#taxpayers — Public Fediverse posts

@schnedan regarding the #transparency of #LaunchCost : Arianespace hasn’t publicly disclosed the cost of an #Ariane6 launch https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/117130008062227837

European #taxpayers are subsidizing every launch of #satellites for Jeff Bezos by roughly $75 million 💰 https://spacey.space/@spaceflight/114439108543553287

#ESA

🏷️ #IRS #ICE #Law #Courts #taxpayers #Data #Privacy

🔗 https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/irss-data-sharing-with-ice-violated-law-appeals-court-rules-f0403f62?st=LY56YE&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Arkansas Times: Entergy blows a fuse over mistakenly shared documents revealing who’s paying data center bills. “Explosive revelations in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette today show that Google, the Silicon Valley giant building data centers in Little Rock and West Memphis, will pay only about a third of the price tag of its 600-megawatt solar facility in Jefferson County. The documents also […]

Arkansas Times: Entergy blows a fuse over mistakenly shared documents revealing who’s paying data center bills. “Explosive revelations in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette today show that Google, the Silicon Valley giant building data centers in Little Rock and West Memphis, will pay only about a third of the price tag of its 600-megawatt solar facility in Jefferson County. The documents also […]

Arkansas Times: Entergy blows a fuse over mistakenly shared documents revealing who’s paying data center bills. “Explosive revelations in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette today show that Google, the Silicon Valley giant building data centers in Little Rock and West Memphis, will pay only about a third of the price tag of its 600-megawatt solar facility in Jefferson County. The documents also […]

Arkansas Times: Entergy blows a fuse over mistakenly shared documents revealing who’s paying data center bills. “Explosive revelations in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette today show that Google, the Silicon Valley giant building data centers in Little Rock and West Memphis, will pay only about a third of the price tag of its 600-megawatt solar facility in Jefferson County. The documents also […]

Arkansas Times: Entergy blows a fuse over mistakenly shared documents revealing who’s paying data center bills. “Explosive revelations in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette today show that Google, the Silicon Valley giant building data centers in Little Rock and West Memphis, will pay only about a third of the price tag of its 600-megawatt solar facility in Jefferson County. The documents also […]

@JamesWNeal Wow. Who comes up with these ideas? So I guess JD Vance‘s wife would get paid while his family abuses the Secret Service and use of helicopters and planes at the cost of tens of thousands of dollars. #taxpayers

🤖 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔.𝐒. 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐀 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐀𝐈 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬?

#ai #government #usgovernment #aidatacenters #datacenters #OpenAI #Anthropic #Meta #Alphabet #SpaceX #Microsoft #MANGOS #pif #saudi #saudiarabia #china #norway #Oljefondet #taxpayers #Nationalization #Communism #Capitalist #entrepreneur

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8eFwIS7Wn0&list=PLVz16niX2rGe3-uBlgX5ZNiH4PNaa3kwa&index=1&pp=iAQBsAgC

It's better than having non- #motorist #taxpayers foot the bill, but why are we trying to save this scrap heap in the first place? https://gothamist.com/news/should-drivers-cover-the-4-billion-cost-of-mamdanis-bqe-fix #brooklyn #cars #climate #airquality #mamdani #dsa #socialism #NYC

🚨 #Trump seeks vast, potentially costly #US stake in #Venezuela #oil industry 🚨

A deal, which may come together early next month, would be contentious & could cost US #taxpayers BILLIONS of dollars.

#GiftArticle #geopolitics #sovereignty #economy #TaxpayersMoney #affordability #CostOfLiving #law #InternationalLaw #energy #FossilFuels #ClimateChange
https://wapo.st/4zFDSA0

Another set of #Trump lies. Legal Immigrants/ asylum seekers being deported.

"Trump administration plans to revoke 200,000 visas of asylum seekers

The state department will revoke B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026, whose holders have sought or are now seeking asylum"

#Asylum #Deportation #Fascism #Racist #Xenocentric #Immigration #Politics #Taxpayers #Economics #Government #Democrats #MAGA #Election #News

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/24/trump-administration-revoke-asylum-visas

RE: https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/117130008062227837

#Arianespace hasn’t publicly disclosed the cost of an #Ariane6 launch 🕵️, but it is likely somewhere in the range of 80 million to 100 million euros.

#ESA has publicly confirmed that the European 🇪🇺 governments will need to subsidize each launch with between 32 million and 38 million euros 💶 per flight.

If we amortize the development costs with the ongoing subsidy, #European #taxpayers have put more than 100 million euros 💰 into each launch before the customer pays anything

#LaunchCost #Amazon

#TurnLeft

#Taxpayers to Pay for #IOF Therapy

Is this a joke?!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4cFJkBEYlOc

France's tax authority had data stolen on 680k taxpayers

https://korben.info/en/france-tax-authority-data-breach-680000-taxpayers.html

Comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49298303

#HackerNews #France #Tax #Authority #Data #Breach #Taxpayers #Cybersecurity #Privacy

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/06/rwe-deal-wind-leases. Yet more #Trump #climate #insanity at #American #taxpayers' expense, @GeraldKutney!

Searchlight New Mexico: Heinrich proposes legislation to make data centers pay for grid infrastructure. “U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., introduced a bill Monday that aims to prevent utility customers from bearing the costs of data center infrastructure. The GRID Savings Act, proposed as Congress nears its summer recess, would make hyperscale companies pay for necessary upgrades to the […]

#Israel got us into the #IranWar & according to their finance minister, is perfectly happy to sit by and let US soldiers die while US #Taxpayers bear the costs of the ongoing, unwelcome and unwanted war with #Iran. Because of course it is…Netanyahu and his genocidal generals are so pleased the USA is conducting this forever #war on their behalf. “…the current situation is the best one for us,” said Israel’s finance minister. While I’m sure that’s true, it is most certainly NOT the best for the USA & average US taxpayers. Be serious, we’re watching our standard of living diminish, our quality of life evaporate, our dreams be crushed - while #Oligarchs and #Billionaires cruise in their yachts; and while corrupt #Republicans, who are supposedly working for us, line their pockets will ill-gotten gains. Corruption, favoritism and nepotism are everywhere. The rich get richer, while the rest of us suffer - and dream of wining the lottery. Why are we Israel’s protector? #TrumpRegime #RepublicansOwnThis #war #rant

Mark Carney spent a year gathering political capital. Now he’s spending it — along with billions of taxpayers’ dollars

They are NOT "taxpayers' dollars". Why do the media and others keep using this phrase.

It belongs to the general public.

Nobody claims that when corporations spend money that it's "customers' money".

The phrase implies that it's been illegitimately taken from people, as if thieves spent their "victims' money".

https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/mark-carney-spent-a-year-gathering-political-capital-now-hes-spending-it----along-with-billions-of-taxpayers-dollars/article_aca7aa58-23bf-4073-a293-a78dcb75a65f.html

#taxpayers #wordsMatter #Propaganda

#BreakingNews - Iran’s #IRGC declare the Strait of Hormuz officially closed & the IRGC navy fires on ‘unauthorized’ ships attempting passage. This is Iran’s main leverage at the moment - the ability to disrupt the flow of oil, natural gas & petrochemicals through the Strait. The impact on the global economy is profound & unsustainable. US strategic oil reserves are diminishing, and prices at the gas pump will surely rise again if this is not settled soon. #Trump is getting played, & he’s losing patience according to reports. I worry his exasperation, he’s literally backed into a corner, will result in a serious escalation sometime soon (maybe tonight or tomorrow). This unnecessary, unwanted & unwelcome #War has cost US #Taxpayers over $100 billion - $$ that could have been spent on the #Affordability crisis. #RepublicansDidThis to us all. Warmongering Dept. of War prompted by Netanyahu in #Israel. Trump promised no wars & suggested Harris would lead us into war. All lies. #IranWar #Iran #TrumpRegime #economy

So it looks like #taxpayers in #Ontario could be asked to subsidize not just one, but 2 giant pieces of #infrastructure designed to expedite a form of #energy #consumption that’s doing grievous harm to the environmental balance they - and all other humans and other species - rely on to sustain them.

CAMPAIGN AD FOR THE MIDTERMS

Not exactly subtle, but this would make a great ad for every Democratic and Independent candidate running against a Republican this November, at every level—from Congress to city hall.

Think candidates should use this? Repost it.

#Midterms #Vote #Taxpayers #Corruption

Hey Ezra Klein: Why Did You Stop Talking About Broadband And The Infrastructure Bill?

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.techdirt.com/2026/07/01/hey-ezra-klein-why-did-you-stop-talking-about-broadband-and-the-infrastructure-bill/

“I would certainly expect them to compete a project of this size & complexity,” said Anthony Costa, a former GSA official who oversaw complex government real estate projects during a career that spanned four presidential admins.

The estimated #EastWing construction cost has tripled since last July, when the project was first announced, with [at least] half expected to come from #taxpayers, WaPo previously reported.

#Trump #law #ballroom #TaxPayersMoney #GovernmentWaste #oversight

Competitive bidding is generally required at most federal agencies. Experts said the Executive Residence is exempt from those rules, & the president has legal authority to hire companies of his choosing to make changes to the executive mansion & the surrounding grounds. Those experts said soliciting bids would have ensured the best price for #taxpayers, especially given the size & cost of the #EastWing project.

#Trump #law #ballroom #TaxPayersMoney #GovernmentWaste #oversight #architecture

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEfnuYIBDEw&is=P3dWlwTacrgZg-fA

#tRump #Corruption #Criminal #Politics #ChrisMurphy #USA #America #Grifter #USSenate #Crypto #DOJ #Fraud #Law #DeptOfAgriculture #PayToPlay #SCOTUS #Mobster #Impeach #2547 #Thieves #Taxpayers #Fleeced #Justice #Liar #Government #Republicans #Complicit #GOP #Midterms #Election #Vote #Resist #Activism

"Will There Be A Tax Revolt?" Isn’t a question I expected to read in Borowitz’s satire blog.

Donald J. Trump aka #Metamucilini is forcing #taxpayers to pay for things they despise: masked goons terrorizing our cities, a gold ballroom fit for a Mafioso, and the stupidest war in American history.

We’re about to mark the 250th anniversary of an uprising that was sparked by, among other things, taxation without representation. So it’s worth asking: could we be on the brink of a tax revolt? And what would it achieve?

These questions aren’t the kooky musings of a fife-blowing Battle of Bunker Hill reenactor. There was, in fact, a major tax revolt in the not-so-distant past—and it succeeded in bringing down a government.

https://www.borowitzreport.com/p/will-there-be-a-tax-revolt-7a7

#TaxRevolt

Canadians not confident public service is prepared for the future
#Canada #Politics #PublicService #Government #Economy #PublicPolicy #MarkCarney #StateCapacity #PublicTrust #CivilService #Governance #Taxpayers #Trade #Leadership #Federal #Populism
https://the-14.com/canadians-not-confident-public-service-is-prepared-for-the-future/

WPBF 25 News

Peeling Paint & An Even Bigger Bill? #trump #reflectingpool #lincolnmemorial #whitehouse #taxpayers

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/195Ddm5m6h/

I hope #TrumpsWar is over, wars are bad, but if ANYONE should be paying #Iran $300 Billion in #Reparations it's #DonaldTrump out of his own damn pockets for starting this war without Congressional approval, not actual #taxpayers!!! He broke it, he should buy it.

Flock Safety officials, police to talk license plate readers at Fort Wayne City Council - The Journal Gazette

https://www.journalgazette.net/local/local-government/flock-safety-officials-police-to-talk-license-plate-readers-at-fort-wayne-city-council/article_39e8ea14-1330-4f94-aa3e-c9d9c00efe67.html

archive.today: https://archive.is/N6OFt

Concerns have focused on the level of surveillance, how the data will be used, a lack of public visibility to audit how the program is used and what agencies can access the information.

#FortWayne #Flock #CityCouncil #CityOfFortWayne #Public #Privacy #Rights #Surveillance #ALPR #Audit #TaxPayers #PoliceState

The SpaceX IPO Sends Elon Musk And Trump’s Starlink Cronyism Into The Thermosphere

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/16/the-spacex-ipo-sends-elon-musk-and-trumps-starlink-cronyism-into-the-thermosphere/

#Palantir Pays Zero Federal #IncomeTax Despite Explosive Growth, Largely Due to #Trump Tax Law

by Matthew Gardner, February 17, 2026

"The CEO of Palantir, the tech company known for equipping #ICE with #AITools that hack into people’s phones, recently said he runs 'the first company to be completely #AntiWoke.' This week, we learned that a key part of being anti-woke is, apparently, not paying taxes.

"In its recent earnings call summarizing fiscal year 2025, a Palantir exec crowed that the company’s explosive growth and profitability for the year was 'one of the truly iconic performances in the history of corporate performance.' But the company neglected to mention one weird trick that also fueled its 2025 growth: this is the third straight year that a profitable Palantir has avoided paying even a dime of federal income tax on its earnings.

"Palantir’s annual financial report, released this week, shows the company enjoyed $1.5 billion of U.S. income and paid exactly zero federal income tax. At the 21 percent federal income tax rate profitable companies theoretically pay, Palantir should have paid $330 million.

"While the company used a variety of tax breaks to achieve this, the most obvious is the new tax break enacted by Congress at the behest of President Trump last summer. The 'One #BigBeautifulBill' allows companies to (retroactively) immediately deduct their research expenses, rather than writing them off gradually over time in line with the income generated from that research. Palantir reduced its taxes by over $400 million using this provision.

"U.S. #taxpayers are paying multiple times for the services provided by Palantir, which the Trump administration finds so valuable. First, we pay the bill for the government contracts signed with the company, for example, the deal signed in April for Palantir to provide ICE with a system to track immigrants. Then we pay again with subsidies provided through the tax code, including the $400 million for the 'research' the company has done to create these innovations in government surveillance.

"It’s not news that helping the Trump administration with its policy goals can be enormously profitable. But it’s important to recognize that Palantir’s recent success has been helped substantially by a far more pedestrian tool: handouts from American taxpayers."

Source:
https://itep.org/palantir-pays-zero-tax-trump-tax-law-ice/

#USPol #WorldPol #WarMachines #Spying #SpyMachines #BigBrother #SurveillanceState #PayYourTaxes #TaxTheWarMachines #AbolishPalantir #NoWar #TaxTheRich #TaxCorporations #BigUglyBill #TrumpSucks

IRS slashes its "direct file" feature, leaving #taxpayers to #navigate the labyrinthine world of #tax software 🌀. As if doing taxes wasn't already like running a marathon with weights strapped to your feet, now you'll need a GPS to find a decent #filing service. 🗺️💰
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/irs-direct-file-tax-program-ended-00172148 #IRS #TaxSoftware #TaxSeason #HackerNews #ngated

#Trump Demands #DOJ Pay Him $230 Million for Past Cases & #prosecutions. “Senior department officials who were #defense #lawyers for #president and those in his orbit are now in jobs that typically must approve any such payout, underscoring potential #ethical conflicts.” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/us/politics/trump-justice-department-compensation.html?unlocked_article_code=1.vU8.xPFn.vEyU6YHpyOXh #maga #legal #lawfirms #American #taxpayers will pay this for #blackmail #corruption #whitecollarcrime as trump owns #DOJ it no longer works for the people. #lawfirms #settlements #politics #democracy 1/

#Trump Demands #DOJ Pay Him $230 Million for Past Cases & #prosecutions. “Senior department officials who were #defense #lawyers for #president and those in his orbit are now in jobs that typically must approve any such payout, underscoring potential #ethical conflicts.” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/us/politics/trump-justice-department-compensation.html?unlocked_article_code=1.vU8.xPFn.vEyU6YHpyOXh #maga #legal #lawfirms #American #taxpayers will pay this for #blackmail #corruption #whitecollarcrime as trump owns #DOJ it no longer works for the people. #lawfirms #settlements #politics #democracy 1/

#Trump Demands #DOJ Pay Him $230 Million for Past Cases & #prosecutions. “Senior department officials who were #defense #lawyers for #president and those in his orbit are now in jobs that typically must approve any such payout, underscoring potential #ethical conflicts.” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/us/politics/trump-justice-department-compensation.html?unlocked_article_code=1.vU8.xPFn.vEyU6YHpyOXh #maga #legal #lawfirms #American #taxpayers will pay this for #blackmail #corruption #whitecollarcrime as trump owns #DOJ it no longer works for the people. #lawfirms #settlements #politics #democracy 1/

#Trump Demands #DOJ Pay Him $230 Million for Past Cases & #prosecutions. “Senior department officials who were #defense #lawyers for #president and those in his orbit are now in jobs that typically must approve any such payout, underscoring potential #ethical conflicts.” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/us/politics/trump-justice-department-compensation.html?unlocked_article_code=1.vU8.xPFn.vEyU6YHpyOXh #maga #legal #lawfirms #American #taxpayers will pay this for #blackmail #corruption #whitecollarcrime as trump owns #DOJ it no longer works for the people. #lawfirms #settlements #politics #democracy 1/

#Trump Demands #DOJ Pay Him $230 Million for Past Cases & #prosecutions. “Senior department officials who were #defense #lawyers for #president and those in his orbit are now in jobs that typically must approve any such payout, underscoring potential #ethical conflicts.” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/us/politics/trump-justice-department-compensation.html?unlocked_article_code=1.vU8.xPFn.vEyU6YHpyOXh #maga #legal #lawfirms #American #taxpayers will pay this for #blackmail #corruption #whitecollarcrime as trump owns #DOJ it no longer works for the people. #lawfirms #settlements #politics #democracy 1/

**I've told you all, several times, that you shouldn't trust #BCNDP & that they're #sellout #neoliberals. They pander to #CorporateLobbyists invested in #Ecocide & exploitation of unceded #IndigenousLands. #RCMPCIRG = #CorporateMercenaries funded by #PublicMonies - our #Taxpayers funds. I told you that #DavidEby was groomed by #JohnHorgan too. I wasn't lying. They both lied to public though.**

Controversial B.C. RCMP unit to police opposition to fast-tracked resource projects.

A widely-criticized police unit is participating in provincial committees coordinating surveillance and policing of protest against major resource projects—including those fast-tracked under new legislation.

https://breachmedia.ca/rcmp-unit-controversial-police-opposition-fast-tracked-resource-projects

#BCpoli #CDNpoli #BanCorporateLobbyists #StopCorporateWelfare #DoYourJob #Neoliberalism #Corruption #MilitarizedForce #PublicInterest #PublicTransparency #PublicAccountability #PublicScrutiny #BCNewDeathParty #FossilFuels #BoughtByIndustry

This from 2021. And yes, it's still sitting there. The alternatives? Desecrating #YuccaMountain? Polluting the #GreatLakes? Or maybe burying it underneath Congress? But until we figure out how to transport and permanently store nuclear waste, it is being stored on site. And not just in #Maine -- everywhere there was a #NuclearPowerPlant!

Armed Guards Protect Tons Of #NuclearWaste That Maine Can’t Get Rid Of

By Abigail Curtis, BDN
Published July 19, 2021

"In the summertime, the picturesque village of #WiscassetME is infamous for its long lines of people hungry to try a lobster roll at Red’s Eats and cars that crawl through town on the often-clogged #USRouteOne.

"But just a few miles south of downtown is a different kind of roadblock: 550 metric tons of nuclear waste stored on a coastal peninsula at the now-decommissioned #MaineYankee atomic energy plant that have nowhere to go.

"The change in presidential administrations means another chance for the federal government to make good on its promise to remove the waste, so the site can be closed for good. The Biden administration’s Department of Energy seems to be picking up where the Obama administration left off, creating a process for communities to volunteer to host the waste.

" 'What worries me is that there really isn’t any national leadership right now on this stuff. There isn’t an agency that has a mission and has developed a strategy, that has goals and is willing to act on it,' Don Hudson, the chairman of the Maine Yankee Community Advisory Panel, said. 'We’re currently in this limbo.'

"That’s a problem because the waste — 1,400 spent nuclear fuel rods housed in 60 cement and steel canisters, plus four canisters of irradiated steel removed from the nuclear reactor when it was taken down — is safe for now, but can’t stay in Wiscasset forever.

"The situation in Wiscasset underscores a thorny issue facing more than 100 communities across the U.S.: close to a hundred thousand tons of nuclear waste that has no place to go.

"Securing these remnants of nuclear energy generation is an ongoing task that requires armed guards around the clock and costs Maine Yankee’s owners some $10 million per year, which is being paid for with money from the government.

"After the government failed to remove the spent fuel, Maine Yankee and the other two decommissioned nuclear power plants in New England — Connecticut Yankee in East Hampton, Connecticut, and Yankee Atomic in Rowe, Massachusetts — took it to court. So far, they have been awarded a total of $575.5 million in damages during four rounds of litigation, money that has been paid out of the U.S. Judgment fund. A fifth round is happening now, and the lawsuits are likely to continue until the fuel is removed.

"All told, the country’s many abandoned nuclear facilities — including Maine Yankee — have cost the federal government billions of dollars, a sum that increases by about $2 million each day, according to Eric Howes, the spokesperson for Maine Yankee and two other decommissioned plants in New England.

" 'All the #taxpayers in the United States are paying for the government’s failure to meet its obligations,' he said.

"But as the years pass, it seems that fewer and fewer people even realize that there are tons of nuclear waste on the secured site behind a chain-link fence on Bailey Point. Hudson and others worry that for many, it’s too easy not to think about it, diminishing the drive to find a better solution.

" 'Nobody ever travels by it. Nobody ever sees it,' Hudson said. 'It’s the classic out of sight, out of mind.' "

https://www.mainepublic.org/environment-and-outdoors/2021-07-19/armed-guards-protect-tons-of-nuclear-waste-that-maine-cant-get-rid-of

#nuclear #nuclearwaste #WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife #NoNukes #NoNewNukes #NuclearWaste #RethinkNotRestart

🤔It's already a gross #waste of #taxpayers money to study such a ridiculous relocation!

#Seabarrier 'better' than #relocation
"House study disagrees with proposal by a #PheuThai Party lawmaker to move the #capital to #NakhonRatchasima province, saying moving wld be #budget intensive & require a #referendum to decide.. it wld make more sense to build a strong system around #Bangkok, which is thought to be sinking, & surrounding provinces, to protect them"
#vestedinterests
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2957518/sea-barrier-better-than-relocation

Massachusetts official diverted taxpayer funds intended for seniors for music studio recordings, 153 pounds of steak, framed portrait

#boston #Crime #crimenews #CrimeWatch #embezzling #Massachusetts #Quincy #seniors #taxpayers #USnews
https://theaegisalliance.com/2025/01/09/massachusetts-official-diverted-taxpayer-funds-intended-for-seniors/?fsp_sid=244

Neoliberal/fascist people in positions of public power never say - Violence isn't the answer - when they give more raises to state mercenaries to buy more weapons of state funded violence & militarized/armored vehicles & to beat up nonviolent citizens exercising their rights to public #dissent & peaceful #protests.

I'm uninterested in bootlicker responses. I will block those who choose to commit bootlicking offenses on my timeline - on sight.

#ACAB #AntiFascist #DefundThePolice #PoliceReform #AbolishPoliceUnions #AbuseOfAuthority #AbuseOfPower #NoTransparency #DemandAccountability #TaxFundedStateViolence #Unethical #Immoral #StateTerrorists #StateViolence #YourTaxDollars #Taxpayers #CivilLiberties #HumanRights #DemocraticRights #Dissenters #CitizensUprising

#DiabloCanyon #NuclearPowerPlant brings #profits for PG&E, deadly risk for residents [and the #environment]

Tina Landis
August 19, 2024

"Despite opposition from residents and #environmental organizations, California legislators passed #SenateBill846 in 2022 to extend the life of the dangerous, aging Diablo Canyon #nuclear facility.

"Located on the Central Coast surrounded by several #fault lines, one has to question why a nuclear facility was placed in an #earthquake zone to begin with, much less allowing it to continue to operate well past its retirement date. The world witnessed what can happen to a coastal nuclear facility in an earthquake zone when the 2011 #Fukushima disaster triggered a meltdown that displaced nearly half a million residents, with vast amounts of #RadioactiveWater still being released into the ocean today.

"As long as Diablo Canyon remains open, Californians live with the constant risk of suffering the same type of disaster.

"From its inception, Diablo Canyon had little public support. Protests occurred regularly during its construction, and thousands were arrested for #CivilDisobedience actions in 1981.

"In the 1970s and 1980s, California’s three largest utilities spent billions of dollars building dangerous and costly nuclear plants like Diablo Canyon, which resulted in skyrocketing rates for customers. Big industry fought back against these increased energy costs, which resulted in deregulation bills consisting of multi-billion dollar #bailouts to the state’s utility companies to cover their costly investments in nuclear.

"Today, the last remaining nuclear plant operating in the state is still draining billions in funds that could be used for safe, #renewable energy development. To keep Diablo Canyon running 5 years past its retirement date is expected to cost $8 billion to $12 billion. A federal aid package of $1.1 billion will contribute to some of those costs – meaning federal #taxpayers’ money – while the remaining billions will be passed on to #California #ratepayers.

"Despite being run by PG&E and only generating power for its territory, customers of #SouthernCaliforniaEdison and #SanDiegoGasAndElectric will help cover the remaining costs of the Diablo extension. Edison bills will increase by around $1.25 a month and SDG&E by 87 cents a month, while PG&E customers are expected to chip in $2.07 a month – and that’s just for the first year. Critics warn that costs are likely to increase in coming years to keep the plant running, and that’s on top of already skyrocketing PG&E rates that have doubled over the last decade. And if PG&E collects more funds than are needed for Diablo’s operations, they get to keep it!

"In 2022, when legislators pushed this through #SB846, the excuse of energy shortages was used due to pandemic-related supply chain issues and massive #wildfires. But today, there is plenty of energy being produced with increased #solar and #battery storage capacity that has kept the lights on even during this summer’s unprecedented heat waves driving up demand. The California Public Utility Commission’s own reporting shows that an additional 18,500 megawatts of new resources were added to the grid between 2020 and 2024, which is enough to power around 14 million homes. Another 11,000 megawatts will be added by 2028.

"Nuclear has the third highest lifecycle emissions of all energy sources after scrubbed #coal fired plants and natural gas – meaning it is far from being zero-emission. It also creates the unresolved issue of the #RadioactiveWaste which remains dangerous for tens of thousands to millions of years.

"Keeping the Diablo facility running will only hold back further development of safe and truly low-carbon, low cost renewable sources like solar and #wind energy.

"So why isn’t Diablo Canyon being decommissioned? The short answer is that #capitalism must ensure continued profits for the #InvestorClass.

"SB 846 authorized Diablo’s extension through 2030, and gave PG&E a $1.4 billion loan for the for-profit utility to facilitate the plant’s extension. #GovernorNewsom facilitated another transfer of taxpayer dollars to PG&E through an additional $400 million loan from the state’s general fund, included in the recent budget deal. Critics warn that these 'loans' will never be repaid, meaning residents will be fully subsidizing the Diablo extension – from federal and state tax dollars to our utility fees.

"But there is a way out. SB 846 allows the #CPUC to retire the plant earlier than 2030 if sufficient levels of new renewable zero-carbon energy resources exist, are interconnected, and meet demand, which is the case.

"CPUC has a long track record of serving PG&E’s interests, so intervention by the commission is unlikely. One example of many that demonstrates their close relationship: CPUC is not requiring PG&E to show how much of our utility bill actually goes to the Diablo extension, but instead lumps the cost in with 'public purpose programs,' making it impossible to determine.

"While communities are demanding an early shutdown of Diablo, PG&E is currently applying for a 20-year license renewal from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission [#NRC] for the facility, which is expected to be approved. This would mean customers will foot the bill to keep this dangerous nuclear facility running through 2045, far beyond the original expiration dates of 2024 and 2025.

"CPUC has proven their unwavering support time and again for PG&E’s monopoly control over the state’s energy system at the expense of residents’ safety and affordable rates. The Diablo Canyon nuclear plant is just another mechanism to squeeze ratepayers and line the pockets of shareholders who live far away from the dangers posed by this aging facility. Only a public takeover of this #corrupt utility can win clean, safe and affordable energy for all."

Source:
https://www.liberationnews.org/diablo-canyon-nuclear-plant-brings-profits-for-pge-deadly-risk-for-residents/

#PGAndE #RethinkNotRestart #NuclearCorruption #NuclearBailouts #RenewablesNow #NoNukes
#DiabloCanyonNuclearPlant
#NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #California #WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife

TY to @NoelWauchope for posting this on the nuclear-news.net web page! "#TheGlobalNetwork and #MaineNaturalGuard are organizing the No Toxic Rockets for ME campaign that will hold a #PeacefulProtest."

#Protest #Maine #SpaceIndustry Conference in Portland

Monday, November 6, 2023 at 11:30 am

Holiday Inn by the Bay, 88 Spring St, Portland, #Maine

TALKING POINTS (via #NoToxicRocketsForMaine)

- All rocket launches cause harm to our #Climate no matter what they claim and no matter what kind of fuel they use. #ClimateCrisis is hastened by rocket launches, and this is a rapidly growing concern. #AluminumOxide produced when launches fail and burn up re-entering Earth's airspace cause significant damage to the #OzoneLayer.

- Environmental toxins such as #PFAS from fire-suppression systems at rocket launch sites pose a deadly threat to our water and soil. Aluminum fallout from rockets and payloads that fail falls to Earth, along with other chemicals from the incineration of plastics and other components of rockets.

- All rocket launch sites previously built on the promise that there would be no military use failed to keep that promise. In Kodiak, Alaska their "civilian-use only" site has both the Pentagon and Israel's military using it for rocket launches of weapons and surveillance systems.

- #Birds in particular are harmed by rocket launches, often with mass death events following a launch. Jonesport's commercial fishing community imposed a moratorium on rocket launch sites due to concerns about disruption to their livelihood.

- Publicly supported development of facilities intended for private profit is a bad deal for #taxpayers. Why socialize research and development costs while privatizing the eventual profits?

Read more: https://sites.google.com/view/notoxicrocketsforme/take-action?authuser=0

#LD1923 #PortlandMaine #Protest #NoWar #MilitarisationOfSpace #KeepSpaceForPeace

@bbcnewsfeed #Nationalize *all* #infrastructure, *everywhere*, now.

Why should all profits accrue to private interests when all costs are borne by #taxpayers, directly via fees, and indirectly via #taxes that fund #government "assistance", "#tax breaks", etc. (i.e. #CorporateWelfare).

GIS Powers Innovative Action Among State And Local Governments
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https://www.govtech.com/analytics/gis-powers-innovative-action-among-state-and-local-governments <-- shared technical article
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #stategovernment #localauthorities #localgov #localgovernment #localgovernments #government #governmentagencies #usecase #appliedscience #appliedtechnology #examples #publicsafety #publichealth #water #hydrology #waterresources #disasterriskreduction #disasterresponse #watermanagement #wildfire #wildfireresponse #wildfiremitigation #naturalhazard #planning #urbanplanning #transportation #infrastructure #community #communityplanning #communityhealth #taxpayers #taxpayerservices #spatialanalysis #environment #ecosystems #climatechange