No Surprise, Misinformation from Local Politico

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User-submitted story by Josh Mogerman, Natural Resources Defense Council

Thursday, April 22, 2010

In a woefully misinformed post on the Southeast Missourian Web site earlier today entitled "This District Not for Sale," John Voss accused the national green group NRDC of dumping "tens of thousands of dollars" to try to sway the 8th Congressional district race. This is utterly, completely, and categorically false. NRDC is a 501c3 organization, prohibited from spending any resources, or even taking any positions, on electoral campaigns. Neither NRDC, nor our sister organization the NRDC Action Fund, has spent a single dollar on this race. Neither group intends to do so in the future.

It is hard to believe that someone in Voss's position doesn't know, or is unwilling to be truthful, about the money being spent in his district---but that is clearly the case here. I do not know his motivations for spreading these falsehoods. Perhaps he is just confused. After all, he did not even get NRDC's name right---we are the Natural Resources Defense Council (he thought we were the National Resources Defense Council). Whatever his reasons, the attack is misguided. Rather than lobbing unfounded accusations, Voss should investigate NRDC's actual efforts in Missouri. They focus on building the state's huge potential for renewable energy, creating jobs, and promoting energy efficiency. Don't believe me? Check out this report released last year: http://www.nrdc.org/energy/cleanmo/files/cleanmo.pdf

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Josh, welcome to SE Missouri. You have numerous board members who have seen fit to insert themselves into our congressional race. Instead of attacking one of our local elected officials maybe you should be talking to your board. You ought to visit our area sometime and learn about how the policies your radical organization pushes are harmful to our way of life.

-- Posted by northside8 on Thu, Apr 22, 2010, at 4:07 PM
Northside8---

I am not attacking local politicians, simply correcting publicly aired misinformation. I'd point you to the post that sparked this exchange, and has since been tagged by editors because it is simply untrue:

http://www.semissourian.com/story/1628539.html

As for policies pushed by NRDC, it is worth noting on Earth Day that my organization helped to craft and advance the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act...hardly radical or harmful policies.

-- Posted by JoshatNRDC on Thu, Apr 22, 2010, at 5:47 PM
Dear Mr. Josh Mogerman: If, as you say, NRDC is a 501c3 organization, prohibited from spending any resources, then why is there an NRDC Action Fund? It seems to me that if you are not allowed to "spend any resources" then you don't need an "Action Fund".

-- Posted by richard stuckmeyer on Thu, Apr 22, 2010, at 6:20 PM
P.S.

I can't speak to the Clean Air Act but, as a former landowner of a farm on the Black River I can speak to unreasonable restrictions your organization supported in a venture that was made some years ago to restrict landowners from the proper and ecologically safe use of their own land where said land abutted Missouri streams. Fortunately, the attempt was defeated by the voters of Missouri.

-- Posted by richard stuckmeyer on Thu, Apr 22, 2010, at 6:26 PM
Isn't the clean air act what the EPA is using to create cap and trade regulations???

I guess I shouldn't really blame NRDC for that though, because who could have imagined EPA would overreach this much.

-- Posted by everest on Thu, Apr 22, 2010, at 6:38 PM
For an organization not "connected" to this race, they sure are quick to defend the actions of their glamorous board members "just down the road a piece" in Californ-i-a. Guess what we do in Missouri when the forests get overpopulated, Josh Mogerman? We cut the trees down! Mwah-ha-ha! Mwah-ha-ha-ha! Mwaaaah-ha-ha-ha-ha!

-- Posted by Dear Reader on Thu, Apr 22, 2010, at 7:11 PM
Dear Reader,

That's correct. I wonder why the tree huggers didn't go after God when he sent that windstorm last year that wiped out millions of trees? In some places He clearcut and they REALLY hate clearcutting. At least our loggers very seldom clearcut.

-- Posted by richard stuckmeyer on Thu, Apr 22, 2010, at 7:21 PM
Oh, man, Mr. Stuckmeyer, I bet you could barely sleep that night with the sound of all those millions of trees screaming as they were blown over to their deaths!!!

And the ice storm! Do you know how tough it was to talk to all the trees in Missouri when the ice storm hit? You'd be like, "Hey, tree, how's it hanging today?" and the tree would say, "MMMM MMMM MMMMM MM MMMMMMM!" because it was encased in ice.

Don't worry, though. I am sure the NRDC is prepping a decent lawsuit against the Almighty that the Ninth Circuit will be glad to rule favorably upon.

-- Posted by Dear Reader on Thu, Apr 22, 2010, at 7:59 PM
rotfl...thanks Reader, I needed that laugh. We were lucky to be in St. Louis when it hit. We got to Perryville right after it and it took us about 2 hours to go 30 miles to our home in Patton and then see the damage to our home. The trees were "hanging" low after that ice storm. I like your humor.

-- Posted by richard stuckmeyer on Thu, Apr 22, 2010, at 8:21 PM
Where did Josh go?? Good question as to why he was so quick to defend this campaign. I guess one back scratches another.

-- Posted by Real Rolla on Thu, Apr 22, 2010, at 10:14 PM
NRDC and NRDC Action Fund are sister organizations. Neither one has dropped any money or taken any position in the local congressional race as had been asserted.

-- Posted by JoshatNRDC on Fri, Apr 23, 2010, at 9:43 AM
Josh,

You will find that entire political careers have been built and maintained by the spread of misinformation on the part of willing participants in this congressional district.

When is your event? Environmentalists usually have the best booze. Is Ed Begley Jr. going to be there?

-- Posted by Lumpy on Fri, Apr 23, 2010, at 5:06 PM
Dear Joshat NRDC:

Typical political doublespeak. "NRDC and NRDC Action Fund are sister organizations." Riigghhttt, and the Republican Party and the Republican Party PAC are sister organizations. So what? I doubt the veracity of your statement.

-- Posted by richard stuckmeyer on Tue, Apr 27, 2010, at 7:29 PM

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