Obama's $1k energy rebate just plain one of the dumbest things I have ever heard of

Barack Obama is merely pandering for votes by playing class envy. He has obviously never studied economics. This has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard of, and I have heard a bunch of idiotic proposals by politicians in the past.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Friday called for a $1,000 "emergency" rebate to consumers to offset soaring energy costs amid fresh signs of a struggling economy with the nation's unemployment rate climbing to a four-year high.

Obama told a town-hall meeting the rebate would be financed with a windfall profits tax on the oil industry.

Click here for the whole story. There is no need for "emergency" relief. The idea of "windfall" profits is just plain fallacious. Furthermore, to abscond the profits of a legitimate corporation to redistribute the wealth is just plain communism. There is not hiding that concept; Obama is just plain endorsing full on communism.

The hypocritical part is that Obama flat out refuses to support the idea of offshore drilling to increase the supply of energy. You can not have it both ways. We would have lower energy costs and relief for consumers by having an increased supply. Simple economics dictate that increased supply equals lower cost. But Obama is apparently too blind to this by his communistic paradigm or is just too stupid to realize this. Perhaps he does know and is flat out lying for political gain, which is not beyond the scope of possibility, nay is probability.

Since Shearon Harris is in Wake County, Orange County Commissioners can go pound sand

When Berkley East, otherwise known as Orange County, NC annexes Wake County, then they can have a say in what goes on in Wake County. Until then, the Orange County Board of Commissioners needs to STFU.

From WRAL:

Progress Energy might build two more nuclear reactors at its Shearon Harris facility in Wake County. However, the company first has to get approval to do it.

Before company officials make up their minds, some local elected officials are moving forward with plans to oppose it.

The company is in the midst of public hearings with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a requirement to build new reactors.

Progress Energy officials said a growing customer base and a higher demand for power justify the expansion. The company expects to add 500,000 customers in the next 20 years.

The approval process could take years, but Orange County isn't wasting any time. The Board of Commissioners called a special meeting for Thursday night to consider a resolution to oppose Progress Energy's permit to expand Shearon Harris.

The resolution says Orange County is concerned about the potential for spontaneous combustion of spent nuclear fuel rods during low water conditions. It also says expansion of the plant would enhance the attraction of the facility for terrorist attacks.

Wake County leaders are on record in support of the plan. The school district approves.

Oddly enough, the liberals in Orange County must be in support of burning more fossil fuels to run power plants and therefore, in their eyes, pollute the environment and contribute to (non-existent) global warming. The need for more electricity production is there, but leave it to whining liberals to try to stop progress. (Ha, ha, Progress Energy...get it?)

Every so often, even a Democrat gets it right...sometimes not

Those who follow this blog are aware that I am sometimes a bit hard on Congressman Bob Etheridge, as I should be. I am hard on him when he does things blatantly against the Constitution or against conservative principles. Every once in a while, some things are just plain common sense. Killing the AMT, or Alternative Minimum Tax is just plain common sense. It is enough so that even a Democrat can see that the tax should be eliminated. I am dubious as to the claims of "loopholes", but ending the AMT is a wise idea. I have no problem with ending subsidies to oil companies at all, since I am against corporate welfare programs. From WTSB's news page:

Etheridge Votes For Middle-Class Tax Relief Legislation
U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington), a member of the House Budget Committee, voted Thursday for legislation that provides $50 billion in middle-class tax relief for 25 million families. The AMT Relief Act of 2008 will save 33,083 families in the Second Congressional District from paying higher taxes under the Alternative Minimum Tax. “At a time of economic uncertainty and rising gas and food prices, this legislation will provide tax relief for thousands of North Carolina families who otherwise would see their tax rate rise dramatically due to the Alternative Minimum Tax,” said Etheridge. The Alternative Minimum Tax was originally designed to ensure very wealthy individuals do not avoid paying income tax. The tax now threatens to impact middle-class families and raise taxes on 25 million Americans if Congress fails to take action. The legislation is fiscally responsible and does not require borrowing money or adding to the deficit. To pay for middle-class tax relief the bill closes tax loopholes that allow multi-millionaires on Wall Street to pay a lower tax rate on their income than other working Americans, such as teachers and firefighters, cracks down on tax cheats and ends massive government subsidies for oil companies earning record profits.

Another bill that Etheridge is involved with is about ending "excess speculation" in the energy markets. Personally, this is one area in which the government needs to step out of, not into. It is a free market problem with a free market solution. Government interference kills freedom for those wishing to play in the market. Also from WTSB's news page:

U.S. Representative Bob Etheridge visited Stancil Oil Company in Selma Wednesday afternoon to discuss legislation he has authored that aims to prevent manipulation and excessive speculation in energy markets. Etheridge is Chair of the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management of the House Agriculture Committee, which oversees the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The CFTC oversees futures trading on US exchanges. The Committee will hold hearings on the issues starting Monday, July 7. “North Carolina’s families are struggling to make ends meet while the cost of energy soars. Congress must ensure that investors are not artificially raising energy costs for their own gain while hard-working Americans are suffering,” Etheridge said on Wednesday. “No one factor is responsible for the current energy prices, but my legislation will attempt to keep our markets free of manipulation and excessive speculation.” Etheridge has thrown his support by the Gas Price Relief for Consumers Act, which has been approved by the US House. It is designed to combat record gas prices by authorizing lawsuits against oil cartel members for pricing fixing.

One thing I found out about Bob Etheridge is his occult activities in Freemasonry. Yes, I fully believe that the Masons are a cult, not just a fraternal organization. According to Wikipedia,

He is active in Freemasonry and is currently the Grand Orator for North Carolina Freemasonry.

I can not fault Bob on his dedicated service to his county, his state, and the nation. I can, however, fault him for his stances on issues. It is nothing personal. I give him credit where credit is due. He has supported several bills in the past that I thought were proper. When he does well, I give him praise and have done so on this very blog. When he does poorly, I remark as such.

Liddy Dole understands it

I really don't agree with the idea of establishing a program by the government to help with battery development. This should be a private sector driven thing. With the exploration and fuel source development, however, I totally agree.

From WTSB's news page:

Senator Dole Introduces Gas Price Reduction Act
On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole helped introduce the Gas Price Reduction Act, which would increase domestic energy exploration and production, bolster conservation measures and strengthen the U.S. futures markets. The legislation would open up Western oil shale resources, which are estimated to have more than three times the reserves of Saudi Arabia, and it would enable coastal states, including North Carolina, to decide whether or not to permit exploration at least 50 miles off their coastlines. “I believe the state of North Carolina should have the option to open offshore areas to energy exploration as long as it is safe, clean and not visible from the land,” said Dole. “The bill I am supporting would allow North Carolina and other coastal states to decide whether to open areas at least 50 miles off their shorelines to exploration and in turn receive a significant portion of the revenues. Now more than ever, responsible and practical steps are needed to increase our energy independence and strengthen economic and national security.” The Gas Price Reduction Act would: Increase supply by replacing the current Outer Continental Shelf moratorium with a statutory moratorium that enables coastal states to petition the Secretary of the Interior to make the area within their state boundaries available for oil and gas leasing; Increase supply by lifting the moratorium and allowing for the leasing of oil shale in the Rocky Mountain West; Decrease demand by establishing a program to accelerate the production of advanced batteries for plug-in hybrid vehicles, and make sure the commodity markets are working properly by addressing excessive oil speculation.