T. Boone Pickens' motives in energy plan questioned

[southern_belle]

Railing against the "club" of Big Oil and promising to shake up "management entrenchment," T. Boone Pickens once turned his epic takeover battles with oil companies into a national effort to make public companies more accountable to shareholders.

He modeled his effort on a political campaign – complete with lobbyists, grass-roots supporters and his own money. A corporate raider whose duels with incumbent managers earned him millions, Mr. Pickens became the public advocate of shareholders betrayed by dull corporate bosses.

Now 80, Mr. Pickens is again casting business as a "crusade," as a Democratic senator once put it. On commercials and in testimony before Congress, he is urging the country to use more wind power and natural gas – the focus of his own investments – to wean itself off foreign oil.

While the Texas oil and gas executive has downplayed his self-interest – he's made enough money, he says – a company that he founded has engineered a California ballot initiative to put $5 billion toward renewable-energy incentives, much of which would benefit the firm, known as Clean Energy, by subsidizing the purchase of vehicles powered by natural gas.

Critics say the referendum, Proposition 10, could undermine Mr. Pickens' effort to portray his "Pickens Plan" as a selfless crusade.

More at http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/080708dnbuspickens.42abd0f.html

[Gabi Hayes]

1. that initiative is the sleaziest sort of bait and switch, where they're trying to CONFUSE the

voters by naming it almost the same as a real conservation initiative which was defeated by over a HUNDRED MILLION bucks in oil company money

that's right....

[Saturday]

2. I don't care if he makes money.....

just get alternative energy up and running. If he can make money doing it that's fine with me.

[Lint Head]

3. As in the past he has proven he will use that money to suppress

free speech and support the very fascist ideology that has destroyed the Constitution. Cars do not run on wind power.
Wind power is a great alternative in the right hands but not in the hands of a greedy liar. How about that $1,000,000 reward for evidence the Swift Boat idiots were lying. The evidence was presented and he took the reward away. What a lying cretin he is. :dem:

[Saturday]

6. If he's been a "lying cretin" in the past.....

but he brings alternative energy to the present I will be fine with it. We can't count on only wonderful, great, perfectly motivated people to help this situation.

[Mass]

8. But what he was is natural gas, not clean energy. The wind projects are just a way to look good.

The sooner we get that, the better we will be.

[beachmom]

9. You are very naive. He doesn't regreat swiftboating Kerry and

helping two oilmen retain the White House. He is NOT to be trusted.

[Canuckistanian]

4. He's only railing because it's not his "club"

He wants another monopoly controlling our energy.

And he wants the taxpayer to build the infrastructure for him.

It's time WE started setting the agenda, demanding local control and regulatory and oversight powers.

We can't let alternative energy become the Enron of tomorrow.

[NightWatcher]

5. he is trully an evil guy. He's stealing water from some people to pipe it to others

his new "concern" is a facade to mask his greed behind a veil of "green". The only green that Pickens cares about is the stuff that lines his wallet.

Dont buy his BS

[Frustratedlady]

7. When are these aulde phartes going to retire?

Are they so vain that they think the world can't get by without them? How much money do they need? How much money can they spend?

I will admit, he sounds convincing. However, I've learned not to trust any of those tycoons, as they didn't get their empire being sweethearts.