Car bomb, house explosion rock solar energy campaign in Louisiana

[n2doc]

A campaign finance director for a pro-solar energy candidate running for Louisiana’s utility regulatory board had his home and cars blown up Thursday.

No one was injured in the explosions, and authorities have yet to established a direct link between the apparent attacks and the campaign’s efforts to promote solar energy, according to local station WWL.

But the ATF is assisting in the investigation of the incidents, according to NOLA.com. The finance director targeted, Mario Zervigon, a well known political operative in the state, is taking a break from campaigning for candidate Forest Bradley-Wright.

Bradley-Wright is campaigning on a program that allows Louisiana solar-panel users to continue to sell their excess electricity to utility companies. He is facing incumbent Eric Skrmetta, who seeks a cap on how much electricity solar customers can sell. They are competing in a run-off election for a seat on Louisiana’s Public Service Commission, which sets electricity rates in the state. Bradley-Wright has received most of his campaign funds from the solar industry, according to WWL.

more

http://fusion.net/story/26335/car-bomb-house-explosion-rock-solar-energy-campaign-in-louisiana/

[DirkGently]

1. What? Holy crap. What?

Jesus. Are people actually BLOWING THINGS UP over opposition to solar energy?

This is crazy. Have to watch this story.

[Warpy]

7. Louisiana is a huge oil state

and some Klanner just didn't want his job threatened over them pointy headed liberal smart boys and their ugly roof panels.

I hope they catch the loser.

[LiberalArkie]

13. Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas take their politics very seriously

[Aerows]

16. This isn't politics

This is domestic terrorism.

[Salviati]

20. +1

I hope that the people who did this are pursued with the vigor and feel the same force of the law bearing down on them that is levied against "ecoterrorists"

[arthritisR_US]

25. Exactly. nt

[fleur-de-lisa]

27. You are absolutely right.

And I live in Louisiana. My knuckle-dragging counterparts in this state take the oil industry even more seriously than politics, despite the environmental damage the oil tycoon psychopaths have done to the Gulf. Louisiana is a prime example of citizens (the majority anyway) voting against their interests.

[QuestionAlways]

23. This really is Terrorism, and should be treated as such !!

[Louisiana1976]

30. Exactly. It's domestic terrorism.

[brewens]

2. Now if that was so well done that the ATF can't trace anything, it will be really scary. We'll know

it was someone backed by some serious money and power that pulled it off. You'd expect some whackjob operating on his own to leave clues and get caught.

[mopinko]

3. isnt that innnnterrresting.

things that make you go hmmmm.

def a story to watch.

[seabeyond]

4. i read that yesterday. my son is there at university. isnt that something? it is not unheard of

either. i guess that is how some choose to settle things there.

[C Moon]

5. That is fucked up.

[cantbeserious]

6. Corporations - Suppressing Progress - One Election At A Time

eom

[arthritisR_US]

26. Yep, I followed your comments on another

thread with respect to the Third Way, and came away feeling you were spot on!

[Hulk]

8. Catch the SOB's and expose the whole, corrupt "terrorists" involved....

This is where we are headed? Bad enough we can't get government support for clean energy. Now we have to be concerned about terrorist activities to impede progress?

What is this country sinking to?

[suffragette]

9. Lucky the families got out safely.

http://uptownmessenger.com/2014/11/overnight-fire-destroys-political-consultants-home/

The driveway exits onto Constantinople Street, which Thursday morning was blocked by investigators from the New Orleans Police Department, New Orleans Fire Department, State Fire Marshal and Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Two vehicles on Constantinople across from the house were completely destroyed, as was another car in the house’s driveway. The back end of the house — where the family’s bedrooms were located — was also heavily burned.

~~~
Zervigon got his wife and children out safely, but two of their cats were killed, he said. The family that lived upstairs also got out unharmed, Zervigon said.

With both of his cars burned — one in his driveway, and one across the street — Zervigon said it seems clear that the fire was set intentionally. The fire started with the cars, and its spread to the house may have been an unintended consequence, he said.


Sounds like he's trying to not think the worst, but this is terrifying. And it's clear he was targeted.

[Ykcutnek]

10. I wonder which oil company financed it? nt

[dballance]

11. Threatening and killing people just like the railroads and other anti-union corps. did.

Everything old is new again. Harass people, and even kill people. All in the name of profits for our new robber-barons.

[TomCADem]

12. Many In the Oil Industry Feel Threatened By Clean Energy Alternatives

Heck, here is the NY Times on Koch funded attacks on solar energy initiatives throughout the country.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/27/opinion/sunday/the-koch-attack-on-solar-energy.html

[jalan48]

14. This Happened Thursday?

Why hasn't this been front page news? Domestic terrorism?

[Live and Learn]

24. +1 If a member of a liberal group so much as threw a pebble at

an oil company, it would be.

[ReRe]

15. Well, fucking well...

... so we're in the '60s again. That no one was hurt is nothing less than a miracle. Well, it damn sure wasn't an "accident," now was it? 2+2 = 4. 2+2 = 4. Thanks, n2doc. This is the first I've heard about it.

[Aerows]

17. Why isn't anyone calling this what it is?

It is domestic TERRORISM. Oh my, if we call it what it is, we might have to do something about DOMESTIC Terrorists.

But you will see everyone in the LA Senate and State House, in DC sit on their hands and clutch their pearls saying "Oh how awful this accident was."

[Gumboot]

18. This is domestic terrorism, pure & simple.

Illustrates very clearly the desperation of the fossil fools, who are now apparently willing to resort to terrorist acts to get their way.

Long live renewables - and everyone who promotes them.

Would love to send a few $s to Forest Bradley-Wright's campaign, if I could find a link.

[Aerows]

19. That's exactly what this is.

Welcome to DU.

[Salviati]

22. "Petroterrorism"

n/t

[fleur-de-lisa]

28. Spot on!

And welcome to DU!

[albino65]

21. Why is everyone so surprised?

It was just baby steps from turning the country over to moneyed despots, arming all the loonies, militarizing the police and becoming a third world country. For Christ's sake, the Fox reality show stars were creaming their jeans over Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Everyone on Faux news, men and women alike, wanted to be ravished by him.

[jalan48]

29. Did this disappear from DU already?

[grahamhgreen]

31. Kick

[Triana]

32. Big Oil Operatives...

...even if it's never discovered, my guess will be that's who was behind it.

[PeterClark]

33. Prediction: More Attacks to Follow

This firebombing indicates that someone feels threatened by solar power. Which aspect of solar power is he or she (or it?) threatened by?

Businesses don't compete against each other in this way. This goes beyond struggles over market share and pricing structure.

Could this attack be about ensuring, by whatever means are necessary, that the climate crisis continues to the tipping point?

If that is true, then we will see more such attacks the closer that people get to a carbon-free energy economy.