John McCain’s pick of Sarah Palin may have endeared him to hockey moms, but it’s taken the GOP ticket out of the running in the green sweepstakes, argues New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman.
By choosing Palin, who supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (McCain has opposed it, although he’s now reconsidering) and doesn’t believe in human-caused global warming (McCain does), McCain “has completed his makeover from the greenest Republican to run for president to just another representative of Big Oil.”
And Friedman notes that for all of McCain’s stump talk about boosting clean renewables, he has studiously avoided supporting eight different votes to extend crucial tax credits for wind and solar.
94 Comments
McCain, like his fellow members in the Grand Old Pedophiles voted against bills that would bring potentially billions of dollars of investment into Kansas.
Palin attacks Obama for his state’s acceptance of earmarks, but neglects to mention her own state’s record on that subject.
http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/09/08/palin-hits-obama-on-earmarks/
Hypocritical? Nah, not the “Hockey Mom”.
Steven
I noticed that the story you linked didnt mention the $1 million earmark Obamassiah got for the hospital his wife worked at. After his wife got a $200,000 dollar raise.
Heckler,
The point was, that Palin is no earmark virgin. Shocking! I know.
Palin = big oil whore. Also, quite shocking!
Steven
Big oil whore? In what way? Didnt she raise taxes on them?
Typical Randy Scholfield thread…BORING!!!
Yes it is true. Any pretense (and being a con, that’s ALL it was) John McCain made at caring about the environment has been totally blown away with his choice of slash and burn Sarah Palin.
News about the GOP “reformer”:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090803088.html?hpid=topnews
This Colter-Clone is a gift that will just keep on giving. If the Dems don’t take advantage of this gift, they don’t deserve the Whitehouse.
Turned out to be bills ever seen. It crossed my mind to gladwrap ours, but of her own state’s we didn’t.
Very interesting.
From Steven’s link….
“The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife. ”
What “official business” IS is that Todd Palin is doing? Would he be travelling on the government dime to meet with his Alaska secessionist friends?
“Only one green candidate?”
Yep. That would be Obama. Green with envy over McCain VP pick Sarah Palin, who has been responsible for turning the race around.
Steven
I’m still wondering- “Big oil whore? In what way?”
Steven
“This Colter-Clone is a gift that will just keep on giving. If the Dems don’t take advantage of this gift, they don’t deserve the Whitehouse.”
Curious. Then why is the Left collectively pithing their pants over her?
Ah another Thomas Friedman column. Looks like Scholfield has kneeled down at the altar of the NYT, made his sacrifices and is singing the praises of Friedman and Obama his messiah.
Another day of the left and the Eagle painting the GOP ticket as the ‘big bad wolfe’. Funny thing is the more dirt they try to throw the more than lands on them.
Polls taken at the end of August show that the public overwhelmingly favor drilling here, drilling now and paying less.
http://www.pollingreport.com/energy.htm
The dems just can’t find the right key to success it seems. Even there own are now telling them to drop the attacks on Palin. The more they critize her the more popular she becomes.
Mccain really is the change agent. He changes more than a chameleon. Matter of fact, he’s changed from ridiculing change, to adopting it as his platform! Changed from being against bush tax cuts to being for bush tax cuts. Wait for his next change if he gets in office, he’ll go back to being himself.
I’ve seen the crowds mindlessly chanting sarah, sarah, sarah, seen her actually signing autographs and ball caps. She is the chosen one, not obama.
Seems both McCain and Obama have taken stances that recognize environmental concerns and made promises to address failings of the current administration. So what’s the problem? IF both candidates keep the promises they’ve made we’re ahead no matter which one is elected.
With mccain there’s a chance his term will be taken over by a GW denier.
Phantom
Posted September 9, 2008 at 9:40 am | Permalink
With mccain there’s a chance his term will be taken over by a GW denier.
——-
Fantastic!
taken over by a GW denier.
Have you noticed the thermometer over the last 10 years?
Who is in denial?
The dems ought to agree to more drilling with the condition that the oil produced would go into the spr. That would decrease world demand somewhat, and keep the oil here.
“ANTI” reveals the Palinist agenda –
“With mccain there’s a chance his term will be taken over…
Fantastic!”
I happened across a dominionist website lastnight (forerunner.com, I think).
It recommends, if McCoot gets elected, “Pray for his salvation and speedy death.”
It’s part of Palin’s dominionist theology; somethingabout “imprecatory” prayers.
(You twice-born can explain it to the class.)
I think this article points out that neither mccain or palin have any idea what they’re talking about.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080909/pl_nm/fannie_freddie_mccain_dc_1
With downsizing of fannie and freddie, the real estate market and downstream new construction would surely be devastated with a small fannie and freddie presence. They serve a useful function. Fron another article:
The two government-sponsored companies buy about half of the mortgages made by U.S. banks then resell them to investors. Without them, banks would have to wait 30 years to get their money back from home borrowers, severely limiting the number of loans they could make.
Freddie and Fannie were created in part to give low- and middle-income Americans the chance to buy homes at reasonable interest rates. Without them, interest rates would skyrocket and home sales would plummet.
When the Chosen all congregate in Alaska, and Palin’s church rises up to administer to them, all of you that are ‘left behind’ will see what a right choice palin was!
Phantom, is G W Bush still trying to kill you?
Daily. Slow suffocation.
Just checking
StevenEDavis
“Palin = big oil whore. Also, quite shocking!”
No, what’s shocking is how damn wrong you are.
snip
The Senate Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over monopolies, was chaired from 1981 until 1995 by Democratic Senator Joe Biden, who also conducted no oversight whatsoever over anti-trust enforcement and acquiesced in the de facto immunity of energy cartels from anti-trust enforcement.
From 1983 to 2003, by making substantial campaign contributions to Democrats and Republicans alike, multinational cartels became the sacred cows in both Alaska and Washington and enjoyed de facto immunity from both federal and state regulation. In that regard, Frank Murkowski, who in 2003 became the first Republican Governor since Jay Hammond, perpetuated a corrupt status quo.
From 2003 to 2004 Sarah Palin served on the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, until resigning in protest over what she called the “lack of ethics” of fellow Republican Governor Murkowski. After she resigned, she exposed the lack of ethics of the state Republican Party’s chairman, Randy Ruedrich, one of her fellow Oil & Gas commissioners. Mrs. Palin filed formal complaints against both Ruedrich and former Alaska Attorney General Gregg Renkes, who both resigned.
During her tenure as Governor of Alaska Mrs. Palin, with no aid from federal anti-trust enforcers, has fought alone in the front line of the battle against multinational energy cartels. While Congressional Democrats have capitulated to the oil cartels, she has increased taxes on their OPEC induced profits, launched a gas pipeline, balanced Alaska’s budget, and also remitted earnings from oil royalties to Alaska’s citizens.
http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272622583.shtml
In a world of sane people Palin would be a hero to Green BIGOIL hating left. But no one ever accused the Left of being sane.
See, this is something I’d like for the twice-born, Rapture-bound evangelicals to explain:
Is the Second Coming something to look forward to, or to dread?
Seriously.
I hear evangelicals talk about their mission or political rationalizations and many drop in “…if Jesus tarries….” As if, until there’s a Rapture, they’re charged with… what?!
I thought the truly “saved” were gonna be swept up from us heathens into heaven. But there’s this holy roller church in Wasilla, Alaska that think’s it’s purpose is to tend to people who are “left behind.” So the people who are going to that church today expect to miss out on the Rapture? Or they’re just tending to the real estate until we refugees from the Tribulation migrate up there?
Just who is “saved?”
For what?
#
Monkeyhawk
Posted September 9, 2008 at 10:11 am | Permalink
“ANTI” reveals the Palinist agenda –
“With mccain there’s a chance his term will be taken over…
Fantastic!”
I happened across a dominionist website lastnight (forerunner.com, I think).
It recommends, if McCoot gets elected, “Pray for his salvation and speedy death.”
It’s part of Palin’s dominionist theology; somethingabout “imprecatory” prayers…
————-
Notice ‘ol Monkey cut off Phantom’s comment, which in it’s entirety was : “With mccain there’s a chance his term will be taken over by a GW Denier”
To which ANTI replied “Fantastic!”
Changes the whole meaning doesn’t it? And takes it back to topic. Anyway, Monkey follows with yet another false attack on Sarah Palin’s religion.
Pathetic, Monkeyhawk. At best. But you are invited to keep on fueling the backlash with your lies. Seems to be working pretty good so far for the McCain ticket, eh?
BTW, did you see where McCain now leads by 15% among independents?
Palin did not cut funding for special needs education in Alaska by 62 percent. She didn’t cut it at all. In fact, she tripled per-pupil funding over just three years.
She did not demand that books be banned from the Wasilla library. Some of the books on a widely circulated list were not even in print at the time. The librarian has said Palin asked a “What if?” question, but the librarian continued in her job through most of Palin’s first term.
Palin has not pushed for teaching creationism in Alaska’s schools. She has said that students should be allowed to “debate both sides” of the evolution question, but she also said creationism “doesn’t have to be part of the curriculum.”
http://www.newsweek.com/id/157986
Another Republican hit piece from Schofield. Between the Eagle and PrimeBuzz, he’s got a lot of venues to spew hit hatred or the GOP. It’s very unfortunate he can’t at least try and hide his biased.
“Another Republican hit piece from Schofield. Between the Eagle and PrimeBuzz, he’s got a lot of venues to spew hit hatred or the GOP. It’s very unfortunate he can’t at least try and hide his biased.” — the wefu
“It’s not bragging if its true.” — Mohammed Ali
“outlander” –
You have nothing to say about “Pray for McCain’s speedy death?”
Is that not dominionist theology?
Is that not the reason you twice-born are
posting gibberishejaculating about the Moose-Dresser?Hey MonkeyHawk,
I don’t talk religion much here, seems kinda fruitless. However, I’ve put out an offer to talk to anyone, one-on-one over lunch.
I don’t believe in the ‘Rapture’. I personally don’t find any Biblical support for it. As far as the ‘Second Coming’, I’m not afraid of anything. (or anybody)
“Is the Second Coming something to look forward to, or to dread?”
Interesting question, seriously! I’m not sure we should ‘look forward’ to it. If history is any way to judge, everyone that has expected it has been disapointed in it.
Monkey”boy”
As I told BJR earlier. The only smear from the left that is sticking is the smear in your shorts.
Keep it up, it just drives more sane people to the right.
“HLP” –
I’ll name the place.
You buy the lunch.
Then you can tell me how you have decided to accept or interpret your version of “the” Faith.
Monkeyhawk
Posted September 9, 2008 at 11:07 am | Permalink
“outlander” –
You have nothing to say about “Pray for McCain’s speedy death?”
Is that not dominionist theology?
—————–
Sounds like a kook to me Monkeyhawk.
Regardless, it is a totally irrelevant comment allegedly made on an obscure website that you can’t even link.
Pathetic Monkey. Just pathetic.
I guess I am failing to see the problem with earmarks.
If I were a congreesman, I would fight hard to get my taxpayers their money back from the inept government.
I do, however, have a problem with foreign earmarks.
This equal distribution socialism is going to cripple our country. Both parties are guilty where they stand on this issue.
Why in the world are we talking about what a candidate for VP thinks about things environmental? What difference does what Palin thinks matter? Anyone hear questions about Biden interjecting his policies over those of Obama? Do any of us think either McCain or Obama intend to be second fiddle in the job they are applying for? Did someone forget who the candidates for president are?
McCain and Obama have taken stances that recognize environmental concerns and made promises to address failings of the current administration.
“outlander” –
http://www.forerunner.com
So tell me about “Impecatory Prayer.”
lindainks55
Posted September 9, 2008 at 11:33 am | Permalink
Why in the world are we talking about what a candidate for VP thinks about things environmental? What difference does what Palin thinks matter? Anyone hear questions about Biden interjecting his policies over those of Obama? Do any of us think either McCain or Obama intend to be second fiddle in the job they are applying for? Did someone forget who the candidates for president are?
——–
Thank You Linda! :)
Palin is a token woman, because her beliefs won’t matter one iota if mccain doesn’t kick the bucket.
Michelle Obama works for a nonprofit hospital.
Barrack Obama made sure that Michelle’s employer received a very large earmark of Federal Funds.
Michelle Obama then got a huge raise.
Corruption.
Dirty Chicago Machine politics.
More of the same.
Eagle
It is more environmentally sound to produce our own oil than it is to transport that oil from an OPEC country.
Palin is a token woman, because her beliefs won’t matter one iota if mccain doesn’t kick the bucket. — Phantom
——
And IF what she thinks is more important than his stated policies, that tells us even more about the candidate McCain, doesn’t it? He has proven malleable. Will he once again adopt a NEW deeply-held conviction if it proves more popular?
Mccain change=Name change.
Heard the women flocking to palin are largely repubs., not hillary dems.
“People are Policy”
Words to live by.
Newspapers are dirty, old, wasteful technology.
We don’t need newspapers.
Lets TAX the Wichita Eagle and then use those funds to subsidize CLEAN, NEW, information technologies.
TAX newsprint, at $1.00 per pound, and use the revenues to reduce the cost of internet services.
Some revenue could also be used to turn used newsprint into ENERGY, and to extract methane from landfills.
Newspapers cut down trees.
Transporting newsprint uses too much energy.
Newspaper ink, and newspaper solvents, are toxic and bad for the environment.
Transporting newspapers to homes wastes gasoline and diesel fuel.
Hauling used newspapers to the landfill wastes more energy.
Tax newspapers!
Newspapers are environmentally unsound!
Newspapers HURT the environment!
List of top 15 countries exporting oil to the U.S. for June, 2008: http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/import.html
While several on the list are OPEC member states, Canada and Mexico aren’t; neither, to my knowledge, are Russia or Columbia (or Brazil).
Franklin’s point, imperfectly stated, is well made, however; arguably, domestic production would have a lower total environmental impact than importation, regardless of the source. However, the larger issue is the transfer of dollars to the exporters.
Given that short-term the U.S. cannot wean itself from oil, does it make sense to maximize domestic production in the hope that this will have some effect on the price of oil set on a world market, and diminish the transfer of dollars while depleting the less-costly (it is argued) reserves available domestically; or does it make more sense to work towards a non-petroleum based energy source, suffering some (I don’t have a quantifiable amount here) economic distress during the transition, which (again, arguably) will be greater the longer this transition is delayed.
“Newspapers are dirty, old, wasteful tech.” — the wefu
The wefu is welcome to read their news on their computers while in the bathtub.
It’s not only a question of wealth transfer, which is important in itself, but a question of natl. world security and stability.
Franklin, why not recycle the newsprint rather than disposing of the same in a landfill, and borrowing your idea, only tax newly produced from trees newsprint? Or, should wood product producers get a depletion allowance to encourage greater exploration and development of existing forests to harvest to obtain additional sources of pulp from which to make paper, lumber for building houses, “stock” for furniture and cabinet making, etc., without being bothered to plant replacement trees?
Thought I’d omit that one, Phantom, given bad memories of the overuse of the term “national security” some thirty plus years ago.
Of course, I am spoofing “Cap and Trade” — I actually think newspapers are dying on their own, without much need for me, or anyone else, to drive a stake through their hearts.
What the hell is wefu?
Typical.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… John McCain is two-faced–on a GOOD day.
Just one more example of how he says one thing and does another.
If we’re paying Palin to sleep in her own bed, is that like prostituting her?
John S (for Senile) McCain the Third (for Shrub’s 3rd term) has been in Washington D.C. for 30 years and the only thing he’s changed is his position on the issues.
“Phantom
Posted September 9, 2008 at 12:57 pm | Permalink
If we’re paying Palin to sleep in her own bed, is that like prostituting her?”
That depends…
Is she married to the oil companies lying in bed with her or are they renting her?
econ posted September 9, 2008 at 11:54 am
“Eagle
It is more environmentally sound to produce our own oil than it is to transport that oil from an OPEC country.”
——–
Really? Like the Exxon Valdez and Prince Williams Sound?
Like BP’s 201,000-gallon oil spill in 2006 at Prudhoe Bay?
It’s much more “environmentally sound” to reduce our oil demand, than to buy oil from ANYWHERE.
http://www.oilendgame.com/ReadTheBook.html
And it’s also cheaper.
It’s more “environmentally sound” to ban all human activity.
Human’s are the only problem affecting our planet!
(except for Cosmos and myself of course)
We can’t afford Green and all the crazy regulations that goes with it.
I guess we have the cons. on record that if Sebelius wants to buy a house and commute to work, they won’t mind paying her a per diem for her house and food on her table.
Friedman? :roll:
Mccain has changed to the change candidate. Heard his spokesman say the change mantle had been transferred to mccain, I say more like swiped by Mccain.
Sorry, even when I agree with him, he’s shallow.
Phantom
If you are concerned about what Palin spent on travel don’t look at what Pelosi spends. You’re head’ll explode.
I’d say Palin is a pretty green candidate.
Or would that be Greenhorn? New bumper sticker Foghorn/Leghorn ‘08.
Oil back to 102, and neither party has done a thing. Must be the drill threat is scaring off the non-existent oil speculators.
Phantom
Drill threat? Not a threat. There are over 2000 rigs pocking holes for gas and oil in the U.S. right now. Highest count in many years.
Phantom
…something called “market forces”.
#
Heckler
Posted September 9, 2008 at 2:25 pm | Permalink
Phantom
…something called “market forces”.
————————————————————
Or OPEC not having come to a consensus on where they want the price level to be.
Price of oil gone down 24% in last three months, that tells us demand will be going up because price has gone down, right?
Just heard Pickens say that Iran was shifting their cars to natural gas, now why would a country with all that oil be shifting to n.g.? For that matter why would a country with all that oil want nuclear plants for electricity?
Thems some mysterious forces!
Phantom, re: Iran, it could be due to the way its oil refining, etc., infrastructure has fallen into disrepair. Or, it could be that it makes more long term sense to sell the oil rather than use it domestically, for whatever purpose.
That was one of the reasons Pickens gave, they use less, they can sell more.
If we used less, we could buy less. I kind of like the idea of helping the car companies re-tool so they can build more efficient autos.
We helped Japan re-tool, about time we did it for ourselves. Japanese govt. works very closely with their industries, as does the Europeans, and most other developed nations.
#
Monkeyhawk
Posted September 9, 2008 at 11:14 am | Permalink
“HLP” –
I’ll name the place.
You buy the lunch.
Then you can tell me how you have decided to accept or interpret your version of “the” Faith.
___________________________________________________
Any Thursday in October. Locally, of course.
Short-lived gases and particle pollutants — which stay in the atmosphere for just days or weeks — have a greater influence on Earth’s climate than previously thought, according to a new NOAA-led report released today as part of the series of Synthesis and Assessment Reports coordinated by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. The report also says that while these pollutants are generated locally they will have global climate implications.
Such short-lived pollution includes black carbon (soot), low-altitude ozone, nitrates and sulfates. Each type of pollution influences surface temperatures differently — from the cooling influence of sulfate particles, which tend to reflect sunlight, to the warming characteristics of heat-absorbing black carbon.
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/20080904_pollution.html
=======================================================
Record particulate matter was recorded over Minnesota during the GOP convention. It has been attributed to widespread b**l Sh**, spread by attending conventioneers.
I think I’ve solved the mystery, Palin is a Stepford wife!
“No questions, please; Palin sticks to her script By SARA KUGLER, Associated Press Writer
22 minutes ago
LEBANON, Ohio – John McCain took a risk in picking little-known Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as a running mate, but now the campaign’s playing it safer. She’s sticking to a greatest hits version of her convention speech on the campaign trail and steering clear of questions until she’s comfortable enough for a hand-picked interviewer later this week.
ADVERTISEMENT
More than 40 million people tuned in last week to listen to the speech from Palin, the 44-year-old first-term governor whom McCain announced as his surprise vice presidential pick just days before. Since then, that basic script is all anyone has heard from her publicly, and her only interaction with the media was a brief conversation with a small group of reporters on her plane Monday — off the record at her handlers’ insistence.
Associated Press reporters were not on the plane, but an aide told the journalists on board that all Palin flights would be off the record unless the media were told otherwise. At least one reporter objected. Two people on the flight said the Palins greeted the media and they chatted about who had been to Alaska, but little else was said.
By comparison, her Democratic counterpart, Joe Biden, has been campaigning on his own for weeks, at times taking questions from audiences. He was interviewed on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday.
His campaign appearances have touched on a range of issues — in Florida he talked about U.S. support for Israel, in Pennsylvania it was economics and tax policy.
Amid growing sniping from Democrats, the McCain campaign announced that Palin would sit down for her first interview, with ABC. It will take place over two days at her home in Alaska.
And then?
McCain campaign manager Rick Davis has said that Palin will “agree to an interview when we think it’s time and when she feels comfortable doing it.”
“She’s not scared to answer questions,” Davis said on “Fox News Sunday.”
So far, Palin has barely spoken with voters either. Since the convention, she and McCain have breezed through a Wisconsin ice cream shop, a New Mexico restaurant and a Missouri barbecue place, shaking hands with diners but not taking any questions. Photographers and television cameras have been allowed full view while reporters are typically ushered too far away to ask questions or hear most of the conversations.
Her public remarks essentially have been excerpts of her convention speech, delivered while introducing McCain at rallies.
Her schedule released Tuesday shows she will attend a “welcome home” rally in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Wednesday evening — her first major campaign appearance without McCain at her side and his advisers hanging in the wings.
To be sure, all candidates running for office give the same remarks over and over — Barack Obama’s stump speech has hardly changed throughout the campaign, and McCain has been telling familiar stories and jokes for months.
But none of the candidates in this race has been so shielded from the media, so protected from any spontaneous situation, and Palin’s unvarying remarks give the impression that she and her message are being tightly controlled. As before her convention speech, McCain’s campaign is briefing Palin for her first TV interview.
In her remarks, there are always descriptions of McCain as a “man who’s there to serve his country and not just his party.” He’s someone who’s “not looking for a fight but is not afraid of one either.” He “doesn’t run with the Washington herd.” He’s the only man in this election “who has ever really fought for you.”
And always the same details about herself, how she “stood up to the special interests, the lobbyists, big oil companies and the good ol’ boys network,” as a mayor and then governor in Alaska.
The people in their crowds, many of whom say they’ve heard these lines before, still go wild when she repeats that McCain put everything on the line last year when he said “he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war.”
She can be a little cutting, as well, when it comes to the Democrats.
“In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers,” she says. “And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.”
She delivers the line, like many of her veiled criticisms of Obama, in a disapproving tone that still manages to sound charming to her fans. It is part of what makes her so popular on the campaign trail.
Another favorite is that story about how she got rid of luxuries in the state Capitol, like a personal driver, chef and luxury jet.
“I put it on eBay,” she says.
Audiences love this part, but what Palin never adds is that the jet didn’t sell on eBay despite numerous attempts. The state eventually hired an aircraft broker to unload it.
“Record particulate matter was recorded over Minnesota during the GOP convention. It has been attributed to widespread b**l Sh**, spread by attending conventioneers.”
Only because they couldn’t measure it properly in the high altitude of Denver, CO. the week before.
Phantom posted September 9, 2008 at 2:44 pm
“I kind of like the idea of helping the car companies re-tool so they can build more efficient autos.”
——–
It’s a good idea. OilEndGame suggests federal loan guarantees to help automakers with initial retooling.
Also feebates, scrap-and-replace programs, various “carrots”, etc.
PDF page 13 at http://www.oilendgame.com/ReadTheBook.html
See index for page #’s of more details re policies.
I want to hear Palin’s answer when she is asked what this paragraph in the Arctic Refuge legislation means.
“SEC. 7. COASTAL PLAIN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.
(3) ensure that the maximum surface acreage covered in connection with the leasing program by production and support facilities, including airstrips and any areas covered by gravel berms or piers for support of pipelines, does not exceed 2,000 acres on the Coastal Plain.”
——
Gravel roads and gravel mines are not included in the “maximum surface acreage covered”.
It is understood, I trust, that there is more to be done over and above retooling for vehicles with greater fuel economy. This would, of course, seem to be desirable for the short term, as would, IMO, consideration of four day work weeks, much as I understand Utah has done.
Looking to the longer term, there are other considerations. If, for example, Mr. Pickens’ approach to fueling the vehicles with natural gas would be adopted, there is the entirety of the existing filling station infrastructure to be replaced. Moving forward from there, should fuel cells be determined to be the energy source of choice, should the rework to natural gas be done in a way that can be adapted to handle hydrogen?
There are other policy issues involved as well. Should all of us suddenly drive new vehicles with twice the fuel economy of our current ones, then there will be decreased revenues from the gasoline taxes that fund the Highway Trust Fund, for example. Thus, should there be an increase in the rate of tax on gasoline to replace the lost revenues from greater economy? Or, in light of the decreased revenues, should some limitations be put, through appropriate zoning regulation, on urban growth to the “suburbs”? If not, then should there be more funding of mass transit systems, light rail, whatever, to move the folks more efficiently from the bedroom communities to the core areas? Do we care about the core areas at all? What about “telecommuting”?
I’ve many questions, not answers. Thoughts?
“The interview is a coup for Gibson, who also had the only sit-down with McCain during the Republican National Convention. During that interview, he did not question McCain about Palin’s family, a decision that he fretted about for hours, Gibson said in a Web log posted last week.
“Once you know about her daughter’s pregnancy, once you know about her husband’s political interest in the Alaska Independent Party, once you know about the special nature of their latest child, I think that’s enough,” Gibson wrote.
No wonder they picked Gibson.
“and doesn’t believe in human-caused global warming”
Just another reason to like Palin. She is one smart gal.
Global warming is the liberals church.
Anybody hear whether the anti-American Democrats said they were sorry for throwing away 12,000 American flags?
Thanks
I think they’re still at the police station reporting the theft.
As a scientist myself I guess I had not realized that science was the liberals’ church.