I have a 2005 Jeep Liberty which has an 18 gallon tank. You cannot run it totally empty, so, at approx 17 gallons, I have paid over $55.OO to fill the thing. When we bought it, we beleived the sticker which said it would get 28 on highway and 24 in city. That is bullcookies. I get an average of 16miles/gallon.
My husband has an F250 diesel and gets better mileage - 25. To fill his tank it is already over $100. We have the truck for our horses (business) and other necessities in Texas - so, please do not have any environmentalists tell me we should drive a Prius- it will not pull 3 horses that weigh 1200 lbs a piece.
We have no viable public transit to get to and from work. Which is lousy. When I lived in Boston, I filled up one a month. I have estimated (without trips to family for holidays) that for the year we spend $8,000 on fuel. Up from just over $4,000 a year back in 2002. If fuel goes to $4 a gallon, we will be at over $10,000 a year for getting to work and back. We are very efficient in trips out - but work is sort of required if you want to be on the salary continuation plan.
Our weekly food bill went from $75. - $80 a week (eating chicken breasts, and a steak regularly) to over $125 a week to eat chicken thighs and ground chuck. Milk is $4 a gallon here - and cheap bread is $2.19 so, I am not sure how we are going to continue like this.
Jimmy Carter said ONE great thing during his presidency - "we will cut our need for foreign oil". Course he did nothing about it. We need someone who is leading this country to rally us into programs to get off foreign oil and do things like nuclear power for all electricity. In the short term we need to drill in ANWR and off our shores - and ues coal gasification to fuel our lives and economy to get us out of the danger we are in now. At the same time, we need to develop cars that run on renewable fuel and run our houses on nuclear power. (If France can do it, we can do it better) If we could get to the moon in a decade we can solve this.
I said we were in grave danger - think on this - what if Iran and Venezuela shut off their oil sales to us completely? How would we work? How would we get food? How would we heat our homes? In short, how would our economy continue to support us? In the short term it would all grind to a halt. We need to prevent that future - fast.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Draft of new Immigration Bill - (mine)
I REALLY do not understand the "Illegal Immigration" debate. The first word says it all: illegal - end of debate.
Here is a bill that has some common sense. This is what we need to enact:
1. Close and secure the Southern Border with a hardened uninterrupted fence supplemented by technological surveillance. – NOTHING else is considered until this effort is completed. If we can build the Empire State Building in a year, we can do this in the same timeframe – with multiple crews working on different sections simultaneously.
Following the construction of the fence:
2. All illegal aliens in this country must be sent back to their country of origin. Do not tell me this is impossible. If the border is closed, they can be found one by one – the same way they came here, and deported. Eventually, there will be no illegal aliens.
3. Any person/company found hiring illegal aliens without documentation will be imprisoned and fined harshly.
4. Create a Guest Worker program for small numbers of people to fill jobs requested by employers specifically. Keep track of who is hired for what job and monitor these employers.
5. Additional taxes will be issued to these temporary workers to compensate costs inflicted on our healthcare facilities.
6. No guest workers will collect social security, disability, unemployment or federal health care.
7. Illegal aliens without federal documentation, found in this country within one year of Bills establishment will be held in work camps until they are deported. These camps will be comprised of a “Tent Prison” system where they will work on federal jobs to compensate the cost of the camp – until they are deported back to their country of origin.
8. To become a citizen you must remain documented for a period of 10 years. During this time you must be employed, be clear of any criminal activity, and speak and write English. (This will add people to this country that are educated and have a strong desire to be an American)
9. Any criminal activity will result in imprisonment and/or deportation.
10. Change the 14th Amendment to the Constitution to stop “anchor babies”. This is NOT what our Founding Fathers had in mind – and you all know that.
11. No company or corporation is allowed to displace – or artificially deflate – the wages of American Workers by hiring “guest workers”. This means that Mr. Construction Company owner cannot fire all his cement workers that are American, and hire guest workers for 2/3 of the cost, thus decimating the American cement workers and driving the standard wages for those jobs lower.
Done! Wow... common sense. What a thought.
Here is a bill that has some common sense. This is what we need to enact:
1. Close and secure the Southern Border with a hardened uninterrupted fence supplemented by technological surveillance. – NOTHING else is considered until this effort is completed. If we can build the Empire State Building in a year, we can do this in the same timeframe – with multiple crews working on different sections simultaneously.
Following the construction of the fence:
2. All illegal aliens in this country must be sent back to their country of origin. Do not tell me this is impossible. If the border is closed, they can be found one by one – the same way they came here, and deported. Eventually, there will be no illegal aliens.
3. Any person/company found hiring illegal aliens without documentation will be imprisoned and fined harshly.
4. Create a Guest Worker program for small numbers of people to fill jobs requested by employers specifically. Keep track of who is hired for what job and monitor these employers.
5. Additional taxes will be issued to these temporary workers to compensate costs inflicted on our healthcare facilities.
6. No guest workers will collect social security, disability, unemployment or federal health care.
7. Illegal aliens without federal documentation, found in this country within one year of Bills establishment will be held in work camps until they are deported. These camps will be comprised of a “Tent Prison” system where they will work on federal jobs to compensate the cost of the camp – until they are deported back to their country of origin.
8. To become a citizen you must remain documented for a period of 10 years. During this time you must be employed, be clear of any criminal activity, and speak and write English. (This will add people to this country that are educated and have a strong desire to be an American)
9. Any criminal activity will result in imprisonment and/or deportation.
10. Change the 14th Amendment to the Constitution to stop “anchor babies”. This is NOT what our Founding Fathers had in mind – and you all know that.
11. No company or corporation is allowed to displace – or artificially deflate – the wages of American Workers by hiring “guest workers”. This means that Mr. Construction Company owner cannot fire all his cement workers that are American, and hire guest workers for 2/3 of the cost, thus decimating the American cement workers and driving the standard wages for those jobs lower.
Done! Wow... common sense. What a thought.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Global Warming - farce or manipulation to force taxes paid to the UN??
In the leading London newspaper, today it says that the only solution to Global Warming is taxes. That's it. Taxes. Wow. Is that a frightening thing, global taxes? Let me tell you what global warming is.
The Earth is getting warmer. The Earth has always gotten warmer and then it has gotten warmer and then it has gotten colder. For instance, "Time" magazine wrote in 1924 about global warming -- I'm sorry, global cooling. And then in '39 it was global warming. And then in '74 it was global cooling and then it's warming again. The "New York Times" did the same thing, 1924, stories all about global cooling. 35, global warming. '75, global cooling. Today it's warming again.
It happens over and over and over again, but they have so captured the imagination and the fear of people that we're all going to be wiped off the face of the planet and it is a lie! It is a lie! But don't take my word for it. I'm going to give you just the phrases from the environmentalists that should open your mind and open up your eyes and be able to arm you with being able to save the open-minded people that are left, the ones that have been duped, the ones who don't know. They are all good intentioned but they are being useful idiots. Let me give you some of them.
The Earth is getting warmer. The Earth has always gotten warmer and then it has gotten warmer and then it has gotten colder. For instance, "Time" magazine wrote in 1924 about global warming -- I'm sorry, global cooling. And then in '39 it was global warming. And then in '74 it was global cooling and then it's warming again. The "New York Times" did the same thing, 1924, stories all about global cooling. 35, global warming. '75, global cooling. Today it's warming again.
It happens over and over and over again, but they have so captured the imagination and the fear of people that we're all going to be wiped off the face of the planet and it is a lie! It is a lie! But don't take my word for it. I'm going to give you just the phrases from the environmentalists that should open your mind and open up your eyes and be able to arm you with being able to save the open-minded people that are left, the ones that have been duped, the ones who don't know. They are all good intentioned but they are being useful idiots. Let me give you some of them.
- This comes from Canada's former environmental minister, Christine Stewart. Quote: Climate change provides the greatest chance to bring about justice and equality in the world.
- o Excuse me? Climate change is the greatest chance to bring justice and equality in the world? How is that, Christine Stewart?
- Quote, same person. This is the former environmentalist of Canada. Quote: No matter if the science is all phony, there is still collateral environmental benefits to global warming policies. That collateral benefit is global taxes. More money out of the pockets of honest hard-working American citizens.
- Quote, Stephen Schneider: To capture the public imagination, we have to offer up some scary scenarios, make simplified dramatic statements and little mention of any doubts one might have. Each of us has to decide the right balance between being effective and being honest.
- o Who is Stephen Schneider? He was the lead UN IPCC report author and climate alarmist. In 2007 he is still in a major role.
- Dave Foreman, founder of Earth First: Phasing out the human race will solve every problem on Earth, social and environmental.
- Jacques Chirac: Kyoto is the first component of an authentic global governance.
- Prince Philip, World Wildlife Federation, If I were reincarnated, I would come back, return to the Earth as a killer virus to lower human population levels.
- George Monbiot, environmental author last year: Every time someone dies as a result of floods in Bangladesh airline executives should be dragged out of office and concerned.
- Helen Cox, Union of Concerned Scientists: free enterprise really means rich people get richer. They have freedom to exploit and psychologically rape their fellow human beings in the process. Capitalism is destroying the Earth. Every time you turn on an electric outlet, you are making another brainless baby.
- Michael Oppenheimer, Environmental Defense Fund: The only hope for the world is to make sure there is not another United States.
- John Edwards this weekend said this is going to cause great pain, higher energy prices, higher gas prices, higher food prices, we're going to pay higher taxes but we've got to do it and there may be more on the horizon that we don't even know but we've got to do it.
This is the goal of the environmental movement, to stop America, to stop development, to stop the Third World from being poor, to redistribute the wealth, to take your money and give it to an organization that can better decide how it should be distributed. It is the global movement for justice and equality. Now, that's not what your neighbor thinks that has the Go Green bumper sticker and the Prius or whatever. That's not what they think, but that's the truth and at some point Americans have got to unite and stand with the truth. There is no dismissing these comments.
I don't care if it's a Republican or Democrat. The Republicans are starting to go down this road because so many Americans have been co-opted into this lie that the Republicans are going to have absolutely no spine and they're going to go right along with it. This is a plot from those who would see the US lose sovereignty to the “World Court”. You have no concept of what is right around the corner, and what is right around the corner is the loss of sovereignty. It is about the destruction of the United States of America. Unless Americans take a stand and tell our political leaders “NO”.
I am saying "NO" to the UN and anything like the Kyoto Protocol. Do you know who your representatives are in Washington? Do you know how to contact them? If not, it is something you may want to look into.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
What America Needs - re: Energy
Do those of you who were alive while Kennedy was in office remember what he did that got America to the moon? He stood up before the American people and got us all on the same team.
What the next President needs to do with our energy issues is the following:
Get in front of the American people and tell them we are in a fight for our sovereignty. We need to get off of foreign oil and we are going to do everything in our power to do that within the next 10 years. That is right 10 years - 100% off foreign oil. I do not want to hear that we cannot do that - this is the country that created the atomic bomb in a short time and put a man on the moon in the 1960's. We can do anything we set our minds to.
Then this President needs to engender in us the feeling that we are on a team with the same goal - no "damn democrats" or "raunchy republicans" just "Americans".
The approach needs to include:
What the next President needs to do with our energy issues is the following:
Get in front of the American people and tell them we are in a fight for our sovereignty. We need to get off of foreign oil and we are going to do everything in our power to do that within the next 10 years. That is right 10 years - 100% off foreign oil. I do not want to hear that we cannot do that - this is the country that created the atomic bomb in a short time and put a man on the moon in the 1960's. We can do anything we set our minds to.
Then this President needs to engender in us the feeling that we are on a team with the same goal - no "damn democrats" or "raunchy republicans" just "Americans".
The approach needs to include:
- Drilling in the ANWR - and ANY place in the US that we have readily available oil reserves.
- No pussy footing around by the environmentalists - this is short term "pain" for long term gain. Shut them up for 10 years.
- Use our coal reserves to create clean coal to liquid fuel (yes, it can be done cleanly)
- Build more wind plants
- Build solar plants
- Build new nuclear plants
- Research and develop new RENEWABLE energy sources for our cars.
- Build better more fuel efficient cars
- Stop ethanol - it is a waste of time
- Do not export or sell energy outside the US.
If we did this and encouraged (with tax cuts and rebates) Americans to retrofit their homes with solar panels and (if they are in rural locales) wind turbines, we could be more green and free of foreign oil in less than 10 years. Fuel for cars would be cheap and our economy would boom. There is no need to drive a sardine can - our scientists can develop a fuel that can power whatever vehicle we want - cleanly and with a renewable fuel.
Radical Islam could kiss our butts and keep their damn oil. Our oil executives - who are smart - would diversify and build into the new technologies to retrain and keep their employees.
I want to see a President do this - and say to Hell with the naysayers. We CAN do it - and we need to before we are all sitting inthe dark because the Iranian President "I'm-a-nut-job" shut off the spigot.
You pick your option.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Close the borders - then we will talk!
While I understand the desire of our leaders for comprehensive immigration reform, I do not think that many in Washington clearly understand the issue.
If we allow 12 – 20 million illegal aliens to gain legal status and the right to work in the US legally, they will indeed drive down wages for many Americans who work hard for a living. I know many in the Senate say this will not happen. But, that is unrealistic. Given the opportunity to apply for legal jobs with some benefits, those workers who were previously working illegally for less, will still be able to #1 - secure a better paying job while # -still undercutting the wage earned by the current American worker.
This is not good for the economy. Why? Because that job has now been unrealistically depressed in wage and will now ONLY be filled by those who are willing to work – and live on less. What about the former American worker? They are now unemployed and on assistance and will not be able to get a job in their field – unless they are willing to work for less wages. This will mean a downward shift in the worker’s lifestyle, family situation – and most likely, home ownership. In turn, as this worker struggles to provide for his family, that family may slide towards bankruptcy, financial ruin and ultimately welfare. His hard earned paycheck will no longer be spent in the US economy.
On the other hand, the illegal alien is now making more than they were when they were illegal. They can send more money home to Mexico – money that will not be spent in the US economy. He is very happy now as a legal worker – and has no intention of assimilating into US society or culture. His children go to US schools – and make demands for Spanish speaking courses. The US culture is weakened, society is fractured, and this worker continues to support family back home in his country of origin. He is now able to apply to bring more of his family over to the US. They will need aid when first here – and maybe forever.
Tell me – where is the benefit to the United States? The only benefit is to the big corporation CEO’s and leaders who stand to make millions more in profit off the backs of these illicit workers.
The sttement by a Texas Senator; “For example, we must make certain that convicted criminals are not eligible for any legalization, and if these individuals attempt to stay here, that they are arrested and promptly deported. … We must ensure that only those who have played by the rules – and not those engaged in identity theft – receive Social Security benefits. This proposal would enable illegal immigrants to collect Social Security benefits for the time they were unlawfully in our country,” worries me. Because the point is that NONE of the 12 – 20 million illegal aliens who are here have played by the rules. Why should we consider rewarding them for their undocumented entry into the US? Would I or any other American citizen be rewarded for an “undocumented withdrawal” from our bank? I think not. None of them need to be given anything but a bus ticket back to their country of origin.
I also do not appreciate the President echoing Mr. Kennedy’s words that “deporting them is not the American way”. I have supported our President since his election, and I do still in many other ways. In this area he is flat wrong. His stubborn denial of the crisis this would cause in America may be the very undoing of the RNC in 2008. And let me tell you this – Hilary Clinton scares the heck out of me.
Stop this bill. We do not need one sweeping comprehensive bill to “change everything”. Start by passing a bill to close the borders. We do not want a North American Union like the EU. We want to be a sovereign nation with the ability to control who is in our country – and why. Close the borders – without amnesty. Then, once that is COMPLETED, I will talk to you about the status of the 12 - 20 million illegal aliens that are here.
If we allow 12 – 20 million illegal aliens to gain legal status and the right to work in the US legally, they will indeed drive down wages for many Americans who work hard for a living. I know many in the Senate say this will not happen. But, that is unrealistic. Given the opportunity to apply for legal jobs with some benefits, those workers who were previously working illegally for less, will still be able to #1 - secure a better paying job while # -still undercutting the wage earned by the current American worker.
This is not good for the economy. Why? Because that job has now been unrealistically depressed in wage and will now ONLY be filled by those who are willing to work – and live on less. What about the former American worker? They are now unemployed and on assistance and will not be able to get a job in their field – unless they are willing to work for less wages. This will mean a downward shift in the worker’s lifestyle, family situation – and most likely, home ownership. In turn, as this worker struggles to provide for his family, that family may slide towards bankruptcy, financial ruin and ultimately welfare. His hard earned paycheck will no longer be spent in the US economy.
On the other hand, the illegal alien is now making more than they were when they were illegal. They can send more money home to Mexico – money that will not be spent in the US economy. He is very happy now as a legal worker – and has no intention of assimilating into US society or culture. His children go to US schools – and make demands for Spanish speaking courses. The US culture is weakened, society is fractured, and this worker continues to support family back home in his country of origin. He is now able to apply to bring more of his family over to the US. They will need aid when first here – and maybe forever.
Tell me – where is the benefit to the United States? The only benefit is to the big corporation CEO’s and leaders who stand to make millions more in profit off the backs of these illicit workers.
The sttement by a Texas Senator; “For example, we must make certain that convicted criminals are not eligible for any legalization, and if these individuals attempt to stay here, that they are arrested and promptly deported. … We must ensure that only those who have played by the rules – and not those engaged in identity theft – receive Social Security benefits. This proposal would enable illegal immigrants to collect Social Security benefits for the time they were unlawfully in our country,” worries me. Because the point is that NONE of the 12 – 20 million illegal aliens who are here have played by the rules. Why should we consider rewarding them for their undocumented entry into the US? Would I or any other American citizen be rewarded for an “undocumented withdrawal” from our bank? I think not. None of them need to be given anything but a bus ticket back to their country of origin.
I also do not appreciate the President echoing Mr. Kennedy’s words that “deporting them is not the American way”. I have supported our President since his election, and I do still in many other ways. In this area he is flat wrong. His stubborn denial of the crisis this would cause in America may be the very undoing of the RNC in 2008. And let me tell you this – Hilary Clinton scares the heck out of me.
Stop this bill. We do not need one sweeping comprehensive bill to “change everything”. Start by passing a bill to close the borders. We do not want a North American Union like the EU. We want to be a sovereign nation with the ability to control who is in our country – and why. Close the borders – without amnesty. Then, once that is COMPLETED, I will talk to you about the status of the 12 - 20 million illegal aliens that are here.
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