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To: patron_anejo_por_favor who wrote (130859)	6/27/2008 7:45:15 AM
From: Amelia Carhartt	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 306849

Crikey! That's depressing. Looks like all the time I have left is going to be spent in a very unpleasing world. Should I just shoot myself now?

To: patron_anejo_por_favor who wrote (130859)	6/27/2008 8:04:41 AM
From: DebtBomb	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 306849

House OKs funding for mass transit systems * Story Highlights * $1.7 billion over next two years will go to lower fares, expanded operations * Republicans topple Democrats' proposal on oil and gas drilling * Measure would've required drilling with land, water leases the industry has now WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House approved financial help Thursday for mass transit systems facing a surge in riders because of high gas prices. But Republicans blocked Democrats from requiring oil and gas companies to drill on the millions of acres of government land and water on which they already own federal leases. The House voted 322-98 to authorize $1.7 billion over the next two years to lower fares and expand operations as more riders flock to public transit. The transit measure, which must be considered by the Senate, marks the first time federal money would be used to support local mass transit operating costs. The oil lease proposal was an effort by Democrats to counter a push by congressional Republicans to lift a longstanding drilling ban on most offshore U.S. waters. Democratic leaders maintained that the industry should first go after oil and natural gas in areas where they hold leases. But the measure was defeated 223-195, short of the two-thirds vote required, with only a handful of Republicans voting for it. Democrats proposed the drilling mandate and the public transit help as lawmakers struggled to respond to public anger over $4-a-gallon gasoline with the July Fourth holiday and the heaviest summer driving season approaching. As the House voted, oil moved into record territory at just over $140 a barrel, signaling that gasoline prices are likely to go higher this summer. Opening the nation's offshore oil and gas resources has dominated the congressional energy debate in recent weeks. Republicans argue that the drilling moratorium, in effect since 1981 over most federal waters outside the western Gulf of Mexico, has kept companies from increasing domestic energy production. But Democrats counter that the fenced-off waters of the Outer Continental Shelf shouldn't be opened to drilling when leases provided by the Interior Department in other areas, mostly the western Gulf and in Alaska, aren't being exploited. "We believe in use it or lose it," declared Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Illinois, a key member of the Democrats' leadership. The White House said President Bush would veto the use-it-or-lose-it legislation if it came to his desk, calling "absurd" the claim that, with today's oil prices, companies are not pursuing all the oil that they can recover economically. Democrats maintained that the existing leases owned by oil companies could produce 4.8 million barrels of oil and 44.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas a day. But the Interior Department, which manages the federal oil and gas leasing programs, said it could not confirm those numbers. The claim that oil companies are "sitting on" potential oil and gas by not developing leases stems from a "misunderstanding of the very lengthy regulatory process" and business considerations involved in offshore oil and gas development, C. Stephen Allred, Interior's assistant secretary for land and minerals management, wrote to lawmakers. Meanwhile, GOP efforts to push for an end to the offshore drilling moratorium caused a partisan dustup Thursday during a House Appropriations Committee meeting. Rep. David Obey, D-Wisconsin, the committee's chairman, abruptly canceled the meeting after Republicans tried to force consideration of an Interior spending bill on which they wanted to tack a measure that would allow drilling 50 miles offshore on all Outer Continental Shelf waters, even those long off limits to energy companies. Republicans have complained that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has prevented the offshore drilling ban from coming up for a vote. Separately, Senate Republicans proposed a revised energy package Thursday that would allow states to petition the Interior Department to lift the federal offshore drilling moratorium off their coasts, 50 miles from shore. States would get a financial windfall, 37.5 percent of the federal royalties. The GOP proposal, which also would provide incentives for developing plug-in electric hybrid automobiles and lift a prohibition on developing oil shale in the West, has 43 GOP co-sponsors. Senate Democratic leaders, whose own energy proposals were blocked by Republicans last month, showed no interest in the GOP legislation. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. All AboutU.S. House of Representatives • Energy Policy cnn.com

To: patron_anejo_por_favor who wrote (130859)	6/27/2008 8:08:09 AM
From: DebtBomb	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 306849

Electric cars are 'sexy,' Schwarzenegger says By Zac Anderson Published Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 2:09 p.m. Last updated Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 7:49 p.m. MIAMI — Calling electric cars "sexy" and America's energy policies "shameful," charismatic California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made a surprise appearance in Miami on Thursday to praise Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's efforts to stop global climate change. RELATED NEWS: * »Goal: turn green to gold Meeting with Crist shortly after he took office in 2006, Schwarzenegger's advisers helped convince Crist to embark on an ambitious energy reform initiative, which was announced at Florida's first climate change summit last year. The "Terminator" star helped wrap up the second annual Florida Summit on Global Climate Change Thursday by challenging Florida to continue in California's footsteps by pushing renewable energy, vehicle efficiency and create a "consistent long-term energy policy that gives consumers more choices." But Schwarzenegger made more news by criticizing proposals for expanding offshore oil drilling, which have been backed by Gov. Charlie Crist and Sen. John McCain. "America is so addicted to oil that it will take years to wean ourselves from it," Schwarzenegger said. "To look for new ways to feed our addiction is not the answer." "Anyone who tells you this would bring down gas prices anytime soon is blowing smoke," he added. The California governor was in a playful mood, joking with Crist about his vice presidential ambitions, his tan and an award Crist gave Schwarzenegger for climate change leadership. "Obviously, having been in body building all these years you get a lot of awards but I have to say this is without a doubt the most…… recent," Schwarzenegger joked. Schwarzenegger also indirectly criticized the Florida Legislature's decision not to adopt California's Clean Cars legislation, which would lead to all new vehicles averaging 43 miles per gallon by 2016 and was supported by Crist. Schwarzenegger said passenger vehicles in the United States currently average less than 25 miles per gallon. "That's less than the (Ford) Model T got in the 1920s," Schwarzenegger said. "That is extraordinary." The California governor had strong praise for Crist's leadership on climate change, though. "(Crist) brought our nations fourth biggest state into the fight against global warming and he did that with full force," he said, ending with the trademark: "I'll be back." Last modified: June 26, 2008 7:49pm heraldtribune.com