When I was reading the paper today, I got an idea about how to solve the fuss between the fracking camp and the no-fracking camp, the solar people and the drill, baby, drill people.
There was an article about how the City of Athens is thinking about passing legislation against hydraulic fracturing. It seems they want to be like Pittsburgh, which I think is stupid. It's stupid that Athens wants to be like Pittsburgh and it's stupid that Pittsburgh passed legislation that there will be no fracking in the city. I could be wrong but I think there has to be wells drilled for oil and gas before any of that fracking can take place. The last time I was in Pittsburgh, Point State Park was about the only place where there was room for a well and even I would be against that.
So here's my idea. Those of us who want to use coal to feed our power plants will get our electric from those plants, and those who want to use solar can go ahead and get their power from the solar fed power plants. Sign up for whichever you prefer and the electric company will bill you accordingly. Then, the electric company can determine how many of each kind of plant they need to supply the respective demands. That way, those of us who like to employ coalminers can pay $.04/kwh and the others can pay $25/kwh. No government subsidies, pay for what you use from the source you use it and everybody is happy.
As for the oil and gas, if you don't want fracking, fine by me. Just don't use oil and gas and you're good to go. Since I'm a drill, baby, drill sort, I'll have oil and gas options available for me to use.
Before you say my drilling will infringe on your access to 'clean' water that you claim fracking threatens - which it doesn't. Have you seen how deep they go? - you stay in town where there are no drilling rigs and I'll live out here amongst them. You're gonna want to stay close to town anyway since your electric car, powered with solar generated electricity, doesn't actually go very far between charges. Now, when it's time to replace that battery in a few years and it costs you a couple of grand and you need to dispose of the old battery, well, you figure it out.
And while we're on the subject of cars, you're going to have to make them out of something besides the plastic that is currently used. Plastic is made using oil. Maybe you could make them out of hemp. And bikes? Do you have any idea how much electric, oil, and coal the steel mills use to process metals?
Now, something else the EPA lovers might want to keep in mind about solar power. It doesn't always work. If the sun isn't shinning, you're running on battery. These last couple of weeks have been pretty cloudy here in Ohio and I imagine trying to keep up with demand during times like this will be kind of tough for the solar power plants. Winters get cold and summers get hot. And when the snow is flying and the sun hasn't been seen for awhile, you might want to make sure you have thermal underwear. Maybe you'll eventually be able to develop dependable batteries that last longer than the ones available now. I know my cell battery and computer battery are forever needing charged. They're power hogs. But then again, your curly fry lights use very little power so you should be able to see ok for the first few hours.
I'm sure there are some details that need to be worked out yet but that's the gist of it.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
How to Overturn Your Own Bill
This just irritates me to the nth degree. And SB5 just got overturned by the voters in November.
The Ohio legislators introduced and passed SB5 using the economic issues facing the state as the reason for now being the time to get a handle on things. I liked it because it actually puts negotiations back at the local level which usually increases options. But the unions and many of the members perceive SB5 as an attack on their livelihood. I can see where they might think that. The merit pay part was probably what scared many and the unions have convinced their members that the state legislature doesn't think very highly of their worth to society. It's a scare tactic and I didn't buy it but this latest sure does make it difficult to defend SB5.
So, what did our legislators go and do? They gave double digit, in most cases, pay raises to staffers!!! What the .....?
According to 10TV:
One of the supposed results of SB5 was a mass exodus of public employees into their retirement systems, as reported by The Columbus Dispatch back in June. I don't know how you would figure out what that particular statistic might actually be, but I can tell you that I know many people who are retiring earlier based on fear that was created by SB5.
So let me see if I get this right. It's ok for local governments to loose the experienced employees but it's not ok for the state senate to loose experienced employees. Both are public employees paid by the taxpayers. Hmmmm. Not sure I see what the diff is.
From my perspective, I'd rather see less experienced staffers, including legislators, but term limits fixed that, right? No. Not really. They just jump from place to place now.
But where the difference does lie is in the dollars. A 3% raise to the normal public employee, i.e. cop, firefighter, teacher, state worker, is one thing since it's based on a salary around 50-75K give or take. But that isn't where we are when it comes to the staffers who got as high as a 37% hike. We're talking about increases in pay on salaries that reach six figures in many cases. I don't generally begrudge anyone their salary but I fail to see how any public employee is worth 6 figures in this economic climate.
Another argument in favor of SB5 was to decrease the size of government. I'm afraid this isn't a decrease in government. Nope. Not in my book. If you need so many staffers that to keep the good ones cost this much, government is waaaay too big. You're legislating waaaay too much. Introducing waaaaay too many bills. And I've read them. Some of them are downright asinine.
So while the rest of us are told to tighten our belts and the rank and file public employees are told you need to help contribute to the cause, the staffers at the state house are given raises.
Well, I see where your loyalties lie, Republican Senate President Tom Niehaus. It certainly isn't with J. Q. Taxpayer. And if you think that it's okay just because you got a couple of the D's to sign on to this scheme, let me enlighten you. They did it because this is what will sink the final nail in the coffin of SB5.
The Ohio legislators introduced and passed SB5 using the economic issues facing the state as the reason for now being the time to get a handle on things. I liked it because it actually puts negotiations back at the local level which usually increases options. But the unions and many of the members perceive SB5 as an attack on their livelihood. I can see where they might think that. The merit pay part was probably what scared many and the unions have convinced their members that the state legislature doesn't think very highly of their worth to society. It's a scare tactic and I didn't buy it but this latest sure does make it difficult to defend SB5.
So, what did our legislators go and do? They gave double digit, in most cases, pay raises to staffers!!! What the .....?
According to 10TV:
Niehaus said he based his decision on market forces. “I thought it was important to protect the most senior members of my staff,” Niehaus said.
He said he was worried he would lose key staffers to other state agencies or private businesses if he did not pay them more.
One of the supposed results of SB5 was a mass exodus of public employees into their retirement systems, as reported by The Columbus Dispatch back in June. I don't know how you would figure out what that particular statistic might actually be, but I can tell you that I know many people who are retiring earlier based on fear that was created by SB5.
So let me see if I get this right. It's ok for local governments to loose the experienced employees but it's not ok for the state senate to loose experienced employees. Both are public employees paid by the taxpayers. Hmmmm. Not sure I see what the diff is.
From my perspective, I'd rather see less experienced staffers, including legislators, but term limits fixed that, right? No. Not really. They just jump from place to place now.
But where the difference does lie is in the dollars. A 3% raise to the normal public employee, i.e. cop, firefighter, teacher, state worker, is one thing since it's based on a salary around 50-75K give or take. But that isn't where we are when it comes to the staffers who got as high as a 37% hike. We're talking about increases in pay on salaries that reach six figures in many cases. I don't generally begrudge anyone their salary but I fail to see how any public employee is worth 6 figures in this economic climate.
Another argument in favor of SB5 was to decrease the size of government. I'm afraid this isn't a decrease in government. Nope. Not in my book. If you need so many staffers that to keep the good ones cost this much, government is waaaay too big. You're legislating waaaay too much. Introducing waaaaay too many bills. And I've read them. Some of them are downright asinine.
So while the rest of us are told to tighten our belts and the rank and file public employees are told you need to help contribute to the cause, the staffers at the state house are given raises.
Well, I see where your loyalties lie, Republican Senate President Tom Niehaus. It certainly isn't with J. Q. Taxpayer. And if you think that it's okay just because you got a couple of the D's to sign on to this scheme, let me enlighten you. They did it because this is what will sink the final nail in the coffin of SB5.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Tax Payers Have a Friend in Athens County
A great big thank you to the Athens County Auditor, Jill Thompson, and the rest of the budget commission for cutting the millage on two county agencies thus saving the taxpayers some cash - over a million dollars worth.
For 2012, there will be a levy reduction of .5 mill for The Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Athens County Children Services will be reduced by one mill.
Why? Because they're hording money at a time when everyone else is tightening their belts and making due.
The Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities had 5.26 million dollars in extra cash at the end of 2010. Carryover for each of the previous 5 years was also in excess of 5 million dollars. Plus, there were generous pay raises every year including 5% for each of the past 2 years and as high as 6.65% in 2007. All the while having 300 people on waiting lists needing their services. What the heck is going on here?
Athens County Children Services had 5.1 million dollars in extra cash at the end of 2010 increasing their carryover gradually over the past 5 years. They have now reached almost 76% of their annual expenditures in carryover.
I understand having some carryover but I think over 5 million dollars worth for each agency is a weeeee bit excessive.
But wait, there's more. Last November, both of these agencies had tax levies on the ballot that were approved by the voters. How dumb are we? Well, I'm not but I was in the minority on those issues as both levies passed easily. One thing that is pretty certain in this county is that county-wide levies usually pass no matter what. No one questioned if either agency needed more money. No one ever questions any of them why they need more money. They just vote for the levy because..... well, there are several reasons that will have to wait for another post but one of them is because the various agencies just had the nerve to ask.
And now that they've had their budgets challenged, I suppose these two agencies will go on a major spending spree so they can ask the voters for more money or at least get the millage back they just lost. And I'd bet the other county tax-funded agencies will make sure they don't have very much carry over lest they face the same fate. And that's a sad state of affairs but unfortunately how things work in government. To translate: Spend it or you loose it. Spend it so you can get more.
At least in 2012 I get to keep a couple of extra bucks of my money. It won't be a lot, enough for maybe a nice dinner for two. But it's something. And I can't do much about voters being so willing to raise my taxes, but at least I know that someone in this county is watching and has the nerve to ask the recipients why they need so much spare change at the end of each year.
For 2012, there will be a levy reduction of .5 mill for The Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Athens County Children Services will be reduced by one mill.
Why? Because they're hording money at a time when everyone else is tightening their belts and making due.
The Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities had 5.26 million dollars in extra cash at the end of 2010. Carryover for each of the previous 5 years was also in excess of 5 million dollars. Plus, there were generous pay raises every year including 5% for each of the past 2 years and as high as 6.65% in 2007. All the while having 300 people on waiting lists needing their services. What the heck is going on here?
Athens County Children Services had 5.1 million dollars in extra cash at the end of 2010 increasing their carryover gradually over the past 5 years. They have now reached almost 76% of their annual expenditures in carryover.
I understand having some carryover but I think over 5 million dollars worth for each agency is a weeeee bit excessive.
But wait, there's more. Last November, both of these agencies had tax levies on the ballot that were approved by the voters. How dumb are we? Well, I'm not but I was in the minority on those issues as both levies passed easily. One thing that is pretty certain in this county is that county-wide levies usually pass no matter what. No one questioned if either agency needed more money. No one ever questions any of them why they need more money. They just vote for the levy because..... well, there are several reasons that will have to wait for another post but one of them is because the various agencies just had the nerve to ask.
And now that they've had their budgets challenged, I suppose these two agencies will go on a major spending spree so they can ask the voters for more money or at least get the millage back they just lost. And I'd bet the other county tax-funded agencies will make sure they don't have very much carry over lest they face the same fate. And that's a sad state of affairs but unfortunately how things work in government. To translate: Spend it or you loose it. Spend it so you can get more.
At least in 2012 I get to keep a couple of extra bucks of my money. It won't be a lot, enough for maybe a nice dinner for two. But it's something. And I can't do much about voters being so willing to raise my taxes, but at least I know that someone in this county is watching and has the nerve to ask the recipients why they need so much spare change at the end of each year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)