You Snooze, You Lose, in This Election
Never suspect there's a lot at stake in the March 4th primary here, would you? There is a lot at stake here in Texas, and particularly in the 4th District, where a change in the House of Representatives seat could help immensely to combat global warming. An overview of the oil companies scurrying about is educational, in more ways than one.
The representatives of Big Oil were out in force in Congress in an attempt to head off energy legislation which actually climbed over them into rational legislation. Rep. Ralph Hall pulled no punches, threatening congressional colleagues with the spectre of more wars for oil should they pass a bill to develop new sources of energy. Today Rep. Joe Barton is op-editorializing in the Dallas Morning News about losing our 'quality of life', should we leave the throes of dinosaur fuels.
In case you think rational thought has crept into Texas, the Barton rant begins: It is dogma in Democratic circles that the specter of global warming is so manifest and terrifying that facts matter less than action, and the party has begun to insist that Congress must attack carbon dioxide and save the planet in time for the November election.
In another development, the oil consortium
Representatives Hall and Barton share, for developing/drilling new oil fields, has been in some trouble. The $37.5 million it receives for oil development research in Sugar Land has evidently become too much of a target for attacks on irresponsible waste of taxpayer dollars, now that Jeb Bush is in the ethanol field.
Democratic candidate for the District 4, TX, seat in the House of Representatives, Dr. Glenn Melancon, was taking a look at the recidivism of battling against developing new energy resources, in a conversation we had yesterday.
It's insane to give away tax payer dollars to big oil at a time of record profits. We're having to pay for our gas twice -- once at the pump and once at the IRS. I'd rather see our money invested in American universities and research facilities. Our scientists and young scholars will find a way to break the monopoly of big oil once and for all. Our future as a nation depends upon alternative energy and conservation technologies. We need to look forward, not backward.
I am supporting Dr. Melancon for a lot of reasons and am looking for a lot of N. Texans to cast their votes for our future, as well. We haven't been hit as hard yet as the rest of the country, so the loss of wages and of jobs hasn't been felt so hard as it has in Illinois and California. Recession effects are seeping in, companies are beginning to cut workforces and output, but will the voters see what has happened and how we need to elect forward-looking responsible representatives in time? I am hopeful that an energetic campaign by frontrunners Sens. Clinton and Obama will bring some of the publicity we need for badly needed sound energy and economic policies.
The coming election is important to those of us who aren't desperately trying to keep our country from saving itself from the worst administration in our history.
In Austin, as this blog has been exhibiting for the past few days, publicity helped end a hoax by TxDoT that was refusing to build roads while claiming inadequate funds, while spending exorbitant amounts on propagandizing for a huge toll road boondoggle.
In the occupied White House, the big oil interests are hard at work giving out public money to the interests they support, creating real stress for the Hall/Barton consortia. As the Dallas Morning News snarks this a.m., When Illinois wins, the government abruptly cancels the project. Why? It must be all those Republican roughnecks from Texas, including their oil-patch president.
The subject of this speculation is a bouncing energy project, FutureGen, that has been used to block demands that the oil interests in the White House make some move toward countering global warming, even after they finally were forced to admit that it isn't a hoax invented by Al Gore. It was proposed for Rep. Barton's home town, Jewett, TX, incidentally.
It would be a good idea for anyone, in Texas, in Illinois and elsewhere, to keep in mind that you are paying for bad government in more ways, and more dollars, than you and your kids can ever afford. In the 4th Congressional District in Texas, there's lots of oil company interest, and you need to watch out for those interests too.
We need new hands at helms in many places. The 4th District, Texas, is a good place to start. The White House is good too, and even more direly needed.
The representatives of Big Oil were out in force in Congress in an attempt to head off energy legislation which actually climbed over them into rational legislation. Rep. Ralph Hall pulled no punches, threatening congressional colleagues with the spectre of more wars for oil should they pass a bill to develop new sources of energy. Today Rep. Joe Barton is op-editorializing in the Dallas Morning News about losing our 'quality of life', should we leave the throes of dinosaur fuels.
In case you think rational thought has crept into Texas, the Barton rant begins: It is dogma in Democratic circles that the specter of global warming is so manifest and terrifying that facts matter less than action, and the party has begun to insist that Congress must attack carbon dioxide and save the planet in time for the November election.
In another development, the oil consortium
Representatives Hall and Barton share, for developing/drilling new oil fields, has been in some trouble. The $37.5 million it receives for oil development research in Sugar Land has evidently become too much of a target for attacks on irresponsible waste of taxpayer dollars, now that Jeb Bush is in the ethanol field.
Democratic candidate for the District 4, TX, seat in the House of Representatives, Dr. Glenn Melancon, was taking a look at the recidivism of battling against developing new energy resources, in a conversation we had yesterday.
It's insane to give away tax payer dollars to big oil at a time of record profits. We're having to pay for our gas twice -- once at the pump and once at the IRS. I'd rather see our money invested in American universities and research facilities. Our scientists and young scholars will find a way to break the monopoly of big oil once and for all. Our future as a nation depends upon alternative energy and conservation technologies. We need to look forward, not backward.
I am supporting Dr. Melancon for a lot of reasons and am looking for a lot of N. Texans to cast their votes for our future, as well. We haven't been hit as hard yet as the rest of the country, so the loss of wages and of jobs hasn't been felt so hard as it has in Illinois and California. Recession effects are seeping in, companies are beginning to cut workforces and output, but will the voters see what has happened and how we need to elect forward-looking responsible representatives in time? I am hopeful that an energetic campaign by frontrunners Sens. Clinton and Obama will bring some of the publicity we need for badly needed sound energy and economic policies.
The coming election is important to those of us who aren't desperately trying to keep our country from saving itself from the worst administration in our history.
In Austin, as this blog has been exhibiting for the past few days, publicity helped end a hoax by TxDoT that was refusing to build roads while claiming inadequate funds, while spending exorbitant amounts on propagandizing for a huge toll road boondoggle.
In the occupied White House, the big oil interests are hard at work giving out public money to the interests they support, creating real stress for the Hall/Barton consortia. As the Dallas Morning News snarks this a.m., When Illinois wins, the government abruptly cancels the project. Why? It must be all those Republican roughnecks from Texas, including their oil-patch president.
The subject of this speculation is a bouncing energy project, FutureGen, that has been used to block demands that the oil interests in the White House make some move toward countering global warming, even after they finally were forced to admit that it isn't a hoax invented by Al Gore. It was proposed for Rep. Barton's home town, Jewett, TX, incidentally.
It would be a good idea for anyone, in Texas, in Illinois and elsewhere, to keep in mind that you are paying for bad government in more ways, and more dollars, than you and your kids can ever afford. In the 4th Congressional District in Texas, there's lots of oil company interest, and you need to watch out for those interests too.
We need new hands at helms in many places. The 4th District, Texas, is a good place to start. The White House is good too, and even more direly needed.
Labels: Budget; Economy, Election 2008, oil companies, Renewable Energy
posted by Ruth at 8:50 AM
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