Concerning the controversy about Aquila’s Cass County power plant: Power plants are a necessary evil and previously utility companies have been allowed to build facilities they needed to provide customers with needed services.
I don’t know who the people are in stopaquila.org who started the lawsuits against Aquila’s power plant, but they probably are “environmentalists” who don’t want any power plants built but they still want cheap electricity. Millions of dollars had already been spent on this plant before any suits were filed.
In a recent Globe article, Barton County Judge Charles Curless decries “activist legislation.” What are legislators supposed to be if not activists? Are they just supposed to sit there and wait for the judges to tell them what to do? I don’t think so.
The rulings of the different courts in this case seem irrational to me. Aquila owns the land, and the population needs the power plant for Aquila to provide electricity for them. They proceeded as they had been allowed to do in the past.
These court rulings against the power plant are examples of “activist judges” changing the law to suit their own whims or “legislating from the bench.” Legislators are supposed to make laws, and judges are supposed to enforce them. Curless obviously thinks that activist judges like him should make the laws instead of our elected government.
If Ed Emery’s legislation can restrain these judges from the stupidity of destroying a functioning $140 million power plant, more power to it.
James F. Harms M.D.
Nevada
Opinion
Voices: Activist judges
- Opinion
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Our View: Victims should come first
Millions of dollars in donations have poured in from around the world since the May 22, 2011, tornado. Those donations represent money from lemonade stands, charity auctions, corporate gifts and celebrity checks, just to name a few. In fact, one year later donations continue to come to Joplin.
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Beth Meeker, guest columnist: Same-sex marriage battle a quest for equal rights
I would like to take a moment to reply to guest columnist Anson Burlingame’s, “The Marriage Debate” (Globe, May 13).
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Sunday Forum: 2012 graduation speakers key on tornado, mall school and president’s visit
Editor’s note: In addition to speeches by President Barack Obama and Gov. Jay Nixon, Joplin High School’s top students addressed graduates, faculty, parents and other guests packed into the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on the Missouri Southern State University campus. Following are the text of those speeches.
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Geoff Caldwell, guest columnist: Pack mentality takes truth as a casualty
President Obama’s Joplin graduation speech Monday showed that while there’s the political “right,” there’s also a very active “rabid” political right.
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Your View: ‘Study’ can mean anything
A few evenings ago, I watched a television program on the science of marriage.
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Our View: Support for museum
How can you tell the story of Joplin without the accounts of its mining history?
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Our View: Finding middle ground
The G-8 summit held last week in Camp David ended as expected.
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Anson Burlingame, guest columnist: Class of 2012 upholds character, hope
My oldest granddaughter was part of the class of 2012 from Joplin High School, and I attended the ceremony on Monday night.
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Scott Charton, guest columnist: 'Deadline in Disaster' film a story about storytellers
Local newspapers are at their best when they help their communities confront, understand, endure and overcome shared challenges.
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Our View: Make voting easiser
This year’s ballot will not include a proposed constitutional amendment that photo identification be required at the polls in Missouri. Good.
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