“This is a victory for the free speech rights of all Americans, and a loss for Montana politicians trying to squelch the voices of grassroots citizens challenging their power,” said Donald Ferguson, Executive Director of ATP. “The court today recognized that burdening ATP and other citizen groups with unnecessary, intrusive, and unwarranted regulations on speech is an affront to the First Amendment.”

ATP filed the lawsuit to prevent the State of Montana from enforcing unconstitutional restrictions on its speech. The judge ruled that ATP’s challenge to Montana’s excessively low contribution limits ($160 to a candidate for state legislature, $630 to a candidate for Governor) will proceed to trial, and ruled in the State’s favor that the ban on direct contributions from corporations to candidates was constitutional.

The case is Lair et al v. Murray et al, case number 6:12-cv-00012-CCL.

American Tradition Partnership extends prayers of comfort to the Kennedy family at this time.

More than 70 people were packed a Gallatin County commissioner’s meeting that went until after 9 p.m. to voice their concerns over wolf predation, the Bozeman Chronicle reported.

“Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks regional manager Pat Flowers said wolf populations have increased about 15 percent in the last year. He said elk populations are declining, below objectives or stable in Gallatin County,” the Chronicle reports.

“He said 74 cattle, 11 sheep, two dogs and one horse were killed by wolves in 2011.”

Carey White, of Citizens for Balanced Use, cited several incidents of wolf attacks on humans in Canada, and “several local incidents of wolves killing pets and provided commissioners with gruesome photographs,” the Chronicle reports.

“Agriculture is under attack,” White added.

American Tradition Partnership supports reforms allowing Montanans to defend their property and livestock from these invasive foreign wolves, who are not native to Montana, by any mean necessary.

A Houston-area family escaped harm when their house suddenly went up in flames, and fire investigators say an electric car is to blame.

Jeremy Gutierrez pulled his Fisker Karma electric vehicle into his garage, parked it, and went inside.  Three minutes later his garage, and home, were consumed in fire.

Gutierrez, his wife, his mother and a child escaped without injuries not, but his home suffered $100,000.00 in damage.
His child’s bedroom burned in the fire.

“The Karma was the origin of the fire,” said Fort Bend County chief fire investigator Robert Baker.

The Karma was a post-recall model.  It was only a few days old and had just 200 miles.  Gutierrez reports just before the fire began he could smell burning rubber.

Fisker, as you may recall, was given a $529 million taxpayer-financed loan by the Obama administration.  Obama has hailed Fisker as an example of his successful U.S. economic policies.

However, Fisker builds its vehicles in Finland, not the United States.  So far Fisker has sold poorly, was forced to recall vehicles and had its cars break down during Consumer Reports testing.

Fisker refuses to accept the findings of the fire investigator that their admittedly faulty vehicles were the cause of yet another electric car fire.  What’s downright stunning is their implication Gutierrez used fireworks to burn his child’s bedroom with his family in the home, claiming “fraud or malicious intent” may be to blame.

An upset Gutierrez released the following statement:

On the afternoon of May 2, 2012, Mr. Jeremy Gutierrez’s brand new Fisker Karma hybrid electric vehicle caught fire while parked in his garage, setting fire to his home while his wife, mother, and child were inside. Thanks to the fast action of Mr. Gutierrez, he was able to evacuate his family from the home moments before portions of the house were engulfed in flames, including his child’s bedroom.

The Fort Bend County Fire Department immediately responded to the scene and as able to contain and extinguish the fire before total destruction of the Gutierrez’s family home. The fire department recently completed their investigation and determined the origin of the fire was, in fact, Gutierrez’s newly purchased Fisker Karma hybrid electric vehicle that he just took possession of two weeks earlier. Chief Investigator for the Fort Bend County Fire Marshal’s Office Robert N. Baker has concluded that the fire was accidental in nature.

Since the date of this incident, Mr. Gutierrez has been fully cooperative with public safety officials, as well as insurance adjusters and the vehicle manufacturer’s investigators. In fact, Mr. Gutierrez fully accommodated the precise and somewhat peculiar demands of Fisker Automotive, who sent their self-proclaimed “SWAT Team” of engineers and inspectors (that included their own forensic cause and origin investigator) to the Gutierrez home within 24 hours of the fire. They descended upon the Gutierrez home in alarming numbers and immediately demanded a 24-hour lock-down of his home, including the remains of the Fisker Karma vehicle. They also cordoned off portions of the Gutierrez home with non-transparent tarps to block the view from the public. Fisker even had access to eyewitnesses, who were interviewed by Fisker investigators and those investigators were shown video footage of the Fisker vehicle on fire before and other part of the garage. Mr. Gutierrez accommodated every request with the hope of have a full, fair and open inquiry into the cause of the Fisker vehicle fire that set his house ablaze and endangered his family.

Despite the fact public safety and law enforcement officials have determined Mr. Gutierrez’s home and vehicles are not a crime scene, Fisker Automotive released a public statement on May 8, 2012 implying fraud or malicious intent were open questions. The family is stunned by this implication. The Gutierrez family has afforded every accommodation to Fisker and access to all evidence that public safety and law enforcement official examined. Fisker’s statement is a grave disappointment, especially in light of the damages the family suffered and continues to suffer.

The Gutierrez family has suffered enough. They are temporarily displaced from their home, and have lost three vehicles. They value their privacy and wish to have this investigation completed immediately so they can return to their home.

A thirty-six year incumbent United States Senator suffers a historic, lopsided primary loss, and he’s blaming his support of the radical environmentalist agenda.

Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.,) who voted for cap and tax proposals in 2003 and 2005 and demands employers emit less carbon dioxide, was defeated by a 60% to 40% margin by State Treasurer Richard Mourdock.

“Lugar is among a dwindling number of GOP lawmakers who has spoken about the need to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Mourdock, in contrast, has slammed what he calls ‘junk science associated with global climate change alarmism,’” The Hill reports.

“On climate legislation, Lugar was among the minority of Republicans that voted for failed cap-and-trade proposals in 2003 and 2005 sponsored by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.).”

Which Cap and Taxing Republicans will be next?

Dear friend,

Obama told coal employers if elected he would “bankrupt” them.

   Last night coal workers responded, by handing 41% of the West Virginia Democrat primary vote to Keith Judd, who defeated the sitting President of the United States in 10 counties.

Who is Keith Judd?

He’s Inmate #11593-051 and currently resides in a federal prison in Texas.

That’s right, 41% of DEMOCRATS voted for an incarcerated felon instead of their own president, because of Obama’s radical environmental agenda.

In fact, when you count the tens of thousands of Democrats who cast ballots, but refused to vote for president, Barack Obama only got 52% of the DEMOCRAT vote in West Virginia.

That’s an embarrassing rejection.

And it’s putting tremendous pressure on Obama to drop his radical environmentalist agenda to avoid losing West Virginia in November.

Now, imagine that pressure being applied to Obama in all 50 states (or 57, according to him.)

Only American Tradition Partnership can make that happen.

Go here right now to chip in $500, $250, $100, $50, $25 or just $10 to help American Tradition Partnership run hard-hitting ads exposing Obama’s job-killing agenda in key battleground states.

Even just $10 would be greatly appreciate and put to use holding Obama accountable in the states where it hurts him most.

Together we can put a stop to his advocacy of radical environmentalism.

Sincerely,

Donald Ferguson
Executive Director
American Tradition Partnership

P.S.  When Obama’s radical environmental agenda is the issue, even his own party rejects him.  41% of West Virginia DEMOCRATS voted for an incarcerated felon in Texas over Barack Obama after Obama vowed to bankrupt coal.  Obama only got 52% of the Democrat vote.

I need you to go here right now to chip in $10 or more to help American Tradition Partnership run hard-hitting ads exposing Obama’s job-killing agenda in key battleground states.

Someone is launching a massive cyberterrorist attack in U.S. natural gas pipelines, but federal authorities will not identify the group behind it.

Radical environmentalists groups, known for resorting to terrorism, have vowed to stop natural gas production in the United States.

“At least three confidential ‘amber’ alerts – the second most sensitive next to ‘red’ – were issued by DHS [Department of Homeland Security] beginning March 29, all warning of a ‘gas pipeline sector cyber intrusion campaign’ against multiple pipeline companies,” The Christian Science Monitor reports.

“That fact was reaffirmed late Friday in a public, albeit less detailed, ‘incident response’ report from the Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT), an arm of DHS based in Idaho Falls, Idaho. It reiterated warnings in the earlier confidential alerts made directly to pipeline companies and some power companies,” the Monitor reports.

“ICS-CERT has recently identified an active series of cyber intrusions targeting natural gas pipeline sector companies,” the confidential April 13 alert warns. “Multiple natural gas pipeline organizations have reported either attempts or intrusions related to this campaign. The campaign appears to have started in late December 2011 and is active today.

The group behind the attacks has been sending emails, embedded with malware viruses, to people within the targeted companies. When the email is clicked on or opened the attacker can then gain access to the computer network.

From there, the attackers can gain access to control systems managing pipeline pressure and flow, which would allow them to sabotage the infrastructure, triggering explosions.

“…It’s a concern because if they access the corporate network it’s often just a short step to the next level and right into their control system network,” Jonathan Pollet, founder of Red Tiger Security, tells the Monitor.

Environmentalists have already targeted gas pipelines for sabotage and terrorism.  Ecoterrorist Daniel Herriman pleaded guilty in August 2011 to attaching bombs to Oklahoma gas pipeline.

American Tradition Partnership Members Hold Off Colorado Utility Rate Hike
“Green” Energy Plan Would Have Hiked Rates by $50 to $100 Million

Denver, CO – With just hours until the General Assembly’s “crossover deadline” when legislation must pass through at least one house of the legislature or be declared dead, American Tradition Partnership (ATP) members lit up Colorado Senate phones and effectively stopped passage of S.B. 178.

If passed, S.B. 178 would force Colorado consumers to purchase an even greater percentage of renewable energy despite studies that show adding wind and solar to the utility grid actually cause more pollution.

Since renewable energy is much more expensive than traditional energy sources like coal and natural gas, S.B. 178 could have raised utility rates across Colorado by an estimated $50-$100 million or 25%.

Donald Ferguson, Executive Director of American Tradition Partnership – a grassroots organization dedicated to protecting property rights and battling environmental overreach stated, “Today’s defeat of S.B. 178 was a huge victory for hardworking Coloradans.”

“S.B. 178 was a last-ditch effort to salvage Colorado’s ‘renewable energy mandate.’ The Colorado Attorney General’s Office testified the current standard likely violates the U.S. Constitution.

ATP is currently a plaintiff in the lawsuit seeking to overturn Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard in federal court for violating the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution.    S.B. 178 was designed to overcome the legal complaints brought by ATP.

Currently, 30 states have some sort of renewable energy mandate and Ferguson is hopeful Colorado could be the linchpin in unraveling these schemes across the country, saying “S.B. 178 would have only made the current situation worse.”

Ferguson explained why these green schemes are a bad deal for consumers saying, “Just like the Solyndra scandal, so-called ‘renewable energy’ mandates are just another example of radical environmentalists using government force to line their own pockets at the expense of everyday Americans.

“And perhaps the most maddening thing is that renewable energy mandates do nothing to improve the environment!  Even President Obama’s EPA noted that the manufacturing process to create ‘green’ energy installations causes a jaw-dropping amount of pollution.  And studies show adding renewables to the grid results in more pollution than running coal or natural gas as baseload power sources.”

“The answer to America’s energy problems is the free market.  Government – and especially these schemes pushed by the radical environmentalists are getting us nowhere fast.  Just take a look at the price at the pump next time you get gas.”

###

State AG admits renewable energy law unconstitutional, suggests increase in utility bills to fix it
American Tradition Partnership supporters calling Capitol to urge ‘NO’ vote

DENVER – Colorado’s largest grassroots advocate of rational energy policies scored a major win when Colorado Attorney General John Suthers admitted to a legislative committee the state’s Renewable Energy Standard unconstitutionally interferes in interstate commerce, but rather than repeal the law Colorado state senators may vote next week on a bill that imposes higher utility prices on in-state residents.

The bill has American Tradition Partnership supporters calling the Capitol en masse Friday.  ATP began calling thousands of supporters statewide, asking them to contact their state senators and urge a no vote on SB 178.

“Even if they don’t have time to call today, they know their state senator cast a vote on whether or not to hike their utility bills.  And they will remember whether their state senator voted with them, or with crony ‘green’ corporations,” aid ATP Executive Director Donald Ferguson.

“Colorado state senators are trying to patch an unconstitutional law by jacking up utility rates to avoid paying legal fees,” said Ferguson.  “That won’t change the fact we win in court, and it makes a bad law even worse.  Any senator who votes for SB 178 will bear the brunt of anger from enraged ratepayers.  The only constitutional choice is to vote no on SB 178 and then repeal the Renewable Energy Standard.”

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers admitted to a legislative committee the state’s Renewable Energy Standard unconstitutionally interferes in interstate commerce by providing certain breaks for in-state energy generators and different breaks for out-of-state generators.

By dictating the businesses practices of out-of-state businesses, Suthers admits the Renewable Energy Standard unconstitutionally interferes with interstate commerce, rendering the law null and void.

But rather than repeal the unconstitutional law, Colorado state senators are looking to eliminate the in-state preference for renewable generators instead of extending it to out-of-state generators. This effectively increases the RES from 24 percent to 30 percent.

The increase in the quota would send Coloradan’s utility bills upwards between $50 and $100 million.

By increasing Coloradan’s utility bills by $50 to $100 million, Suthers seeks to avoid being ordered to pay ATI and ATP’s legal bills, which amount to less than $200,000.

“They’ve already admitted we were right when we pointed out the RES is unconstitutional.  It’s only a matter of time before they also admit we are right when we point to scientific research showing so-called “green” energy actually makes the air dirtier,” said Ferguson.

“Keystone is a program that we’re not going, that I am not going to help in any way I can,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, told reporters.

“The president feels that way,” Reid emphasized.

Upping the ante in Democrats’ efforts to kill the pipeline, seven of the eight slots given to Democrats on a conference committee to has out legislation went to Democrats who voted to kill the jobs pipeline.

The other, Montana Democrat Max Baucus, promised in writing he would not support Keystone as a member of the committee.

Democrats’ efforts to kill the pipeline come as rising unemployment and gas prices are putting millions of American families beyond their financial breaking point.