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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: D. Long who wrote (8979)	9/23/2003 3:58:04 AM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 793689

Hamas clashes with Palestinian Authority forces They might as well get it on. The PA must beat Hamas or go under.

To: D. Long who wrote (8979)	9/23/2003 4:07:45 AM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 793689

TNR BLOG IDEALLY, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF CONGRESSIONAL PROFIT, THE ENERGY BILL WILL NEVER PASS: The Northeast blackout, which caused about 50 million person-days of lost power, has been joined by the Isabel blackout, which as of this morning is at about 20 million person-days and counting. Still Congress refuses to act on the energy bill! You'd think extensive blackouts, partly caused by aging transmission systems, would prod even the we-specialize-in-foot-dragging United States Congress into forward gear. But it's been more than two years since the president declared a new energy bill one of his top priorities, and passage remains weeks or months away, if it even happens this legislative term. This, although all the hard choices have long since been removed from the legislation. There's a reason Congress keeps stalling on the energy bill, and that reason is money for members. Since May 2001, when George W. Bush proposed new energy legislation, the largest energy firms and trade associations have lavished more than $10 million in campaign donations on House and Senate members, especially those with relevant committee seats. Once the bill passes, this money cascade will stop. So Republicans and Democrats alike have found it in their interest to block forward motion on the energy bill. The longer it takes, the more cash gets stuffed into congressional pockets. And it's not exactly as if K Street objects to dragging out the billable hours, either. Two years of congressional inaction on the energy bill is especially repugnant given that all the big choices have been indefinitely deferred, other than drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge--currently the House is yea, the Senate nay. There's zip in the bill about regulating greenhouse gases, increasing MPG standards for SUVs or starting the revival of nuclear power, these being the three most important energy policy changes crying out to be made. Fuel waste by SUVs and by pickup trucks is protected by an unholy alliance of right-wingers who hate reasonable standards, and Democrats from UAW states. Nuclear power from new "inherently safe" reactors, engineered so they are incapable of melting down, is going to make a serious comeback when global warming reforms begin, and Congress is terrified to touch either end of that equation. All the energy bill contains is titles necessary to sustain the status quo: The bill's provisions will encourage investment in natural-gas pipelines and electricity transmission lines, for example, two pressing status-quo needs. Yet even with the controversial stuff out, Congress still won't act, because endless stalling of the energy bill is so good for campaign contributions. Energy-bill P.S.: The Isabel blackout was caused mainly by toppled power lines. Had Isabel struck France or the Netherlands, power would not have failed. Why? These nations, like most "northern" (affluent) European Union member states, bury most power lines, including the high-voltage feeder lines whose toppling causes sustained power outages. Some power lines in the downtowns of American cities are buried, a reason most of the power kept flowing in the District of Columbia during Isabel, while the suburbs went black. But buried lines are rare in the United States except in city-center areas. Burying power lines is more expensive than hanging lines from towers and poles; the advantage is that buried lines are not affected by storms. With buried power lines, regions don't come to a halt for days on end during blackouts, as much of the Washington suburbs were blacked out for three days in August by a severe thunderstorm, and this morning remain in the fifth day of the Isabel blackout. Having entire regions come to a halt for days on end owing to power failures has costs, possibly costs exceeding the price of burying lines. But utility rules currently do little or nothing to encourage the burying of power lines, and you're not going to be surprised when I tell you that this is not addressed in the energy bill. tnr.com