Mayor “Green” Dean wants you to pledge to turn off the water when you brush your teeth.

The mayor wants us to get serious about saving the planet. This was in the newspaper today:

Dean calls for pledge to conserve

Mayor Karl Dean is asking Nashville residents to take a five-step pledge to help the environment by saving electricity and water and cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions.

The mayor is asking people to use at least four compact fluorescent light bulbs; turn off the water while brushing their teeth; take the bus, walk, ride a bike or carpool at least once a week instead of driving; plant a tree; and use reusable shopping bags. [Full Article]

I think Mayor Karl Dean is a pretty good mayor. He did not ask for a tax increase this year and he balanced the budget. He seems serious about improving Nashville’s embarrassingly terrible public school system. In general he has been a dignified, practical, business-like mayor. We have had no city scandals. That is about all I expect from a mayor. I think I voted for him. This latest from the Mayor, however, strikes me as silly green symbolism.

They are going to kick off this environmental pledge campaign tonight before the Nashville Sounds baseball game. Steve Gild, an environmental health and safety officer at Vanderbilt University, his wife and three sons are going to be the first to take the pledge in a ceremony prior to the game. I don’t know if they will raise their right hand and place their left on a Bible and solemnly swear an oath or if they will just nod their head yes when asked if they will do these five things. I wonder if they will get a copy of a certificate confirming their pledge?

This is just the kick off to the pledge campaign. I don’t know how much effort is going into this campaign. Will there be pledge commercials and billboards and peer pressure and school children indoctrination? If they are giving certificates suitable for framing I would like one. Let me see if I could meet the pledge requirements.

1. Use at least four fluorescent light bulbs. Easy, I already to that. I think I was conned however in buying florescent. I thought they were supposed to last six years. The first one I ever used, I put on my front porch. To change that light bulb I have to get a latter from the basement and climb a latter to change it. I did not want to have to change that bulb very often. I was sold on the fact they are supposed to be long lasting. After putting in the first one, I swear it was out in about six weeks. I don't think in general use they last any longer than a incandescent. There is one burning in the basement that stays on all the time. I never turn it off and it has lasted a long time. They do save energy, which saves money, and I am really into saving money. So, I am assuming the upfront cost pays for itself in electric savings. I counted at least four of them in use in my house, so I can check off item number one.

2. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. Can we negotiate on this one? I like to leave the water running while brushing my teeth. My water bill never runs over $9.61 a month which means I am not exceeding the minimum charge, so I am using very little water. What if instead of turning off the water while bushing my teeth I agree to only shower 6 days a week instead of seven. Some days when I go from my air conditioned home to my air conditioned office in my air conditioned car and then back, and I don’t do my exercise or go out anywhere, I don’t think it would hurt to skip a shower. If on those days when I don’t sweat, if I skip a shower can I still leave the water on while brushing my teeth?

What about this: If me and my wife shower together, instead of separately, could that take the place of turning the water off while teeth brushing? Or this: I only wash my car about once every three months. I take it to the Hot Springs place and get the deluxe. When I get back in it, it feels like I am in a new car. Now, some people I know wash their car much more often. It does not seem fair that I can’t substitute forgoing a car wash for turning the water off while brushing my teeth. I bet that in a lifetime of turning the water off while brushing my teeth, I would not use as much water as one car wash.

3. Take the bus, walk, ride a bike or carpool at least once a week. I can’t do that. I have to come home for lunch. I won’t go into why, but I just have to. In the past I use to occasionally ride my bike to work on Friday’s. That was when I had a different work schedule and only had to work half a day on Friday. I could still occasionally do it if some scumbag had not stolen my bike off my front porch last fall. I only live about three miles from work. Could we talk about this requirement? This is going to be very hard for most people to do. Some people caught up in the spirit of “green” may take the pledge then not follow through. Car pooling is inconvenient. Most people do not have the same destination or schedule as their neighbors. Good luck on getting very many people to seriously follow through on this pledge. I just don't think they will do it.

Anyway, I would like to be except from this part of the pledge and still get my green credentials. Let me tell you my logic: I don’t drive a lot. I live three miles from my work, three miles from the heart of downtown, two miles from one sister and not too far from other family. I seldom drive very far. I don't drive out to the malls except about once a year. I only use about a tank of gas a month. Now, it does not seem fair that someone who lives in Mt. Juliet and drives to town everyday should get the benefit of being a pledge, when even if they do carpool once a week, they are still doing a lot more damage to the environment then I. I choose to live where I do. I could have chosen to move to the suburbs. So, shouldn’t living close to town and work and thereby not driving much anyway earn me more green points than giving up a vehicle one day a week but living far away?

4. Plant a tree. Mayor, where do you want me to plant this tree? My yard is so shady, I can’t grow any flowers now. I will do this however. I have all kinds of trees coming up in my yard and I just hate to cut them down. I have some maple samplings about three feet tall. I will dig one of them up and plant it on the public space adjoining Wedgewood Ave, behind my house. I hope public works doesn't cut it down. I am not going to get a permit or ask, I am just going to do it. Actually I have already planted a couple trees on that bank. I will plant one more. One of the maples is now a pretty good size tree. I planted it the first year I moved here.

5. Use renewable shopping bags. This I am not going to do. I would forget them. This is a hassle. Can I substitute something else? Instead, if I will not buy new clothes but will buy my clothes at goodwill, can I get green points for doing that? I have seen some of the people at Traders Joe's with their reusable bags and they then go get in their SUV with Williamson County licence plates. I bet I am greener than they.

Mayor Dean, I agree to two of the five and I think have made a pretty good argument about why I should be able to substitute or be exempt from the other three. Can I still have my green credentials? Anyway, why these five? I could have come up with five "greener" things than that and qualified. I live a pretty frugal life style. I usually shop at Good Will except for shoes. I live in a modest two-bedroom, one-bath house. I almost never buy anything new. I don’t drink bottled water. I drive a modest mid size car instead of an SUV. I don’t have a swimming pool. I don’t go on trips very often. I bet I am a lot greener than a lot of the people who will take your green pledge. Unless we can negotiate some of your pledge items, I guess I will just not get my green certificate, but it doesn’t seem fair.

I do have a suggestion for you. The story in the paper said that the Sounds were hosting this event and calling it the “Go Green Night” and everyone was being encouraged to wear green. This is the second year they have hosted such an event. Why not in the future make the “Go Green” night on St Patrick’s Day and then we could kill two birds with one stone? (Not that I kill birds.) I think drinking green beer is a good way to show you support the environment. I could do that.

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A few more GM car 'toons

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GM and Amtrak

Dear Rod,

Thirty-eight years ago, the federal government nationalized passenger rail lines, creating the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, better known as Amtrak.
At the time, it was expected to be profitable within three years. Almost 4 decades later, the original $340 million investment of public funds has grown to $30 billion, with no profitability in sight.

On Monday, General Motors was forced to declare bankruptcy.

No matter how much the President spins GM's bankruptcy as good for the economy, it is nothing more than another government grab of a private company and another handout to the union cronies who helped bankroll his presidential campaign.

President Obama will now own 60 percent of GM, and his union buddies will own almost 20 percent. And what do we -- the American taxpayers --get? We're stuck with up to a $50 billion tab for the taxpayer dollars Obama is using to pay for his takeover of GM.

General Motors needed restructuring, and it has been clear for months that bankruptcy was inevitable. But instead of letting the company cut its losses, the Obama Administration has strung the process along, politicizing it at every step.

With an Administration with almost no business background and with zero experience in the auto industry calling the shots, Obama has seized the opportunity to feather his UAW supporters' nests and dictate the type of cars GM will now build -- not consumer desired, profitable vehicles, but tiny, "eco-friendly" cars whose lack of safety will endanger Americans' lives.

Now, instead of emerging leaner and meaner, GM has fallen into the same trap as Amtrak -- all to benefit the Big Labor bosses who helped Obama into the White House with union workers' dues.

Since when does the American government choose the market's winners and losers? Since when does the White House decide what model of car Americans must buy?
Britain nationalized its automotive industry in the 1970s to disastrous result -- the government-run, union-saddled companies were finally sold off again under Margaret Thatcher after years of dismal performance.

But Barack Obama and his henchmen have no desire to learn from the past -- they are too eager to get government control of America's means of industrial production -- regardless of the consequences. Were Karl Marx alive today, he couldn't be prouder.

First it was the mortgage and banking industry, then automobile manufacturing. Next up are health care providers and energy producers. What's next? Whose businesses will they takeover next? Where does it end? The Democrats want to control every facet of your life.

Americans shouldn't be fooled. This is the real 'change' President Obama has in mind for America -- government ownership of our economy financed with irresponsible and reckless government spending and debt and no jobs to show for it.

This is a very sad day for the autoworkers and their families whose financial well-being will be directly affected by this clear act of an overreaching UAW and overbearing government.
That is why I'm again asking you to continue your support of the Republican Party. We are determined to resist the Obama Democrats' socialist takeover of our free markets and erosion of our economic liberties.

Please stand with us by making a contribution of $1,000, $500, $100, $50 or $25 to the Republican National Committee today. Your gift will fund our efforts to inform the American people of the Democrats economic overreach and support the recruitment and election of principled, free market Republican candidates who will defeat the Democrats and return sanity to government.

The viability of private enterprise and future prosperity of America are at stake. Please support the RNC today.

Sincerely,

Michael SteeleChairman, Republican National Committee

P.S. Rod, you and the Republican Party are all that stand between Barack Obama and the realization of a socialist's dream. That's why I hope you'll take this opportunity right now to support our efforts to stop the Democrats' economic takeover and prepare to defeat them in 2010 by making an online contribution of $1,000, $500, $100, $50 or $25 to the RNC today. Thank you

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Write a caption for this picture of Michelle Obama and France's First Lady Mrs Nicolas Sarkozy

This photo was taken at a ceremony to mark the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy at Colleville-sur-Mer cemetery, June 6, 2009. I don't have a clue what is going on here, but our First Lady does not look very pleased with France's First Lady. I lifted this from Bluegrass Pundit.

Please suggest a caption.

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Barney Frank Intervens to Save GM in Massachusetts

If a General Motors auto dealership closed in your city, or if a General Motors plant closed in your state, do not assume it is due to a rational economic business decision. It is not because someone made an objective, rational, and transparent decision, but because your congressman is not as powerful as Barney Frank.

This from the Wall Street Journal:

President Obama may have "no interest" in running General Motors, as he averred Monday. But even if that's true, we are already discovering that he shares Washington with 535 Members of Congress, many of whom have other ideas.

The latest self-appointed car czar is Massachusetts's own Barney Frank, who intervened this week to save a GM distribution center in Norton, Mass. The warehouse, which employs some 90 people, was slated for closure by the end of the year under GM's restructuring plan. But Mr. Frank put in a call to GM CEO Fritz Henderson and secured a new lease on life for the facility. [full article]

This is the future of Government Motors, where politics rather than markets determine who works and who doesn't and who gets a dealerships and who doesn't. That is the nature of a command economy as opposed to a market economy. In a command economy, those with influence pick winners and losers. Welcome to the future of America. I am totally disgusted but hardly surprised. Is this the change Americans wanted? It is what they got.

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Get Ready for Inflation and Higher Interest Rates

The unprecedented expansion of the money supply could make the '70s look benign.

By ARTHUR B. LAFFER, The Wall Street Journal, June 10, 2009

[excerpt] With the crisis, the ill-conceived government reactions, and the ensuing economic downturn, the unfunded liabilities of federal programs -- such as Social Security, civil-service and military pensions, the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, Medicare and Medicaid -- are over the $100 trillion mark. With U.S. GDP and federal tax receipts at about $14 trillion and $2.4 trillion respectively, such a debt all but guarantees higher interest rates, massive tax increases, and partial default on government promises.

[excerpt] It's difficult to estimate the magnitude of the inflationary and interest-rate consequences of the Fed's actions because, frankly, we haven't ever seen anything like this in the U.S. To date what's happened is potentially far more inflationary than were the monetary policies of the 1970s, when the prime interest rate peaked at 21.5% and inflation peaked in the low double digits. [Full Article]

Commentary

Arthur Laffer is a highly esteemed economist and was the one who popularized the Laffer Curve which illlustrates that at a certain level, higher tax rates actually produce less tax revenue. He was a member of President Ronald Reagan's Economic Policy Advisory Board for both of his two terms. He is the author of numerous books and has been widely published in both scholarly and popular publications. Currently, he resides in Nashville and is the founder and CEO of Laffer Associates, an economic research and consulting firm that provides global investment-research services. I have had the privilege of seeing him speak on two occasions. If you are ever invited to an event where he is speaking, don't miss it. He is entertaining, humours, insightful, and informative. He is able to make economics interesting.

In this article, he explains, in easy to understand terms, the process of how money is created and why our current economic policy will doom us to massive run-away inflation. These predictions seem to me to be undeniably. I am amazed that we continue down the road of greater and greater deficits and that this looming crisis is not more of a concern to the average person, the mainstream press, elected officials, and political pundits.

It seems the only way we can avoid the coming crisis, is if we have such tremendous economic growth that the future debt is a much smaller than forecast percentage of our future GNP. I don't think anyone really thinks that that can happen. It is as if we are in a hole, and instead of trying to get out, we keep digging deeper. Our nation has never been in the circumstances that we now find ourselves. When the crisis hits, no one can say that we were not warned. Unfortunately, Laffer is a prophet crying in the wilderness.

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More General Motors Car 'toons

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Republicans Take New York Senate!

This from the New York Times:

Republicans apparently seized control of the New York State Senate on Monday, in a stunning and sudden reversal of fortunes for the Democratic Party, which controlled the chamber for barely five months. [full article]

Wow! I am getting downright giddy! After yesterday's Rasmussen poll showing the public prefers the Republicans over the Democrats on 6 out of 10 important issues, now there is even more good news. It seems two New York Democrats defected from the Democratic Party and joined the ranks of the Republicans returning control of the State Senate to the Republican Party. I am starting to believe that the Republican Party still has some life left in it after all. Now, if a poll just would just come out showing Obama's popularity is starting to fall, I might just get delirious.

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Voters Now Trust Republicans More than Democrats on Economic Issues

Monday, June 08, 2009, Rasmussen Reports

Voters now trust Republicans more than Democrats on six out of 10 key issues, including the top issue of the economy.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% now trust the GOP more to handle economic issues, while 39% trust Democrats more.

This is the first time in over two years of polling that the GOP has held the advantage on this issue. [full article]

Comment

Wow! Great news! Maybe, just maybe, the death of the Republican Party has been exaggerated. Maybe the Obama juggernaut can be stopped. Maybe, just maybe, the Republicans can retake one or both houses of Congress in 2010. Maybe, just maybe, with the right candidate the Party can retake the White House in 2012. Maybe we can take our country back. Hope is alive!

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Government Motors Cartoons

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Tennessee's Sen. Alexander wants to give taxpayers GM, Chrysler stock

By G. Chambers Williams III • THE TENNESSEAN • June 5, 2009

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander believes he has the best plan to get the federal government out of the car business: distribute the government's shares of stock in the reorganized General Motors and Chrysler to the American taxpayers.

Tennessee's senior senator introduced a bill Thursday that would give shares of the stock of the two automakers to each of the approximately 120 million Americans who paid income taxes on April 15. [full article]

Commentary

Way to go Senator Alexander! Excellent idea!

President Obama has said the Government had no desire to run GM despite taking a majority stake in the company. He has said the U.S. is a “reluctant shareholder” in General Motors. He has said, "Our goal is to help GM get back on its feet ... and get out quickly," I am taking these statements with a grain of salt. Frankly, I don’t believe him. Obama has already forced out one GM CEO and had put in place someone more to his liking. He has already said what kind of cars he expects GM to produce. If, however, Obama is honest in saying the Government has no desire to run GM and wants to get the Government out of the car business, then supporting Alexander’s proposal is an excellent way to prove it. I don’t expect him to do that.

Unfortunately with a Democratic dominated Congress and one party rule, I do not expect Alexander’s bill to get very far. After nationalizing a large portion of the industrial segment of the American economy, I doubt Democrats will want to privatize it anytime soon. I doubt Obama really wants to step down as de facto CEO of General Motors. Now, the administration can decide which plants to close and which remain open, influence which dealerships close and which ones don’t, can dictate the kind of cars that are produced and dictate what wages are paid. That is power!

In the future, having a recommendation from a congressman who is on good terms with the administration will probably be the way one gets a job at a GM plant. How a district voted will determine which plants are closed and which are expanded. I suspect that businessmen who made the right political contributions will have a better shot at getting a dealership franchise. Why would those who thirst after more and more power and believe government knows best want to voluntarily give up that power? Even if someday Republicans regain control of Congress, they may also be reluctant to give up this power. They may pick a different set of winners and loosers but will probably be in no hurry to privitize. Power is adictive and corrupting.

While I don’t expect Alexander’s proposal to get very far, I applaud him for proposing it.

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