Peggy Tibbets

Bruce Finley, environmental reporter at The Denver Post, strikes again.  Why won’t his editors demand that he qualify his sources? We’ve called him on this time and time again.  This time, in an article about yesterday’s Air Quality Control Commission hearings, he quotes a woman from Silt, Peggy Tibbets:

“The air pollution burns our eyes, ears, noses and throats,” said Peggy Tibbets who drove from Silt.

The way Finley writes it, you’d think she’s just some woman from Silt.  The truth is that she is an anti-oil and gas industry activist and blogger.  Her blog is called From the Styx and it’s basically an environmentalist tirade. And, she wants credit for her work, damn it.  Do you hear us, Finley?  She’ll probably send you a message like the one she left on our blog several months ago:

“A few corrections: From the Styx is my blog. Voices from the Gaspatch is my series on my blog.”

On her blog, Tibbets even includes talking points for the hearing that Finley’s article covered. Perhaps not coincidentally, ProgressNow is citing and promoting excerpts from the talking points. Here’s an example.

From ProgressNow’s website:

Here’s why these rules are important:

• Every Coloradan deserves to have the air they breathe free from toxic pollution.
• We need the Commission to follow Governor Hickenlooper’s leadership and adopt his proposed rules.
• Given the rapid pace of development, public health impact from oil and gas pollution, and obligation to combat climate change, Colorado needs to take charge and lead on oil and gas pollution safeguards.
• Now is the time to get this rulemaking right and get the proposed rules across the finish line.

From Tibbets’ talking points document:

Topline Messaging:

• Every Coloradan deserves to have the air they breathe free from toxic pollution.
• We need the Commission to follow Governor Hickenlooper’s leadership and adopt the proposed rules.
• Now is the time to get this rulemaking right. Given the rapid pace of development, public health impact from oil and gas pollution, and obligation to combat climate change, Colorado needs to take charge and lead on oil and gas pollution safeguards.

Awfully similar, don’t you think?

Oddly enough, the talking points also seem to be written from a perspective of supporting the Governor’s proposed air quality policy.  For example, an excerpt from the “topline messaging”:

“We need the Commission to follow Governor Hickenlooper’s leadership and adopt the proposed rules.”

Perhaps these were written by the Governor’s staff?  Potter?  Salazar?  Anyone want to claim these?  And, then there’s the MoveOn.org petition, which also cribs language from the TPs. Oh, and that was authored by ProgressNow, too.

But, this isn’t about ProgressNow, as much as we like to beat up on the leftist organization.  This is about Peggy Tibbets and Bruce Finley.  We feel that Finley must be a victim of the digital divide – that’s the only explanation.  What an anomaly for a reporter to not have access to Google.  The Denver Post should really address this.  Greg Moore – can you help this guy out?