Hurricane Irene threatens S.C.; Demint denies climate change science

Hurricane Irene churns over the Atlantic in this NASA image. Now a category 3 storm it is building in intensity and tracking north-westward towards the Carolina coasts where it is predicted it will reach category 4 strength.

UPDATE: AUGUST 26, 7:00 PM EST, HURRICANE IRENE IS SKIRTING THE SOUTH CAROLINA COASTLINE. IT HAS NOW DROPPED FROM A CATEGORY 3 STORM TO A CATEGORY 2 STORM. GOOD NEWS FOR THE U.S. HOWEVER IT IS TRACKING FURTHER WEST (INLAND) FROM YESTERDAY'S EXPECTATIONS AND THEREFORE POSES AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS THREAT. ODDLY, TEA PARTY PUNDIT, GLENN BECK HAS CALLED IT "A BLESSING."

South Carolina is particularly vulnerable to severe storms like Hurricane Irene  which is expected to hit the United States as a category four storm tomorrow. Severe weather is a constant threat to the State's valuable tourism industry as they cause heavy beach erosion and threaten the Port of Charleston and other critical infrastructure.

Category 4 hurricane defined: wind speeds between 131 and 155 mph; waves 13-18 feet high. They "tend to produce more extensive curtainwall failures, with some complete roof structural failures on small residences. Heavy, irreparable damage and near complete destruction of gas station canopies and other wide span overhang type structures are common. Mobile and manufactured homes are leveled. These storms cause extensive beach erosion, while terrain may be flooded far inland. Total and long-lived electrical and water losses are to be expected, possibly for many weeks. Source: Wikipedia and CBS News

The vast majority of climate scientists attribute the increase in severe storms to man made-fossil fuel generated global warming. Nonetheless as a friend to major oil and energy interests who contribute to his campaign and PAC, South Carolina's Senator Jim Demint consistently denies science while South Carolina pays the price.

Read: Jim Demint Scoffs at climate change science even as South Carolina beaches are threatened

Read: Koch Industries and other big energy industry interests major donors to Demint and his PAC

Senator Demint's office offered this guidance for constituents as they face the prospect of facing Hurricane Irene and the loss of property and life. 

August 23, 2011

Be Prepared for Hurricane Season

by Jim's Staff

As we continue to monitor Hurricane Irene’s progress towards the East Coast, South Carolina remains at high risk for major effects from the storm.

Be sure to stay tuned to local news for the latest updates on the path of Hurricane Irene and if you live in a coastal area, please make sure that you know your evacuation route.

Everyone should have an personal emergency plan in place for them and their family, whether for hurricanes or any type of disaster.  Please take a few minutes to review the following information: it will be time well-spent!

Resources:

General information on emergency preparation: http://www.ready.gov

Get hurricane current updates & South Carolina-specific info: http://www.scemd.org/

Find your closest Red Cross shelter: http://www.redcross.org/contactus/

Please contact our Columbia office, 803-771-6112, or our Greenville office at 864-233-5366 if we can be of additional assistance.

Jim Demint driving the austerity bus: "most powerful political figure" next to President Obama according to The Atlantic

Senator Demint demands the kind of austerity  for the rest of the nation, that consevatives have been imposing on South Carolina for years. His home state is one of the poorest in the nation, has the highest violent crime rate,  and suffers from enormous public health problems. By nearly every social indicator it is a failure. Now its Senator is building a legislative movement to drive the rest of the US down the same road.


August 1, 2011.Senator Jim DeMint was not one of the major political players whose every move we watched this weekend, but he was the animator of much of the high stakes drama over raising the debt ceiling and cutting the national deficit and debt.  DeMint has been the driver of the 'never give up, never surrender' drum beat of the largely freshman class of Tea Party conservatives in both the Senate and the House.  DeMint provided muscle and counsel to Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor in his posturing during this debate.
Read the rest of The Atlantic's analysis

DeMint’s leadership PAC battles leaders in fight for future of Senate GOP caucus

By Alexander Bolton - 08/04/11 The Hill

Members of the Tea Party Caucus and the GOP leadership are in a money race that could shape the ideology of the Senate Republican Conference.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) remains the king of GOP fundraising, but members of the Tea Party Caucus are getting more active about electing conservatives in their mold to the upper chamber.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who often battles his leadership over the direction of the conference, has been more aggressive this year in the use of his fundraising committee.
Read the entire report from The Hill

Read more about who own's Jim Demint
Demint blames Geithner in transparent attempt to get tea party of the hook
Mitch McConnell: victor and "great dismantler" in debt ceiling deal
Wisconsin conservatives ask Demint and Club for Growth to back off  in selection of congressional candidates

Senator Jim Demint: collective bargaining for public employees "just doesn't make any sense."

Despite the fact that most unionized Federal public employees are not permitted by Federal law to bargain over wages and benefits which are set by the U.S. Congress, Senator Demint believes they should also not be permitted to bargain over working conditions.

Who owns Jim Demint? Do big corporate donations to his campaigns and PAC explain his anti-labor stance?
Demint cries foul in NLRB-Boeing dispute while company outspends union for lobbying and political contributions
Demint's anti-union stance trumps his concern for airport security
Hear Senator Demint lie about non-existent Federal laws that allegedly force workers to join unions

Who owns Jim Demint? Take a look at the list of campaign contributors and Demint PAC supporters

OpenSecrets.org is a non-partisan service that provides free information to the public about the influence of money over politics. It details campaign contributions, PAC financial information, lobbying expenditures by business, labor and issues organizations, donor background information and political issues and influence and the voting records of federal elected officials.  It's an excellent resource for anyone interested in understanding who pulls the strings behind the scenes.

Charles & David Koch and own one of the two biggest private companies in the U.S. The money they make from their vast oil and gas operations has been used to fuel conservative politicians like Jim Demint and the phony grass roots Tea Party movement that supports them.

Top100 contributors to Senator Jim Demints campaigns. 
Includes: Koch Industries, Blue Cross-Blue Shield, Scana Corporation, AT&T, Club for Growth, Murray Energy.

Despite having no credible opposition in the last election, Jim Demint was the second largest recipient of money from Koch Industries of all Senate candidates. Only Marco Rubio of Florida received more.

How Boeing's generous contributions to Senator Demint's campaign may be paying off for the aerospace giant.
Koch Industries campaign money supports Demint's anti-climate change agenda
South Carolina legislators cut state programs while they line pockets with strange pension-salary scheme
NOW TAKE A LOOK AT WHO OWNS SENATE MINORITY LEADER MITCH MC CONNELL
Wisconsin conservatives ask Demint and Club for Growth to back off in selection of local congressional candidates

Demint out to kill Medicare while South Carolina ranks high for seniors living in poverty

Hear Senator Demint endorse the Ryan Plan which would eliminate Medicare in its present form to replace it with a coupon program.

With 14% of South Carolinians over 65 years of age living in poverty, the State ranks 38th in the country in that category according to the Kaiser Family founding.

This should come as no surprise, he higher rate of poverty for older South Carolinians is the logical outcome of a lifetime of high unemployment, lower wages, less unionization and fewer opportunities to accumulate savings or establish private pension or retirement plans.

Despite the high rate of elder poverty in his state, Senator Demint supports Paul Ryan's budget plan which would end Medicare as we know it and replace it with a health insurance coupon (voucher).

With nearly $1 Million from the health care industry going to his campaign committee and PAC between 2010, Demint shows loyalty to one of his key constituencies while turning his back on South Carolina's senior citizens.