't trying to sabotage?

(It was a rhetorical question.)

Believe it or Not: Yet ANOTHER Legal Challenge to Obamacare

[sigh]

Either these assholes have absolutely nothing else to do, and/or their mission in life is to pull the rug out from under eight million Americans who have health insurance for the first time in their lives.

This time, the lawsuit isn't about the individual mandate or the Constitutional right of insurance companies to cancel your coverage while you're in the hospital, etc.  This lawsuit is based on some sort of technicality about a Senate procedure during the passage of the Affordable Care Act.  It was raining and Ted Cruz was blowing somebody in a red shirt, or something.

The lawsuit is being waged by the Pacific Legal Foundation. The linked article doesn't mention it, but the Pacific Legal Foundation is one of the Koch Brothers' front groups; one of hundreds.  When I lived in northern California (I hadn't even heard of the Koch Brothers back then), it seemed like every time there was a clash between a jillionaire developer and a local environmental/wildlife ordinance, the same shadowy group called the Pacific Legal Foundation would crawl out from under its rock and provide free legal counsel to the developer.  Food stamps for billionaires.  Goliath hitting David with a slingshot.

This lawsuit du jour is based on the Constitution's Origination Clause:

“All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives.”

The Pacific Legal Foundation argues that since the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare as a “permissible use of Congress' taxing power,” the Affordable Care Act therefore IS a bill for raising revenue.  And that's the crux of this lawsuit.

Harry Reid pulled some fancy Parliamentary maneuvers to get the bill passed (gee, I'm glad Republicans never do anything like that).  I'll hurt my head if I try to paraphrase this, so here's a direct quote from the article:

“Harry Reid used the Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009 as a template for the maneuver. That law, HR 3590, offered tax credits to military members who were first-time homebuyers.  Reid eliminated the entire text of the six-page law and replaced it with the 2,000-plus page bill that became the Affordable Care Act. All that remained of the Home Ownership Tax Act was the bill number, HR 3590.  After winning Senate approval, the 'amended' HR 3590 was sent to the House where the Democratic majority approved it. The bill was then sent to President Obama who signed it into law in March 2010.”

Therefore, the Affordable Care Act DID originate in the House.  Or did it?  And is the Affordable Care Act a bill for raising revenue?  We'll see.

The Obama Administration's response to the suit was:  “The Supreme Court has never invalidated an Act of Congress on the basis of the Origination Clause, and this suit presents no reason to break new ground.” 

The Kochtopus: Even More Tentacles Than You Ever Imagined

The Koch Brothers — whose father was a founder and financier of the John Birch Society — are already well-known for funding every rightwing cause you’ve ever heard of, and some that you haven’t.  But it’s worse than you thought.

Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund are two huge money-laundering organizations which enable gutless “donors” to make huge contributions to rightwing causes while still hiding under a rock.

The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity is a Far Right think tank whose secret financing comes largely from the two above-mentioned money-launderers.  And a lot — not all — of this laundered money is from the Koch Brothers.

One of the top priorities of the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity is to manufacture a “groundswell” of public opposition to renewable energy development.  Wouldn’t want to jeopardize the fossil fuel industry’s profits now, would we.

Wind and solar energy, emissions reductions and — worst of all — coastal communities taking future sea-level rises into consideration when they plan future developments:  all of these atrocities have to be nipped in the bud.  Time to round up some more useful idiots and start orchestrating a few more of those spontaneous demonstrations.

And that’s not all.  When I lived in California, every time there was a conflict between a huge development project and the environment, some shadowy anonymous group called the Pacific Legal Foundation would provide a lawyer — pro bono — for the developer.  Sort of like giving Goliath a slingshot.

And now it turns out the Pacific Legal Foundation is funded by the Koch Brothers.

It figures.

Source Watch provides a list of just some of the Kochtopus’ tentacles.