'Missing' Scorecard Shows Pestka's Ongoing Misrepresentations and Confirms Failing Grade on Environmental Record

Cate Edwards: "Trevor is a member of our generation who we can count on to stand up for fairness, equality and opportunity for every generation....Trevor is an openly gay, pro-choice, pro-environment progressive who understands first-hand the unique challenges young Americans face today.  He is exactly the kind of candidate we should be standing up to support."

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH - Trevor Thomas' campaign for Congress today called on Steve Pestka to pull down the environmental section of his website, and to rescind and clarify prior remarks in which he claims he "consistently had a 100% rating" from the Michigan League of Conservation Voters (LCV).  In fact, the LCV scorecard from Mr. Pestka's only full term in office before he began running for another position showed him with a 55% rating, which the Grand Rapids Press noted at the time was the 3rd lowest of any Democrat in the state legislature.

"Mr. Pestka should immediately remove the false and misleading section of his website, and issue a statement making clear that he has misstated his own record and acknowledging his actual rating," said Clint Wallace, campaign manager for Trevor Thomas. "Voters deserve accurate statements on the candidates records, and the truth is that Mr. Pestka voted with Republicans on key environmental issues as a state legislator. Mr. Pestka is trying to hide this failing score from Democratic voters." 

While in the state legislature, Mr. Pestka joined Republicans and challenged the Clinton Administration by voting against a bill endorsing the Kyoto Protocol, a key treaty to address global warming.  The scorecard showing a failing grade is linked below. 

In addition to hiding his past environmental voting record, in debates against Trevor Thomas, Mr. Pestka deflected inquiries about his investments in major oil companies and fracking efforts that the League of Conservation Voters and other environmental groups have opposed.  Mr. Pestka has not made any public statement to date on his position on fracking in West Michigan.  The company he owns stock in is investing $2.2 in a fracking projects, including here in Michigan.


THE FACTS ON PESTKA'S ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD:

PESTKA'S CLAIM: "I don’t know what he’s talking about, 'a failing grade,' they give you a number, a percentage, and if you go to the LCV website, you’ll see that I have a 100 percent voting record." - Steve Pestka, July 17, 2012 (Battle Creek Enquirer / WMUK Debate)

THE FACTS: The LCV voting card, available on the LCV website in PDF format, shows Mr. Pestka had a 55% voting record.  See: http://michiganlcv.org/sites/default/files/1999-2000%20scorecard.pdf


THE CLAIM: "Yes I stand by my record, I’m very proud of my environmental record, and I’m delighted to - when I get to Washington I want to take the same kind of record there." - Steve Pestka, July 17, 2012 (Battle Creek Enquirer / WMUK Debate)

THE FACTS - VOTING RECORD AS A LEGISLATOR: The Grand Rapids Press reported on Mr. Pestka's environmental record in his first term as a state legislator. The following is a direct quote from the Grand Rapids Press in a story that ran on page A1 on September 28, 2000:

State Rep. Steve Pestka, D-Grand Rapids, scored well below the Democratic average, at 55 percent. Only three Democrats scored lower than Pestka. "Sadly, many state legislators have turned their backs on Michigan's proud tradition of conservation leadership," the League's report said. "These are dark days for executive and legislative leadership on conservation issues."  Grand Rapids Press, September 28, 2000.


THE FACTS - SPECIFIC VOTES: In 1999, Mr. Pestka stood with Republicans against the Kyoto Climate Treaty, a key treaty negotiated by the Clinton Administration to take on the problem of climate change. See HR No. 98, June 8 1999.

THE FACTS - CURRENT STANCE: Mr. Pestka's current investments include: Devon Energy, an energy company out of Oklahoma, which obtained $2.2 billion from China for its fracking operations in the U.S., particularly in Michigan. Devon owns 300,000 acres in Michigan. Devon also constructs and operates pipelines, storage and treating facilities and natural gas processing plants. See: http://banmichiganfracking.org/?p=300


THE BOTTOM LINE: On July 18, 2012, Thomas described the scorecard to Steve Pestka during a debate in Battle Creek, and the Thomas campaign provided a copy of the Grand Rapids Press article from 2001 detailing Pestka's failing grade to the Pestka campaign and reporters following the July 18, 2012 debate.  

Still, Mr. Pestka has not removed the webpage claiming he was consistently ranked 100%, and in a second debate he continued to claim that Mr. Thomas was incorrect. Mr. Pestka is misrepresenting his own record on the environment.

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