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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RetiredNow who wrote (554447)	3/11/2010 4:19:05 PM
From: tejek	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1571893

That is true. However, I do think that had Obama struck on the energy policy first instead of on health care, then he would have struck while the iron was hot. Now, his ability to get energy policy done properly has been eroded, especially by all the recent ballhyhoo on climategate. So am I disappointed? Hell yes. Energy is more important to this country than health care, in my opinion, because it goes to the heart of our economic future and national security. That's your opinion. There is no doubt that energy is important but more important than health care? I don't agree. But health care is getting all the attention. Exactly how much longer do we all have to sit through this debate? I wish the Dems would just get on with it, pass the damn thing, and move on to other priorities. Sheesh. Enough is enough already with the debate. Hey, this country's politics are pretty messed up.........and its hardly the entire fault of the Dems. On the contrary, the rightwing crazies stirred up a hornet's nest last summer and scared the bejezus out of everyone. As for not doing anything with energy, sorry, but that's just not the case......and more will happen down the road: 1)Clean Energy and Transportation Investments: Estimates on potential green energy investments in the recovery package, including upgrading our transportation infrastructure, range from $70.6 billion to $113.5 billion depending on what is included, but the bottom-line is that this package is the largest investment in energy independence in American history. These included: Over $14 billion for various State Energy Conservation Programs, including $5 billion for the chronically underfunded Weatherization Assistance Program to help low-income families reduce their energy costs by weatherizing their homes. $11 billion for smart grid technology aimed at improving the energy efficiency of electrical grids around the country, a key to making alternative energy production and distribution viable. The recovery plan was also a key "down payment on a new transportation vision," in the words of the coalition Transportation for America, including $27.5 billion allocated to the traditional highway program, $8.4 billion for public transportation, $9.3 billion for intercity and high-speed passenger rail, and $825 million for projects that will make our streets safer for walking and biking. Significantly, the law included unprecedented flexibility in using "highway" funds on ports, transit, passenger and freight rail, or other projects. 2)Expansion of science investments:* Notably, between the stimulus and other budget spending, no less than the Wall Street Journal calls Obama's investments in science, especially green technology, a "once-in-a-generation shift in U.S. science," reinvigorating 17 giant U.S.-funded research facilities, from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, as well as university research facilities . So those are many of the myriad program gains from the recovery plan (there are more whose dollar amounts were less but who mattered greatly to those effected). But there have also been additional policy gains outside the stimulus on the environment, labor rights, gay and abortion rights, and financial reforms. 3) Environmental Victories: Two notable victories promise to have long-lasting legacies for the nation, even before climate change legislation comes to a vote in the Senate: Victory on clean cars mileage rules-- For literally decades, automakers blocked higher federal gas mileage rules and the Bush administration blocked state laws seeking to establish higher standards in their states. Obama engineered a new rule that by model year 2016, the average mandated fleet fuel efficiency standard will be 35.5 miles per gallon. Add in the$2 billion in stimulus cash for advanced batteries systems and the nation should see significant fuel savings in the near future. Landmark U.S. conservation bill - Signing a package of more than 160 bills, Obama designating roughly 2 million acres -- parks, rivers, streams, desert, forest and trails -- in nine states as new wilderness and render them off limits to oil and gas drilling and other development. tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com