More Pandering

A few weeks ago, John McCain proposed a gas-tax holiday for the summer driving (read voting) season. It didn't take long for the desperate Hillary Clinton to jump on the bandwagon to prove just how in touch with the common people she is. Barack Obama had the political courage to to call the proposal a "gimmick."

Meanwhile, back at the White House, George Bush proudly proclaimed that he's always been an "ethanol man." What a surprise. Of course a scheme that won't work (All the energy inputs to produce ethanol would be nearly as great as - or greater than - the energy produced.) and that has all kinds of nasty unintended consequences (Like escalating food prices.) would be favored by this twisted man as long as it makes him look tough and decisive and it provides big tax subsidies for his big-corporation buddies. Gee, that sounds a lot like the Iraq war.

We are in deeps weeds, people. The oil is running out and there are no technological fixes on the horizon. Extreme conservation is the only measure within our grasp that will lessen the blow. The American people will not see the wisdom and necessity of this on their own and very few public figures will have the spine to provide the needed leadership. Rather than a tax holiday, we need HIGHER gas taxes to stimulate price-driven conservation efforts with the revenue committed to developing alternative energy systems and further conservation.

Democracy Is Dead

Democracy is dead. In the past few weeks, I've written e-mails to some of my reps. I don't expect detailed replies, but I don't get any kind of acknowledgment, even from my local state senator or representative. As individual voters, all we can hope for is ridiculous, simple-minded pandering, but without big bucks to buy politicians our voices will never be heard. The revolution will come, but too late.

Pathetic Pandering

So, John McCain wants to give us a gas tax holiday from Memorial Day to Labor day, the so-called 'driving season.' Brilliant. It will cost $10 billion to a budget that is already putting us into debt for the rest of our lives and will encourage even more squandering of irreplaceable fossil fuel; fuel that could ease the lives of our children and grandchildren. I'm inclined to believe that gas prices need to be higher, not lower.

Oil imports fund or worst enemies (How come no one ever talks about the fact that most of the 9-11 hijackers were Saudi?). We need to get real about fossil fuel. It is running out, probably sooner than we imagine, and we need to use it as wisely as possible. That means no more SUVs, no more 100-mile commutes and no more NASCAR. Only higher prices will get clueless Americans to conserve. A higher gas tax will raise the price and the proceeds should be used to develop further energy conservation and alternatives.