Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 14:37:04 -0700
Reply-To: monte merrick <montemerrick@SPEAKEASY.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: monte merrick <montemerrick@SPEAKEASY.NET>
Subject: Re: Gas price war / costs of road trips (NVC)
In-Reply-To: <4451357A.6010306@charter.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
just to put it into one gesture - while not in a vanagon (VC) one of
the first things reagan did in the white house was remove the solar
panel that carter had installed. intelliegence, foresight, and a
commitment to lead - these are what mark our vanagons - i mean last 25
years.
monte
On Apr 27, 2006, at 2:19 PM, John Rodgers wrote:
Mark,
As an old Alaskan, (my heart is there even if I'm not" I'm with you on
this. We have no one to blame but ourselves. Ironically it was through
our vote that we shot ourselves in the foot with the election of Ronald
Reagan. Reagan changed the direction of energy conservation in this
country, and not to the betterment. Carter before him had instigated
and put into motion numerous energy saving plans, in industry, in the
automotive world, and in the private sector. He also initiated the
programs that brought Russia to it's knees in the cold war, though he is
rarely given the credit. Except for bringing hostages home, the very
first thing Reagan did was shut down ALL the conservation programs that
Carter had initiated, in favor of big money and industry. I know first
hand, as I was involved with a number of businesses connected to some of
those programs. Overnight Reagan killed these businesses. The idea
behind him was that oil and other things were so cheap, that all this
conservation was unnecessary and hurt business. Very short sighted man,
in my opinion. I know I'm stepping on someones sacred cow here, but
that is the way I see it, and the fruits of the policies of Reagan and
the subsequent ELECTED officials are now biting us in our collective
butt!! In other words, we did it to ourselves by way of how we voted.
Norman Mailer said recently in an interview that 52% of Americans were
ignorant and the rest were blind .... or something to that effect. He
made his point. If you want some interesting reading, try his book, "The
Big Nothing". It's an eye opener.
What is going on right now really pains me. Our leadership doesn't get
it. I voted Republican for GW the first time around. By the end of term
I switched horses. He did not get my vote the second time, and unless he
and the "good ol' boys" get the message, the Republicans will miss my
vote again. I wish we had better choices than Republican or Democrat -
both parties need to straighten up and figure it out. The common folk
are hurting, and this energy thing is making it worse. We have families
in my area that are now being forced to reduce the quality of food in
order to squeeze off enough extra for the price of fuel to get to work.
It's is sickening.
As for Alaska and drilling in ANWR .... that is a smoke screen. Drilling
in ANWR is totally unnecessary - EXCEPT to politicians. A lot of the
pressure to drill is coming from Ted Stevens, (Republican senator) for
the state of Alaska as well as a few others. He dreams of "The Good Old
Days" of the Alaska Pipeline Boondoggle, a period when Alaska Snow was
not the cold stuff that fell from the sky, but migrated via the airways
from Central and South America to Alaska. A time when money flowed like
water in the streets, and when oil royalties enriched every pocket and
the State Legislature swam in Pork of unimaginable depth and width.
Every stupid little project got funded. Only one politician of the
time-1970's - Jay Hammond - - a Bush Rat from King Salmon or
Dillingham(don't remember which) who became governor and was elected
twice in a row - had enough foresight to force a financial conservation
program called "The Permanent Fund" down the throats of a spendthrift
legislature. Hammond is dead an gone, but his Permanent Fund lives on,
and has done well. As you know, it was set up to provide a cash
dispensation to every legal and eligible Alaskan, for eternity. The
politicians have long since spent all the money from the oil, didn't
maintain or re-institute the state income tax, and are now hurting for
money. They have tried repeatedly to crack the permanent fund and put
the money in the state treasury general fund to be spent, but the public
has beaten them back every time. "It's OUR money", say the Alaska
people, "And you politicians keep your hands off, no matter what ever
else happens!" I am glad that Alaskans still have a unified voice on
this.
Before drilling in ANWR the priorities must be straight. If you notice,
*THERE IS NO OIL SHORTAGE!!* Only a fuel shortage. Fuel comes after
refining. So why is there a fuel shortage?? Not enough refineries,
that's why!! The US is at capacity for fuel refining. All the extra oil
in the world can't help unless we get more refineries on line. So let's
don't go drilling where it won't help, and destroying something
wonderful, if it is not going to do any good. First things first. And in
the end, even if refineries are built, if "we the people" are on our
toes, and push our politicians, we will have alternative fuels in a few
years, and drilling in ANWR will never be reasonable thing to do, will
never happen.
The rest of the world is looking for alternatives to oil. We in the USA
have some years ahead in technology development. If it is applied
seriously, and the new energy sources developed, then we will be in
position to supply the rest of the world... they will buy from us. But
if we don't get on the stick, we could wind up buying from them, as we
do for oil now.
Sorry for the soapbox tapdance.
Regards,
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
Mark Tuovinen wrote:
> Daniel,
>
> No apologies necessary, you are correct that we in America have no one
> to blame except ourselves.
>
> As an Alaskan and someone that is concerned about the environment I do
> not want to see the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge opened to
> drilling. As a realist I recognize that it may happen someday, but
> hopefully not before we do everything possible to use more wisely that
> which we are already extracting. What little will come from drilling
> in ANWR pales in comparison to what Americans waste.
>
> Mark in AK
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Daniel Gordon <dangordon0128@HOTMAIL.COM>
> Date: Thursday, April 20, 2006 12:42 pm
> Subject: Re: Gas price war / costs of road trips LVC
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
>
>> While I agree that gas is, in fact, too high. I am affected by
>> your rascist
>> comments. Americans are at fault. We use the most gas of any
>> nation in the
>> world and are unwilling to conserve. We drive the price up, not
>> any other
>> nation.
>>
>> I apologize in advance.
>>
>> My AW is doing well, can't wait to suck up some high-priced gas
>> with it
>> ;-)
>>
>>
>>
>> Now it's almost $50.00 thanks to the sand people.
>> The latest hike is due to Amminadab's telling the
>> world we are'nt paying enough.
>>
>> Robert
>>
>> 1982 Westfalia
>>
>>
>
>
>
"I long ago lost a hound, a bay horse, and a turtle dove, and am still
on their trail. Many are the travelers I have spoken to concerning
them, describing their tracks and what calls they answered to. I have
met one or two who had heard the hound, and the tramp of the horse, and
even seen the dove disappear behind a cloud, and they seemed as anxious
to recover them as if they had lost them themselves." - henry thoreau
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