RSSBinghamton.com

It’s hard when you’re passionate–and upset–not to use words like “psycho nut-job” and “communist thugs” when it comes to our state “leaders” who believe they know better than we citizens how we should live our lives. But I’ll try to behave myself.

My latest rant has to do with kool aide drinkers who believe man is causing global warming. May I point out a few FACTS about this issue? (1) For the past 10 years, the average temperature globally has either gone down or held constant. Although you don’t hear this in the mainstream media, it is an established fact. (2) The sun is the largest producer of energy in our corner of the galaxy, and is responsible for heating the earth. The sun’s energy ebbs and flows in cycles, resulting in warmer years and cooler years on earth. (3) Man cannot reliably predict temperatures and weather beyond two weeks, let alone 20 or 30 years in the future.

The whole issue of “warming” of the planet is really quite easy to understand. It takes a willing suspension of disbelief in order to support the claim that man is causing the earth to warm to unnaturally high levels, consequently leading to ocean levels rising, crops burning, etc. In other words, just to be clear, man-caused global warming is a COMPLETE FICTION.

I have no problem with people who want to believe the fiction. I do have a problem if those people inhabit positions of power that force me to pay money for their tomfoolery.

There is an unelected group of 16 people who belong to the New York State Environmental Board (part of the NYS Environmental Conservation Department) who have just voted to adopt regulations put forth by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. This initiative is a group of 10 northeastern states, like New York, who want to “cure” global warming. How do they plan to do it? By taxing citizens! Yes, you read that correctly. It seems the solution to a warming planet is to take money out of my pocket as a taxpayer. Which, of course, is not a solution at all and points out the rank hypocrisy of the left.

The regulations just adopted by this group of 16 unelected people will force energy producers in New York to pay for permits to emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. You know, CO2–the gas that you emit EVERY TIME YOU BREATHE OUT. That carbon dioxide. The naturally-occurring-in-nature carbon dioxide. We used to joke that one day Albany would put a tax on breathing. Now…they actually have!

Independent Power Producers of New York (IPPNY), a trade group trying to stop this nuttiness, has estimated the new regulation by the Environmental Board will cost $8 per ton of CO2 emitted, meaning our power bills will go up 9%–tacked on to the insanely high rates we pay now. And for what? So the state will have more money to give away to welfare slugs. This has NOTHING to do with “saving the planet” and everything to do with political power and figuring out more ways to shake down hard working citizens.

Sixteen unelected people, with the raise of a hand and stroke of a pen, have just taxed every citizen in New York State. It’s unfair, it’s unethical, and I believe it’s illegal. Who are these 16 people? Wish I knew. Search the web and you’ll find it is the head of 10 state agencies (appointed by the governor) and six citizens, also appointed by the governor. But no names are published–or I would list them here. Perhaps they have something to be ashamed of?

Bottom line: The nut-jobs who believe in the global warming fairy tale are costing you money. It MATTERS whom you elect to state and local office. Vote conservative and keep your money (and your sanity).

Technorati Tags: New York State, global warming, global warming hoax, New York Environmental Board, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Independent Power Producers of New York

I’ve just posted a new resource page on the blog titled Natural Gas Leases. It lists local landowner groups who either have formed, or are in the process of forming, for the purpose of negotiating land leases with energy companies who want to drill for natural gas around Greater Binghamton. The resource page also lists energy companies known to be interested or signing leases for drilling rights. You can see the Natural Gas Leases page here:

http://rssbinghamton.com/natural-gas-leases/

A hat-tip of thanks to the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin for information on landowners’ groups (see this page), and to Al Czervic who writes The Catskill Commentator blog for a list of energy companies (see this page).

I concur with Al’s views on this: Keep your powder dry. No need to rush and sign a lease right now. Get plugged in with a group and see how it all develops, then make a decision. Right now the “going rate” seems to be around $2,500 per acre as a one-time fee to explore and drill on your property, and if any natural gas is found and extracted, a 15% royalty of all production. A few years back this happened in Texas–only the prices there shot up to $15,000-$20,000 per acre.

We also need to see how New York State handles the issue of water supply and disposal. Drillers need lots of water to drill, and when the water comes back out of the ground it’s contaminated and needs to be properly disposed of. Having said that, I believe we’ll get this figured out and move forward–so be prepared!

Full disclosure: I do not own a significant amount of land that can be drilled, nor do I own any interest in any of the energy companies. I am merely an interested American citizen observer who hopes we can find and use this home-grown energy source. I’m also a cheerleader for my fellow Greater Binghamtonians–hoping landowners can put some serious money in their pockets. After being taxed near to death for years, they deserve a break!

If you have any recommendations or revisions for the Natural Gas Leases page, please email them to: jim@rssbinghamton.com.

Technorati Tags: Binghamton, Broome County, Central New York, gas leasing, Marcellus Shale Formation, landowners groups, natural gas drilling, energy companies

The closer we get to election year, the more Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan (Democrat, Citizen Action flunky, socialist) sounds like a conservative Republican. But don’t let his rhetoric fool you.

Today’s Press & Sun-Bulletin runs a story with the headline, Ryan freezes city hiring. The story reports the hammer has come down: No new hiring for the city through the end of this year. This comes after Ryan tried to hand out generous raises to people who work directly for him only a few months ago. But with Democrats, facts never get in the way. Yesterday was yesterday and is forgotten. Today? A new day!

Ryan told department heads who just handed in artificially inflated budgets (knowing this would happen), to “cut spending 5 percent.” Just like a used car dealer: Raise prices 10% and then cut them 5% so it seems like the customer is getting a bargain. Department heads knew they would be told to cut, so they just padded their budgets ahead of time.

Mayor Ryan has a problem…he can’t afford to raise taxes this year or next, which will be an election year. A few months ago, Ryan raised water and sewer rates for all Binghamtonians 43%. And Binghamton property taxes have gone up every year he’s been in office. One thing politicians know is this: You don’t raise taxes in an election year.

The latest tactic Dems like Ryan use to cover up their own incompetence is to blame everything from syphilis to global warming, including the New York State and Binghamton economies, on George W. Bush. From the article:

“The national economy is reeling, banks are defaulting on bad debt, the state is experiencing major shortfalls in revenues and the skyrocketing price of oil has increased costs all across the board,” Ryan said. “I do not need to say that these larger trends deeply impact our local budget.”

What can I say. I’m ashamed of people like Matt Ryan and the socialist Democrats that run our local government.

Wake up! We spent $44+ BILLION for Medicaid last year in New York State! That’s an astonishing $2,316 for every man, woman and child in the state. What is Medicaid? Socialized medicine. My non-working neighbors get better health care than I do, and I pay for mine. (I also pay for theirs via Medicaid.) And you blame Bush? Get your head screwed on straight! We’ve made a mess of our state and our city by being socialists and pretending we could tax everyone and everything and give it away–to buy votes. That day is quickly coming to an end.

People like Matt Ryan and the Citizen Action Council (formerly known as the Binghamton City Council), don’t have a clue how to respond or to govern. How about this brilliance from City Councilman Robert Weslar, Democrat:

“We’ve got to spend what little money we have in the best possible way.”

The “little money” he’s referring to is a budget of $73.5 million for Binghamton, which has a population of 45,000. That’s $1,633 for every man, woman and child who live inside the city limits. And they STILL want more!

Oy veh.

Technorati Tags: Binghamton, Binghamton budget, Mayor Matt Ryan, Binghamton taxes, Medicaid, Robert Weslar

Chucky Schumer, one of our two socialist U.S. Senators from New York, thinks fuel prices are too high. The latest sleazy way he’s keeping his name in the news (and in front of dimwits who vote for him) is to talk about the price of diesel fuel for school districts in Upstate New York. He’s revealed a stunning secret…something no one but a brilliant mind like his would perceive…school districts in Upstate will spend $43 million more on diesel fuel this year. (fx: Lighting bolt strikes)

Never mind that $43 million is a small portion of a single school district’s budget in Upstate, let alone all of them combined. It sounds like a big number and most people only read headlines anyway, right?

So what does the good Senator propose to do about high energy prices for schools (because like all good libs, gov’ment is the answer to every problem)? Why, Chucky has concocted legislation that would allow the Secretary of Energy to identify the “hardest hit” districts and give them money–to buy high-priced hybrid buses! Why? Because those buses supposedly get better gas mileage than plain old yellow buses do. Maybe it’s the color.

The name of Chucky’s brilliant plan is the “School Energy Crisis Relief Act of 2008.” Everything with libs is a crisis. If it weren’t a crisis, you wouldn’t fall for their lies and willingly give up your freedoms. Here’s a portion of the natural gas that escaped from Schumer’s oral cavity on the subject:

“No school should have to make a choice between books and transporting kids. Diesel fuel costs are slamming school districts and placing too heavy of a burden on our schools’ budgets,” Schumer said. “An enhanced hybrid school bus tax credit will ease some of that burden so that schools can put resources where it matters: towards our kids’ education.” (WBNG 12 Action News)

There you have it. Buy hybrid buses and it will make our kids smarter. Wow, I wish I were as smart as ole Chucky.

My take: The quickest way to lower energy prices requires NO MONEY. If Congress, including Chucky Schumer, would sign legislation allowing off-shore drilling for oil, that fact alone would help deflate oil speculation and lower the price per barrel by perhaps 25% or more, making fuel more affordable not only for schools, but for you and me too. We need more energy supply, and oil (and natural gas) are the quickest ways to get it.

The reason Congress hasn’t signed the legislation allowing off-shore drilling? The Democrats. They closed down Congress last week and literally shut the lights off so such a vote could not be taken. Why? Because the enviro-wacko lobby has the Dems in their hip pocket. These hard-left socialist wackos (people like Al Gore) think man is an infestation on the planet and want us all to ride bicycles everywhere. Except for important people like Al, and Chucky, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. They’ll still get to take jets. You and me? Stick us on a hybrid bus or ride a bike.

Wake up America. Vote against Democrats in the next election and take your country back!

Technorati Tags: Chuck Schumer, Hybrid Tax Credit, School Energy Crisis Relief Act of 2008, school energy, Congressional shut-down, Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi

From today’s Press & Sun-Bulletin:

Broome County Peace Action will host its annual breakfast remembrance of the two atomic bombings of Japan in 1945 at 8 a.m. Aug. 9 at the First Congregational Church on the corner of Front and Main streets.

The guest speaker will be Frida Berrigan, senior arms and security program associate with the New America Foundation. Following the ringing of the church bell at 9:15 a.m., guests can visit the Peace Park at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango rivers for a singing performance. (Peace Action to hold remembrance event)

Note to Broome County Peace Action: While you’re all down by the river singing Kumbaya, don’t forget to stop by the Broome County Veteran’s Memorial Arena less than a block away from Peace Park. Outside the Arena there’s a memorial with lots of names etched on plaques–different plaques for each war. It would be nice for you to pay tribute to the men and women from this area who died in World War II. If it weren’t for thousands of brave Americans who paid the ultimate price, and the bombs we dropped on Japan, you’d be singing your “peace” songs in Japanese or German.

Technorati Tags: Broome County, Broome County Peace Action, Broome County Veterans, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, World War II, Frida Berrigan, New America Foundation