Yesterday, Gabe Elsner, CSSC’s Power Vote Campaign Director accompanied Joel Francis to Koch Industries’ headquarters to deliver his debate challenge in person to CEO Charles Koch. Last week, Joel delivered his challenge through a highly publicized online video (NYTimes/Forbes/Business Week/Huff Post/LA Weekly). Here is our video update from Wichita – Please share with everyone you know!
Because Koch did not respond to the video challenge, Francis traveled to Wichita to deliver the debate challenge letter in person. Francis was prevented from entering the building after requesting to see Koch in person. He handed the debate challenge letter to Larry Moorman, Director of Corporate Security, who assured Francis that Mr. Koch would receive the letter. Before leaving, Francis called Koch Industries’ and was connected to Kay, Mr Koch’s secretary. Kay said that Charles Koch was unavailable and then took Joel’s name and phone number and assured him that Charles would get back to him.
Regardless, Charles made it clear that he heard about the challenge and responded by posting the “Director of Corporate Security” and a dozen security guards in front of the multi-billionaire dollar company.
Mr. Francis has remained friendly while pushing Charles Koch to debate the Dirty Energy Proposition – Prop 23 – in public before Election Day. As a graduating college student, Joel is about to enter a tough job market, and that is why he is working to safeguard the bright spot in California’s economy.
It seems that Mr. Koch does not have the courage to respond to a college student and U.S. Marine Corps veteran worried about the negative impact Prop 23 would have on our state.
“As a senior, I’m worried that the dirty energy initiative Mr. Koch is funding would jeopardize $10 billion of private investment in the state’s clean economy and ruin the fastest growing sector of Californian economy. Many of us who are getting ready to enter the workforce are looking to the clean technology sector as a strong employment option,” Francis said. “If Mr. Koch is going to come into our state with his money, a lot of people would like to hear directly from him why he is trying to wreak our economy’s development.”
Over the next week, the California Student Sustainability Coalition will continue mobilizing thousands of young people to ensure our generation votes on Tuesday, November 2 and defeats Prop 23.
Please help spread the word about Joel’s challenge to the billionaire CEO funding trying to ruin our clean energy future.
Pledge to vote NO on Prop 23 at www.powervote.ca !
