Sunday, May 10, 2009
This is Liberalism: Flying to a Global Warming Conference
Do as I say, not as I do, says Thomas Friedman, liberal hypocrite.
Air board pays $75K for columnist's speech
Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross for the SF Chronicle
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Judging by the $75,000 speaking fee it paid to New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has plenty of green to burn even in these lean times.
The agency, which gets its money from business permits and federal and state sources, booked the Pulitzer Prize-winning pundit to appear this past week at its big climate summit in downtown Oakland's Fox Theater, attended by 500 invited bureaucrats.
In addition to Friedman's speaking fee, the air board picked up his tab for a night at the Claremont Resort.
Air district spokeswoman Lisa Fasano put the summit cost at $200,000 - or about $400 per participant.
Fasano said the idea was to bring together managers and planners to "spark even greater movement" in the effort to reduce the Bay Area's greenhouse-gas footprint.
Friedman spent about two hours with the group, including answering questions and autographing copies of his latest book, "Hot, Flat and Crowded" - in which he argues that a national strategy of "geo-Greenism" is needed to save the planet from global warming and to make the country more productive.
As for reports that Friedman's talk was almost identical to a speech he gave in November in Florida at a National League of Cities confab - which is available online for free? "That very likely may be," Fasano said. "But this certainly is much more moving and inspirational to see and hear in person."
For that price, we hope so.
Air board pays $75K for columnist's speech
Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross for the SF Chronicle
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Judging by the $75,000 speaking fee it paid to New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has plenty of green to burn even in these lean times.
The agency, which gets its money from business permits and federal and state sources, booked the Pulitzer Prize-winning pundit to appear this past week at its big climate summit in downtown Oakland's Fox Theater, attended by 500 invited bureaucrats.
In addition to Friedman's speaking fee, the air board picked up his tab for a night at the Claremont Resort.
Air district spokeswoman Lisa Fasano put the summit cost at $200,000 - or about $400 per participant.
Fasano said the idea was to bring together managers and planners to "spark even greater movement" in the effort to reduce the Bay Area's greenhouse-gas footprint.
Friedman spent about two hours with the group, including answering questions and autographing copies of his latest book, "Hot, Flat and Crowded" - in which he argues that a national strategy of "geo-Greenism" is needed to save the planet from global warming and to make the country more productive.
As for reports that Friedman's talk was almost identical to a speech he gave in November in Florida at a National League of Cities confab - which is available online for free? "That very likely may be," Fasano said. "But this certainly is much more moving and inspirational to see and hear in person."
For that price, we hope so.
