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Missouri Grain Belt Express Opponents Hit It Out of The Park on First Swing

2/5/2014

10 Comments

 
When Clean Line Energy's Grain Belt Express shell company recently filed a notice of intent with the Missouri Public Service Commission, opposition to the project exploded.

Hundreds of landowners came together at public education meetings and the media took notice.  This video was part of a story in the Kansas City Star. 
The video has drawn the attention of affected landowners, citizens, elected officials, and other entities I'm not at liberty to reveal.  Ut-oh, Grain Belt Express, another race lost right at the starting gate!  Missouri may be your worst nightmare yet!  You see, the opposition to your projects is getting better and more knowledgeable.  And there are thousands of us in multiple states.

The video has also drawn the fascination of other transmission opposition groups who want to replicate it.  But first, they have to determine why this video works so well.

It's the people.  The KC Star used a variety of interests and personalities in their video.  The people are very, very real.  They aren't making complicated arguments, they are simply speaking from the heart.  The emotion is raw and the viewer identifies with the landowners.

Contrast the landowners with the little vignettes of Grain Belt manager Mark Lawlor that have been interspersed here and there.  At best, he's Waldo come to life, creeping around in all sorts of places, hoping you'll notice him.  At worst, he's been called an unblinking alien by someone who viewed the video.  Point here is that he's emotionless and boring and comes off as an uncaring corporate stooge.
It's that contrast that makes this video work so well.  None of the participants had any idea during the filming that the finished product would be so brilliantly edited.  It's pure kismet, and it's a home run start to Missouri's successful battle against Grain Belt Express.  Well done, Missouri, well done!
10 Comments
Sharon
2/5/2014 08:00:55 am

OMG - if our friend S would knit him a Waldo cap and sweater, he would look exactly like the Waldo character of Where's Waldo? Vacant looks and all. Thanks for the laugh!

Reply
Keryn
2/5/2014 08:03:24 am

Well, you know, we transmission opponents gotta have a sense of humor about all this, even it the transmission owners don't. But, I can't take credit for Waldo... one of Waldo's "friends" in Kansas named him. So... calling all knitters in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana... get your Waldo on!

Reply
Virginia link
2/6/2014 09:50:06 am

I'm a knitter Sharon and Keryn. What size do you believe Waldo is? Being on the route of one of the lines I'm sure I would do good job.

Reply
Jerry
2/6/2014 10:27:57 am

Waldo's demise in the domain of transmission siting is eminent.

Reply
Ben
2/6/2014 10:39:35 am

Eminently creepy, Waldo is best left to the cartoonish domain of picture books.

Reply
Keryn
2/6/2014 11:24:36 am

Gosh, Virginia, I really wouldn't know... better make it sort of elastic, just in case his head gets any bigger than it already is.

It would be really helpful if he would wear it for public meetings, don't you think?

Reply
Keryn
2/6/2014 11:30:12 am

Why thank you, Ben & Jerry... it looks like we have a new game to play here in the comments!

The challenge: Use the words "Waldo" + "eminent" + "domain" in a single sentence.

Let's see...

One of the world's eminent hikers, Waldo should get his own domain name, www.tresspassing.com.

Reply
chunky monkey
2/7/2014 05:25:46 am

Waldo is an eminent part of the domain of my nightmares.

Reply
Scott
2/9/2014 10:18:15 am

Waldo Is eminent to become a character in the public domain of minion cupcake characters....He is the one with hair and glasses.

Reply
Keryn
2/9/2014 10:46:31 am

.... sitting in a big, blue, cookie monster, fuzzy, overgrown, hairy sea and wearing a chore coat.

Reply



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    About the Author

    Keryn Newman blogs here at StopPATH WV about energy issues, transmission policy, misguided regulation, our greedy energy companies and their corporate spin.
    In 2008, AEP & Allegheny Energy's PATH joint venture used their transmission line routing etch-a-sketch to draw a 765kV line across the street from her house. Oooops! And the rest is history.

    About
    StopPATH Blog

    StopPATH Blog began as a forum for information and opinion about the PATH transmission project.  The PATH project was abandoned in 2012, however, this blog was not.

    StopPATH Blog continues to bring you energy policy news and opinion from a consumer's point of view.  If it's sometimes snarky and oftentimes irreverent, just remember that the truth isn't pretty.  People come here because they want the truth, instead of the usual dreadful lies this industry continues to tell itself.  If you keep reading, I'll keep writing.


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