Robert Redford’s Newest Role:  Playing “Grinch” To Low-Income Families
  by Niger Innis (12/30/08)

New York City, NY (Dec. 30)—Civil rights and faith-based leaders say that Hollywood actor Robert Redford is playing the “Grinch” to low-income families because of his attempt to slow production of natural gas in Utah, which helps supply affordable home heating fuel to millions of homes in Chicago and across the Midwest.

“This is a starring role that we would rather not see Mr. Redford playing, because it has real consequences to real people,” said Niger Innis, national chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). “If Robert Redford succeeds in blocking natural gas production in Utah, it’s going to hurt a lot of people on the other end of the pipeline—especially low-income families who are struggling to pay their heating bills.”

Innis said that a substantial amount of natural gas from the Rockies—and Utah—makes it to cities in the Midwest every day via a network of pipelines.

“We are not going to stand by as Robert Redford tries to slow the flow of home heating fuel from the Rockies and drive up home heating prices to millions of Americans in his lust for environmental headlines,” Innis said. “There are literally people whose lives are at stake this winter because they can barely afford to heat their homes now.”

“The Hollywood crowd likes to pontificate in front of the cameras to show their love for the environment, but what they are actually doing is leading a ‘war on the poor’ by constricting energy supply and encouraging prices to go higher,” Innis said. “When energy prices go up, no one gets hurt worse than poor families and low-income folks.”

Innis said that his organization and Bishop Harry Jackson’s High Impact Leadership Coalition were launching a “Don’t Freeze Us Out” campaign that will organize local churches, civil rights groups, consumer groups, low-income energy assistance advocates and others to fight against Redford and self-styled environmental groups that are working to constrict supplies of natural gas and other energy resources.

“Hollywood may be insensitive to the needs of low-income Americans on affordable energy, but President-elect Obama is not,” Innis said. “We are convinced that he will answer the call of our community, and poor families everywhere, who need access to affordable and reliable energy.”

CORE: http://core-online.org/

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