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Obama's efforts to connect to the Republican Party, specifically Bush, and Dick Chaney, of the Halliburton Company, dates back to the Presidents Grandfather, Prescott Bush, and indeed Chaney was once an executive officer of Halliburton.

The American military pounds Iraq with Artillary, bombs, and the like, destroying large sections of cities, and infra-structures, then Halliburton comes in to rebuild. Halliburton and Halliburton associated companies have raked in ten's of billions.

Obama is just like the BIG HALIBURTAN. Haliburton has contracted to build detention centers in the U.S. similiar to the one in Quantanammo Bay, Cuba. Halliburton does nothing to earn the Two Dollars for each meal an American Serviceman in Iraq eats.

http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/

Halliburton was scheduled to take control of the Dubai Ports in The United Arab Emiirate. The deal was canceled when Bush was unable to affect the transfer of the American Ports.

Now we see what some might suspect as similiar financial escapading from the Democrats.

Two years ago, Iraq's Ministry of Electricity gave a $50 million contract to a start-up security company - Companion- owned by now-indicted businessman (TONY REZKO) Tony Rezko and a onetime Chicago cop, Daniel T. Frawley, to train Iraqi power-plant guards in the United States. An Iraqi leadership change left the deal in limbo. Now the company, Companion Security, is working to revive its contract.
Involved along with Antoin "Tony" Rezco, long time friend and neighbor of Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama, and former cop Daniel T. Frawley, is Aiham Alsammarae. Alsammarae was accused of financial corruption by Iraqi authorities and jailed in Iraq last year before escaping and returning here.

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON --
Recently, Obama's campaign staff have been vetted by the IRS to disclose his connection to the criminal money generating underworld. Besides, his connections to the REZCO MAFIA types, his up-coming tax fraud charges -- Obama needs to disclose why he is a MUSLIM "PATWANG-FWEEE" and disclose Obama's MUSLIM Farrakhan mob connection to Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ. Its minister, and Obama's spiritual adviser, is the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. In 1982, the church launched Trumpet Newsmagazine; Wright's daughters serve as publisher and executive editor. Every year, the magazine makes awards in various categories. Last year, it gave the Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Trumpeter Award to a man it said "truly epitomized greatness." That man is Louis Farrakhan. Farrakhan and Chicago's Trinity United Church are trumpeting Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama as the second coming of the messiah. Obama should stop suppoting our intervention in IRAQ. It's time to introduce this false, fake Xerox - X box Obama and invite the self-indicting thief plagiarizing pipsqueke "GLORK" Xerox - X box to meet the Buffalo "GAZOWNT-GAZIKKA" Police Department Buffalo Creek. He is MAD!!! --

OBAM YOU'RE NO JFK --

"GLORK" Obama looks like Alfred E. Newman: "Tales Calculated To Drive You." He is a MUSLIM "Glork" He's MAD!!! Alfred E. Neuman is the fictional mascot of Mad. The face had drifted through American pictography for decades before being claimed by Mad editor Harvey Kurtzman after he spotted it on the bulletin board in the office of Ballantine Books editor Bernard Shir-Cliff, later a contributor to various magazines created by Kurtzman.
Obama needs to disclose why he is a MUSLIM "PATWANG-FWEEE" and stop suppoting our intervention in IRAQ. It's time to introduce this false, fake "GLORK" Xerox - X box Obama and invite the self-indicting thief plagiarizing pipsqueke Xerox - X box to meet the Buffalo "GAZOWNT-GAZIKKA" Police Department Buffalo Creek.

Michelle Obama should be ashamed.

"GLORK" Michelle Obama should be ashamed of her separatist-racist connection to Farrakhan and Chicago's Trinity United Church trumpeting Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama as the second coming of the messiah. If Michelle Obama new what her husband -- the Hope-A-Dope, Fonster Monster -- Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama did in Harlem, she would wash her wide-open, Hus-suey loving MUSILM mouth out, with twenty-four (24) mule-team double-cross X-boX-BorraX. He is a MUSLIM "Glork" It's time to introduce this false, fake "GLORK" Xerox - X box Obama and invite the self-indicting thief plagiarizing pipsqueke Xerox - X box to meet the Buffalo "GAZOWNT-GAZIKKA" Police Department Buffalo Creek. He's MAD!!!

http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/

THE SPEECH --

The Apologia has arrived and once again the self-indicting, separatist-racist Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama, promises to heal the wounds of the world. The speech is the rude awakening of mass messianism of his campaign. Apologetically, Obama the MUSLIM double-cross X-boX-BorraX has an astonishingly empty two-prawn echelon explanation of his misjudgment.
In the first prawn: with regard to his connection to separatist-racist Rev. Wright; Obama summons voodoo and juju to express slavery as beginning and ending with the Rev. Wright.
In the second prawn: Obama's speech takes credit for Ashley's dream. A dream of unity Martin Luther King, Jr. borrowed from Ashley for his historic "I Have A Dream" speech. In Obama's speech, the connective bond Ashley, the elderly black man and Obama's grandmother share; represents Obama's self-indicting rise to the Harvard Yard. For Obama, the grand flag of language is the semi-fore of words, bestowed upon our nation by the messiah-alumni from Harvard. Obama's Swoon-Song Apologia to the nation represents a failed hymn -- a hymn that fails to heal the nation, repair the world, or make this time different than all the rest. Obama's speech is a brilliant failure.

http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/

After seeing this series of attacks on Obama for things that are really a bunch of vapor it is clear to me the media has a great deal of racism in their DNA. Really --- arrogant -- the guy is so busy he can hardly get in a wink of sleep and now he is being painted as arrogant .... it just seems that this is more about the press now than anything .. pitiful racism and Washington centric ideology .. what would you call McCain .. oh I forgot they don't do McCain unless it is a barbeque

rpy1,
While the 99.9 number certainly sounds good from a nuke company point of view, it nonetheless is technically accurate, best I can tell. Now, it still requires storage and presents health problems at that level. I like your idea but there are a few additional aspects to it. In some instances, you may want to keep the waste above ground for monitoring it (at the highly radioactive stages). Additionally, we keep finding new uses for some of the waste and if we bury it, it becomes problematic to recover it if needed or wanted. I am certainly not against wind or solar (or coal) but they too have their benefits as well as detriments. Some of those detriments are economic and some are environmental. In reading about it, I think that the problems with nuclear energy have been exaggerated. I would not put all my eggs in the nuclear option but I think it needs to be a viable part of the energy mix if we are going to mitigate our foreign energy dependency and continue to make great strides reducing the environmental impacts of progress.

drindl - "'USA Today leads with a poll that shows 79 percent of Americans say they're worried about the possibility of a depression that could last several years.'"

Well that certainly settles it. I could ask 50 people what a "leading economic indicator" is and I would bet that 45 of them would look at me glassy eyed with their mouth wide open. These are the same people that believe in the free lunch and that they could somehow buy a house that they could not come close to being able to afford. Asking the public their opinion on stuff like this tells you nothing of substance other than that they hear that the economy has problems from complete idiots and ideologues like E.J. Dionne Jr.

*************************
Or maybe a few hundred years until we come up with a better technological solution to this. Taking a perspective on this, the US has only had nuke power plants for 50 years. Spent nuclear fuel becomes less radioactive over time. After 40 years, the radiation flux is 99.9% lower than it was the moment the spent fuel was removed.
*************************

dave, I think the 99.9% decrease in flux from the moment the spent fuel was removed is a stat that puts the solid waste problem in the best possible light from the point of view of the nuclear companies. I'm no nuclear engineer, but it might be worthwhile finding out how getting rid of the remaining 0.1% works.

And coal is nasty. We're in agreement on that.

Assuming we'll get better technological solutions to this is fine, but I can counter by saying that we might get better technology in wind or solar.

At any rate, my take on the nuclear power question is this:

* Determine how much nuclear waste you want -- how many Yucca Mountains you can plan on supporting in the US, how much to store on site over the long term, etc.
* Based on those all being full, determine the amount of waste that will decay each year.
* That amount is your cap on solid nuclear waste per year. Over time, you'll fill up the storage facilities, but you'll never overfill.

I haven't heard anyone discussing this path, though.

"Never do I want to hear again from my conservative friends about how brilliant capitalists are, how much they deserve their seven-figure salaries and how government should keep its hands off the private economy," writes the Post's E.J. Dionne Jr.

indeed.

'USA Today leads with a poll that shows 79 percent of Americans say they're worried about the possibility of a depression that could last several years.'

Just thank President George W. Hoover and the Republican Party. First an endless war, then the Gilded Age followed quickly by the Great Depression. They really know how to flush a country down the toilet.

mark_in_austin - "dave, that was my recollection. Do you have a source for the 3 cu. Meters/yr?"

Wiki is where I was reading about it but this particular topic is additionally referenced.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power#Solid_waste

2008 Presidential Election Weekly Poll

http://www.votenic.com

Results Now Posted Instantly!

Check Back Weekly For New Polls!

So Hillary gets to keep her FL delegates and gets a chance to deliver a valid knockout blow to Obama in MI. What's not to love about these developments if you're in HRC's camp?

http://www.political-buzz.com/

"First it was bees that were mysteriously dying. Now it's bats."

Never fear libs! There will always be plenty of the local species, Myotis Moonbatus, with which to repopulate.

Hillary sure is playing nice to her friends at Bear Stearns that donated so much to her campaign.
http://jtaplin.wordpress.com/2008/03/17/earth-to-george-bush-hillary-clinton/

First it was bees that were mysteriously dying. Now it's bats.
------------------

No surprise, given how we are poisoning our waters, our air, our food supply and even our food containers.

Like the ruling class of the Roman Empire, we seem to be assuring our own obsolescence...

http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/perspect/lead.htm

Oh please, please pick Crist. Before he began his political career, he used to spend a LOT of time in gay bars -- and there are pictures. But good for you -- how open-minded!

'The second issue is that they are harmful to many flying creatures, especially bats. '

That may not be an issue soon:

First it was bees that were mysteriously dying. Now it's bats.

Following a summer when honeybees across America began to die in great numbers, researchers are now finding thousands of sick bats in caves in New York, Vermont and Massachusetts. The deaths of the two species appear to be unrelated.

To help diagnose the problem, NYDEC scientists are sending samples to Beth Buckles, assistant professor of biomedical sciences in Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine.

The affected bats are mostly little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), among the most common North American bats. Other affected bats include the endangered Indiana bat (Myotis Sodalis), the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) and the eastern pipistrelle (Perimyotis subflavus). The bats live year round in the general area and usually hibernate each year in the same caves.

Buckles and colleagues are conducting postmortem exams of organs and tissues and testing for signs of inflammation, bacteria, viruses and toxins. So far, the researchers do not yet know what is causing the massive casualties, Buckles said.

http://www.lancasterfarming.com/node/1118

http://www.lancasterfarming.com/node/1118

dave - you are ruining her sky is falling schtick.

there will be another hysterical reason to cut and pasts for hours on end tomorrow. Never fear goosy loosy.

dave, that was my recollection. Do you have a source for the 3 cu. Meters/yr?

drindl - 'Certain radioactive elements (such as plutonium-239) in "spent" fuel will remain hazardous to humans and other living beings for hundreds of thousands of years. Other radioisotopes will remain hazardous for millions of years. Thus, these wastes must be shielded for centuries and isolated from the living environment for hundreds of millennia'"

Or maybe a few hundred years until we come up with a better technological solution to this. Taking a perspective on this, the US has only had nuke power plants for 50 years. Spent nuclear fuel becomes less radioactive over time. After 40 years, the radiation flux is 99.9% lower than it was the moment the spent fuel was removed. A large nuclear reactor produces 3 cubic metres of spent fuel each year (which does not seem like a lot to me). You could also reprocess it, reducing the amount of waste but making the waste potent for a few hundred years. Overall, nuclear power produces far less waste material than fossil-fuel based power plants. Coal-burning plants are particularly noted for producing large amounts of toxic and mildly radioactive ash due to concentrating naturally occurring metals and radioactive material from the coal. Contrary to popular belief, coal power actually results in more radioactive waste being released into the environment than nuclear power.

Now she's friggin Rambo:

Hillary and the Snipers in Bosnia

Hillary Clinton, describing her 1996 trip to Bosnia in her speech today:

"I remember landing under sniper fire. There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base."

Hillary Clinton, describing the same trip in December 2007:

"We landed in one of those corkscrew landings and ran out because they said there might be sniper fire."

Somehow, the snipers have gone from potential to actual.

John Kerry - get your camera!

House Democrats have chosen to leave American intelligence operatives hobbled in the fight against terrorism. No amount of gamesmanship will conceal that.

surrender dorothy...I mean george.

Still hoping for Newt. It is likely that the next VP will be the ensuing POTUS. I would also accept Rudy with glee. I hope it is not some nobody governor meant to finesse the electorate.

Charlie Crist for veep.

Or General Odierno. Both of them are awesome, although in different ways. :)

One less state for us to worry about. Put FL in the R column.

last post from me for the day:

my point Zouk, was that you said we get ALL of our oil from Canada and Mexico. This is patently false.

We can talk more tomorrow about it if you'd like...

official: no primary in florida.
maybe rules will be followed after all.

so which is worse:

1. I have an hour to kill before my flight, I think I'll pop over to the men's room and see what is going on.

2. I have a trip to DC next month. think I'll open a bank account, create a false name, transfer some money, arrange for the train, avoid wire taps and banking laws, pay a lot, ask for "girlfriend" treatment.

Free and quick or planned and sinister?

I guess you Libs just really like to delve into every aspect of the practice. I kind of miss the finger wagging though.

3. interns, lying, impeachment, wag the dog, VRWC, so complicated. Must be a real hobby.

--------------
Zouk: I'd be more interested in a Lotus.

Ever tried to back out of a parking space in one?
--------------

Nah. But I'd think the turning radius would be small enough that wouldn't need to.

(And before you start talking about "loony libs", it was a joke)

the AMT definitely needs a fix. Rangal tried but the cons refused to pay for reducing it.
The problem is where will the money to pay for it come from? More debt or wind up the war and start finally moving the country forward and deal with real needs of this country that have been ignored for 7 years.

Proud: I have been pretty ACCURATE in my predictions so far, and the latest from Pa. is Repubs are being encouraged to change their registration to vot for Obama in the primary and the change it back.

Zouk: I'd be more interested in a Lotus.

Ever tried to back out of a parking space in one?

I sold (one duplex)

My comments were not meant for the casual investor. you Libs can laugh, scoff, ridicule and envy succesful people all day long. In the end, it only alienates you from others who hope to be in that situation soon. the income categories in this country are very volatile with the bottom 20% turning over about 60% every ten years and the top doing the same. that is half the rich people will not be in a decade and half the poor people will not be in a decade. Part of this is from long term capital gains. none of it is from social security.

There are issues regarding wind energy. There is the issue of NIMBY. This can and will limit where these windmills will go. Just ask the Kennedy's. The second issue is that they are harmful to many flying creatures, especially bats. Putting them offshore helps that but there are sound issues when you do that. Higher energy prices should help with the NIMBY problem but I have not heard that they have solved the second. None of that is to say that they are not better than some other alternatives. Just that there are some problems.

bsimon, Mike, and Spec, thanx. I was talking original theory and like you I think there should be a longer term CG period with a lower rate.

Spec, I like Kansas on depth.

drindl, I will go to the DOE website later.

Mark, not sure if this helps in terms of starting research, but here's the wikipedia section on earthquakes and Yucca:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca_mountain#Earthquakes

(No opinion offered at this point, except to point out that the half life of any substance that is being discussed for nukes is a long time in a way few other things we deal with as humans are.)

On the tax questions, my understanding was that the whole Buffett thing included Social Security taxes. Am I remembering this wrong?

Zouk: I'd be more interested in a Lotus.

"sounds like an interesting read."

Its extremely dry, but pretty interesting. He makes a pretty convincing argument that Wall Street, particularly mutual fund & pension fund managers, aren't fulfilling a fiducary duty to their shareholders - by failing to use their proxy powers to force corporate america to thing long-term instead of short term.

"the ongoing Liberal culture of perversion:...."

Senator Larry Craig, who likes to pick up strange men in dirty bathrooms, is a liberal?

the ongoing Liberal culture of perversion:....

--------------

Lordy! Conservatives make Liberals look like vestal virgins:

http://salem-news.com/articles/october172007/repub_scandals_10_17_07.php

They have been perfecting the technology for years. Vestas is a Danish company & one of the world leaders in the technology.

quite right - the Danes are the wind power leaders. the entire country is crawling with them. you might not know this from an upstate farm house with leaky old windows.

and the Danes are from - you guessed it - Iceland.

"If anyone really wonders where the source of the housing collapse came from, look no further than the AMT. I used to own many rental units and enjoyed the favorable tax treatment. I held them for many years and rented them out."


There it is folks! If the AMT hadn't incented Zouk to sell his prolific real estate holdings, the market wouldn't've crashed. That must have been one huge portfolio.

Personally, I sold (one duplex) when the market price rose to about twice what rents would cover. Silly speculators drove prices far beyond what the income cover. For me, taking a one-time six-figure payout was far more appealing than managing & maintaining a property for the monthly rental income.

"If I would like to take this moment to agree with you.

That either makes us both idiots, or neither.

I've been thinking they should change the law for a while. 5 years would be better maybe. Ideally, 5 years and a really low rate, like 0-5%."

That's actually not a bad idea to work with, since most capital gains end up never being taxed anyway, thanks to the basis step-up at death.

In the United States alone, the Department of Energy states that there are "millions of gallons of radioactive waste" as well as "thousands of tons of spent nuclear fuel and material" and also "huge quantities of contaminated soil and water"..

The United States currently has at least 108 sites it currently designates as areas that are contaminated and unusable, sometimes many thousands of acres[

bsimon -- sounds like an interesting read.

how so, Mark?

'The radioactivity of all nuclear waste diminishes with time. All radioisotopes contained in the waste have a half-life - the time it takes for any radionuclide to lose half of its radioactivity and eventually all radioactive waste decays into non-radioactive elements. Certain radioactive elements (such as plutonium-239) in "spent" fuel will remain hazardous to humans and other living beings for hundreds of thousands of years. Other radioisotopes will remain hazardous for millions of years. Thus, these wastes must be shielded for centuries and isolated from the living environment for hundreds of millennia'

drindl: So far today we have seen some real problems from a certain poster in the areas of reading comprehension, time-telling, geography, spelling, humor, telling the truth, and playing well with others. I think someone's mommy isn't going to be happy with his report card.

"Favorable Capital gains treatment encourages long term investments."

This argument isn't too persuasive. For LTCG treatment you need to hold for just one year. That's not what most people would consider a long term investment.

Spectacular,

If I would like to take this moment to agree with you.

That either makes us both idiots, or neither.

I've been thinking they should change the law for a while. 5 years would be better maybe. Ideally, 5 years and a really low rate, like 0-5%.

bsimon, what is "Bogle?"

John Bogle, founder of Vanguard & evangelist for low-cost, long-term investing.

The book I'm reading is "The battle for the soul of capitalism", a criticism of what he terms 'manager's capitalism' vs. 'owner's capitalism'. He's basically criticizing wall street for promoting short term stock prices, which benefit managers, rather than focusing on producing long-term value, that benefits stock owners.

If anyone really wonders where the source of the housing collapse came from, look no further than the AMT. I used to own many rental units and enjoyed the favorable tax treatment. I held them for many years and rented them out.

Little by little the AMT crept up and ruined this for me. Now I have no reason to own property and have disposed of all but two and my home. I know many others that opted for the stock market as well, despite the leverage on return real estate affords. My average return was always about 9-10% on property, including the leverage, while I have been getting 14% on stocks over the long run, with no hassels whatsoever.

Another brilliant Lib idea meant to snare a few dozen millionaires, gone terribly wrong.

"you're right about that - just one year is barely enough time to get elected, transfer the money and get it over to your hooker in time for your trip to DC."

Oh, I think Sen. Vitter has been getting money over to his hookers for a lot longer than that.

Geography is so confusing for the illiterate.

proud, good to know blades are made here.

bsimon, what is "Bogle?"

drindl, with reactors that reuse fuel, the spent fuel is physically quite small. You would be astonished at how little is left to bury in a dry hole.

I would have been quick to say Yucca Mtn. is good but someone posted here that it was near a live fault and I have not researched that, although I tend to disbelieve it. I spent several hours over two days in 1990 with a PhD engineer who was Prez of the NV Sierra Club that year and who told me then that Yucca Mtn. was a safe site.

Moving spent fuel is easier, safer, and less of a target than moving gasoline in tanker trucks, as far as I know.

Anybody know different?

'Holland has more background and experience in wind energy than any country in the world, so it might be hard to top them

Moonbat - Danes are not from Holland.'

totally out of left field, as usual.

semiliterate koz writes
"Moonbat - Danes are not from Holland."

But drindl wrote:

"'The unit ECN Wind Energy is part of the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN)...'

However, Holland ..."

To reiterate, for the slow: Holland = Netherlands

Neither of which are Denmark, home of the Danes

you're right about that - just one year is barely enough time to get elected, transfer the money and get it over to your hooker in time for your trip to DC.

Holland has more background and experience in wind energy than any country in the world, so it might be hard to top them

Moonbat - Danes are not from Holland.

"Favorable Capital gains treatment encourages long term investments."

This argument isn't too persuasive. For LTCG treatment you need to hold for just one year. That's not what most people would consider a long term investment.

Adrick, those are 2002 numbers from some ego site. I supplied official government sources. Nevertheless, the numbers are similar.

what is your point?

"Favorable Capital gains treatment encourages long term investments."

Does it? Favorable dividend treatment coupled with unfavorable capital gains treatment would encourage long term investments. Favorable capital gains treatments actually encourages short-term holding, as the cost of selling is low. The Bogle book I'm reading now argues for lowering the dividend tax rate to reward the distribution of profit to owners, but raising the capital gains tax rate to encourage long-term ownership, over short term speculation in the market.

KOZ will buy a new Tesla [KOZ, look it up, it is so cool].

Yes, I have seen them. not much of a daily driver. If price is no object, I will opt for the Buggatti Veyron. the Porsche is good when I need to take the kids along. although my boy now has legs to speak of, and I have to move the seat up a little too far for comfort. but I still have not seen anything that will tempt me away. right now I am saving for a bigger yacht so money is tight.

nuclear waste. Without solving that how can we go forward with more nuclear?

brazil, tho a much smaller country seems to have figured out energy independence, why can't we?

" Does anyone know the reason we are relying on European suppliers? The weak dollar makes their stuff very expensive. "

They have been perfecting the technology for years. Vestas is a Danish company & one of the world leaders in the technology. A lot of MN wind farms seem to use their products. I think some components are manufactured here, as it can be extremely challenging and/or expensive to ship certain goods overseas (for instance, 60+ ft windmill blades).

taxing capital gains at a significantly lower rate than ordinary income makes sense, Leichtman. There were three strong arguments for favored treatment originally:

1] Under a graduated tax system, "bunching" the capital gain from the sale of an asset into the year of the sale would skew the tax higher than the economic recognition that the gain was earned over [often, many] years. In other words, if I bought an investment property twenty years ago and could have averaged my gain over each of the twenty years, my tax would have been lower than if I reported my gain in the twentieth year. Thus favorable treatment for capital gains offsets the effect of the graduated tax, over time.

2] Inflation over time has been a reality.
Favorable treatment of the resale of capital assets helps offset inflation loss.

3] Favorable Capital gains treatment encourages long term investments.
--------------------------------
The same arguments do not apply to the treatment of dividends. The argument for favorable treatment here, as I understand it, is to somewhat offset the double taxation that occurs when both the payor and the payee of the dividend are taxed on the same earnings. This is especially uncomfortable when the payor and the payee are the same person...you probably know attorneys who organized as S corps to avoid this double taxation.

try this one Zouk: http://www.gravmag.com/oil.html

Where would you put the nuclear waste, Mark? We have no effective way to store it safely now. And I just can't see shipping to a central facility, with the security risk that trainloads of it crossing all over the country would pose.

'TX now is generating tremendous power from the wind and the high plains are not going to be tapped out of wind any time soon. I wish the generators [windmills] were made here and not in Holland, and it seems to me we have native industries that could easily produce the components'

probably some backdoor deal. it is something we SHOULD be doing -- however we have fallen way behind many countries, especially in Europe, in terms of energy technology. Something like this would help us:

'The unit ECN Wind Energy is part of the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN); an independent market oriented knowledge centre for energy research and development.'

However, Holland has more background and experience in wind energy than any country in the world, so it might be hard to top them.

BTW, diesel fuel is already $4.50 a gallon in the Northeast and regular is about $3.50.

"incidentally Buffet made a million dollar challenge to any secy who could show they are paying a lower effective tax rate then he does. No one has taken him up after a year."

Perhaps, then, the govt needs to lower the secy's rate. Seriously, I get what Buffet is trying to get at. As one of my hero's, Buffet is someone I pay attention to. But again, his area of expertise is creating wealth (shareholder wealth for the most part). And he is one of the best ever at it. That is why I still say money in his hands is better for the country than it is in the government's hands. Perhaps there is an imbalance with the wealth of the country between the very rich and the rest of us. Many, including Buffet, seem to think that is a bad thing. Assuming it is, the question is then how do you "fix" it? The only answer that seems to be discussed is raising the taxes on the wealthy and keeping the death tax. Of course, Buffet has personally decided not to pass any money on to his heirs and to give billions away to charity. If he wanted to, he could donate some of that to the IRS. I just don't think that giving more money to an institition that has not been able to live within its means and who's spending priorities are sometimes based on the ideas put forth in the op/ed pages of the New York Times is a good idea. And just so we are clear, Buffet pays substantially more dollars in taxes than his secy.

mark "I wish the [wind] generators were made here"

Actually, they are made up here in NoDak, mark! Check out the website from LM Glassfiber. It's pretty cool.

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/product-compint-0001302295-page.html

I see the huge blades being shipped out on special trucks all the time. They can't make 'em fast enough.

I trust their economic judgment over your's.

Posted by: leichtman | March 17, 2008 04:50 PM

Ah... we reach the point we have been ignoring. Libs trust the government and "experts" to make their decisions. Republicans make thier own decisions.

"Mommy, should I have sex with my boyfriend, I am 12 now? ask hillary, they wouldn't be handing those things out in school if you weren't supposed to use them. whatever you do, don't ask your father, he's a republican and might want to have a say in what his teenage daughter is doing."

"'What is wrong with you, anyway? Three degrees and still so immature.'

you don' really beleive that crap, do you? that idiot couldn't possibly have a degree in anything. he just makes sh*t up."

Oh I know, but once again, I tried to take the high road. He can have ten degrees; he's still a complete buffoon.

Mark,

Thanks for your insight. You're right, we should expect higher fuel in the near future.

-------------------------------------

The same people who criticize the administration are standing in the way of a coherent solution: Environmental activisists.

They won't let us drill.

They won't let us build cheap, safe, nuke plants.

Tell me liberals, what is your //SOLUTION//?
[Hint: solution is the opposite of problem].

So mark: On more important matters, who do you like in the NCAA b-ball tourney? I think Texas can go very deep. Among other non-1 seeds I like Pitt too.

'What is wrong with you, anyway? Three degrees and still so immature.'

you don' really beleive that crap, do you? that idiot couldn't possibly have a degree in anything. he just makes sh*t up.

it's useless spectator -- these subhumans are capable of little else but jumping up and down screaming and throwing feces.

Lyle writes "I have been ridiculed by some about my "Feeling" there was something BAD wrong about this guy Obama for more than a year"

Gee, pink. I thought we'd been ridiculing you for longer than that.

No matter, your Dem candidate may have a second wind lately but I wouldn't count my chips just yet, were I you.

As Leno recently said "Political experts are now saying it's almost impossible for Hillary Clinton to win, and everyone is urging her to call it quits and go home to Bill. Except, of course, Bill. 'Stay out there, honey!'"

the ongoing Liberal culture of perversion:

TRENTON, N.J. - He says yes. She says no. He says yes. Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey said Monday he and his wife and a male aide engaged in sexual threesomes, contradicting a denial issued hours earlier by his estranged wife. In an e-mail to The Associated Press, the nation's first openly gay governor said published reports by former campaign aide Teddy Pedersen were true.

bsimon, Mike, thanks. Of course the timing would be critical. An increase from $70 to $105/bbl would by itself increase the cost of a gallon of gasoline by 83 cents, but months down the road.

So does that mean we should see $3.60/gal next month?

Proud, like you I think that higher priced gasoline will provide the incentives for production and conservation and alternate energy sources. I do not want to see "price controls" attempted on petroleum based fuels - actually, I probably never want to see price controls, on anything, although I was a baby during WW2 and my folks thought rationing and price controls prevented spot gouging. So maybe in WW2 it was OK as part of the collective war effort and national sense of purpose. It is generally as bad as KOZ thinks it is.

At some fuel price, KOZ will buy a new Tesla [KOZ, look it up, it is so cool]. At a somewhat lower fuel price I will be buying a turbodiesel.

Mike, in TX they are drilling deeper in known fields because the price justifies the cost now.

I do think we have to throw all energy sources into the mix, including nukes, and encourage conservation through simple publication of alternatives now available.

TX now is generating tremendous power from the wind and the high plains are not going to be tapped out of wind any time soon. I wish the generators [windmills] were made here and not in Holland, and it seems to me
we have native industries that could easily
produce the components. Does anyone know the reason we are relying on European suppliers? The weak dollar makes their stuff very expensive.

"LOUD and DUMB still can't get past two line insults as the basic entry on this blog."

Please, drooler. My first response to you was perfectly civil. Trying to take the high road and all that. But you immediately jumped into LOUD and DUMB mode. Anyone can scroll up and see.

What is wrong with you, anyway? Three degrees and still so immature.

"The man owns companies outright, and earns CAPITAL GAINS when he makes a sale, which are taxed lower than earned income."

"The purpose is to give people the incentive, and opportunity, to invest without being penalized."

honestly I don't think that Mr. Buffet or Mr. gates needs any tax favors to employ the hundreds of thousands of workers their companies employs.

Hey if you cons want to yell at Bill Gates and Warren Buffet that they are ungrateful libs, I will gladly furnish you links to their companies. They are not happy with this tax treatment why are you cons getting so bent out of shape? I trust their economic judgment over your's.

'I was away most of last week and forgot how utterly useless any interaction with a total loon can be.

Now I remember.'

then why don't you go away again? we're waiting...

LOUD and DUMB still can't get past two line insults as the basic entry on this blog.

What they do say is that you can't even tell time. The race for idiot of the day is neck and neck between you and the illiterate gomer pyle.

Posted by: Spectator2 | March 17, 2008 04:42 PM

See I predicted he would move on to two line insults.

//ignore moonbats on//

'When in doubt, insult your opponent.

In the marketplace of ideas, you lose general dimwit, every time.'

LOL. these rightwing apes [my apologies to apes] have zero awareness and a truly magnificent ability to project.

Well the baying of the jackels hate speech has dominated this blog again.

Mike - drindl is a person who can't figure out that bad writing doesn't sell and LOUD and DUMB still can't get past two line insults as the basic entry on this blog.

I was away most of last week and forgot how utterly useless any interaction with a total loon can be.

Now I remember.

"

the usual reply will be the one line insult devoid of fact. another of drindl's jackels. you all are so 90s. go out and vote clinton and then dissappear into the sunset. your hate-mongering is so tired. go over to Kos and have a hate fest day.

Posted by: kingofzouk | March 17, 2008 04:33 PM

Good point, Zouk."

the rightwingnut circle jerk is in high gear now.

Posted by: Spectator2 | March 17, 2008 04:32 PM

And they say none of my predictions come true."

What they do say is that you can't even tell time. The race for idiot of the day is neck and neck between you and the illiterate gomer pyle.

Adrick - are you making up numbers again. how liberal of you:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/import.html

"When in doubt, insult your opponent.

In the marketplace of ideas, you lose general dimwit, every time."

Interesting two sentences from the idiot.

Idiot: "Tax "SHELTERS"?

The man owns companies outright, and earns CAPITAL GAINS when he makes a sale, which are taxed lower than earned income.

The purpose is to give people the incentive, and opportunity, to invest without being penalized.

How is that a SHELTER? By that definition, every year I have a SHELTER. And you too.

Your fear/suspicion of the rich and successful is pathetic."

Idiot, your ignorance is even deeper than I ever would have expected. Calling you Gomer Pyle is an insult to Gomer Pyle.

Do some research on things like hedge funds and you'll learn all about tax shelters, idiot.

'I think part of the disparity is that pump price reflects the price of oil when the gasoline was refined, whereas the reported price for a barrel of oil reflects futures contracts for product not yet delivered to refineries.'

yup, and that means over the next few months, it's going to go straight up at the pump. just in time for the election.

"no your stupidy bores me."

Ha ha ha.

Back to the playbook.

When in doubt, insult your opponent.

In the marketplace of ideas, you lose general dimwit, every time.

Idiot: "Spectacular,

Ever heard of a 1099?"

Idiot, why do you keep directing these posts to me? Your fellow idiot zouk is the one who said Buffett didn't have any income.

Please try to pay closer attention, ok, idiot?

the usual reply will be the one line insult devoid of fact. another of drindl's jackels. you all are so 90s. go out and vote clinton and then dissappear into the sunset. your hate-mongering is so tired. go over to Kos and have a hate fest day.

Posted by: kingofzouk | March 17, 2008 04:33 PM

Good point, Zouk."

the rightwingnut circle jerk is in high gear now.

Posted by: Spectator2 | March 17, 2008 04:32 PM

And they say none of my predictions come true.

"You are right he has tax shelters that his employees don't have, that was exactly his point. I am sure you are ready to close some of Mr. Buffet's tax shelters, right."

Tax "SHELTERS"?

The man owns companies outright, and earns CAPITAL GAINS when he makes a sale, which are taxed lower than earned income.

The purpose is to give people the incentive, and opportunity, to invest without being penalized.

How is that a SHELTER? By that definition, every year I have a SHELTER. And you too.

Your fear/suspicion of the rich and successful is pathetic.

Someone mentioned the Zogby poll showing a loss of support for Obama. I will be monitoring polls this week even more so than I usually do. Mainly due to the recent revelations about this Pastor. I have been ridiculed by some about my "Feeling" there was something BAD wrong about this guy Obama for more than a year, and from recent reports about his wife being proud of America for the first time in her adult life, going to this church for 20+ years and having no idea or knowledge of what his "Spiritual Advisor" has been preaching for all these years.

"Name one Ace???? One tax code provision that will bring his 36% marginal rate down to below say 15%."

Uh let's see, since you seem to know that he doesn't get a W-2, so let's say his income is entirely capital gains and dividends. That puts him at 15% max. Then he gives away a few hundred million or so. That will bring his effective rate down just a bit lower.

Next!

'You have stopped our discussion, and have gone back to hating Bush-Cheney.

Is that because annoying facts got in the way?'

no your stupidy bores me.

"I'm sorry my three-degreed economic friend."

Best line of the day.

Spectacular,

Ever heard of a 1099?

because he can take advantage of various tax code provisions that his secretary cannot.

I think you should be careful before making fun of other peoples' grasp of the facts.

Posted by: Spectator2 | March 17, 2008 04:15 PM

Name one Ace???? One tax code provision that will bring his 36% marginal rate down to below say 15%. you will probably have to use Lib math to get there. Maybe the student loan deduction. nope cuts off around 70K. I know, I know real estate deductions - darn that old AMt again. Maybe you could just admit for once that you are loud and dumb abd shot off your mouth as usual without having any idea what you were saying. It's OK, we all know it already.

I can bet you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, as usual.

the usual reply will be the one line insult devoid of fact. another of drindl's jackels. you all are so 90s. go out and vote clinton and then dissappear into the sunset. your hate-mongering is so tired. go over to Kos and have a hate fest day.

"Good point, Zouk."

the rightwingnut circle jerk is in high gear now.

incidentally Buffet made a million dollar challenge to any secy who could show they are paying a lower effective tax rate then he does. No one has taken him up after a year.
You are right he has tax shelters that his employees don't have, that was exactly his point. I am sure you are ready to close some of Mr. Buffet's tax shelters, right.
And you are right as long as W is blowing the budget with a 3 trillion dollar war there will never be any possibility of reducing or illiminating the amt. I am sure that you are concerned about the AMT. If you want to ell at anyone about tax policies let me get his email address for you b/c I am sure you would call him an unAmerican lib.

Gomer Pyle: "Capital Gain != Income."

Hey SFB, I think you need to be directing that bit of genius to your fellow drooler Zouk, since he's the one who seems to think that Buffett has no income if he doesn't get a W-2.

Good point, Zouk.

In addition to regulating gas prices,

The government should regulate stock prices too.

...just got back from a meeting:

from Zouk: "We get all our oil from Canada and Mexico."

I'm sorry my three-degreed economic friend. We get approx. 18% of our imported oil from Canada and about 15% from Mexico.

Imports from the Persian Gulf total 19.8%. Imports from OPEC countries total approx. 40%.

"

"because he can take advantage of various tax code provisions that his secretary cannot."

I see in your glaring ignorance you have no concept of the AMT. the only way for his income to be less is to charge him the dividend /cap gains rate of 15%. there are no loopholes to get you there. Believe me, I have tried. there is no escaping the AMT.

"I think you should be careful before making fun of other peoples' grasp of the facts."

Posted by: Spectator2 | March 17, 2008 04:15 PM

LOUD and DUMB indeed."

Try to be civil and this is what you get. Zouk knows better than Warren Buffett what Buffett's effective tax rate is. How interesting.

"I know this isn't taught on soap operas."

Apparently, neither is the idea that stocks might be volatile in the short term. It is so confusing. I wish the government would just take care of it all for me. Oprah - help!

general dummy,

You have stopped our discussion, and have gone back to hating Bush-Cheney.

Is that because annoying facts got in the way?

Don't think your continued ignorance isn't noticed.

(Although I assure you, it is not missed).

leichtman - "I also have a problem when Warren Buffet's secy (his words not mine) pays a higher effectice tax rate then he does."

I don't and here is why. This allows Buffet to donate more funds to the Gates Foundation, an organization that is pretty good at doling out money to charities and those in need. The choice that is there is what to do with it? Should the government take more? Should he keep it? Should he give it to charity? Or he could give it to the IRS. Out of those choices, I think that he should either keep it and use it to create more wealth/jobs/efficiencies/etc (his area of expertise) or donate it. Either of those would, IMO, be a better use than letting elected, partisan, special interest-supported politicians decide what to do with it.

"I think part of the disparity is that pump price reflects the price of oil when the gasoline was refined, whereas the reported price for a barrel of oil reflects futures contracts for product not yet delivered to refineries."

I agree.

"because he can take advantage of various tax code provisions that his secretary cannot."

I see in your glaring ignorance you have no concept of the AMT. the only way for his income to be less is to charge him the dividend /cap gains rate of 15%. there are no loopholes to get you there. Believe me, I have tried. there is no escaping the AMT.

"I think you should be careful before making fun of other peoples' grasp of the facts."

Posted by: Spectator2 | March 17, 2008 04:15 PM

LOUD and DUMB indeed.

"because he can take advantage of various tax code provisions that his secretary cannot."

You can't mask your ignorance of those many and "various" loopholes and "provisions" that he "can" take advantage of, and she "cannot".

Capital Gain != Income.

I know this isn't taught on soap operas.

Unearned Income != Earned Income.

Facts = Reality, whereas Bias != Reality.

"A 42 gal. bbl of WesTX crude produces about 20 gal of gasoline and 22 gal of other stuff that is sold, not wasted]. So at $105 /bbl of oil, gasoline should be wholesaled at above $3/gal, assuming $2.50/gal out of the ground, plus freight, refining cost, plus profit and overhead to the refiner. Add in freight to the retailer, retail profit, and tax, in a normal price sturcture it seems to me that gasoline should already be $5-$6/gal retail.

Anybody know why its so cheap?"

I think part of the disparity is that pump price reflects the price of oil when the gasoline was refined, whereas the reported price for a barrel of oil reflects futures contracts for product not yet delivered to refineries.

"the sky is falling, the sky is falling!"
Bernacki, Greenspan and Buffet are worried about the economy but they all take a back seat to the economic expertise of the king.

Enjoy Chris, you've more than earned it.

Drindle... The best bumper sticker spotted in GA says: Cheney/Satan '08

Looks like the Feds are pulling a big shell game... having Morgan "front" for what amounts to a bailout of Bear. The Feds loan Morgan and Morgan relends Bear. Sweet.... for everyone but taxpayers.

What is the bailout plan for homeowners?

GO DRAKE!!

http://whathappenedtomycountry.blogspot.com

capital gains is not income, nice. Did you learn that in eco 101?
"Because his is not income. he doesn't get a W2" no he gets a 1099 but its still income.
Buffet is bothered by it but I am absolutely sure that you and your expertise know much more about what is good for business then Warren Buffet.

Let's hope that 2006 and 1928 don't end up looking similar in other ways.

Posted by: drindl | March 17, 2008 04:12 PM

the sky is falling, the sky is falling! even chicken little was not this hysterical. all that non-writing for profit is starting to crack this loon. I think there's an article in the chinese times that you haven't pasted here today. go git it!

"Because his is not income. he doesn't get a W2."

What are you talking about? There are many kinds of income other than W-2 earned income. If he didn't have income he wouldn't have made the comment.

The whole point of Buffett's comment is that he has far more income than his secretary, yet pays a much lower effective tax rate because he can take advantage of various tax code provisions that his secretary cannot.

I think you should be careful before making fun of other peoples' grasp of the facts.

WMDs in Iraq morphs into NO AL queda connection.

which is it drindl, can intelligence be relied upon or not?

Before you answer, consider how it will make Bush look and how much hate, spite and envy it contains.

Drindl just can't stop hating. It's just too much a part of it.

it's the new gilded age...

'When you're not checking the stock market today, check out Emmanuel Saez's recently updated tables on income inequality. Here's an interesting table:

http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/

Look at incomes for the top 1% of earners -- the solid black triangles. You'll see that in 2006, their share of the nation's income (22.9%) reached its modern peak. The only year higher? 1928.

Another table shows that the top 10% in 2006 took a bigger share (49.7%) than at any point since 1917. The year 1928 was the runner-up.

Let's hope that 2006 and 1928 don't end up looking similar in other ways.

I also have a problem when Warren Buffet's secy (his words not mine) pays a higher effectice tax rate then he does.

Posted by: leichtman | March 17, 2008 03:58 PM

Because his is not income. he doesn't get a W2. how many jobs is the sec'y responsible for. how about Warren?

I knew when the topic went to actual facts and economics today, it would be a yuck fest with liberals diplaying how much they know - all wrong as usual.

"Before the Iraq war began, Dick Cheney was among the most prominent messengers of the false claim that Saddam Hussein had a relationship with al Qaeda. For example, he said it was "pretty well confirmed" that a 9/11 hijacker met with Iraqi intelligence officials before 9/11.

Over the past five years, numerous intelligence reports have conclusively proved that there was no Iraq/al Qaeda relationship. A Senate Intelligence Committee report stated in Sept. 2006 that Saddam and Osama bin Laden were not collaborators, but rather enemies.

More recently, a study commissioned by the Defense Department to look into the Iraq/al Qaeda ties "showed no connection between the two." But Dick Cheney still isn't convinced. Speaking at a press conference in Iraq today, Cheney shot down the new report. He acknowledged that -- while no "operational link" has been found between Iraq and al Qaeda -- it's "pretty clear" there is a link"

Dick Cheney just can't stop lying. It's just too much a part of him.

MCain/Cheney '08.

"With this highly explosive material, Obama will be directly nominated."

God Damn America

We Reap What We Sow

No flag. No pledge.

We'll see Logan...

Chris, the break will come if the Clintons can finally be pressured to release their records (tax returns, White House records, list of big donors to their foundation)... With this highly explosive material, Obama will be directly nominated.

"you like the efficiency of FEMAhey are adept at destroying it."

not since Brownie destroyed it b/c cons hate govt they have become adept at destroying it.

"but if you are a Lib you like the efficiency of FEMA, the return of SS, the forward thinking of NASA, the frugality of Medicare, the success of the teachers union."

nice.

"For example, a 1% tax cut will reduce federal revenue by 1% because people will pay less taxes."

"When in reality, people change their behavior. Money moves differently. Jobs are created, and (in many, most cases), federal revenue INCREASES."

not sure what you mean by a 1% tax cut reference?
Jobs are not being created: we lost 63,000 last month. The deficit is also $250 billion since the tax cuts.

I would love to pay 0 in taxes and have govt services, but again we can't have our cake and eat it. I asked which specific nondescretionary programs, of signficance conservatives would like to do without. Federal roads, bridges, SS, Medicare, food and safety inspection, the FDIC were suggested we could do without anything else?

My problem is finding a proper balance of taxes, balancing the budget and providing for the general welfare that the Dem candidates support. McCain says no.

I also have a problem when Warren Buffet's secy (his words not mine) pays a higher effectice tax rate then he does.

drindl - "Nor is it for long term security."

It's workin well for me!

"Nor is it for long term security."

Ignorance abounds.

drindl - "Funny, the Supreme Court doesn't."

These are the issues that this case is deciding. It is, apparently, one of the few constitutional areas that has little precedence associated with it.

From the WaPo: "This may be one of the only cases in our lifetime when the Supreme Court is going to be interpreting the meaning of an important provision of the Constitution unencumbered by precedent," said Randy E. Barnett, a constitutional scholar at the Georgetown University Law Center. "And that's why there's so much discussion on the original meaning of the Second Amendment."

"The Bush administration never at any time created as many as the Clinton administration."

Ever heard of CAPACITY?

Unemployment was at ALL-TIME LOWS.

You couldn't make any more, general!

Quit worshiping bubba for 2 minutes.

'The stock market is not now and never has been for short term investments of money that you absolutely need.'

Nor is it for long term security.

"it seems to me that gasoline should already be $5-$6/gal retail."

mark, I've been saying that for a while now, too. It's the only incentive that will be effective to shift from foriegn oil to other alternatives. Since we've gotten so used to cheap oil, it's really a shame that we're so far behind the curve on this.

Newt has some great ideas, and I hope Mccain will work with those solution-based incentives as he says he will. He is a man of his word who gets things done, unlike the Dems who just blame Bush and Cheney for everything.

Anyone retiring this year and dependent on the market's retun this year is screwed based on the return of the DOW, NASDAQ which has lost 2200 points since Oct.

Anyone but a clueless Lib would have moved their money from stocks to bonds and cash as they got older. there is even a rule of thumb for folks as dense as you - your percentage of bonds should equal your age.

but if you are a Lib you like the efficiency of FEMA, the return of SS, the forward thinking of NASA, the frugality of Medicare, the success of the teachers union.

How is a state government going to handle something like food or pharmaceutical or chemical inspection? I mean, seriously?

Ever heard of the Better Business Bureau?

Imagine 2, 3, 5 MASSIVE, COMPETING, PRIVATE agencies.

Or, something else

Use your imagination, general.

'When in reality, people change their behavior. Money moves differently. Jobs are created, and (in many, most cases), federal revenue INCREASES.'

Taxes are cut. Jobs never materialized. The Bush administration never at any time created as many as the Clinton administration. Critical thinking skills? You are laughable.

dave - thank you for saying something worth reading.

If you invested at the beginning of the bull market in '02, you would be up 99%.

Let's have some perspective. Something Bush-haters hate.

How is a state government going to handle something like food or pharmaceutical or chemical inspection? I mean, seriously?

leichtman - "Anyone retiring this year and dependent on the market's retun this year is screwed based on the return of the DOW, NASDAQ which has lost 2200 points since Oct."

Well, if you started investing last October you are. However, if you have been saving for retirement for several decades, you are probably not screwed. You are not as good as you were last year, but screwed is a pretty strong word. If you invested in the stock market in Oct and were depending on having that money now, you were either given poor advice or are none to bright when it comes to managing your money. The stock market is not now and never has been for short term investments of money that you absolutely need.

"McCain spokesman Randy Scheunemann said the senator thinks the D.C. gun ban is "clearly unconstitutional" and that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual's right to bear arms."

Funny, the Supreme Court doesn't.

I guess the Big Central Government should overrule and override the states and decide what's good for everyone.

A better example of liberal non-thinking:

In Dallas, photo-cams were installed at many popular intersections to nab bad drivers with tickets.

The city estimated $XX million in ticket/fee revenue from the cameras.

Here's where it gets sticky for a liberal.

Speeding, red light driving, went DOWN.

[people CHANGED their behavior, in response to a stimulus - what an idea!]

Fee income dropped, because no one committed crimes. Now, the cost of the cameras does not "justify" the fees they bring in, so they will be shut down.

Who cares about public safety, crime, accidents, etc.

And the liberals are dumbfounded!

You mean to tell me, if you tax something you get less of it?

Hold the phones!

Increasing gas mileage is the logical and cost-effective approach--and very simple to effect, since US companies already build high-mileage vehicles for the European market. The auto makers and oil company lobbyists have fought re-importing these vehicles, of course because big, low mileage vehicles produce for profit for them. Yet anther way in which corporate ownership of politicians means that we are paralyzed in our ability to address issues, no matter how serious, because profits will always come first for multinationals.

"we should also build our own bridges and put out our own fires. what passes for 'thinking' among cons is truly frightening."

general drindle,

the same ol' liberal thinking is that things are as they always will be.

For example, a 1% tax cut will reduce federal revenue by 1% because people will pay less taxes.

When in reality, people change their behavior. Money moves differently. Jobs are created, and (in many, most cases), federal revenue INCREASES.

As for your comment, just because local governments and individual groups don't already handle many of the above, doesn't mean they won't, can't, or SHOULDN'T.

Honestly, who lacks critical, dynamic thinking skills?

CC - have a good vacation. As a workaholic myself, you don't get any sympathy points from me but everyone needs a vacation now and then.

On the political front, is this the bold clarity and new kind of politician that an Obama presidency would give us (Obama on the DC gun ban/SC case)?

"Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, said Mr. Obama "believes the Second Amendment creates an individual right, and he greatly respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms. He also believes that the Constitution permits state and local governments to adopt reasonable and common-sense gun safety measures," she said, but would not elaborate on the whether the senator supports the D.C. gun ban."

I will grant that that is better than his Democratic opponent - "The campaign of Mr. Obama's Democratic rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the Heller case."

Meanwhile, willing to apparently take a stand on the position - "Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, signed on to the congressional brief and co-sponsored previous efforts to lift the ban.

McCain spokesman Randy Scheunemann said the senator thinks the D.C. gun ban is "clearly unconstitutional" and that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual's right to bear arms."

Where are they allowed to look, general?

Apparently just about everywhere, private...

'With over 2.3 million wells having been drilled in the US since 1949,[there are very few unexplored areas left where another supergiant oil field is likely to be found.[ US oil reserve numbers are very accurate compared to those of most other countries.'

"No oil fields have been found in the US since 1970."

Where are they allowed to look, general?

I wish I had time to join this discussion. Let me throw in a useful fact, peripheral to the discussion as it my be.

A 42 gal. bbl of WesTX crude produces about 20 gal of gasoline and 22 gal of other stuff that is sold, not wasted]. So at $105 /bbl of oil, gasoline should be wholesaled at above $3/gal, assuming $2.50/gal out of the ground, plus freight, refining cost, plus profit and overhead to the refiner. Add in freight to the retailer, retail profit, and tax, in a normal price sturcture it seems to me that gasoline should already be $5-$6/gal retail.

Anybody know why its so cheap? Really.

'since you asked I would eliminate SS, Medicare, roads bridges,tricare, food inspection, FDIC, police and fire protection .

None of these things is appropriate for the federal government to run, some can be handed to states but most are individual problems.'

yes, people should definitely inspect their own food -- and medication -- because we are all trained chemists and biologists. we should also build our own bridges and put out our own fires. what passes for 'thinking' among cons is truly frightening. they really DO want to live in a third world country. my question is, why not then move to China, or Congo?

A fix break? Isn't that an oxymoron?

Or at the very least something one needs a twelve step program for?

Or maybe a straitjacket?

Watch out, Mrs. Fix. He might not make it past the third day.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

'massive reserves' a complete fantasy:

'United States proven oil reserves declined to a little less than 21 gigabarrels as of 2006 according to the Energy Information Administration, a 46% decline from 1970. With production of around 5 million barrels per day as of 2006, this represents about an 11 year supply of oil at current rates. With consumption at 21 million barrels per day (7.7 gigabarrels per year) (2007), US reserves alone could satisfy US demand for only three years.

No oil fields have been found in the US since 1970. With over 2.3 million wells having been drilled in the US since 1949,[there are very few unexplored areas left where another supergiant oil field is likely to be found.[ US oil reserve numbers are very accurate compared to those of most other countries.

United States crude oil production peaked in late 1970 at over 4 gigabarrels per year, but declined to 1.8 gigabarrels per year as of 2006. At the same time, US consumption of petroleum products increased to over 7.3 gigabarrels per year. The difference ( 5.5 gigabarrels ) was mostly made up by imports, with the largest supplier being Canada, which increased its exports of crude oil and refined products to the US to 0.8 gigabarrels per year as of 2005. Imports of oil and products now account for nearly half of the US trade deficit.

As of 2007, the Energy Information Agency (EIA) of the U.S. Department of Energy projected that in 2007 oil consumption would rise to 20.9 million barrels per day, while oil production would fall to 5.1 million barrels per day, meaning that oil consumption would be nearly four times as high as oil production

bsimon -

From what I've read, "MASSIVE" is an understatement. We have decades of reserves.

I agree with you, we need to find something better.

I also agree that 4.00/gallon is obscene.

Let's drill here, and have a Kennedy-style to-the-moon by 20XX plan.

this is exactly why I don't want college students running SS.
"If it is so wonderful of an idea, why is it always broken and failing and such a bad deal. why is SS 1% return when the stock market is 8%?"

Always boke. Which conservative think tank fed you that nonsense.
8%???? Anyone retiring this year and dependent on the market's retun this year is screwed based on the return of the DOW, NASDAQ which has lost 2200 points since Oct.

I am comforted to know that conservatives do not believe that building roads and bridges, providing police and fire protection, FDIC insurance, and food inspection are proper roles for their govt. Wave to the guy in the toll booth and when you use the Chesapeak Tunnel,and your police and fire dept and tell them that you are a strong conservative who doesn't need these services and will swim and put out your own fires. Interesting, in my UT eco graduate program we discussed marco economics and tax policies.

Mike, my response to your 2:57 was lost. The quick summary is that a devalued dollar is not the same thing as inflation, despite your arguments otherwise.

"Why can't we drill, here in the USA, where we know we have MASSIVE oil reserves?"

Reasons I don't think its necessary to drill here. 1) such a plan merely postpones the inevitable need to wean ourselves from oil as a primary fuel. 2) even if we eventually burn that fuel (our underground reserves), the value of those reserves rises, the longer we wait to tap them. 3) the supply-demand relationship is only one factor in the recent, sudden rise in the price of oil.

bsimon - consider this your daily economics lesson.

Inflation is a rise in the general level of prices over time. (No specific reason is necessarily stated).

A Weak Dollar is the relative decline in the value of the dollar compared to other currencies.

Let's assume the US has a big debt with China, payable in a fixed sum of DOLLARS.

Now, let's assume the dollar is weaker than 1 year ago.

The US still pays the agreed upon sum of dollars.

But those dollars don't buy as many Yuan, hence you are paying back with cheaper dollars.

Weakening Dollar
Advantages

U.S. firms find it easier to sell goods in foreign markets.

U.S. firms find less competitive pressure to keep prices low.

More foreign tourists can afford to visit the U.S.

U.S. capital markets become more attractive to foreign investors.

"What was the price of oil just prior to the US invasion of Iraq? Anyone know?"

I don't know exactly. I do know it was about $32/bbl 6 years ago (as far back as my source shows prices).

Iraq is only one variable. There's also worldwide rising demand, and the weak dollar. If you can, try to find charts of the dollar's value & the price of oil. You will notice an inverse relationship over the last year, where the dollar's value falls, while the price/bbl rises.

"It is not in OPEC's best interest for it's best customer to go into Recession "

We get all our oil from Canada and Mexico. but the world price is linked as is a world recession. You had no idea when you voted in the Pelosi congress that all this financial difficulty would ensue did you?

Care to rethink your immediate exit from Iraq strategy?

What supply are you imagining is available for our immediate consumption to drive down prices in the short term?

Is that your goal? More liberal fantasy? Put off making hard decisions? regulate the price like some Soviet? you are a true Lib. why decide today what can be twice as expensive to do tomorrow?

My kids have been drinking a lot of milk lately. once you get gas prices fixed, can you move on to milk. After that I have a whole list of things I would like to be cheaper. the government should do something!!!

bsimon - no one needs to be rude.

Why can't we drill, here in the USA, where we know we have MASSIVE oil reserves?

Frogs?

USMC_Mike writes
"[a weak dollar] also means other "good" things, like paying back debt with cheaper dollars"

Also, Mike, you're confusing inflation with a weak dollar. Inflation would mean paying back debt with cheaper dollars. A weak dollar does not mean the same thing, though the current economic situation that created the weak dollar will also likely end up causing inflation.

from Zoukie: "Lowering the price (of oil) is a false goal."

I actually agree with Zouk on this point. But that is for the long term. For our nation's long-term health we simply HAVE to stop being oil-junkies. Is not only economically debilitating, but also, it is geo-political suicide. If we wish to remain the world's # 1 power, we have to become energy independent.

BUT - for the short term, this is the hand we have, so how best do we play it?

Yes, perhaps we can pressure OPEC into opening up the spigot. Even though Dubya failed, we really don't know how hard he tried, do we? It is not in OPEC's best interest for it's best customer to go into Recession (or worse -- I really think we're seeing just the tip of the iceberg). They need us to be economically viable.

When it comes to the impressive climb of oil prices, all roads lead to Iraq.

What was the price of oil just prior to the US invasion of Iraq? Anyone know?

I don't know off hand, I'm askin'.

Bush came into office [price of oil: slightly over a dollar a gallon] promising he would 'jawbone' OPEC into raising production. He has been begging them -- but they refuse. They just don't feel like it.

Can't wait to see how well this works on al queda as the only approach.

"Just as I didn't mention a weak dollar, you