McDonnell – Drill Here, Drill Now

Virginia Governor-elect Bob McDonnell does not want the federal government to further delay the granting of leases off the Virginia coast.

"It is time to develop our offshore energy resources to create new jobs and provide necessary new revenue for schools, roads, public safety and alternative energy research and development in Virginia," McDonnell wrote to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.

Gov. Tim Kaine has been less than supportive of exploration off of Virginia’s coast.  In February, he asked the Dept. of the Interior to postpone the process of awarding exploration leases.

Here is a link to the text of McDonnell’s letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

Sphere: Related Content

Electricity Rates to Go Up on Shore?

Do you want to pay more for your electricity?  Probably not.  Unfortunately, that could be in the cards unless you speak out!

On Tuesday, November 10th there will be a public hearing of the Maryland Public Service Commission at Salisbury University.  The hearing will be at 7:00 PM in the Nanticoke Room (Room 236) of the Guerrieri Center.

One hearing has already been held in Salisbury.  However, Delmarva Power advertised the hearing (and several others on the Shore) in a less than honest manner.  (No mention was made of a rate increase).  Fortunately (for rate payers) Del. Mike Smigiel (R-36) called Delmarva Power on their little game and the PSC has called for a new round of hearings.

I know that Tuesday will be a tough day.  There is a WCBOE meeting (that has been moved to the afternoon so folks from the school board can go to the County Council hearing on Tuesday night and tell us that they don’t waste a dime, but “it’s for the children” anyway).  At the same time Tuesday evening the Wicomico County council is holding a hearing on the disastrous Rick Pollitt budget proposal.

Try to hit both Tuesday night meetings.  Go to SU first and register your opposition to higher electrical rates and then head over to the Civic Center.  There will be plenty of county and BOE employees trying to argue their case at that one.

Sphere: Related Content

Fight Climate Treaty NOW!

In a few weeks newly minted Nobel laureate Barack Obama is expected to sign a new climate change treaty in Copenhagen (sight of Obama’s recent Olympics debacle).  This treaty will, if ratified by the Senate, prove far more insidious than the recently enacted “Cap and Tax” legislation:

Remember, it will take 2/3 of all senators to ratify this treaty.  The time to start calling your senators is NOW!

If you wish to watch all of Lord Monckton’s speech, CLICK HERE.

Sphere: Related Content

Rick Boucher Regrets Selling Out Constituents … NOW

Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) seems to be regretting his decision to sell out his constituents in Virginia’s “Fighting Ninth”.  Like so many Democrats representing moderate / conservative districts, Boucher seems to be trying the old Frank Church / Birch Bayh bait and switch – vote like the lefty you are in DC while telling the folks back home that you are “fighting for their best interests”.  Boucher has actually been pretty successful at this trick ever since he was elected in 1982.

Unfortunately for Boucher, he voted for “cap and tax”.  That doesn’t play well in most places due to the prospect of rising energy costs.  Now imagine that coal mining is the leading industry in your district.

According to Boucher:

“I voted for it because I had to do that to be part of the process and to make the changes that have been made,” Boucher said of the bill that passed by a seven-vote margin in the House and is now being considered by the Senate…

Like his “Blue Dog” pal, Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-MD), Boucher must really believe that the folks back home are rubes of the first order.  This response is very similar to Kratovil’s reasoning for voting for PORKULUS – after her voted against it.

It works like this – Boucher has to vote against the best interests of his constituents so that he “can have a seat at the table”.  Given that this bill could well be the most important vote that Boucher ever has, or will, cast for the voters of Virginia’s 9th District, what is more important?  Maybe Boucher wants a road or building named after him and needs support in the House for that.

Sphere: Related Content

Kratovil Protest in Harford County

A “protest” (the organizers’ word, not mine) will be held in front of Rep. Frank Kratovil’s Bel Air office today between 4PM and 6PM.  All those who live in the northern part of the First District should let Frank know how they feel.

Sphere: Related Content

How Can You Grow An Economy By Cutting Energy Consumption?

I’m a conservative.  Therefore I’m in favor of conservation.  Unfortunately, the left isn’t in favor of conserving energy.  They are in favor of cutting our consumption of energy.

What’s the difference?  Adopting policies that will encourage each individual, family or business to reduce their total energy consumption is conserving.  Passing laws mandating that we will cut our TOTAL energy consumption is just crazy.

Case in point – Delaware’s SB106.  This masterpiece of liberal “group think” requires Delaware utilities to cut their consumption by 15% by 2015.  I know, it sounds great.  Wind… Solar … No Nukes and rolling blackouts.

How does Gov. Jack Markell expect to attract new industry to the First State when Delawareans will be forced to pay more for electrical power than their neighbors?  Don’t bank on “Cap and Tax” delivering a more even playing field Jack.  Before people’s rates double, the Dems will be out of power and that farce will be repealed.

Delaware will be stuck with a stagnant economy and you’ll be wondering why.

Sphere: Related Content

AARP – Another Lefty Lobby

We recently did a post on the Maryland League of Conservation Voters (MLCV) and their decision to rate Maryland legislators on EARLY VOTING.  We posed the question – What does early voting have to do with environmentalism?

Today I received an email from the Maryland chapter of AARP asking me to email my senators in support of “Cap and Tax”.  For those of us at that certain age in life, AARP offers lots of great benefits; discounts on travel, insurance, etc.  However, I become increasingly dismayed with groups that claim to be supporting certain issues and then use our dues money to promote left wing causes like “Cap and Tax” and ObamaCare (last week AARP hosted a “Tele-Town Hall” that did told every left wing lie possible about Obama Care).

Something tells me that AARP supports early voting too.  What has that got to do with being a senior?  We vote in high numbers already.

Sphere: Related Content

What’s a MAPP?

Have you ever wondered how your electrical power gets to your home or business?  If you live on the Delmarva peninsula, there’s only way – moving south from New Castle County.  This causes congestion in our area grid that costs Delmarva ratepayers approximately $100 million per year.  Fortunately, Delmarva Power has proposed a solution – the Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway, or MAPP.

The MAPP, as proposed, will run from Dominion Virginia Power’s Possum Point station in Prince William County, Virginia to Mirant’s Chalk Point plant, to Constellation Energy’s Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant.  From there power will be converted from AC to DC, and travel under the Chesapeake Bay and through Dorchester County to NRG’s Vienna station.  There it will be converted back to AC and continue its path to NRG’s Indian River plant near Millsboro, in Sussex County, Delaware.

Besides helping to ensure a reliable power supply to the Delmarva peninsula, ratepayers will actually see a cost savings.  The cost of building an operating the MAPP will be less than the current congestion charges being paid to the grid operator.

If this is so great, why isn’t the MAPP completed already?  As usual, the majority of citizens are being held hostage by the usual NIMBY and tree hugging crowd.  Sure, I understand that not too many of us want high voltage power lines running through our neck of the woods.  Of course, we expect the lights to come on when we flip that switch.  Don’t we?

Dorchester County is the primary battleground.  That’s not because of the good folks in Dorchester; it’s because that is where Delmarva Power has to obtain new right of way.  In the other areas along the MAPP route, right of way already exists in most places.

However, I hope that we’ll begin to see the benefits of the MAPP in the next few years.  Delmarva Power has retained Cathy Bassett, former Rep. Wayne Gilchrest’s Communications Director, to take point on this matter.  Bassett is working hard to reach out to members of the affected communities and explain why we need the MAPP and its benefits to all of us.  Bassett has earned a lot of credibility with Shore residents over the years and I am confident that she’ll be able to overcome the fear mongering of those who seem to believe that sitting in the dark is a reasonable alternative.

Sphere: Related Content

Barbara Boxer Slapped Down for Pandering to African-Americans

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) again proves that she’s little more than a Democrat HACK!  African-Americans need to stay on the left wing plantation.  When they don’t, its important for a HACK like Boxer to show that African-Americans who don’t bow down to the Democrat party and say “Thankya Massa” are put in their place.

 

In the world of Barbara Boxer, groups like the National Black Chamber of Commerce are supposed to forget that they’re businessmen and women.  No, they’re BLACK and need to support every socialist scheme that comes down the pike.

It’s OK.  Boxer and her Democrat pals will put them on welfare after “Cap and Tax” bankrupts them.

Sphere: Related Content

Wrecking the Economy, Down … Socialized Medicine to Go

For those of us who live in Maryland’s First Congressional District, we should give a big thanks to “Blue Dog Frank” Kratovil for voting to grind our economy to a halt.  What’s next on the Obama – Pelosi – Kratovil agenda?  Socialized medicine.

Think about it; it’s a great combo.  Rather than sitting at home freezing because you can’t afford to pay for your heating bill, you can get in line at the doctor’s office to wait six months for anything but the most mundane care.

Sphere: Related Content

Next Page »