Fix the financial crisis...maybe already been around....

[bk2valve]

I thought this was a brilliant but totally unworkable solution since the powerbase would never buy it....


The Fix

There recently was an article in the St. Petersburg, Florida Times. The Business Section asked readers for ideas on: "How Would You Fix the Economy?" I think this guy nailed it!

Dear Mr. President,

Please find below my suggestion for fixing America 's economy. Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan.

You can call it the "Patriotic Retirement Plan":

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new AMERICAN Car. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.

It can't get any easier than that!!

P.S. If more money is needed, have all members in Congress pay their taxes..

Mr. President, while you're at it, make Congress retire on Social Security and Medicare. I'll bet both programs would be fixed pronto!
Brian in NM :doh:

 

[slabghost]

Could help a lot.

 

[AApple]

Got MY vote! :clapping:

 

[bk2valve]

I like it because it is so non-partisan....everyone can agree....
Brian

 

[dan filipi]

Sounds good to me as a start and would help a lot but something has to be done to prevent the mess happening again.
That will take the REAL work.

 

[joedrum]

thats a good ideal but the best deal would be get rid of the theaves that supply the the worthless money the federal reserve bankteers that own everythiing in hidden ownership corporations and the DCGOV PUPPETS that cater to them instead of the people ....america is not in debt to these criminals at all like they blab all over there puppet mainstream media liars of the truth....there distroying america on purpose with there NWO agenda of hell on earth i beleave that sums it up for my opinion

 

[danf]

That's the best idea I have ever heard...it will work..New small cars too or electric even, that would force the gas prices down in a major way and like right quick too...The oil big shots would have a cow, those electric cars would be great for around town driving only though...I think Chevy has the Volt... well the are on the right track...

 

[mcgovern61]

That's the best idea I have ever heard...it will work..New small cars too or electric even, that would force the gas prices down in a major way and like right quick too...The oil big shots would have a cow, those electric cars would be great for around town driving only though...I think Chevy has the Volt... well the are on the right track...

Beav...don't be so quick to think electric cars are the answer.....they get their power from coal and oil fired power plants. (And nuclear) More electric cars....more power plants required....more oil used!

 

[bk2valve]

Beav...don't be so quick to think electric cars are the answer.....they get their power from coal and oil fired power plants. (And nuclear) More electric cars....more power plants required....more oil used!

This is off the thread topic but that isn't necessarily so Gerry. It is only part of the solution though. I have many friends with solar powered homes and they are entirely off the power grid. That is up to each of us as to how serious we are about making a real difference. My next door neighbors are very serious about it and only drive electric or grease rigs. They have a truck and a VW bug that both use the biodeisel Mikey makes in his own yard from the waste grease and the electric golf cart for around town that is charged through their solar and battery array.

They prove it is totally possible if folks want to do it. They are a young, idealistic couple who left corporate jobs in NYC, cashed in their IRA's and bought an old defunct RV park here in town...I think it was $90K. for 4 or 6 city lots with a 6" licensed for commercial hot water well.

If you are interested in their lifestyle, their site is: https://blog.holyscraphotsprings.com/

In my town a large amount of people live near the center of town and use bicycles for transpo. I use a bicycle or my tiddler that gets 100 mpg. There are also a lot of tiddlers and electric bikes and scooters here.

Don't be too quick to dismiss other folks best efforts. I really don't see the reason why people want to jump on the negative side of ideas people have to ease the problem when we need absolutely everything we can possibly come up with.

There have been a wind farm and a solar farm recently built in the desert about 45 miles from here and the dam in the Rio Grande river 5 miles from here has been putting out power since it was finished in 1916. These things are all part of a solution. Of course there is the responsibility for ALL of us to use less energy. As moto folks, if we use our bikes for transpo and not just a toy, we are part of the solution. Especially those who are keeping old iron on the road instead of buying new stuff.

Part of my solution was to move from Alaska to an area that I don't need a lot of heat or power. (mostly I was tired of cutting wood and short riding season.. :roll: ) When it gets hot in the summer, I leave for cooler country. Some of the folks here run the hot water from our underground hot spring through heat exchangers to take the chill off in the winter. If you are heating your home with oil or electric you are creating more drain on the energy infrastructure than an electric car battery charger ever will.

I know that everyone will not choose to make the effort, or any effort, but that doesn't preclude that those who are willing to work toward a solution shouldn't.

Rant over....I try to stay out of the politics online but this is something that we just can't blow off and leave for the next generation to deal with....we are all part of the problem.
Brian in NM

 

[slabghost]

While I applaud your your young friends and those like them it just isn't feasable or realistic for the general population. Here in Ohio we are losing another 50 electric powerplants to stricter epa rules. My house is as efficient as I can make it. Nearly all flourescent lighting and insulated to the hilt. What do you suppose will happen when the epa notices all those toxic lead acid batteries in these solar homes? We are more than self sufficient in oil reserves indefinitely if thse in power would simply allow its production

 

[bk2valve]

Again, not talking about the general population....we will each be part of the problem or part of the solution depending on our actions. I believe different science than you, apparently and am myself willing to do what it takes to decrease my footprint. If you aren't, that's cool. You have to live with it.

Brian

 

[dan filipi]

Just my 2 cents about fluorescent bulbs.

Though they do seem to be less costly when looking at "the savings" on the package, I don't believe they are necessarily better for the environment.
They contain mercury,
They do not last as long as they claim,
They contain other junk requiring special disposal.

Personally I see on my end as an electrician that fluorescent bulbs were and continue to be pushed on us by the corporate entity.

LED on the other hand is a much more promising technology IF they do in fact last as long as they claim but we won't know that for a few years yet.

 

[scdmarx]

Why not make a car that has a big rubber band? You wind it up and go.

All energy must come from somewhere. There's no such thing as a free lunch. It is produced, stored, and expended at will. And it all leaves a trail of byproduct. So...what are we gonna use? Follow the money! When the money shifts, so does the source. Petroleum will never go away. It is "world" currency, controlled by profiteers. And I don't believe we're gonna be here long enough to use it all up. All of these alternative power sources are only available because there is a market for them. Tell people there is a storm on the way, and watch bottled water disappear off the shelves. Markets are created and manipulated. If driving an electric car makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, then by all means, drive an electric car.
Myself? I've always been interested in becoming self sufficient. If I could get out of paying my electric bill I'd do it. Currently, it's my understanding that it would take 20 years to pay off the solar, or wind equipment to break even and start using electricity at so-called no cost. But this equipment - 20 years from now - how reliable will it still be? Will it need to be updated? Routine maintenance cost? Repairs? Permits for everchanging zoning laws and ordinances? What if somebody buys the lot next to me, builds a house, then wants to bitch that my wind turbine is blocking his view, or my solar panels look ugly, or some environmentalist says the native bunny rabbits are leaving their habitat ever since I became self sufficient?
Not that far fetched! There has been an ongoing debate for years about wanting to erect a solar power facility out here in the desert. The problem is the native fox and the rodents he feeds on might be disturbed. Who will win? Whoever can best use the media to support their cause. 30 years ago, nobody even knew what a carbon footprint was. Follow the money!

 

[joedrum]

it seems to me when you get to on site alturnative energy sorces its rather esay to set up and maintain a system ...but whoever came up with these giant wind towers as a safe or lasting machine was completely insane ...its always amazes me how stupid the most leaned are when the rubber meets the road on things....

its diffenitly what im doing at my place to be self efficent as possible .. i do have electric golf cart and solar recharge ....in a around the house surrounding mobility is completely free ....

small wind turbins can be made cheaply and many other sorces too .... :mrgreen:

 

[bk2valve]

This is why I so hesitate to bring up something that disturbs peoples carefully built belief systems. I have no interest in having you believe differently than you do, facts or no facts. That is your job. To find out the facts for yourself.

I was merely trying to make a few points in defense of those who actually do believe we can make a difference and who are busily doing it while others seem to want to sit back and judge them for it.

It sounds like you have your mind made up and I don't blame you. It is way easier to just go with the status quo.

I don't know if I will be here but a lot of us will be around to see how it works out, won't we? My grandkids certainly will.

Brian

 

[dan filipi]

Many things are touchy subjects and hard to discuss on open forums.
Hard even in a group but it's even harder for us to know what the truth is and what to believe.

Like the Prius.
It seems to be better for the environment but many say it is not and there are all sorts of reasons for arguments on both sides of the fence.

I think we all need to educate ourselves best we can of our options and make the best judgments we see as best fits our personal situation.

For me I can't afford to buy solar on our house but there are companies leasing the equipment which sound like workable deals.
I plan to have a couple companies out to see what can work for us.
As far as I know solar panels are 100% maintenance free, seems like a no brainer there.

 

[slabghost]

This is why I so hesitate to bring up something that disturbs peoples carefully built belief systems. I have no interest in having you believe differently than you do, facts or no facts. That is your job. To find out the facts for yourself.

I was merely trying to make a few points in defense of those who actually do believe we can make a difference and who are busily doing it while others seem to want to sit back and judge them for it.

It sounds like you have your mind made up and I don't blame you. It is way easier to just go with the status quo.

I don't know if I will be here but a lot of us will be around to see how it works out, won't we? My grandkids certainly will.

Brian

What I want proof of is the assertion that man has made any difference to this planet geologicaly or weatherwise. Can anyone name a single resource we've used up?

 

[mcgovern61]

Brian, I do not disagree with you....I was only making the comment that so often, many people are fed the idea that electric cars are going to reduce the carbon footprint. I do not believe that is the case if it is not a requirement that the sources of energy that created the electricity actually reduced their carbon (or nuclear for that matter) footprint.

Face it, right now oil and coal are the cheapest ways to make electricity. I work in the marine side of wind turbines and currently, they cost about 69% more to operate than any other form of electrical producers (even wind is not free). Like Joe said, the towers and machinery have to be maintained and there is a high cost to get vessels and manpower to and from the windmills offshore. (Cheaper when they are in the desert I suppose).

Yes we each can do our own part, but for the masses, it is till mass produced power controlled by Governments and corporations. It is kinda funny when you find out GM had hybrid technology ready in 1981 (post gas crunch '79) and purposely chose not to use it. It was still way cheaper to use highly inefficient gas engines because gasoline was still really cheap.

 

[bk2valve]

Yeah Dan, it does get touchy and I hate to start it. Opinions are so hard to let go of and don't require anything but a willingness to believe something. That is why I won't touch religion.....

One of my friends who is completely off the grid and has been for a number of years, lives up in the California Sierras and state energy grants covered most of his investments....maybe that is no longer an option there what with shortages of funds in the state.

Slabghost, have you done any research on it? It is actually very elementary science and proven enough for something like 97% of environmental scientists.

I totally get it Gerry. I hear what you are saying. I am merely saying that there are ways to reduce our personal footprint and make a difference. I know there is nothing I can do about the masses of people but I can for myself, do what will make a difference in my life and by doing that, I am a part of the solution and no longer part of the problem.

When you see the auto companies building electric and hybrid cars, it is time to realize the tide can be turned. We can never know the long term effect of something, never have and never will, until after the fact. 20-20 hindsight. There will be many facets to what it will take to make the changes to save our spaceship, it won't be a silver bullet and I don't know anyone who thinks it will be. It will take at least as long as it has taken to screw it up to unscrew it. And in a little under 300 years we have done an outstanding job of degrading our environment here in the US.

The next time you ride your bike across the US, see how far you can see. Take the time to consciously make an effort to see how clear the air is in even the most remote places you go. I remember coming down from Alaska and being absolutely sick to my stomach at how bad the air was down here. On the other hand, even with all the howling and whining in California, the air quality has turned around in the areas of southern CA I occasionally visit due to stricter emission standards. That may be something we can all learn from.

Brian

P.S. Dan, nice post and well said to put a little oil on the water... k: Thanks...

 

[danf]

Forget the electric car's, a car that's economical will do just fine ..