Who Does Tom Chabin Represent?

What's the biggest industry in Northern Arizona:  Well, it used to be timber harvesting, but that industry is gone.  Modern environmentalists prefer to keep the forests pristine until they burn.  So then the leading industry in Northern Arizona was mining the coal that powers the Mohave Generating Station near Laughlin and the Navajo Generating Station near page.  But the EPA shut the Mohave Generating Station down in 2005--not because of health issues, but because of concerns about visibility.  So now, the biggest industry in Northern Arizona is selling coal to the Navajo Generating Station. 

The coal is held in trust for the Navajo and Hopi Tribes and they split the revenue evenly.  While the Navajo have some alternative sources of revenue, the Hopi do not.  So the closure of the Mohave station crippled the Tribe.  Now nearly 90% of their revenue comes from one source--the sale of coal to power the Navajo power plant.

Now, the EPA and environmentalists have targeted the Navajo Generating Station as well.  On November 2nd, the Legislature held a hearing about the possible closure and it's impact on the State.  In this video you can watch Hopi General Counsel Scott Canty describe the economic devastation that the Hopi will face if the plant is shut down. 

The issue made national news when the Navajo and Hopi Tribes kicked their former allies in the environmental movement off the reservation.   

FLAGSTAFF, Arizona — The leader of the country's largest Indian reservation threw his support behind the neighboring Hopi Tribe, whose lawmakers declared environmental groups unwelcome on the reservation.

Nowhere is this split between the Tribes and Environmentalists as profound as it is in Northern Arizona.  So I was intrigued when I attended an energy policy meeting in the House last week and Flagstaff Representative Tom Chabin sat in for the presentation.  Which way would he go--with the traditionally Democratic Tribes without whom no Democrat  can hope to get elected in District 2, or the environmentalists--without whom no Democrat can hope to get elected in District 2? 

In order to access his remarks, click on the video link and then drag the cursor over to about 1 hour and 10 minutes into the presentation.  Chabin's first remarks are about electric competition and he certainly could have ended it there, but he had to take it just one step further.

'Finally,I would appreciate a genuine discussion of the long term costs of carbon." 

Chabin then goes on a long screed about healthy forests, night time temperatures in Phoenix and Global Warming generally.  I guess we have our answer.  Why not take the opportunity to stand up for the Navajo Generating Station?  Why not represent the needs to the biggest economic interest in his district?  Chabin may represent the Hopi and Navajo tribes geographically, but he certainly doesn't represent them economically. 

"...a genuine discussion of the long term costs of carbon"...?

Really Mr. Chabin?  How about a a genuine discussion of the long term effects of wiping out the Hopi and Navajo tribes?

Comments

[Bill]

Interesting. I hope you will give Congresswoman Anne Kirkpatrick credit for doing exactly what you're asking -- defending Navajo Generating Station against the environmental lobby. Here's a link documenting how unhappy leftists are with Kirkpatrick --

http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2009/07/is-ann-kirkpatrick-blanche-lincoln-of.html

[James L.]

Wiping out the tribes?! Rather hysterical wouldn't you say?

[The Whole Truth]

When you were a legislator, where did you draw the line on representing the will of your constituents vs your own personal beliefs? Those two may not always be the same, and at some point, policy makers have to make that choice. Perhaps this is that point for Mr. Chobin.

[NICK]

Insanity is the destruction of American
industry when China and India flat out
state they will do nothing about carbon!

Some house members that voted for HB 2454
Crap and Many Taxes will find unemployment
to be painfull.

Some local assembly members might have
problems next year.

[todd]

As the article makes clear, the Navajo have not kicked anyone out of the reservation. This is a statement by the President of the reservation, nothing more.

There is in fact quite a bit of dissension over this on the reservation so making it seems this is some profound split is hyperbole.