Ohio solar heist was an inside job

Obama labor secretary Hilda Solis tours W&K, 2011

Back in April, we told you about another solar energy crime family, the W&K gang in sunny Ohio.  In addition to ripping off Italian investors, the green gonifs also got away with fifteen million dollars taken from Ohio taxpayers.  We feel bad for the Italians, who should have done due diligence before they parted with all those lira.  But why would the government of Ohio, a state whose economy was already swirling down the rust belt commode, allow its taxpayers to be hornswaggled?  Hadn't they heard about Solyndra?

Breitbart reports that the Toledo Blade has found the answer:  Ohio's then governor, Democrat Ted Strickland, was on the take.

So, as governor of Ohio, Ted Strickland saw that WK Solar was in trouble after the state loaned them $5 million. Why on earth would he make the decision to flush another $10 million of Ohians money down the toilet?

In 2010, WK Solar executives — including CEO Michael Cicak and president James Appold — donated almost $25,000 to Gov. Ted Strickland’s re-election campaign. Cicak also donated to Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher’s US Senate campaign. Fisher served as director of the Department of Development under Governor Strickland.
Later that year, in July of 2010, the Department of Development lent WK Solar an additional $10 million in taxpayer dollars. Strickland’s administration also approved multiple deadline extensions for required financial reports, as well as deferrals for required loan repayments. [emphasis added]

What a deal for "WK Solar executives" - a measly $25K to "green jobs" scammer Strickland got them a cool $15 million, coerced from Ohio families. 

We don't know if ex-governor Strickland is in the running to replace Steve "Ten bucks a gallon" Chu as Obama's energy secretary, but when it comes to "Strickland" and "energy," we'll stick with Strickland Propane.

Mitt gets it

Listen to Mitt Romney explain Obama's scheme to steal half a billion taxpayer dollars. We're pleased that Mitt has the guts to say it.  We understand, Mitt understands, now make sure your friends and neighbors understand.

Hit 'em where it hurts

Mitt Romney Visits Solyndra Amid Attack on Obama Jobs Record

Solar energy thieves strike again

"Solar energy" thieves are getting bolder.  In Ohio, a gang of green jobs gonifs began dipping into the till the next day after gullible Italian investors ponied up five million bucks.

The executives of Willard & Kelsey Solar Group, a struggling solar-panel manufacturer, began lending themselves company funds the same day the firm received $5 million from a group of Italian investors, internal financial records show.

Michael Cicak, Willard & Kelsey's chairman of the board and chief executive officer, received a $40,000 loan that day. Mossie Murphy, chief financial officer at the time, received a $30,000 loan.

The loans to five company executives totaled more than $500,000 from August to October, 2008, records show. In addition, the top five executives also received payments of almost $1 million from November, 2008, through March, 2009.

In addition to the voluntary investment from sunny Italy, Willard & Kelsey also blew through over ten million Ohio taxpayer dollars.  Gullible, or complicit, Ohio government officials expected W&K to create thousands of jobs.  As of this writing, almost all of W&K's employees have been laid off.

Read all the details in the Toledo Blade's comprehensive report.  At what point to do we realize that the only difference between W&K, Solyndra, or you local BMW-driving green energy grant recipient and Bonnie and Clyde is that Bonnie and Clyde paid for their crimes the old fashioned way.

Gillibrand to New Yorkers: Freeze!

Millionaire lawyers Gillibrand, Clinton

Despite the best efforts of anti-energy fanatics, increased production of natural gas, resulting in dropping prices, is putting a little money back in the pockets of some New Yorkers.  Empire State politicians have presided over some of the highest energy prices in the nation, so we're happy to see gas users get a little relief.

Not everyone has access to natural gas, of course, and the millions who heat with fuel oil are suffering with steadily rising prices.  But shivering New York citizens take heart - millionaire ex-tobacco lawyer and US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand wants to help you - by giving your tax dollars to well-connected crony capitalists:

"I am hoping the president will focus on how we can compete with China in the green energy revolution, how we can actually retain the manufacturing of green energy in America," Gillibrand said. "We have great manufacturing assets in upstate New York and on Long Island. We have some of the most cutting-edge energy research in the world in New York state. We want to see 'made in America' again."

Gillibrand favors a 30 percent federal tax credit for commercial, industrial or residential investment in energy efficiency.

That would particularly help New York, she said, because the state is a leader in developing new energy technologies, including solar and wind technology, and lithium car batteries, fuel cells and bio-digesters.

Gillibrand saying anything so stupid in response to her constituents' real suffering  confirms that she assumes nobody will ever find out what she said, so please share this with your neighbors.

Toes feeling a little numb this winter?  Just wait until Kirsten's bio-digesters warm up.

Solyndra: Campaign Ad

From AFP.

h/t LC

Update:  Apparently Solyndra, for which Finger Lakes taxpayers are on the hook for half a billion bucks, is now completely worthless.

Chu must resign immediately

Chu breaking ground at Solyndra

Obama's "energy" secretary, Steven "I want Finger Lakes families to pay 10 dollars a gallon for gasoline" Chu, is on the hot seat in front of Congress today.  

Now that the Solyndra bankruptcy has become a full-blown scandal for the current administration, we call on Chu to resign his $200K/year government job immediately. 

We have plenty of room room for Chu at the Finger Lakes' own Five Points.

Anniversary notice: we've now been covering Obama's Solyndra Solargate scandal for over one year!

Solyndra perps heist cash

Finger Lakes taxpayers were forced to contibute to the half billion dollars that Obama gave to the Solyndra conspirators.  Andrews Stiles summarizes how the solar panel gonifs split the loot.

• Karen Alter, senior vice president of marketing, received two $55,000 bonuses on April 15 and July 8 of this year, on top of her $250,000 annual salary.
• Ben Bierman, executive vice president of operations and engineering, received $120,000 in bonuses this year on top of his $276,000 salary.
• Paula Camporaso, vice president of information technology — $80,000 in bonuses on top of her $107,000 salary.
• Dave Sanat, vice president of supply chain — $80,000 in bonuses on top of his $111,000 salary.
• Bill Stover, the company’s CFO who took the fifth before Congress at a September hearing, was awarded at least $120,000 in bonuses on top of his $367,000 salary.

The document also reveals that Chris Gronet, one of Solyndra’s founders, was “transitioned to the role of adviser and consultant” from his position as CEO on July 1, 2011, and negotiated a severance package worth more than $450,000.

Until your neighbors understand that Karen Alters' two $55,000 "bonuses" and Chris Gronet's $450,000 "severance package" were stolen from American families, this crime wave will continue indefinitely.

Green corruption supports mob encampment

"Dave," Zuccotti Park, NYC

The beautiful state parks here in the Finger Lakes charge admission and close at sundown.  Ignore the rules and you'll get to meet the NYS Park Police.  So, many of us Upstaters are puzzled as to how the "Wall Street protestors" in Manhattan's Zuccotti Park have been allowed to remain in the park, and on the nightly TV news, for what by this time seems to have been years. 

Come to find out, Zuccotti park is actually private property.  The owners of that park are granting permission to the squatters to stay as long as they like.  And who are those forgiving real estate barons?  A well connected gang of Wall Street tycoons who call themselves Brookfield Asset Management.  Why would those top-hatted swells agree to let their exquisite urban refuge be overrun by unwashed anarchists who want them dead, one might wonder?  Robert Johnson solves the mystery.

Coming on the heels of the Solyndra debacle, the Obama administration has just approved a $168.9 million loan guarantee for the Granite Reliable wind farm project owned by Brookfield Asset Management (BAM).

Among its many holdings BAM owns Brookfield Renewable Power, which owns the Granite Reliable and it also owns Brookfield Office Properties, whose holdings include the now famous Zuccotti Park.

As to why New York City's Democrat-friendly mayor says the mob needn't fear arrest, Johnson also has scoop.

Mayor Bloomberg's announcement Monday that protesters could remain as long as they liked, also raised a few eyebrows and it turns out he has a personal connection to Brookfield as well. The mayor's longtime domestic partner Diana Taylor is on the Board of Directors at Brookfield Properties along with John E. Zuccotti himself.

Public Service Announcement:

If you're reading this on a mobile device in a New York State Park this afternoon, it's time to pack up and head out.

Dave's photo from New York Post.

Solargate? What's that?

MSM's new, if aged, darlings

Here at South of 5 and 20, we're tried to keep you up to date on "Solargate," the Obama Administration's rapidly growing "green energy" scandal, since last year.  

This is the one where the federal Department of Energy helped one of Obama's big political contributors use a failed solar panel company called Solyndra to steal half a billion dollars of your money.  As we write this, the same gonifs, including Nancy Pelosi's brother-in-law,  are absconding with billions more.

And yet, most of your associates, acquaintances and co-workers have never heard of Solyndra.   While Finger Lakes taxpayers are bombarded with "Wall Street protest" updates every hour, on the hour, the "mainstream" media appears uninterested in serious crime at the highest level of government.  Geoffery Dickens at NewsBusters has been watching TV news, and explains what's going on.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu’s admission, on Thursday, that he approved more taxpayer money to the financially strapped solar panel company Solyndra, after it defaulted on a $535 million loan from that agency. Big Three network coverage? Zero. This is just a continuing pattern of ABC, CBS and NBC barely touching the burgeoning scandal for the Obama administration.

What initially began as an embarrassing collapse of one of the green companies touted by Obama has turned into a story of coverup of still more stimulus money being wasted on the left’s pet cause of climate change. Yet, as a search of Nexis shows, the networks have glanced over the Solyndra story with the Big Three networks running a total of just 8 total full stories, two anchor briefs and a couple of mentions on their evening and morning news shows, since the company declared bankruptcy in August.

Bold added.  There's no longer any doubt that the big media companies have become nothing more than the propaganda wing of the Obama administration.  It's now up to us.  We need to help our neighbors understand what's really going on.  Yes, that assignment won't be easy, but election day 2012 is only 13 months away.

Solargate made clear

Drinking with Bob summarizes the Solyndra solar scandal.  If this guy was on CNN, Obama would already be in prison.

h/t long time New Jersey blogger Parkway Rest Stop

Solargate crooks lawyer up

"Crazy Joe"and Larry Gallo, gangsters,  refusing to testify in 1959

In a long gangland tradition, two senior managers at bankrupt, taxpayer subsidized solar panel peddler Solyndra, CEO Brian Harrison and CFO W.G "Bill" Stover, are planning to invoke the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution and refuse to testify before congressional investigators.

Brian Harrison, MBA,  also refuses to testify

Of course these gonifs have retained counsel, and like most smart mobsters, their attorneys are well connected. 

The law firms representing the executives are Orrick, Harrington and Sutcliffe, and Keker and Van Nest. Both are major contributors to Democrats and both have handsomely helped President Barack Obama’s political efforts, according to information retrieved from Center for Responsive Politics databanks.

Finger Lakes taxpayers were taken for half a billion bucks by these Obama henchmen.  It would not be crazy to suspect some of that missing cash will find its way, though those politically active law firms, into Obama's reelection war chest.  The so-called "green energy" movement is nothing more than the latest evolution of organized crime. 

Andy, they lawyered up!

Solargate: it's Huuuuge........

Way, way back in November 2010, we began pestering our readers about yet another failed solar energy conspiracy, Solyndra.  In subsequent posts, we've kept you up to date on the growing scandal, now involving corruption and bribery at the highest levels of government.

In less than a year, the scandal has grown to where, were our current president a Republican, he'd be waving goodbye as he boarded his last official helicopter flight on the White House lawn.  For an indication of how big this story has become, Professor Jacobson stayed up late and watched The Tonight Show.  Jay Leno is now doing Solyndra jokes!

And there's good news for us rubes here in the The Finger Lakes.  We are uniquely positioned to cash in on this one: Five Points!

Maximum security between the lakes

Solyndra Scandal Spreads

As regular readers know, half a billion of our tax dollars, dished out to to risky solar scheme Solyndra, have vanished.  We were all shocked to learn that Solyndra's major backer happens to be a big Obama donor.

In what The Lonely Conservative suspects may be a government butt-covering exercise, today the FBI raided the failed solar panel peddlers' offices.  We hope they find our $500 mil, because our school taxes are due this month.

Further to our surprise, we now learn that Solyndra honchos made more than 20 visits to Obama's White House during the days leading up to the massive federal loan guarantee being awarded to the crony capitalists.  This could prove to be beneficial to the Finger Lakes' economy, however, as we have lots of prison capacity in our pristine, scenic region.

Update:  Let's call it "Solargate"!

Update:  Are the feds looking to make evidence disappear?

"Teapot Solyndra"

 More on the Solyndra Solar Scandal.  Ithaca's own Professor Jacobson has the video.

Taxpayers taken for another $500 million

Yet another major solar energy manufacturer has gone bust.  US taxpayers, including Finger Lakes residents, were forced to  "invest" half a billion dollars in this turkey.

Solyndra, a renewable energy firm that became the darling of the Obama Administration, shut the doors to its California headquarters today, raising fresh questions from the administration's critics about political favoritism in the federal loan program.

The manufacturer of rooftop solar panels opened in 2005 and in 2009 became the Obama administration's first recipient of an energy loan guarantee -- a $535 million federal commitment that helped minimize the risk to venture capital firms that were backing the solar start-up. Obama made a personal visit to the factory last year to herald its bright future.

Despite questionable finances, the Obama administration decided to back the risky scheme.  Why would all those Ivy League smarties waste your money like that?

ABC News and the Center for Public Integrity's iWatch News first reported on questions about the choice of Solyndra for the loan in May after the Department of Energy disclosed it was being forced to restructure its loan package for the company, which was showing early signs of financial distress. One of Solyndra's major investors was George Kaiser, an Oklahoma billionaire who raised between $50,000 and $100,000 for Obama during the 2008 election.

"I think what happens is they give some of this money out to people who are either contributors or strong supporters," Rep. Cliff Stearns, a Florida Republican who chairs a House Energy subcommittee that has led a probe into the Solyndra deal, had said before Solynda's closing.

Bold added to highlight corruption. 

Don't forget that this inefficient technology is also heavily subsidized on the consumer side.  If solar electricity made economic sense, we'd all be buying it with our own money.

Solar plant closes, you pay

One billion dollars

The federal government has "invested" billions of our tax dollars in questionable solar energy projects.  One of those "investments" is in California solar panel manufacturer Solyndra, Inc. Facing strong price pressure from Chinese competitors, Solyndra will close a factory and release up to 190 workers. The LA Times reports:

The company said Wednesday that it is shuttering one of its factories to save $60 million in capital expenditures, laying off 40 employees and letting the contracts for more than 100 temporary workers expire.

All this despite a $535-million federal loan guarantee, more than $1 billion in private equity funds and supportive visits from luminaries such as  Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and President Barack Obama.

The NY Times places the total layoffs closer to 190.  

In July, Ed Lasky looked into Solyndra's financing and learned that the Chinese price competition situation was known long before the feds forked over the subsidies.  Yet, they moved ahead anyway, effectively handing over bundles of taxpayer cash to wealthy investors, including one George Kaiser.

One of the biggest investors in the company was Oklahoma billionaire George Kaiser - a big bundler for the Obama-Biden campaign. Not to worry for Mr. Kaiser. The administration is looking to extend hundreds of millions of dollars in additional loans (our money) to the venture.