Yearly Archives: 2009

Energy

Fossil Fuels Out-Green Biofuels

In celebration of Earth Day, did you know that it is greener to burn our fossil fuels than to produce and burn biofuels? I think this would be a hard sell to Robert Kennedy Jr. but if it’s the environment that we’re trying to impact less, then we need to get serious about actually getting more of our own oil and gas so we can be less dependent on foreign suppliers. All in one fell swoop we could increase our national security, lower the price of gasoline at the pump, and help the environment. It’s a win win win.

Increasing production of biofuels to combat climate change will release between two and nine times more carbon gases over the next 30 years than fossil fuels, according to the first comprehensive analysis of emissions from biofuels.

Biofuels look good in climate change terms from a Western perspective, said Dr Spracklen, but globally they actually lead to higher carbon emissions.

The reason is that producing biofuel is not a “green process”. It requires tractors and fertilizers and land, all of which means burning fossil fuels to make “green” fuel. In the case of bioethanol produced from corn – an alternative to oil – “it’s essentially a zero-sums game.”

NewsBusters: New Study Recommends Against Burning Biofuels to Solve Global Warming

Will be interesting to see what play, if any, this gets in your mainstream media. And I wouldn’t hold my breath for Kennedy to get on board either. Not with BIG OIL.

h/t Amy Ridenour’s National Center Blog

editor’s note: Some things are worth repeating, especially when the MSM doesn’t adequately cover them. This post was originally posted 8/23/07.

Economy, Media, Politics, War On Terror

Obama’s First Hundred Days

Who would have thought that we would have seen this much change in under 100 days?

March 20, 2009, administration and congress pass a law taking the wages of certain private citizens via a 90% tax. This was the confiscation of bonuses paid to AIG executives that were expressly approved by (Chris Dodd) this administration in the stimulus bill. This was also the day the U.S. Constitution died.

March 31, 2009, administration takes over a private company, GM. U.S. Constitution not protected or defended.

April 2, 2009, the repeal of the Declaration of Independence by subjugating our sovereignty to a Financial Stability Board (FSB) invented by the G20 states.

April 5, 2009, North Korea successfully tested a multi-stage missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The missile went 2390 miles, 500 miles further than their last test. April 6, President Obama cuts the Pentagon’s missile defense program.

April 17, 2009, Obama administration declassifies memos detailing harsh interrogation techniques and the justification for it. Laying bare the program to our enemies. And at the same time does not release the memos showing that those techniques were successful in saving lives and preventing attacks. And at the same time announces that those techniques will be discontinued. Going forward, either Dr. Phil or Oprah will be interrogating the terrorists1. 1(terrorist: the ‘man’ part of a man-made disaster)

April 19, 2009, after pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into the banking system, replacing CEO’s, confiscating salaries, trying to set maximum salaries for financial industry workers, the Obama administration is now considering converting the bailout loans into common shares, giving the government a large ownership stake. All the while refusing to let banks repay the bailout money they received.

After the longest campaign in history, and after distancing himself from his radical friends like William Ayers and Jeremiah Wright. It’s not hard to imagine the three of them giving a fist-bump to each other and Obama saying ‘How do you like me now America?’

Now that the election is over, what we are seeing is the fastest slide from freedom and free-market capitalism in history. Through legislation, this administration has trashed the very documents it is sworn to protect and defend. In less than 100 days, President Obama (the Constitutional lawyer) has managed to re-write the Constitution without laying a pen on it.


Captionfest

Media, War On Terror

Obama Recognizes 'Mistakes' Of CIA

Visiting the CIA today in Langley, Virginia, President Obama came to justify to them why he released documents relating to interrogation techniques to the media, and al-Qaeda.

If you were under the impression that those interrogation techniques played a part in keeping us safe these last eight years, then you are mistaken. According to the President, that was a mistake.

Don’t be discouraged that we have to acknowledge that potentially we’ve made some mistakes. That’s how we learn. But the fact that we are willing to acknowledge them and then move forward, that is precisely why I am proud to be president of the United States and that’s why you should be proud to be members of the CIA.


You’re not really mistaken. They did play a role in keeping us safe. That fact is not even debatable. What the President is saying is that he will not protect us as vigorously as his predecessor did. Does that make you feel warm and fuzzy, and secure?

link: Obama reaffirms support for CIA

Economy, Energy, Organized Labor

Energy Policy Under Court's Thumb

All’s right with the world now as far as energy policy goes. To insure our dependence on foreign oil and higher energy cost at home, setting the stage for yet more government assistance programs, this country’s energy policies are now controlled by the courts and the EPA.

A program to expand oil and gas drilling off the Alaska coast has been canceled by a federal appeals court because of environmental concerns. A three-judge panel in the District of Columbia says the Bush administration’s Interior Department failed to consider the offshore environmental impact and marine life before approving an oil and gas leasing program in the Beaufort, Bering, and Chukchi (CHOOK-chee) seas.”

Nothing new here. Just pointing out liberal tendency to put the wolves in charge of the hen house. EPA dictates energy policy, teachers unions dictate education policies, like labor unions and the EPA team up to dictate the future of the auto industry. All that, combined with a lack of business experience in the entire Obama Cabinet makes the Obama administration uniquely qualified to depress the economy even further.

link: Court Cancels Offshore Drilling

Economy, Energy, Politics

No Conflict Of Interest For Obama

With billions and billions of dollars already sunk into the auto industry to, ostensibly, save it, the EPA figures it is time to make the auto industry meet yet higher standards regarding emissions. That’s just what they need now. The ‘economist’ in Obama is showing.

Moving on down the list of contributors, it must be the EPA’s turn to raise costs, and to justify it by citing ‘man made global warming.’ But this is what President Obama said he would do. That’s what is expected of him, by me and all that voted for him.

As Chairman of the Board of General Motors, Barack Obama should be speaking against higher standards now, at a time when they need to figure out how to stay in business by dropping product lines, closing plants, and probably declaring bankruptcy in order to reorganize. Without all the legacy costs. So far, nothing from Chairman Obama. Ordinarily, a conflict of interest like this would be noticed.

U.S. automakers are in a tough bind, though. After recently being rescued by the federal government, they are hardly in a position to be dictating proposals. The fuel economy standard that was laid out in 2007 demands a fleet-wide average of 35 mpg by 2020 and is estimated to cost automakers $85 billion. Raising it beyond 35 mpg will place too heavy of a burden on the struggling auto industry, officials say.

He has done it in under 100 days. Gotta give him credit for a takeover well done. He runs the board, and The White House. Now any new laws on the auto industry will get no industry input and no opposition. And we didn’t have to vote on it for all that to happen. Or to put it another way, we were never asked to choose between free-market capitalism and socialism when he was running for President. He never said that he wouldn’t one day also run General Motors. What we got instead was ‘trust me.’

For all intents and purposes, General Motors is not General Motors any more. It is now Barack Motors. BM, change he believes in.

links: U.S. automakers unhappy about higher CAFE standards | Lawmakers Set Deal on Raising Fuel Efficiency

Fair Tax, Pensacola, Politics

Pensacola Tea Party

3 Comments

The Tea Party in front of University Mall today was a ton of fun for me. And it was good to see 1000-1300 people of all ages, and of all political parties, come out to say WHOA! No Mas.

I saw a lot of enthusiasm on their faces and in their voices. It tells me this isn’t a one-day phenomenon. As for the FairTax, there were a lot of supporters out there that brought their own signs. And it was more than just Huckabee supporters.

 

Congressman Jeff Miller (R-FL) stopped by and thanked everyone there for doing what Americans can do. Exercising their freedom of speech to send a message to their government.

I’ve never seen 1000 people lining Davis Hwy in front of University Mall before for any cause. By comparison, the crowds at the courthouse for the Bush 2000 election were about 600 people, if my memory serves me. It ended up being a fun night because thanks to the chanting crowds outside and Joe Scarborough inside, they successfully stopped Gore’s lawyers from excluding the overseas military ballots which, you will recall, was what they were trying to do.

Seems to me there is more public activism, or pissed offism, now than in 2000. Of course the stakes are way higher now. Look at this event as the beginning of a peaceful transfer in power in 2010 and 2012.

Sean Dugas says it pretty well in his Pensacola News Journal article ‘Not a penny more.’

Economy, Fair Tax, Pensacola, Politics

Jacksonville FairTax Rally Video

The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville has a report on the FairTax rally at The Landing in Jacksonville Saturday where about 3,000 people came out to support and to learn about the Fair Tax.

About 3,000 or so people filled The Jacksonville Landing courtyard to cheer talk radio guru Neal Boortz, members of Congress and others promoting a plan to replace America’s income and payroll taxes with a scaled national sales tax.

In Pensacola this week, members of the The Pensacola Fair Tax Advocates Meetup Group will be attending the April 15th Tea Party at University Mall from 3pm – 6pm. Showing our support for not trying to spend our way out of a recession and borrow our way out of debt. The consequences of which amount to  inter-generational theft.

shelton_moral_standards.jpg

We have no right to deprive future generations the freedom we have by

making them live under the burden of our debt. Their choices will be limited. When it comes to family values, doing this to future generations of our family is no ‘value’ I would subscribe to.

link: FairTax rally pushes plan to replace income, payroll taxes | PNJ: Patriots’ parties protest wasteful spending

Economy, Fair Tax

IRS Tax Revenue Down 25%

The IRS said today that their tax revenues are down 25% from last year.  No problem, those of us left that are still working will just pony up. Remember, according to Vice President Joe Biden, paying taxes is an act of patriotism.

A teaching moment here. Under the Fair Tax, there would be no 25% decrease in taxing revenue. Why? Because the revenue is not taken from the worker’s income.  The revenue is instead, taken upon consumption of goods and services, not on your income. And, because income and investments are not taxed under the Fair Tax plan, businesses that have moved off shore to escape the current tax system will have a reason to return and put their $13-15 trillion to use right here in the United States.

Not to mention the unknown trillions of new business from companies around the world that have not yet done business in the United States, that would see the United States as a relative tax haven and locate here.

Economy, Politics

Rule One, What It Means

1 Comment

‘Never allow a crisis to go to waste, they are opportunities to do big things.’ This is ‘rule one‘ as explained by President Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanual.

What does that mean to you?

To me it means President Obama is not going to rebuild the economy until he first transforms it into his socialist version. Complete with a ‘youth corps’ large enough to include ACORN.

Plans to rebuild the economy come last, not first.

Economy, Fair Tax, Pensacola

Why The Tea Parties?

1 Comment

If you think your government is taxing too much, spending too much, and borrowing too much, there’s a good reason for that. Just look at this 20 year chart.

While whining about the $1.3 trillion dollar deficit he inherited, Obama’s way of fixing this is to spend over 4 times that amount, AND, in the same breath will say that he is going to cut the deficit in half in 4 years. The numbers of what the Obama administration wants to spend in his first term is equal to all the spending done by the first 43 presidents combined. And, is the first President of the United States to commit generational theft in the process.

The Congressional Budget Office, the number crunchers in Washington that Democrats loved to quote under the Bush administration, is today poo poo’d by these same Democrats because the CBO’s estimate of Obama’s policies are not the same as the administration’s own number crunchers. The CBO says it is unsustainable. And they are trying to delegitimize the CBO for that. Remember, shooting the messenger is what they do. No matter who or what the target.

Look at the chart. Neither of the estimates are acceptable. All the administration has is spin and deception to force this burdensome debt onto our children and grandchildren. And they could care less.

‘Never allow a crisis to go to waste, they are opportunities to do big things,’ as explained by President Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanual. What this means is, President Obama is not going to rebuild the economy until he first transforms it into his socialist version, and after that he plans to rebuild the economy in its new and devalued state where the people are less free and the government wields and holds all the power. That is not the change we hoped for or voted for. And that’s why Tea Parties are springing up all over the country.

People who love this country the way it has been for the last 200 plus years are gathering to say, Stop The Spending, Stop the Government Growth, Stop Limiting Freedoms, Stop Nationalizing Business and Industry.  Stop!

The Tea Parties are free. Stand up and let our elected officials see you. Come and join us at both if possible.

  • First one is in Santa Rosa County on Saturday, April 11, 2009 from 11:00 to 1:30 PM at the Farmer’s Opry House, 8897 Byrom Campbell Rd., Chumuckla. This event is to protest the increased taxation and spending by the Federal Government. Bring your American flags; wear patriotic attire, and a big smile. A Dutch treat lunch costing $12.50 each will be served. Music to be provided by the Opry’s Sawmill Band. PLEASE RSVP by April 9 at srcteaparty@yahoo.com or call Wayne Smyly 850 994-1443
  • The second one is in Escambia County on Wednesday, April 15, 2009, from 3 PM to 6 PM in front of University Mall in Pensacola.