Upton's Bid for Energy and Commerce Committee

[Jennifer Groves]

Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI) has co-sponsored a bill with a Democrat from California that would make all incandescent bulbs illegal by 2014 (some as early as 2012). A new Upton bill includes outdoor lighting, which homeowners may have to replace to accommodate the larger-sized Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs.

http://michiganmessenger.com/43333....lb-bill

http://www.cnsnews.com/news....roblems

The bill, originally introduced by Upton and Jane Harman (D-CA) in 2007, was passed into law as part of Pelosi’s Energy Independence Act. Anything with a Pelosi stamp of approval needs to be repealed.

A summary of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007:
http://energy.senate.gov/public/_files/RL342941.pdf

(Scanning the Table of Contents reveals how far-reaching this law is. It’s not just light bulbs—there are new requirements for commercial buildings, schools, even your own pool or spa must have a federally-approved enclosure and specific type of drain cover.)

Upton and Harman have recently introduced another bill—the Outdoor Lighting Efficiency Act (H.R. 1732)-- to force homeowners to change to CFL bulbs for outdoor lighting:

http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin....;

Upton is a RINO and has a long history of voting with liberals.

The new “green” CFL bulbs contain mercury, and because their overall size is larger than a standard bulb, they won’t necessarily fit in existing light fixtures. And of course the glare of that awful fluorescent lighting is horrid—washes out all colors.

Should the government be able to control the type of light bulb you use and the kind of car you drive?

Upton wants to be chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the most powerful committees in Congress. The House will be voting on this sometime next week.

The top campaign contribution to Upton in 2007-2008 was $23,400 from employees of EnergySolutions Inc. (EnergySolutions cleans up nuclear waste from reactor sites--http://www.energysolutions.com/). Frederick Upton’s net worth was between $7,218,123 and $25,871,000 in 2007, according to Upton’s mandated financial disclosure statements.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=400414

Just say NO to Fred—and federally mandated light bulbs. Contact Speaker-elect Boehner to let him know that Upton has no business being part of the ECC and contact your own congressman to vote no to Upton’s leadership—and the Outdoor Lighting Efficiency Act.

While you’re at it, encourage your representative to vote to repeal the “Energy Independence and Security Act”.

Congressman John Boehner
Washington, D.C. Office
1011 Longworth H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
[phone] ph
[phone] fax

OH residents in the Eighth District may submit email to Boehner via webform:
http://johnboehner.house.gov/Contact/

Congressman Fred Upton

http://www.house.gov/upton/

Washington, D.C. Office
2183 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

[Jennifer Groves]

The issue here—like all other government issues—is one of control. The federal government has NO right to say what kind of light bulbs, dish detergent, or appliances we can use or what kind of car we can drive. None.

Upton clearly thinks the government should have this power. That is why so many of us have opposed him from the start.

I’m an environmentalist. I started a recycling program where I work, I recycle everything, and have done every pragmatic thing I can to save energy. But I do it because it’s the right thing to do—NOT because someone in DC tells me I have to.

Most people will do whatever helps them save money and lower utility bills. Most of us want energy independence, but NOT government dependence. Libs are using environmental issues to leverage more power for their real goal: communism in America. Upton is part of that problem.

Fred does what is best for Fred. That’s the problem with most politicians—they swing with the tide. When Obama’s approval rating was higher, Fred was all for TARP and bailouts. If Pelosi’s death bill had been more popular, Upton would have voted for that, too—but he was smart enough to know that he better not since he would be up for re-election soon and voters would remember how he voted.

We need leaders in our country who do what is best for the COUNTRY, not for themselves.

Feel free to support Upton. I won’t be—or any other politician who refuses to listen to his or her constituents. We need to send a serious message to career politicians. They work for us, NOT the other way around.

[Dr. Scott Davis]

Just to be clear on this. You want a rule change to get Joe Barton reelected as Chair of the E&C committee because you don't like Fred. Right?
Dick Armey the former Speaker is behind Freedomworks. Joe Barton replaced him and his is friend like John Proos is to Fred Upton. Joe is termed out as Chair of this committee because he was the chair already. His record as chair is not all that good. Go back and look into it for yourselves.
Don't change the rules to benefit someone that apologized to BP during the oil spill hearing after Obama extorted a 20 billion slush fund to pay for the "accident." That was not an accident. It was a total failure of mgmt decisions on the blow out preventers, the cement slurry specs, and more.
Here's one thing I want and demand from anyone that takes over that committee: WE MUST FOCUS ON BECOMING ENERGY INDEPENDENT BY 2020. IT'S A NATIONAL EMERGENCY. Fred signed onto this personally pledging his promise to make it happen. Joe will not.

Aaron Horner is a fine young man, a Tea Partier, and leader of the local College Republicans. He campaigned for Fred throughout. I did not. Fred won and we have some leverage this term with him. Give that up and we will have NOTHING.

[Paul Wargolet]

My spouse & I finally became so "fed up" that we did not vote for Congressman Upton (the RINO) in the primary, nor the election. I did work with one of his "helpers", a student named Aaron, on election day as a poll challenger for K-zoo Precinct 1 & 3. At that time, I requested that Aaron relay to Fred the Rino that he had better move back (?) to the right asap or his would not retain his incumbency for the next term.

THESE PEOPLE HAVE GOT TO BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE OR OUR COUNTRY/REPUBLIC WILL CEASE TO EXIST AS THE FOUNDERS WARNED!

God, help us!