Why the Democrats are Stupid
Amanda Carpenter, Town Hall's political correspondent, has a great article today, Pelosi Reacts to GOP House Protest. It opens with:
This is a typical Democratic Party straw man. The Republicans don't want to "drill our way out of this problem", although one aspect of what they do want to do is to drill. It's only one of a host of recommendations made in the current energy bill Nancy Pelosi is afraid to bring to a vote.
The Republicans are pushing for a broad, inclusive energy bill that includes a mix of expanded conventional energy production, new development, research into alternative energy applications, and much more. On this issue, the Democrats are out of touch with the rest of the nation, and are doing their best to push this country into a major recession - possibly into a depression as great as the Great Depresssion - also brought on by a Democrat.
There is no outlook for a drop in demand for oil and gas over the next 50 years. That means that unless there is more oil brought to the market, the price will continue to rise. If the United States were to enact a truly comprehensive energy bill that contained virtually every option available to us, it would have an IMMEDIATE effect on the oil market by telling the world that supply WILL increase - maybe not in the immediate future, but soon. That would automatically drop the price of oil as much as $30-$50 a barrel. That would provide the majority of Americans with much-needed relief from the current high cost of energy. In the meantime, this nation could begin to do the many other things that will eventually reduce or end our dependence upon oil - especially foreign oil.
What things are needed in a comprehensive energy bill? Here's MY laundry list:
Nancy Pelosi's "we can't drill ourselves out of this problem" is a smokescreen for doing nothing. Doing nothing is no longer a viable option.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) issued a curt retort to House Republicans staging a week-long protest against her decision to unceremoniously adjourn the House last week.
“While a very small band of your colleagues remain on the House floor to discuss gas prices, their constituents deserve to know why their representatives in Congress have failed to support serious, responsible proposals,” she wrote in a letter to GOP Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (Ohio.).
“We cannot drill our way out of this problem,” she said.
This is a typical Democratic Party straw man. The Republicans don't want to "drill our way out of this problem", although one aspect of what they do want to do is to drill. It's only one of a host of recommendations made in the current energy bill Nancy Pelosi is afraid to bring to a vote.
The Republicans are pushing for a broad, inclusive energy bill that includes a mix of expanded conventional energy production, new development, research into alternative energy applications, and much more. On this issue, the Democrats are out of touch with the rest of the nation, and are doing their best to push this country into a major recession - possibly into a depression as great as the Great Depresssion - also brought on by a Democrat.
There is no outlook for a drop in demand for oil and gas over the next 50 years. That means that unless there is more oil brought to the market, the price will continue to rise. If the United States were to enact a truly comprehensive energy bill that contained virtually every option available to us, it would have an IMMEDIATE effect on the oil market by telling the world that supply WILL increase - maybe not in the immediate future, but soon. That would automatically drop the price of oil as much as $30-$50 a barrel. That would provide the majority of Americans with much-needed relief from the current high cost of energy. In the meantime, this nation could begin to do the many other things that will eventually reduce or end our dependence upon oil - especially foreign oil.
What things are needed in a comprehensive energy bill? Here's MY laundry list:
- Remove the obstacles to drilling for domestic oil within the Continental United States, both on land and offshore.
- Repair and upgrade the energy infrastructure of the United States, including pipelines to transmit oil and gas, rail and road transportation infrastructure, and transmission lines to transmit local surplus electrical production to areas that need it.
- Design, build, and bring online 150 new, safer 2000MW nuclear power plants, and upgrade existing ones. At least a third of those should be fast breeder reactors that produce as much fuel as they consume.
- Design, build, and bring online 200 additional 1500MW coal-fired power plants to provide additional capacity while we're waiting for those nuclear plants to come online, and to use during peak demand.
- Increase research into biofuels, especially into feedstocks that don't include grains that are normally grown for human and livestock consumption.
- Increase research into other alternative energy sources, specifically wind, solar, tides, geothermal, and hydrogen. Require an in-depth cost/benefit evaluation of any alternative energy source. Such evaluations should include the impact of implementing alternative energy programs, and the positive AND negative effects that implementation has on the energy market, on the environment, and on the people.
- Bring online any energy source (especially alternative energy sources) that is commercially feasible, and connect the sources to the expanded and modernized national power grid.
- REQUIRE oil and gas companies to upgrade, modernize, and expand current domestic oil refineries, and build at least 20 new ones across the nation.
- Pass legislation that limits "environmental" lawsuits, and force "environmental" groups to post bond equal to the potential lost investment their lawsuits cost energy production companies.
- REQUIRE THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) TO PROVE, scientifically, that their limits and restrictions are necessary (not "potentially" necessary) for the preservation of species, and to limit damage to the environment.
- Require a complete cost/benefit analysis of ALL energy legislation passed into law, all regulations imposed by any government agency (at any level), and all "supporting" laws and regulations, determine the success or failure of those laws and regulations in achieving the goals set by them, and evaluate their costs/benefits to the nation, its people, and its security. Eliminate, combine, re-write, or replace those that provide limited or no practical benefit to the nation and its people as a whole.
- Increase coal production, both for export and for domestic use.
- Allow increased exploration, development, and transportation of nuclear power plant fuel stocks.
Nancy Pelosi's "we can't drill ourselves out of this problem" is a smokescreen for doing nothing. Doing nothing is no longer a viable option.
posted by Old Patriot | 12:21 PM
3 Comments:
It's good to see you writing new material for your blog once again! Sadly, the Democrat "leadership" OD'ed on stupid pills, oblivious to the fact that high oil prices & its impact on the economy has become a hot topic among Americans, regardless of party.
Very, very well said!
I don't think any Democrat could possibly fuck up the economy any worse than it already is. It stems from years of neglect and focus on foreign policy over the American people. And the true motive of that foreign policy is only corporate gain. But as for the energy policy... it’s a quick fix. Drilling?? It only returns money to American companies and will not offer any relief to our excessive consumption and our economic woes. We have technologies to completely use renewable sources. And there is no such thing as "clean, efficient" coal. It’s only about 48% efficient, but don't quote me on that number. We don't have to drill, pollute or destroy the environment in which we live in, but ohh wait... Greedy, corrupt conservative tightwads are willing to spring a few extra bucks to obtain all the long term benefits of renewable energy.
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