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Gang of 10 Energy Bill: Full of Bad Ideas

Time is running out for Congress to act on energy exploration this year. With just two weeks left, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has indicated a willingness to vote on a plan devised by five Republicans and five Democrats known as the “Gang of 10.” The legislation is hardly ideal, however, and includes very little actual energy production. Even its modest steps toward offshore drilling aren’t very good.

Heritage’s Ben Lieberman took a close look at the bill and offers these three things you need to know about it:

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  • Author: Rob Bluey
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5 Comments

September 11, 2008 Gang of 10 Energy Bill: Full of Bad Ideas : lowerautoinsurance writes:

[...] Original Rob Bluey [...]

September 11, 2008 Austin, Provo, UT writes:

Loved the informative and beautifully succinct video.

This blog has become one of my favorites. You guys are great!

September 13, 2008 Dan, Springfield, IL writes:

For the life of me I can’t understand why we haven’t instituted a Manhattan Project on Energy with two broad charges:
1. Evaluate present known alternatives and determine what steps we might take in the short term to utilize their highest gain. This step might cover all sorts of energy related matters from the efficency of the gasoline motor, solor, wind, insullation, rail service, geo-thermal, modification of the present gasoline engine,oil additives or enhancements, energy storage long life battery usage - etc., etc., etc.

2. The second part of this Manhattan Project on Energy would be the more crucial aspect of the program. This would take the findings from part number 1 or something completely different that would be a true breakthrough into a self sufficent energy source(s). An example might be radiation free nuclear nanosized battery construction and usage. This part of the project would be our shot to the moon.

But the only alternatives I’ve seen from any political party has been to throw money and subsidize solar panels etc., which we’ve already attempted or grants to mom and dad operations who are doing not much more than what we’ve already done. It just doesn’t seem that we’re serious about this yet and only through a centralized well funded Manhattan Project on Energy are we actually going to even have a chance of making the correct short term and long final term solution towards energy independence.

September 16, 2008 Arthur White writes:

I think one critical facet of the energy situation is being overlooked. People who want solar, wind, geothermal, etc. don’t take into account that it will take huge amounts of energy JUST TO MANUFACTURE THE MASSIVE QUANTITIES OF HARDWARE FOR THESE PROPOSED SYSTEMS. It will be in addition to that we are buying overseas now. Without obtaining our own energy through drilling, etc., there will be no marginal energy available without paying overseas or cutting critical usages here. The Dem’s “can’t have it bothways”, (to coin a phrase. Ha)!

September 16, 2008 Arthur White writes:

The “Vicious Cycle….” is good as far as it goes, but the root of the fiasco is in the
Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, sponsored by Senator Proxmire, D-Wisconsin. It required evaluating lending institutions (banks) on their extending the “American Dream” of home ownership to what were marginally qualified applicants. Agents then were pressured to make more loans and too many succumbed by falsifying credit worthiness information. Clinton pushed it hard in the ’90’s. Mortgages were bundled and sold on up to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae as something they weren’t. FM and FM went along with it.
The house of cards collapsed in August 2007 resulting in the current crisis. The economy
is suffering because of it. Senator Kyl, Arizona, on the floor of the Senate several months ago, said that the blame ‘belonged in this body right here’(or words to that effect).

No Bush administration policy is to blame for this bad effect on the economy.

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