Subsidze Me!
Quick note to those that argue that renewable energy is overly subsidized against carbon fuels. Notice that Tom Delay, GOP budget minded, fiscally responsible House Majority leader is fighting hard for: “A Senate-passed requirement for an inventory of offshore oil and gas resources and a House-approved measure, pushed by Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas, to provide $2 billion in subsidies for research into oil exploration in the deepest parts of the Gulf of Mexico.” Notice, this is $2 billion for RESEARCH into EXPLORATION. Its not even money to recover known quantities. Its taxpayer money to find out if we can look for something. Not to mention that at oil companies are doing great right now and are flush with cash to do this all by their lonesome. Here Bush has it right, “With oil at more than $50 a barrel, energy companies do not need taxpayer-funded incentives to explore for oil and gas." But the GOP controlled congress has other thoughts: The energy bill under consideration on the Senate floor would reduce royalty payments for oil and gas producers drilling in federal waters -- a break worth almost $100 million over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
I am not using this to justify "green" subsidies. This is to point out that everyone eats at the federal trough. I wonder who would survive if everyone had to fend for themselves? About the only given there is that the Nuclear boondoggle would be exposed.
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The only party free of such contamination is the Libertarian party. Of course, that's because they hardly exist. I say get off your complaining duff and get behind the party that best represents your views. The Cato Institute wants you!
What's "the nuclear boondoggle"?
The "nuclear boondoggle" is the fallacy of the cost of Nuclear energy. It's commonly touted at about $.06/kilowatt. However, that cost does not include the following: First, there’s insurance. Here the free market has made coverage too expensive for any plant to cover. Insurers just wouldn’t touch it without a very, very high premium. Damages from an accident range from hundreds of billions to trillions depending upon location of plant and scope of damage. Thus, the feds decided that the national taxpayers would cover any and all liabilities. Then, waste. Again, too expensive for the plant operators, so the feds again decided the national taxpayers should build, store, transport, and maintain waste facilities, and again cover any liabilities. Finally, there’s financing. Here the feds decided that the national taxpayers should guarantee the loans for building plants. Add those real costs back into the equation and “cheap” nuclear is easily the most expensive power on the planet. It would be cheaper to hire Lance Armstrong to pedal a generator at my house than to buy nuclear. Especially if the feds cover the three biggest expenses.
Got it. Will continue to do what I can to move the world through my music.
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