Politicians that may actually GET IT on Energy

[Toad]

http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/512366.html?nav=515

Finally! Some of them are getting off their dead tulips and beginning to move. It's even bipartisan. They told the House leadership to diddly off, told the lobbyists to diddly off and wrote their own bill.

I suggest we all write to the rest of the do-nothing Reps and tell them to support this or get the hell out of the way.


No, it's NOT perfect; nothing from Congress is. But, OMG... AT LAST... politicians that DO something.

Coal-to-liquids technology would be among the alternative energy interests to benefit from a comprehensive national energy bill expected to be introduced today.

A bipartisan group of 22 legislators in the U.S. House - frustrated with their leadership's reluctance to adopt a national energy policy - announced Wednesday they have crafted their own energy bill. It's called the National Conservation, Environment and Energy Independence Act.

The legislation would lift most restrictions on off-shore drilling for oil, and about $2.6 trillion is expected to be generated from the resulting lease agreements, according to U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.

That money would be put toward the development of alternative energies, including the development of coal technologies, she added.

"We are very excited about this," Capito said. "We have been working on this for about a month. There have been no lobbyists and no special interests. We have been writing this ourselves, and that is the way it should be.

"We've found common ground because we all realize the U.S. is unloading a lot of energy dollars overseas," she added. "We also all realize it is becoming a security issue."

The bill retains the moratorium on off-shore drilling up to 25 miles off land, according to Capito. States  <edit> OMG! I feel faint! The Feds deferring to a STATE! </edit> would have the right to dictate whether drilling could occur from 25 miles to 50 miles from shore.

All drilling would be allowed 50 miles from land, she said.

The coalition of House members resulted from their mutual frustration with the lack of action on energy issues in Congress, according to Capito.

"Leadership will not put forward an energy bill because they are absolutely opposed to off-shore drilling," she said. "They know they would lose. There are enough Democrats, Republicans and Americans who think we need to be reliant on ourselves. We found enough people to get a dialogue together, and we wrote legislation. That's the way we should do it.

"If we can't drill for oil and we don't want coal or nuclear energy, we have no pathway to energy independence," she continued. "That's what this bill is addressing."

Capito noted that the legislation refers to using coal for transportation fuels and also stipulates that aviation fuel made from coal be used by the U.S. Air Force.

Among the 22 U.S. House members - 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans - working on the legislation are John Peterson, R-Pa.; Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii; Thelma Drake, R-Va.; Tim Walz, D-Minn.; Jim Costa, D-Calif.; and Dan Burton, R-Ind., according to information provided by Capito's office.

[DREDIOCK]

Bout time some of them stopped being party clones.

The most astounding part of the entire thing.

"There have been no lobbyists and no special interests. We have been writing this ourselves, and that is the way it should be."

[Motherland]

Bout time some of them stopped being party clones.

The most astounding part of the entire thing.

"There have been no lobbyists and no special interests. We have been writing this ourselves, and that is the way it should be."

The sad part is the fact that this is anything special.

[REP0MAN]

"There have been no lobbyists and no special interests. We have been writing this ourselves, and that is the way it should be."

I'd run this one through Snopes....

[Rolex]

Speaking of energy, this is a new simple and practical technique developed by MIT to store solar-generated energy.

[Motherland]

NVM

[DREDIOCK]

The sad part is the fact that this is anything special.

You got that right

[Gunslinger]

what's been pissing me off for a couple of years now is representatives of the PEOPLE who want to put forth bills that NEVER see the house or senate floor for an up or down vote because of PARTY LEADERSHIP.  They'd rather do NOTHING at all than to lose.

The term filibuster comes to mind.

[DREDIOCK]

what's been pissing me off for a couple of years now is representatives of the PEOPLE who want to put forth bills that NEVER see the house or senate floor for an up or down vote because of PARTY LEADERSHIP.  They'd rather do NOTHING at all than to lose.

The term filibuster comes to mind.

"You know......I've always considered myself a Democrat first. and an American second" -Hillary Clinton 2008

Heard it with my own ears twice.
I was so astounded at what I thought I heard the first time I left CNN on for the replay several hours later just to make sure I didnt hear it wrong.
Then I not only heard her say it. But SAW her say it.

But really you could insert either party into that quote and it would apply to 95% of government.
Particularly the party leaders

[Maverick]

Well it's time to flush the leadership if they are not willing to listen. I do hope some of you have been paying attention to the lack of action from both sides of congress. It's time for "merit" pay to be withdrawn. No merit, no more pay and vacate the position.

[DREDIOCK]

Well it's time to flush the leadership if they are not willing to listen. I do hope some of you have been paying attention to the lack of action from both sides of congress. It's time for "merit" pay to be withdrawn. No merit, no more pay and vacate the position.

That would be great.
Problem is. people often vote their party just to vote against the other.
The only real option is to get third party members in.
But that woud mean people would actually have to vote FOR someone.
Rather then just voting against someone

[FrodeMk3]

That would be great.
Problem is. people often vote their party just to vote against the other.
The only real option is to get third party members in.
But that woud mean people would actually have to vote FOR someone.
Rather then just voting against someone

It would also mean that a greater percentage of America will have to get politically active as well, DRED. And, drop the notion of "wasted votes". Hell, if you think of all the votes' you've already wasted in elections' past, It's no big thing to go after something better. The whole 'wasted vote' thing is some of the lamest toejam I've ever heard.

[DREDIOCK]

The whole 'wasted vote' thing is some of the lamest poop I've ever heard.

Agreed.
Pure rhetoric to preserve the two big parties.
The only "wasted vote". Is the vote that isnt cast

[Toad]

Speaking of energy, this is a new simple and practical technique developed by MIT to store solar-generated energy.

Wow. That is amazing. That's really the MIT site, not some spoof? That is truly a gamechanger if it works.

[Mojava]

Speaking of energy, this is a new simple and practical technique developed by MIT to store solar-generated energy.

  That rocks!!!!