A Personal Note from T. Boone Pickens

[TOAD6147]

It's me — Boone.

Get this one. There was a poll last week that said 74% of all Americans were for the Pickens Plan. Americans overwhelmingly believe the plan will work. They're finding out what you and I already know.

But here's the clinker — 64% of them said they think lobbyists and Congress will kill the plan.

Well I've got some news for them — they haven't met you and me yet. We're going to show them what a million people can do when the future of our country is at stake.

If you haven't signed up a friend yet, take one minute and do it right now. There's a letter at the bottom you can cut and paste if you don't have time to write one yourself.

Also this week we'll be launching a new ad focusing on step two of the plan &mdash Natural Gas.
Watch the video.

[no1_vern]

I just love the idea that Pickens is trying to do what I said we should do 3 years ago.

I hope he is able to get people to listen and actually do something about the situation.

[The Real Bingo]

Seeing as how you took a shit on the thread I made about this subject a little while ago, I thought you weren't into it, TOAD.

[MTAtech]

I think that fundamentally changing how we collect and use energy, which may mean higher taxes in the short-run, takes political courage. As I pointed out in threads in which I used Denmark as an example, those short-term costs and struggles pay off in the long run.

The problem with out political process is that the horizon is the next two-or-four years, and not 20-30 years. That horizon encourages short paybacks (e.g. cut-taxes [and by the time the deficits cause economic stress, I'm out of office.])

[osprey4]

First of all, let me say that I endorse Picken's plan. The guy is willing to put his money where his mouth is.

However, why in the world does this require raising taxes? If it makes sense to do this, then there should be no problem attracting private capital, especially with the energy market what it is right now.

[The Real Bingo]

Originally Posted by osprey4

First of all, let me say that I endorse Picken's plan. The guy is willing to put his money where his mouth is.

However, why in the world does this require raising taxes? If it makes sense to do this, then there should be no problem attracting private capital, especially with the energy market what it is right now.

Won't new infrastructure need to be built to transport this new energy? From the windmills in Iowa to New York City. Maybe the local government decides to put solar panels on top of its buildings or windmills on public land - that takes money. I guess that's what would cause a tax hike, assuming the municipality needs the money and isn't running a nice surplus.

But, you're right...this should attract private business; hell, I wouldn't count on the government to do jack on this. Government - whether it's federal or state - is too slow and ungainly to get this done in a timely manner. The private sector is going to have to initiate the change, which is really how it should be...and how it has to be.

[Pexster]

The main reason you have this core faith that government cannot do anything well is that Reagan and the Republicans following have done everything in their power to make it so. Why do you think Bush appointed a failed horse show organizer as head of FEMA? I'll tell you why -- to demonstrate that government agencies were incompetent. And that then leads to privatization.

There are countless examples of how privatization has led to higher costs and fewer services to the public. Yet this is the core Republican agenda.

[The Real Bingo]

Originally Posted by Pexster

The main reason you have this core faith that government cannot do anything well is that Reagan and the Republicans following have done everything in their power to make it so. Why do you think Bush appointed a failed horse show organizer as head of FEMA? I'll tell you why -- to demonstrate that government agencies were incompetent. And that then leads to privatization.

There are countless examples of how privatization has led to higher costs and fewer services to the public. Yet this is the core Republican agenda.

Your perception is obviously skewed. You look at privatization and see bad stuff; anyone else looks at government and says, "gee, that could be run a lot better". You say, "it could be worse!" You need to cheer up and look at half-full glasses, oh unhappy progressive.

[Epidemic]

Can you transport electricity from Iowa to New York?


I think the line losses are too extreme to do so.


But to answer my own question it appears that 4000 miles is about the largest cost effective distance one can transport electric.

I still did not get the Loss per mile at 345kv. does anyone know what that is?

[MTAtech]

Originally Posted by osprey4

However, why in the world does this require raising taxes?

You are right if you are advocating a piece-meal energy policy. However, a comprehensive energy plan uses taxes to change market forces. In Denmark, gasoline is $10 a gallon but nobody really cares because they don't use much of it because they slowly migrated to a low energy consumption economy over the last 30 year.

They are now planning to raise taxes again on energy while lowering taxes on income as a way of rewarding work and discouraging energy use.

The real question is, does the U.S. have the backbone to do what is necessary to to curb its energy addiction? Yeah, it's hard going to rehab and going through withdrawal but it's worth our long-term health.