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  1. Havakasha is offline
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    07-21-2010, 11:24 PM #11
    There you go. i made it easy for you.


    What 7 Republicans Could Do
    By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
    Published: July 20, 2010


    The hour is late, but there is still a sliver of time to pass a serious energy bill out of this Congress. To do so, though, would require President Obama to rustle up votes with a passion that he has failed to exhibit up to now, and, more importantly, it would require at least seven Republican senators to put the national interest above party and politics. Yes, I know that is all unlikely. You can laugh now. But just remember this: If we don’t get a serious energy bill out of this Congress, and Republicans retake the House and Senate, we may not have another shot until the next presidential term or until we get a “perfect storm” — a climate or energy crisis that is awful enough to finally end our debate on these issues but not so awful as to end the world. But, hey, by 2012, China should pretty much own the clean-tech industry and we’ll at least be able to get some good deals on electric cars.
    The energy bill now being discussed in the Senate — which would raise energy-efficiency standards, require utilities to get 15 percent or more of their power from renewable sources, like wind and solar, and create a limited cap on carbon emissions from power plants — is already watered down just to get 53 or so Democratic votes. But at least it gets us started on ending our addiction to oil and mitigating climate change. Unfortunately, right now it is not clear that a single Republican senator will even vote for this watered-down bill.

    That is pathetic. Rather than think seriously about our endless dependence on oil, the G.O.P. has focused its energies on making “climate change” a four-letter word and labeling any Democrat who supports legislation that would in any way raise energy prices to diminish our dependence on oil as a “carbon taxer.”

    Unfortunately, Obama and the Democrats never effectively fought back. They should have said: “O.K., you Republicans don’t believe in global warming? Fine. Forget about global warming. That’s between you and your beach house. How about this? Do you believe in population growth? Do you believe in the American dream? Because, according to the U.N., the world’s population is going to grow from roughly 6.7 billion people today to about 9.2 billion by 2050. And in today’s integrated world, more and more of those 9.2 billion will aspire to, and be able to, live like Americans — with American-size cars, homes and Big Macs. In that world, demand for fossil fuels is going to go through the roof — and all the bad things that go with it.

    “If we take that threat seriously now and pass an energy bill that begins to end our oil addiction, we can shrink the piles of money we send to the worst regimes in the world, strengthen our dollar by keeping more at home, clean up our air, take away money from the people who finance the mosques and madrassas that keep many Muslim youths backward, angry and anti-American and stimulate a whole new industry — one China is already leapfrogging us on — clean-tech. Nothing would improve our economic and national security more, yet Republicans won’t lift one finger to make it happen.

    “They would rather we send more Americans to fight terrorism in the Middle East, let petro-states hostile to our interests get richer and let China take the lead in the next great global industry than ask Americans to pay a little more for the gas they use or the carbon pollution they put into the air. If OPEC, China and Russia could vote, they would be 100 percent supportive of the Republicans.

    “How about we stop honoring our soldiers and our military families and start helping them? Nope. The Republican view of fighting the war on terrorism is that rather than ask all of us to make a small sacrifice to weaken our foes and buttress our troops, we should ask only a few of us to make the ultimate sacrifice. And that’s called being tough?”

    It gets worse. As Fred Krupp, the president of Environmental Defense Fund, notes: U.S. utility companies today “are sitting on billions of dollars in job-creating capital — but they will not invest in new energy projects until they have certainty on what their future carbon obligations will be. In just one state, Indiana, there are 25 power plants 50 years old or older. The fleet needs to be modernized, and Senate paralysis is keeping it from happening. A recent study from the Peterson Institute projects annual investment in the sector in the next 10 years would rise by 50 percent as a result of climate legislation — an increase of nearly $11 billion a year.” That’s new employment from a private sector stimulus.

    Can you imagine how high the stock market would soar and how easy a compromise with Democrats would become if Republicans offered an energy policy consistent with their values and our interests? What if the G.O.P. said: We will support a carbon tax provided one-third of the revenue goes toward cutting corporate taxes, one-third toward cutting payroll taxes for every working American and one-third toward paying down the deficit. The G.O.P. would actually help us get a better energy policy.

    Surely there are seven Republican senators who can see this. Aren’t there?

    P.S. S&L if you care about this country you care about this.

  2. SiriuslyLong is offline
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    07-22-2010, 10:02 AM #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Havakasha View Post
    What is BER?
    Rabbits get into my garden.

    Always anti govt and you probably dont even realize a 1/4 of what govt has done for you and this country. You would prefer we didnt have social security and medicare etc.? Dont be ridiculous.
    Blossom End Rot. It is said to be caused by uneven watering / extreme wet / dry, and / or a lack of Calcium. The one variety I grow seems sensitive to it (the canners). The others are fine (slicers). For whatever reason, this year seems bad.

    There is a place and need for government. I understand that.

  3. Havakasha is offline
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    07-22-2010, 10:59 AM #13
    Well this thread started off as an attempt to give you another example of how most Republicans are letting this country down by doing nothing but pushing against bipartisanship.There is a moderate energy bill that can be passed but they would rather score points.

    I think we probably have exhausted this subject and the one about govt as well.We just see things very differently. Good luck with your BER.

  4. SiriuslyLong is offline
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    07-22-2010, 11:38 AM #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Havakasha View Post
    Well this thread started off as an attempt to give you another example of how most Republicans are letting this country down by doing nothing but pushing against bipartisanship.There is a moderate energy bill that can be passed but they would rather score points.

    I think we probably have exhausted this subject and the one about govt as well.We just see things very differently. Good luck with your BER.
    When you agree that partisanship is a two way street; I'll agree that the republicans are blocking this legislation. I hate the way the guy uses the word "we" as if he is congressional democrat.

  5. Havakasha is offline
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    07-22-2010, 01:17 PM #15
    i agree that partisanship is a two way street. I thought you believed EVERYTHING was Obama's fault. I seem to remember you graded him with an F. Patently absurd. Beck and Palin crazy. Wacky. Just plain dumb.

  6. SiriuslyLong is offline
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    07-22-2010, 01:31 PM #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Havakasha View Post
    i agree that partisanship is a two way street. I thought you believed EVERYTHING was Obama's fault. I seem to remember you graded him with an F. Patently absurd. Beck and Palin crazy. Wacky. Just plain dumb.
    OK, I agree that the f'ing republicans are blocking this legislation - so?

    No, not everything is Obama's fault. He is simply the PIC right now (person in charge), and yes, I think the direction he is taking is wrong. He's bloating a bloated federal government.

  7. Havakasha is offline
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    07-22-2010, 02:43 PM #17
    So the direction he is taking on energy is wrong?
    The direction the country was taking before was right?

  8. SiriuslyLong is offline
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    07-22-2010, 03:02 PM #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Havakasha View Post
    So the direction he is taking on energy is wrong?
    The direction the country was taking before was right?
    I don't know, but will offer this about solar. I wouldn't invest just yet as the technology is getting better and better. Next week I spend a whole week in CA making calls to solar companies. Should be interesting.

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