A discussion about black voters
August 18, 2011
Allen West is truly an endangered species; a self-staring black man. Rush today was saying the same thing I have been saying for months. Obama knows he’s got the black vote regardless of what he does. That’s why he’s not spending any time there and instead surrounding himself with white kids and pandering to their parents. He’s lost the white vote.
Could it also be that black voters have very little money to give his campaign? Black leaders like Maxine Watters and Jesse Jackson are taking note, but will they vote Republican? Not a chance. There is no money for them from Conservatives.
It’s true some blacks are self-starters, but most have become takers of the welfare system. These people are dependent on government for their meager existence, and as long as they vote Democrat, it will continue. What they fail to realize is that the little checks they get from the government, and the fact they pay no income tax, it does not mean they are not paying any taxes to Big Government. Right now everything is taxed; from cable to cell service. What about sales tax? How about the government regulations that are sending jobs overseas and keeping our country impoverished? Instead, they want to blame the rich people that they are in their situation, not the liberal Democrats and Republicans who have created this mess.
If you look at our black community, how many of them have cell phones and big screen televisions, tattoos, fancy fingernails, expensive clothes, multiple piercings, etc.? They are already mentally “poor”. Instead of investing in things that can get them out of their situations (like building a business as the Asians and Indians do – think service businesses and convenience stores), too many are spending money on instant gratification and waiting for Obama and the Democrats to stick to the rich so they can get MORE of their goodies.
And how much of this “bling” is purchased on credit? And how many of these credit cards go to collection? And because of our “easy money” policy toward the poor, how much of this debt is being written off or government subsidized? Just like the mortgage bail out, people usually don’t learn from continually being let off the hook. Before I go on, I am not opposed to people being able to spend THEIR money any way they want, but they are spending YOURS and MY money.
And please tell me the name of one person who has gotten rich or moved to the middle class from receiving welfare. When has any tax increase on the rich ever helped a poor person?
Besidesm if the poor only knew how little of the money that goes to Washington for welfare actually makes it back to the people for which the program was designed, they might get the picture. An elected official needs to stand up and tell the public the percentage of money that actually goes to the recipients compared to the percentage that goes to generate the government jobs that administer the program (to buy votes?), pay for the administrator’s insurance, retirement, etc.
THIS IS THE REASON WE ARE IN THIS SITUATION! The golden goose is dying! Just as Socialism (and that is what we have no matter what Democrats say) has died everywhere it’s been tried because eventually we run out of other people’s money.
I know this is generalization, but the truth hurts. Why else would so many poor people turn to selling drugs or other crimes to make money? Because it’s EASIER and faster than going to work and building wealth. After all, not everyone gets caught, right?
- Fedupeditor
Ozone standard
August 11, 2011
our elected officials on Capitol Hill are still fighting with one another. Needless to say, the news has been dominated by the debt crisis, but there’s another serious financial issue that deserves attention. It’s EPA’s proposed ozone (smog) air quality standard, and it could be issued this week.
As you might recall, in 2008 EPA set an ozone standard of 75 ppb (parts per billion). Federal guidelines require EPA to revisit the ozone standard every five years, but last year EPA initiated a reconsideration of that standard and proposed tightening it to 70 to 60 ppb. In places where naturally occurring ozone levels can exceed the standard, including Yellowstone National Park, EPA can’t explain how to meet the new requirements.
A new study by NERA Economic Consulting shows the EPA’s health benefit assumptions are greatly exaggerated:
- EPA’s assumed causal relationship between ozone and mortality has not been supported by EPA’s science advisors;
- The health benefits EPA attributes to the tighter ozone standard should are due to a slight reduction in particulate matter (dust), which already is regulated separately by EPA; and
- The EPA’s own data show that the benefits of the proposed ozone standard will not outweigh the costs.
A study by Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI estimates that strengthening the ozone standard to 60 ppb could cost the U.S. economy more than $1 trillion per year between 2020 and 2030, and destroy 7.3 million jobs.
Air quality has and will continue to improve as the nation works to meet the existing standards. There is no reason to change the standards now.
- API
Are we there yet? The economics of going hybrid
August 9, 2011
Indy Star – Regular Saturday readers probably can surmise that I’m a proponent of advanced powertrains. I think the Chevy Volt is an incredible achievement, appreciate the efficiency of the Nissan Leaf and give props to the affect Toyota’s Prius had on the auto industry.
Owners love them, but none are especially cheap. The question remains: Are hybrids really worth it?
Hybrid options
While all of the major automakers have a hybrid in their lineup, several are achieving outstanding fuel economy without complicated batteries and motors.
Chevrolet’s Cruze Eco achieves 28/42 mpg city/hwy. The redesigned 2012 Ford Focus SFE and smaller Fiesta manage 40 mpg hwy, as does the hot-selling Hyundai Elantra. VW Golfs with diesel engines go 30/42 mpg city/hwy. These are roomy cars that cruise happily at road speed.
On the flipside of the energy equation are the benchmark Toyota Prius hybrid that delivers 51/48 mpg city/hwy and the Honda Insight hybrid that achieves 40/43 mpg. A Chevy Volt slips by with 93 mpg-equivalent, but that’s an electric ghost of a different tale.
Other gas-powered sippers are coming. Toyota’s Scion brand is launching the iQ, a four-seat car about a foot longer than a Smart. Chevrolet will replace its Aveo sub-compact with the Detroit-built Sonic this fall. Even large cars like the 2012 Chevy Impala and Ford Taurus will achieve over 30 mpg hwy.
General Motors CEO Dan Akerson recently announced his company will launch a diesel-powered Chevy Cruze in 2013 that should top 45 mpg hwy.
Hybrid and the pocket book
Let’s assume you drive 15,000 miles per year and gas hovers around $3.50 per gallon. A Cruze Eco, Focus SFE or Elantra would cost you just under $1,600/year to fuel. Gas-powered micro cars like the Smart or Scion iQ drop it to about $1,400. The Chevy Volt in gas mode and Honda CR-Z sport hybrid are comparable to these.
Hybrids and electrics generally do better. A Toyota Prius will consume under $1,100/year in fuel while the Honda Insight hybrid uses just under $1,300. Electric cars, according to EPA and power company estimates, will consume about $570 in electricity.
If you purchase a Cruze Eco, Elantra or Focus instead of a base Prius, you’ll save about $5,000 ($18,500 vs. $23,500). Buy the Cruze instead of a Volt trims around $14,000 (after rebates). The Honda Insight, starting under $19,000, is priced comparably with mainstream gas-powered compacts.
Given all of this, hybrids don’t pay for themselves in pure economical terms. It would take 10 years in fuel savings to justify the current price difference between normal compacts and a base Prius. If never driven in gas mode (unlikely), the payback on a Volt is about 14 years.
The Honda Insight is the only hybrid considered that will save cash from day one.
In conclusion
Overall, you probably won’t save money by purchasing a hybrid. However, like driving a Corvette or Ford F-150 Raptor, vehicle purchases often are about emotion as much as practicality. People tend to determine a monthly budget, then buy a car they desire. Maybe they lease a Chevy Volt instead of a Buick Regal Turbo? Or, they choose a loaded Prius instead of an Audi A3?
After that choice, the Volt or Prius definitely will save money on fuel day after day.
For reasons of image and “coolness,” few people outside of us nerdy journalists actually compare a Prius to a Corolla or a Volt to a Cruze. Drivers just don’t think that way. Each of us decides by our own values and emotions what is “worth it.” Price is only one factor.
