Posted on 07/31/2005 5:45:59 AM PDT by cloud8
Pardon us for not cheering the energy bill now on a fast track to President Bush's desk. The $14.5 billion in pork-barrel tax breaks far outweighs the few good things in it.
An estimated 58 percent of the tax breaks go to coal, oil, gas, electric utilities and nuclear power - needed or not. Another 36 percent is aimed at energy efficiency, renewable sources and cleaner cars like the new gasoline-electric hybrids - whether needed or not.
Some provisions are perverse. Why give tax credits for cars with waiting lists of customers eager to purchase them - such as the new hybrids? Auto makers can't keep enough of them on the lots already.
Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) did manage to get a monthlong extension of daylight-saving time (beginning three weeks earlier in the spring and extending one week later in the fall). But even Markey called much of the rest of the bill "socialism."
What made passage possible was the omission of a House-passed provision that would have immunized manufacturers of the gasoline additive MTBE (now being phased out) from product liability lawsuits arising from groundwater pollution. It seems unfair to assert the product was defective when Congress effectively required its use in the first place, but an industry report that 96 percent of cleanup costs already are covered may limit plaintiff lawyer windfalls.
The bill repeals the requirement to use oxygen-containing chemicals such as MTBE in certain areas of the nation. New formulas for gasoline meant it was doing little to help clean the air. This is hardly progress: The bill requires a doubling of the use of ethanol (subsidized, of course!) as an additive, a costly and environmentally dubious payoff to farmers whose corn is the major ethanol source.
The good things in the bill - for instance, federal oversight of liquefied natural gas terminals and mandatory standards for operation of electric transmission lines - could have been passed separately long ago. Ah, but that's not the way Congress does things, now is it? We hope we never see a bill like this again.
Maybe when people are freezing to deaths in below-zero weather and can't afford to pay their heating bills they'll get a clue.
"And the Tourist Industry! Not being heavy into paying for fun, I hadn’t thought about them."
They are usually the ones promoting the extension of DST. Actually, this is probably not a bad idea anyway. Besides, such extensions usually bring out a bunch of kooks in protest anyway. Usually good for few laughs.
My favorite kook argument is that we are 'messin with God's time'. Not to many people realize that our present system of time keeping, ie, time zones was initiated by the railroads in the 19th century so equating time with God is the same as equating God with the railroad barrons of the 1800s.
The railroads were having a terrible time preparing train schedules since each little burg had it's own official time. Twelve noon was when the sun was at it's highest.
Just imagine trying to prepare a train schedule and having to know the time difference for every little burg in the US. The railroads got together and devised our system of time zones where noon was the same time everywhere within a zone. Each zone was basically the distance a train could travel in 24 hours explaining the difference in widths among the zones.
Just imagine trying to prepare a train schedule and having to know the time difference for every little burg in the US. The railroads got together and devised our system of time zones where noon was the same time everywhere within a zone.
I generally go by "rig time"-- whatever time zone I am in, and translate that to "home", "the folks' time", or "office time" as needed.
When I am working, I am working, when I am not, I am not.
There are two clocks on the wall at home and an assortment of alarm clocks, but those fall under my wife's purview--unless I am at home when the "change" happens. Generally, I am blessed with not having to pay all that much attention to a clock.
I am sorry to hear about your wife, the world is a poorer place for the loss of a good woman.
About all Congress can do is authorize spending. They cannot decree nuclear fusion shall be used to generate municipal power. There is a logical disconnect. If they would fund solar power satellites they would at least be doing something.
I am sorry to hear about your wife, the world is a poorer place for the loss of a good woman.
In an extreme situation I have the option of driving, walking, or even running away (really serious situation!) (I might have to find a new job afterward, though).
In the meantime, my wife has to take care of most everything at home, but if she were not one of the most capable people I know,I probably would not have married her.
In the last few years there has been the consolation of being able to talk on the phone (3 watt cell phone with a directional antenna and a 28 ft. mast can almost always get a tower out here). It is a far cry from being home every night, but it really helps keep up.
Rig monitoring computers keep time here (that used to be a mechanical device up in the doghouse, but times have changed).
I read your pages about Sheryl. She was a lucky woman to have you there for her. God's ways are strange, sometimes. If you ever meet another woman worth her salt, I'd bet the dog will like her.
Stereos use more juice at night?
3 watt cell phone with a directional antenna and a 28 ft. mast can almost always get a tower out here
If you ever meet another woman worth her salt, I'd bet the dog will like her.
LOL! Whaddya expect? He's just a pup!
You can't fault his tastes, but you might have to give him a couple more years...
LOL! Whaddya expect? He's just a pup!
I guess a guy can't fault his taste, though.
Nope! I can’t fault his taste at all.
That's the true story. The railroads created the time zones shortly after they began running greater distances including transcontinental. Somewhere around 1780. It's good they didn't leave something important like that up to FedGov.
Can you imagine the lawsuits if some one were to try to establish some thing like time zones in these days?
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