It is that time of year where everyone in the media comes up with their best and worst list. The outcome of the 2008 election seems to have made a lot of the best lists and number one in most. No surprise as 75% of the population is thrilled GW Bush is leaving office. So his departure is contender for best in 2009.
The rise and then fall of gas prices gets it considered for both my worst and best list. I frankly am joyful about the trend downward. I am frankly waiting for more deflation before buying much of anything. But the best part of rising gas prices was that it got me looking seriously at my driving habits, energy use in my house, etc. I think the earth will benefit in the long run from all the above: Obama winning, Bush leaving, and the blackmail done by oil companies.
One of the things which has to make the best list for me is getting back into politics with the Obama campaign. I had been so turned off by GW cheating himself into office twice I was ready to move to another country. I was even studying Italian. But when I began to blog here about the primary process for my European friends I got involved in the blogging community who was still willing to invest time and opinions in the United States. It was infectous.
And the blogging community proved to be a powerful force for change in this country. I was thrilled to see Obama's campaign take full use of the internet. The FreePress is alive and well in the ether and that is just too cool. That gets number one for me. GW controlled the professional press after 9/11 to a level not used since Hitler. That probably gets number one on worst for about eight straight years in my assessment.
So the economy has tanked. Everyone is asking for a bailout and yet I feel surprisingly optimistic about the American people and our future. Though I do think we should cancel all bailouts to banks, investment companies, and auto dealers and just lower the interest rate on all personal mortgages, cancel all personal chapter 13 bankruptcies, and give tax breaks to all alternative energy systems installed in your homes.
All the remaining bailout moneys can be used to rebuild infrastructure, restore our national parks to their former glory, and develop affordable alternative energy technology and production. I personally want a windgenerator system and a solar well pump.
This past year the exorbitant cost of fuel nearly destroyed our economy and seriously damaged our society. That one single factor alone affected every single facet of our economy and society. Filling up at the pump broke most family budgets alone. Added to that was the financial burden of sharp increases in every consumer product because the increased cost of fuel was passed on through the production and shipping of such products. Utility companies sought and were granted record price hikes further straining the family budget. WE cut back, cut out frills, for some that was not going out to eat any longer, cutting off the home phone and only using the cell. Shutting the cable off, or maybe going longer to replace things that really need replaced like the family car, tires, clothing etc. Sadly some have had to go so far as to cut out necessary medications just to keep a roof over their heads. Day after day sad stories are on the news about animal shelters bursting at the seams as families either lost their homes or can no longer feed their pets. Cutting back further reduces consumer spending which results in even more jobs lost. While we are so busy doing the happy dance at the pumps at the lower gas prices OPEC is planning to cut production until the reach their desired 75-100. per barrel price. My electric bill went up 16% during the height of this, now they are talking about reducing it 4% since fuel is back down. What happened to the other 12%? Groceries have not come back down and most are in smaller packaging so we are paying more for less. Freddie and Fannie have taken most all the blame for our society's economy. Of all the homes I have seen lost in FL and I have seen many and many more in the process none have been due to an adjustable mortgage like the media likes to portray, they have been due to lack of employment. Those who do still have a job have seen tremendous cutbacks in hours available which cuts their check, some in half. WE need to use some of these stimulus/bailout dollars to make America Energy Dependent. It would cost the equivalent of 60 cents a gallon to charge and drive an electric car. The electricity to charge the car could conceivably be generated by solar or wind. If all gasoline cars, trucks, and suv’s instead had plug-in electric drive trains, the amount of electricity needed to replace gasoline is about equal to the estimated wind energy potential of the state of North Dakota.What a win -win situation it would be for our nation to create clean, cheap electricity, create millions of badly needed new green collar jobs and at the same time we could reduce and eventually eliminate our dependence on foreign oil. I just read a fascinating and profound book by Jeff Wilson called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence Now. The plan outlined in his book would save this country from financial ruin as well as get us out from under our dependence on foreign oil. I encourage all to read this book, especially our politicians. Also I encourage all of you to visit Better Place @ http://www.betterplace.com/ to see the work this new company is doing to make our country energy independent. There is a tab on the upper right hand side of the page to click to sign up for news letters and sign an online petition. Very worthwhile. We have to do our part as citizens to educate ourselves and be more proactive.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly make some very valid points. I am lucky enough to have a home based business so I do not have to worry about commutes. I built a passive solar studio addition to my home that has significantly cut heating bills this winter thus far. It would have been nice to have been given a tax break for that.
ReplyDeleteI do live in a mountain area where the 4-wheel drive vehicle is a necessity. Could not have gotten out of my driveway without it. But the auto industry knows how to cut fuel by at least a third on all existing vehicles - no major factory refits necessary. I think they are probably in bed with the oil industry, which is now whining because we are buying less gas. They are currently closing down domestic wells, and selling off the leases they thought were so necessary Congress give them when the barrel of oil was over $100. Oil shale is profitable with only $50 a barrel oil. They lie to us all the time.
But I think a major infrastructure project that needs to be undertaken in the immediate future is rails. Piggy backed tractor/trailer rigs save massive amounts of diesel fuel especially with the new energy efficient train engines. And we need more commuter light rail to keep cars, electric or otherwise off our roads.
I still think the downward turn in the economy is good in that it is getting everyone to look at our wasteful spending, unnecessary toys (I have really benefited from deleting TV from my budget)and the CEO's and corporate officials that have lured us into this spend, spend,waste,waste economy.