The line of people forming at the Spokane County Fairgrounds this morning constituted a small sea of green.
About 20 of the people — waiting to get into the public hearing concerning the proposed increase of coal trains coming through Spokane — wore bright green shirts that read “Let’s Get Back To Work!”
They already were, in a way. Pro-coal groups had hired the people to stand in Tuesday morning’s wind and rain to serve as placeholders.
"I want a job," says Milly, a Spokane resident who declined to give her last name. Milly told The Inlander she's getting paid minimum wage to stand out in the wind and rain for "as long as they need us." In prior jobs for Labor Ready, Milly says she's done in-home care and housekeeping and worked at a plastics factory.
An activist report on Daily Kos last week about day laborers packing similar public hearings.
Lauri Hennessey, a spokesperson for the pro-coal Alliance for Northwest Jobs and Exports, says hiring day laborers is a necessity to combat environmentalists who have been showing up early to hearings.
"A lot of our people have jobs," said Hennessey, and could not show up early to get a place in line.
"Those people are definitely not testifying, they're not staying for the meeting," she added, referring to the day laborers.
The public hearing happens today from 4 pm to 7 pm at the Spokane County Fairgrounds. We wrote in March about concerns (health, environmental, traffic, etc.) over the trains, which are expected to pass through Spokane to as many as half a dozen new shipping facilities on the west coast.
Yes, I care about the environment. Yes, I run a small business. Yes, I also VOLUNTEER umpteen hours a week to shut this dumb project down. And YES, I stood in line at one hearing.
And Lauri, aren´t you a paid PR exec from Edelman in Seattle who is probably getting all-expense paid trips to all the scoping hearing to say the same thing for two minutes -- about jobs. Oh, and aren´t you and your PR company paid by the Alliance for Northwest Jobs and Exports, which is completely supported by the following companies (below) -- all supporting the coal terminals? And running all the slick ads on tv.
Come on. Just who DO you work for. Seems like BIG COAL to me.
Just askin´.
Agrium Inc.
Ambre Energy North America, Inc.
American Council of Engineering Companies of Montana
American Council of Engineering Companies of Washington
Arch Coal
Associated Industries of Spokane
Associated General Contractors of Washington
Association of Washington Business
Billings Chamber of Commerce/Convention and Visitors Bureau
BNSF Railway
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Washington State Legislative Board
Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Carpenters Industrial Council
Cloud Peak Energy
Greater Spokane Incorporated
Gunderson Marine
Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry
Idaho Chamber Alliance
International Trade Alliance
J.R. Simplot Company
JH Kelly
Lydig Construction
Montana Chamber of Commerce
Montana Coal Council
Montana Contractors´ Association
Montana Rail Link, Inc.
National Association of Manufacturers
National Mining Association
Oregon Building Trades Council
Pacific Merchant Shipping Association
Pacific Northwest International Trade Association
Peabody Energy
Pederson Brothers Incorporated
Portland Business Alliance
Portland & Western Railroad, Inc.
Portland Business Alliance
Southeastern Montana Development Corporation
SSA Marine
Tidewate
Transportation Communications Union - International Association of Machinists
Union Pacific
United Transportation Union - Montana State Legislative Board
United Transportation Union - Oregon State Legislative Board
United Transportation Union - Washington State Legislative Board
Vigor Industrial
Washington Farm Bureau
Washington Farm Labor Association
Western Business Roundtable
Western Environmental Trade Association
Wyoming Mining Association Dec 04, 2012 | Reply to this comment
Do any of these names and companies seem familiar?
John Ambler - VP Corporate Relations BNSF, president BNSF Foundation (which gives grants to school children)
Scott Moore - Chairman of the Colorado Oil and Gas Foundation
Todd O´Hair - Director of Govt. Affairs, Cloud Peak Energy
Deck Slone - SVP Arch Coal
John Thomas - SVP Legal and General Counsel, Ambre Energy
Bob Watters - SVP SSA Marine
spokesman - Lauri Hennessey, VP Edelman Public Relations
Facts are facts, folks. The Alliance is not what it is trying to get people, including journalists, to believe it is. Just ask a few questions. It´s about time. Dec 04, 2012 | Reply to this comment