Is Offshore Oil Moving Closer to Virginia?

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) met yesterday with Interior secretary Ken Salazar to push for Virginia’s inclusion in the offshore leasing program.

“During the last comment period conducted by MMS, nearly 8 in 10 Virginians expressed support for some form of offshore exploration. Offshore energy exploration has the potential to provide thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in revenue for Virginia and is supported by the people of the Commonwealth, our Governor, and our legislature. I appreciated the opportunity to speak directly with the Secretary to encourage him to move forward so that Virginia can responsibly develop and produce domestic energy off our shores,” Cantor said.

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Democrats Dance As Your Power Bill Increases

Back in the early ‘80’s, I remember my Intermediate Macroeconomics professor wasting half of a semester extolling the virtues of Marxist economic theory.  One day, I simply had to ask – Does anyone, even YOU, actually believe this nonsense?  His response?  “Well, it’s a valid economic theory”.  Well, I have finally come across someone who actually seems to believe that nonsense.

cassandra_m, over at DelawareLiberal, extols the virtues of Cap and Tax by claiming that Delaware has made over $2 million from selling “carbon credits”.  Sorry cassandra, Delaware TAXED power companies an ADDITIONAL $2 million.  You can call it whatever you want, but IT’S A TAX!  It’s a transfer.  It produces NOTHING!

Here’s how it works in the real world (vs. the imaginary, Marxist, MoveOn.org world):

Power companies are TAXED $2 million for “carbon credits”.  One of three things occur.  One, your power bill rises to make up for the lost $2 million.  Two, instead of raising rates the power company simply takes a reduction in profit.  This means that money will not be returned to shareholders to be put to a PRODUCTIVE use or needed capital upgrades will not occur.  The capital expenditures actually CREATE WEALTH and help to GROW THE ECONOMY (so does returning the money to shareholders).  Three, there is some combination of one and two.

Something tells me that cassandra sat in on the same economics class as WCBOE superintendent John Fredericksen.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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League of Conservation Voters Shows True Stripes

Was there ever any question that the Virginia League of Conservation Voters was merely an auxiliary of the DPV?  If there was, it went by the wayside in this year’s gubernatorial election.

The VLCV has endorsed Democrat Creigh Deeds.  No surprise there.  However, to claim that “Mr. Me Too” is a true enviro champion in comparison to GOP standard bearer Bob McDonnell is a shameless farce.  McDonnell supports offshore drilling.  Deeds says “me too”.  Bob is for coal-fired and nuclear power.  Creigh says “me too”.

What are the core environmental differences between McDonnell and Deeds?  McDonnell has bothered to make concrete proposals.  Deeds simply says, “ME TOO”.

Yet, the VLCV has this to say about Deeds:

"There are pretty stark differences" between Deeds and McDonnell, said Lisa M. Guthrie, executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters.

Yes there are Ms. Guthrie.  Creigh Deeds is a Democrat.  The next time the VLCV portrays itself as “non-partisan”, have a hearty laugh and take their words for what they are – LEFT WING, DEMOCRAT PROPAGANDA.

Now, if were were talking about taxes there would be some “pretty stark differences”.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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