Peace activist pleads guilty to damaging more than 20 power line towers in four states

Associated Press ^ | 11-19-03 | ANNA OBERTHUR

[Oldeconomybuyer]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- A peace activist pleaded guilty Wednesday to tampering with high-voltage power line towers in what he has said was an effort to draw attention to lax security for the nation's energy infrastructure.

Michael Devlyn Poulin, 62, of Spokane, Wash., had admitted damaging or attempting to damage more than 20 towers last month in California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Bolts were loosened or removed from the legs of the steel towers.

[knews_hound]

What I think this incident most glaringly illustrated is in fact how damn difficult it is to take down these towers.

This was a local case for us, it was semi-buried in the back pages but I was personally amazed at the oh hum attitude taken by the local press.

The contrast between the coverage of this in the local TV and fishwrap versus the respective coverage that would be given to the incident if it was a right wing militia member that had done this is chilling.

None the less, even though this Bozo went his merry way removing the bolts from Towers all along the Hwy 5 corridor not a single one experianced any reported damage. I have done a bit of Tower work, none of it on the scale of these monsters mind you, but even on the smaller ones, it was obvious that they were built like tanks. This IS California after all and in the end, they withstood this "Merry Prankster's" best efforts to topple them.

Cheers,

knews hound

[_Jim]

BTW, the Midwest ISO is looking for a few good people right now, according to the trade magazine.

<mild chuckle> Did they have some 'early retirements'?

[_Jim]

The contrast between the coverage of this in the local TV and fishwrap versus the respective coverage that would be given to the incident if it was a right wing militia member that had done this is chilling.

In light of those leftist enviro-whackos who burn lodges and new car/SUV lots - how can this be?

</mild and pointed sarcam>

Are we even sure how much/how many of the CA wildfires are started by some of these nuts?

[meyer]

Did they have some 'early retirements'?

Actually, NERC got on them pretty early about being understaffed and underpaid. Their operators were making less money that the transmission operators of most of the companies in their area. Plus, they apparently couldn't handle more than one situation at a time.

But there may also be some "early retirements" - I don't know. All I know is that I don't want to live in the town in which they operate. B O R I N G!!

[Oldeconomybuyer]

That's a darn good question.

[null and void]

IMO the probability of terror with our increased world-wide efforts (as well as here in the US) is zero ...

My opinion is it's low, but nonzero. That is the nub of our disagreement.

FWIW, I hope you are right.

[null and void]

Are we even sure how much/how many of the CA wildfires are started by some of these nuts?

Nope, no idea. We do know that by lobbying and lawsuits to eliminate thinning, they set the stage.

[oyez]

Bolshevic, huh?

[null and void]

As the IRA once said: “We only have to be lucky once. You have to be lucky all the time.”

The evil is in plain sight, the danger increases with denial. - George W. Bush

[_Jim]

YOUR only basis for forecasting upcoming terror events is 9/11 ... as with the stock market: "Past performance is no indication or guarantee of future results"

IF you'll recall from your days studying linear functions: "At least points are required to establish the slope of a line" -

- you've only got one coordinate pair to work with so far; NO valid forecasts/extrapolation can made at this point ...

[_Jim]

At least points ==> at least two points

[null and void]

The '93 attack on the WTC? The Cole? Khobar towers? The Bali Blast? Assorted ME types being intercepted at the US Canadian boarder with HE? Sychronized Embassy blasts in Africa? Fragging in Iraq?

Nope. No trend here. No pattern whatsoever.

News flash, underscoreJim - we're at WAR. It's the other guy's job to hurt us!

They will try to do this whenever and wherever the opportunity presents itself.

We'd do the same for them, except our people want to survive the encounter...

[_Jim]

Nope. No trend here. No pattern whatsoever.

Nope. No trend here ...

You said it.

[null and void]

You SERIOUSLY don't see two attacks on the same freaking building by the same freaking group as related data points????

The mind boggles!

Re-read what Dubya said (in my tag line)

[little jeremiah]

When these tamperings were first reported on FR, and this dude's name came up (along with his ex-wife) it turned out they were (are still?) involved in pro-Palestinian activity and organization(s). I can't remember much detail but the guy and ex were definitely on the pro-terrorist side. So I don't buy the lie that he was just trying to point out weakness. I think he was trying to exploit weakness.

[_Jim]

YOU have technical training and you can't do proper 'cause' and 'effect' linkage?

I have one data-point involving AL Qaeda and terrorism on these shores - would care to provide the second point so we may all extrapolate towards a meaningful forecast?

[sarasmom]

Have you lost your entire mind?
You want an obvious maniac to explain the finer issues of the power grid system?
For balance?
So you can form an educated opinion?
DUH!

[Calpernia]

You are welcome to explain how a power grid system works.



waiting........

[Calpernia]

I remember that thread...

Here:

http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1006934/posts?page=30#30

http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1006934/posts?page=13#13

[null and void]

WTC. 1993. Osama bin Laudin. First attempt to down the WTC. It was in all the papers. Truck bomb with poison, fortunately the heat of the blast destroyed the poison.

Do I need to link OLB and Al Qaeda for you, or can you manage that much on your own?