For the sake of argument, assume that the answer is “yes”, states should sell off assets. Why would anyone expect that a state would get a good price. How do you sell an irreplaceable asset and get a good deal? The best outcome possible is a short term cash infusion that helps the state for one year. One year! And, the citizens of the state have lost a precious and valuable resource for a very long time if the contract is for a long term lease or perhaps, forever with an outright sale. Many long term leases are for 30 and 50 year periods. That is too long to give away an asset.

Texas is attempting to build a new mega-highway with funding provided by private investors. In exchange, the investors get a 50 year lease to operate the toll highway. If the highway is a revenue source, you can be assured that the toll highway will provide a higher revenue to the State of Texas if the state retains ownership. The same is true of any long term lease agreements with private corporations.

Citizens can be certain that they are getting a bad deal. The purchaser will be getting a good deal. Therefore, it can be deducted that states should NOT sell assets to private enterprises.

The credit card companies have shortened the amount of time allowed to make payments, hit cardholders with punitive fees when late, increased percentage rates when borrowers were late, made rate increases retroactive and many more abusive practices. Since the cardholders don’t have any voice and no power to negotiate a fair credit card contract, the Congress has passed the Credit Cardholder Bill of Rights with the leadership of Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney . This is sweeping legislation that will restrict the credit card companies from abusive practices. Some of the practices that will be curtailed are:

Ends unfair, arbitrary interest rate increases

Stops excessive over-the-limit fees.

Ends unfair penalties for cardholders that pay on time

Stops credit card companies from making cardholders pay off low interest balance before the higher interest balance

Prohibits short due dates and requires credit card companies to allow 25 days for payment

Establishes definitions for common terms like “fixed rate” to prevent misleading advertising

Sets guidelines on fees for sub-prime credit cards

Prohibits adding fees and interest charges on interest only balances remaining after a credit card balance is paid in full

This is a major and sweeping piece of legislation designed to clean up abusive credit card lender practices. Anyone who looks at this will agree that these practices are mean-spirited, greedy and unfair. This is important legislation, but it still must pass the Senate.

For example, the the construction of new Coal-to-Liquids plants in the U.S. should be included in the Economic Recovery Plan..  Each project would be about the same as size as the construction of a grassroots refinery.

Coal-to-Liquids is coal processing technology that does not release emissions into the air the way the existing coal power plants do.  Skeptical?  I don’t blame you.  But, consider this.  Refineries don’t BURN crude . . . they CONVERT into other useful products.  The same is true of Coal-to-Liquids plants.  CTL plants don’t BURN coal . . . they CONVERT it into other useful products much the same as a refinery.  Just as a refinery creates gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from crude oil, a CTL plant creates the same products gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from coal.  That’s not a typo.  It’s correct and coal-to-liquids technology is tested, in service and proven.

If you have seen some “Clean Coal” commercials on television, this is the technology.  It’s commonly referred to as clean coal technology, because the coal is converted in a closed loop system of pipes and equipment just like a refinery.  In a closed loop system, the synthetic products can be recirculated through specialized equipment until the contaminants are removed.  In fact, gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel are actually considered to be cleaner that the petroleum derived products. 

So Why Doesn’t The U.S. Have These CTL Plants?

1.  The oil industry lobby is powerful.

2.  The CTL plants are very expensive and government loans or loan guarantees are needed.

3.  The environmentalists are against anything that has the word “coal” in it. We’re all interested in protecting the environment these days, but this technology is as clean as refinery technology when the CO2 is sequestered or used for enhanced oil recovery.

The benefits of coal-to-liquids plants for the U.S. are staggering.  The U.S. has more proven coal reserves than any other country in the world including Russia and China and they are much larger land masses.  The U.S. is the Middle East of coal.  With an energy policy that supports both coal and petroleum, a coal-to-liquids industry in the U.S. can quickly achieve T. Boone Pickens dream of this county becoming energy independent and no longer dependent on foreign crude oil.  This is actually a strategic objective of the Air Force.  The gasoline, diesel and jet fuel products can be transported by truck or pipeline to where they are needed. In addition to long term prosperity and security, the construction of these plants will provide jobs for engineering companies, construction workers and equipment manufacturers.

Why it’s important now.

Up to now, the past administrations have taken the position that the Federal government shouldn’t be assisting private industry.  Finally in 2008, the Department of Energy offered to provide $8 Billion in loan guarantees for coal-to-liquid plants.  Each plant costs from $2 B to $5 Billion so this is a paltry amount especially when one considers that now the Federal government is spending more than $700 billion on bailouts.

The Economic Recovery Plan should include substantial loan funding and loan guarantee programs for the fledgling U.S. coal-to-liquids industry. This is the kind of Federal government support that the country needs to strengthen the economy.

“Buy Nothing Day” is a celebrated by environmentalists and concerned citizens in the U.S. that feel that Americans are over consuming. It has spread around the world today. Buy Nothing Day is celebrated every year on Black Friday. It hasn’t received wide attention, but with the economic meltdown, perhaps the idea behind Buy Nothing Day should be considered.

It’s proponents suggest that Americans over consume. The idea is to remind Americans to lead a simpler lifestyle, to be happy with the items they can afford, don’t buy just to have the latest or the best of something, and live a life without credit card debt.

Many people feel that living a life within one’s financial means and without being saddled by credit card debt will lead to a happy life. Perhaps they are right.

The Obama campaign didn’t make any major mistakes. The biggest problem for the Obama campaign was Reverend Wright. Obama spoke out in a public statement that he didn’t agree with Rev. Wright and was able to eliminate a potential disaster.

The McCain campaign made two big mistakes. The first was trying to convince the American public that Obama was a terrorist. Many Americans felt that the constant and prolonged remarks about Obama being friends with terrorist were uncalled for and went to far. The remarks crossed the line in ‘negative advertising’.

The second mistake was selecting Sarah Palin as the vice-presidential candidate. Sarah Palin is a probably a fine governor, but most people had a difficult time accepting her as a Vice-President and a potential President.

Congratulations to Obama and Biden!

Sure, some democratic people experience rejection when they come out, but many also find a accepting support system, leading to a fulfilling democratic lifestyle. Even so, happiness starts from within. And getting to know yourself and your politic values is a key part of the process.

Though being democratic doesn’t define you, it is a new part of your life. You can still be the same person you’ve always been, but take some “me” time to evaluate your transition.

It doesn’t matter if you live in a small town or a large metropolitan city, nothing can be more isolating than first coming out. You can be surrounded by familiar people and still feel you are the only one that is “different.” We’ve all felt these feelings when first coming out and there are millions more just like you that are currently feeling the same. There are many resources, such as Democratic National Committees and local Democratic Offices, where you can find others dealing with similar values.

Many Democratic men don’t fit into existing stereotypes associated with liberal people, but feel the pressure to do so by society or even other liberal people. Rest assured, the liberal community is just as diverse as any other community and each liberal person is an individual.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t always prevent things like name-calling. You may be thinking whoever coined the term “words will never hurt me” obviously was never called a Democrat oe liberal at a party, but you do have an opportunity to take control of the situation.

Every Democrat or liberal man considers how their family and friends will react to the news that they are liberal. Will your family reject you? Will your friends suddenly feel uncomfortable? Will you lose good friends or family members? These are valid questions that we must consider and unfortunately, there is no way to predict how your loved ones will react to your political views. The most important thing to consider is your own health and well being.

Come out to family and friends at a pace that makes YOU comfortable. Coming out is an experienced shared by many liberal, Democrat people. You are not alone and there is help available.

Folks this is tongue in cheek, but it does seem to be true that it’s becoming OK to be Democrat!

Dr. Dini was the target of an attack by a right wing religious group and was investigated by the the Justice Department. Dr. Dini receives requests for letters of recommendation from graduate students that are submitting applications to medical school. Dr. Dini has a few simple requirements of students that they must meet before he will write a letter of recommendation.

One of the requirements is that the student must answer scientifically “how the human species originated”. Dr. Dini will not write a letter of recommendation if the student’s answer is creationism. Dr. Dini explains that he doesn’t want to send someone to medical school if they don’t have a solid belief in modern science and that evolution is one of the most basic facts of the science of biology.

This is sound logic. If someone wants to attend a university that dismisses science and teaches creationism, there are plenty of theology schools. For example, these students should consider Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK. But, if a student wants to attend a university of higher learning with emphasis on modern science, then that student should attend a school like Texas Tech University. This is the kind of school that I want to send my son or daughter to.

General Powell meticulously explained his reasons for making an endorsement for Obama at this time. First, he said that he doesn’t think is Palin is ready or capable to be the President of the United State. CannonSpeak arrived at this same conclusion on August 29th and wrote that McCain showed poor judgement when he selected Palin as his vice predidential candidate.

The number one reason that Powell decided to vote for Obama and what drove him to make a public endorsement for Obama is the McCain campaign’s twisted terrorist propaganda. The Republican National Committee and the McCain has engaged in behavior that is essentially wrong. There is a thin line between negative campaigning and where the RNC and the McCain campaign are with the terrorist twist. It’s downright un-American. Cannonspeak to this position about the McCain campaign twisting the facts about the William Ayres situtation.

The issue is that McCain and Palin have gone too far with the negative ads. You have crossed the line when you call a United States Senator a “pal of terrorists”, because he knows a respected scholar who was a Vietnam protester. Powell had indicated back in April 2008 that he was not going to endorse either candidate. It’s clear that McCain and Palin’s constant and long term “terrorist” campaign tactics drove Powell to make an endorsement for Obama.