by MyOldTDiIsStillGoing » Sun 29 Jun 2008, 14:14:54
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('joe1347', 'T')he discussion has seemed to get off-track. The question or assertion is that the Bush Admin has intentionally killed off solar energy development in the USA using environmental concerns as convienent political cover. Some are skeptical that the Bush Admin is putting the lives of a few dozen scorpions in some remote part of the desert southwest ahead of the need to develop clean carbon-free solar energy - especially given the fact that the Bush Admin is pushing for the immediate drilling (for oil) in known environmentally sensitive areas. Namely the nations coastlines.
Yo, joe. you start a good post. Sorry we side tracked, but when someone from the EU equates our Prez to Hitler, well some correct is needed. GWB isn't the best Prez but he is our Prez. I remember being over there during the Clinton Admin, they trashed Billy as well. Again, I am not a fan for him, but at the time he was our Prez. They still haven't admitted it was millions of our JI's that went over there to die for them. And we still get trashed.
OK, a little government civics is in order. Congress at one end of Penn. Ave. is suppose to make bill which are laws. The President down at 1600 Penn. Ave administrates those bills or laws into action. In between these two places is this Supreme Court house, they check the bill (law) against the constitution to make sure it passes the legality test. There lies the problem, lots of bills don't past the test very well, but they get through. EIS could fall into this category if it was challenged. But it has been out there for 30+ years, hard to fix this one.
So sitting on the cabinet of the President are Department heads, as we so name Secretaries. Most know who the Sec of State is, she that Ms. Rice lady. Sitting on the same cabinet is the Sec of Energy and Sec of Interiors. Again, their job is to administrate what bills come down from the congress, and each bill is identified to which department handles the bill (law).
So the DOE has been working on alternative energies for years. Go to their website and you can see their activities. But they can only do what congress allows the to do through the bill/law command. And, the funding for this department is determined by the congress, the bill/law makers, they set the budget for tax and spending. The Prez can veto the request, but congress can over ride it with a certain majority percentage of representatives. SO if the federal govt wants to spend and push for solar energy, well it is the congress that has to do it.
As for the DOI, they have been told to take federal land, managed by the BLM, and convert some of it solar power station. Congress gave the green light on this, through a bill. However, BLM says, wait a minute, we got this EIS that has be done first since it is a law to do it. Don't go by the rules, bam, the environmental lawyers are marching the BLM/DOI to court. It sucks, but this is the way it is.
As you so posted the NYT article today, thank you for linking it, the DOI has done their part and is ready to issue permits (about 130 in all), they want to do it, but legally they can't until the paperwork is complete, remember the EIS is a law. So the DOI, which is the Bush Admin, is ready and wanting to do it.
As for offshore drilling, the Bush admin is requesting it be done. Again note the word, REQUESTING. The solar power on federal land is already being worked on. But the Prez cannot do anything about offshore drilling until congress, through the bill/law system, gives him the green light.
HERE IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF PROPOSALS: The Prez can propose that all American citizens are entitled to a free hot tub to relieve our stress. However, he can not go out and administrate the request (spend the money) since the congress must first create and ok a bill/law and appropriate the funding to spend. This proposes would fly through the Supreme Court with living colors under the "pursue of happiness" clause of our Declaration of Independence which is what our Constitution is derived from. This bill would probably make it through before the offshore drilling bill.
Hate to pound the point, by this dweeb from NYT needs to get the facts straight on who's doing what. It is funny that grandma Polosi said that when she takes over congress, gas prices will go down through her work with congress. OOPS, it went up. Remember, the congress makes the bills/laws. Did they do anything to stop the increase(s)? Did they push for the US to be less depended on foreign oil? The list can go on and on.
THE SIMPLE LIFE: One frozen pond, a few sticks, a little round puck, and a bunch of rowdy kids.