Some DUDE said…
The Democrats’ domestic policies are an incoherent jumble: they want lower gasoline and heating oil prices, but they block the very things, oil drilling and the construction of new refineries, that would actually reduce them. At the same time, for reasons of “climate change,” they want less consumption of oil and gas, which implies higher, not lower, prices.
None of this makes any sense; the Democrats are just hoping that no one notices between now and November. Today, Nancy Pelosi gave a press conference, and for once she was asked an incisive question. Her rambling answer, which included an embarrassing effort to hide behind the “evangelical community,” revealed the emptiness of the Democrats’ domestic agenda. I reproduce it here in excruciating completeness:
Given that high prices help to encourage the kind of behavior that you would want, energy efficiency, efficiency driving, bike or bus, etc., how can you be pushing climate change legislation which would also raise prices and whose primary purpose is to help to modify behavior?PELOSI: Well, let’s hope that it doesn’t promote higher prices. In our climate change initiative we had a very important meeting last week on Earth Day with representatives, all aspects of the interfaith community who are supporting the climate change legislation. We don’t know what the particulars of it are, but we need to have climate change legislation. And that is from the evangelical community - kind of strong voices there from the evangelical community joining 27, I think it was, Protestant denominations and the Catholics, the Jewish, every faith. And part of it is to preserve the planet, God’s creation, and to do so in a way that does not hurt poor people, whether that is in the price of energy for mobility or for home heating or cooling or whatever it happens to be. And then the job creation, to have it be something that lifts people up into the middle class. So this is a value we have. And anytime…
Excuse me. I don’t know what is wrong. Let’s see if water works.
But on all of these issues relating to the price of oil, the equities that have to be weighed are: How do we grow our economy? How do we do it in the fairest possible way? How do we do it in a way that preserves the planet? How do we do it again with equity and all aspects of that?
And the deterrent that the higher price of gasoline might have on transportation cannot be so much of a deterrent that people cannot afford to go to work. When I travel throughout rural America , people will tell me, “I have to drive 100 miles each day for work because there are no jobs in my area, but the high cost of gasoline makes it unprofitable for me to travel to work.”
Last week, in Minneapolis - I think I mentioned this to some of you before - veterans were telling me that they have to drive long distances to get health care in Minnesota; and this is the case in many places as well, in Texas and other places. And they can barely afford to go get the health care that is their benefit.
So, again, it has to be calibrated in - it doesn’t mean that we are - that there should be an endless increase in the price of gasoline to change behavior so that we have fewer emissions. There are other ways to have fewer emissions than to price people out of the market of going to work or going to the hospital.
Absent rationing–do you think Pelosi is likely to mention the R-word between now and November?–lower prices mean more emissions. As usual, the Democrats are counting on ignorance.
…we get the leadership we deserve….KL
OK, THIS IS WHAT I SAY…
Well granted I understand this guy’s thinking, bu this type of defeatist reasoning is why politics has stalemated itself into a pocket lining favor returning frenzied FREEZE. They could call this the ice age, because nothing has grown for the last 8 years. I understand that for every positive effort toward lowering prices, creating jobs, and saving the earth; there are ten reasons we should give up. But these reasons balance themselves on the notion that we have a fully independent, fully operating capitalistic democracy based on raw supply and demand. Which we don’t. We should by now after 8 years of vigilante republican in the raw rule, right. I mean this has got to be as leizze-faire as it gets (I’m being facetious here). And it still isn’t working. That’s why the government must aid in the force of change to implement efforts toward lower prices, more jobs, and a cleaner earth and later back off and try to let it work on its own…isn’t that’s why the founding fathers created their own government, because American people were too utterly ignorant and ill-informed to decide the details of their country’s matters democratically…..AND I’M DONE!!
And My Boy Said This…
What struck me about this article is not the commentators rant or obvious political spin (f’ that) but the politician’s comments and her inability to form a coherent thought on the subject, which is a characteristic shared across party lines. Due to government mandate we now use 30% of our corn crop to replace 3% of our fuel and that 3% is only 80% as effective at moving mass as the gasoline it replaces and cost more per gallon, creates more pollution and all the while driving up food cost. We haven’t built a refinery or a nuclear plant in 30 years and the FED is busy inflating the dollar. These are not free market leizze-faire drivers at work raising prices.These are policy driven actions demonstrating the profound lack of effective leadership from the likes of this numb-skull exacerbating our energy and food cost problem. The solution alluded to? Raise taxes add price controls. Great. I remember the Carter years, unfortunately, I voted for them. No thanks, I’ll pass this time.
So Then I’m All Like…
Well I hear a lot of talk about tax breaks, or reallocation of tax dollars, and increased taxes. I’m quite aware the economy isn’t in leizze-faire mode. I think its more like “look ma’ no hands” mode; but someone’s still driving fast and wrong. I just believe the proper president could give guidance necessary with as little negative interference as possible to set things going in the right direction, and let the “tone-at-the-top” motivate actions all around. by this time green initiatives could compete, and urban & rural communities could eat. You’ve gotta make the green switch competitive, even the tax grade, give tax breaks for companies coming back into the us (as far as workers). Have the us (especially farmers) produce by reducing subsidies not to produce, and giving incentives to produce (not necessarily tax based). Offer a gov based, but not mandated health care net with full-free-basic-benefits, while maintaining competitive options for premium packages among existing companies which would lower the competing cost of health care. Make college funding more affordable, and prices competitively lower. Make green transportation/heating/cooling suppliers a competing force in the us by gov. aiding their start up. This would force the current energy/fuel companies to compete by lowering prices, because lets face it heating & natural gas prices have silently crept through the roof like a bad fart. Uncap (but don’t squander) our reserves to compete the world over, but also let our green companies compete globally on a larger scale. End our involvement in Iraq, and all other unnecessary violent policing activities while concentrating on diplomatic relations building of green and economically sound trade. Use US direct labor to supply all major US activities including the military. And if the next elected official doesn’t do this, then the next elected official should do the exact opposite to blatantly show America that its current direction DOESN’T WORK!
Moreover and Furthermore…
I addition add a home-owner’s & family building socialization process to the dissemination of section 8 and lower income housing inhabitants accross homes in America, and out of urban ghettos/trailer parks. Re-gentrify downtown areas, but take those on the cusp of poverty, and offer them specifically (based on zip code and income) jobs that service the re-gentrified movement. This would reduce desperation, and decrease illegal activities. Finally re-allow basic education in jail (no higher than AS degree unless their sentence is longer than 10years…adopted that from Brandy). And make the jail system work to sustain itself, employ them making products to be used in other government institutions.
