Sunday, November 02, 2008 |
Obama and Coal
I am appauled but not surprised at the latest "media leak" against Obama. In a YouTube video Obama said that he will bankrupt the coal industry.... And the sensationalist republicans go wild without, of course, actually thinking about the entire context of the conversation and the plan.I am from Pennsylvania and I know that coal is a huge part of that state and that the state is already in a lot of trouble because of lack of jobs... I also know that the destruction of jobs in that state was more linked to a failure of government than anything else and I know that complacency is a real problem in Pennsylvania as well as other states. I am PROUD to be from Pennsylvania but that doesn't mean that I hold Pennsylvania blameless for issues that are occuring. We have an issue with greenhouse gasses.... this isn't really a debate. Additionally, coal adds to these.... there also isn't any debate about that. What Obama said in the interview is that anyone is welcome to build a coal plant but that it would probably end up bankrupting them because of the fact that his plan would charge the polluter for the polution. This plan is one of my favorites because it doesn't make it illegal to keep doing what your doing but it does give you incentive to grow your industry and improve our well being instead of just creating more problems while you collect your money. There are amazing new improvements in clean coal technology and a lot of people in PA have been working hard on this for good reason.... and those people are the people that will be rewarded because if they are not emitting as much pollution then they will not be hit with these fees/taxes. I think this makes a lot of sense. The problem with the general public anymore is that we don't want to have to work to improve anything but we also don't want to have to accept consequences for not working towards improvement. Corporations are the paramount of this attitude and when things get bad enough they just go crying to everyone because "they've work too hard" .... *cough* banks *cough* ..... How long do we carry people? How long should we? Remember this quote? “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime” .... Thats essentially what it boils down to. If people come to you for help then you should help them.... but what if they keep coming to you for help? Do you keep helping them? Do you keep giving them money when they aren't doing anything to solve their problem? I applaud any effort that encourages people to improve themselves and the life around them. If Obama's plan bankrupts the coal industry then it's not because Obama had it out for them but because they failed to keep up with changing times. If you disagree with this effort then you better not say that you are for a greener enviornment or that you are for progress. Labels: coal, nature, obama, politics, pollution, society (C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
Saturday, May 03, 2008 |
It really was a ski area
Since I've moved out here to Linden I have always wondered why there aren't any ski areas in these mountains. Additionally I have always noticed an area at the top of the mountain across from I66 from me that totally looks like a ski resort.Apparently.... it WAS a ski area! I somehow ran across this: Lost Ski Areas: Ski Cherokee This is quite upsetting and not only because I would love to have a close place to go skiing. The most depressing part about all of this is that the land is now being auctioned off for more homes and developement. I've only lived here a year and I'm incredibly irritated already by the developement that is happening around me. I moved here and I bought a house that was already built and there are still about 100 homes in Linden alone on the market but yet they need to keep building. Nothing matters except profit and people will destroy anything if it'll make a buck. In doing all of this there is absolutely no need to respect the people that have grown up in the areas they are destroying. Labels: cherokee, linden, nature, ski, skiing, society, virginia (C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 |
"Pissed" would be an understatement
I moved in to my hosue in May.... I bought a house that was built in 1972.... in the woods..... something that is important to me but very unimportant to those that don't actually live here.Let me explain.... In less than one year 2 lots have been completely cleared of trees to build 2 houses. If that concept isn't bad enough its additionally worse because neither one of these houses are for people to live in -- no, they are being built by realtors to hopefully sell at some point.... in an area where there are already 100+ houses on the market. They keep buying up this land and building houses in a market that is going to hell in a handbasket and they are absolutely destroying the whole reason people want to move out here but they don't care because they don't live here -- they only want the money so they just say F everyone else. So I've been watching this go on for a while now.... and I get more and more pissed but tonight almost broke the camel's back. I just now came home and as I'm coming down the hill I see flames.... I get closer and I realize that these flippin assholes are burning the pile of wood that had been sitting in front of this house. So not only do they rip the tress down but NOW THEY DESTROY THE GREAT FIREWOOD. I can bet that at least half of the people that live on this mountain use woodburners and fireplaces to heat their homes... I know for a fact that the guy that lives behind me does because he asked if he could cut up the fallen trees on my property to use the wood for his fireplace..... So seriously, WTF!?!?! I seriously think that I will be calling Weichert Realty tomorrow and letting them know. This is absolutely unbeliveable.... I'll tell you one thing, even if I didn't already know a great Realtor I still would not recommend these evil bastards to anyone. This is just an absolutely pathetic waste of resources! Labels: conservation, nature, weichert, weichert realtors (C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
(C)2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved
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