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Tax credits for clean energy need to be renewed
Last week, the U.S. Congress left Washington without addressing the energy crisis, gas prices or solutions to the climate crisis. What’s worse, its inability to renew the clean-energy tax credits means that government incentive programs to support the solar and wind industries will expire at the end of this year. Jobs will be lost as a result of their inaction. America can generate 100 percent of our electricity from clean sources — and we can do it within 10 years, if our political leaders commit to making it happen. Four-dollar gas, a growing climate crisis — it doesn’t have to be this way. We can create an economy with good jobs, clean, affordable energy and a healthy climate. There should be outrage. There should be reporting. There should be accountability. Gas and oil are more expensive than ever and our Congress has left Washington without renewing clean-energy tax credits to provide incentives to support solar and wind energy. When are the media going to start asking our officials why they are not only failing to do more, but failing to continue what little they have done in the past? I’m tired of hearing back and forth about drilling for oil in new locations by oil companies making enormous profits when we fail to work for real energy solutions. San Francisco Bin Laden’s driver I thought military juries were supposed to mete out harsh punishments. But Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden’s driver, was sentenced to only 5½ years in prison by a U.S. military jury, though the prosecution wanted 30 years. So this either shows to the terrorist world that we are weak, or that we are fair. Some U.S. officials insist they could still hold Hamdan indefinitely at Guantanamo after he serves his sentence. This would be a grave mistake that not only violates recent court decisions, but would also show the world that the U.S. is a sore loser that can’t be trusted and really isn’t the nation of law it claims to be. Why isn’t Obama ahead? The mainstream media were cheerleaders for Sen. Barack Obama’s every move. The Obama campaign has spent substantially more money than Sen. John McCain, yet it is not gaining any ground. In fact, it is losing ground. Gallup now shows Obama’s nine-point lead dropping to a 44-44 tie. This reminds me of a classic advertising story about a new dog-food campaign. Huge amounts of money were spent on packaging and advertising. The Madison Avenue types were shocked when, after impressive early sales, the numbers fell through the floor. As executives demanded to know the reason for the product’s failure, one lowly employee stood up and said, “The dogs won’t eat it.” So no matter how much the media promote Obama, and how much money his fans spend, the dogs aren’t eating it. Given the sorry state of our country and universal disgust with the Republican Party of George Bush, conventional wisdom is that Barack Obama should be running away with this contest. Most of the perplexed refuse to give much weight to the race issue. After all, America has been patting itself on the back about overcoming racism ever since Obama took the lead in the Democratic primaries. Unfortunately, it is way too early to take racism off the table. For instance, look at the bogus issue of Obama’s “inexperience.” What experience did G.W. Bush bring to the job, or even Bill Clinton? Being governor of Texas or Arkansas isn’t exactly a glowing resume for the White House. Racism has led many white people to vote against their own best interests since the civil-rights upheaval. It would not surprise me much if that happens again in November. Biodiesel is the way to go Oil is a problem. Sure, there may be more of it, and we may not run out of it that soon. But we will run out of it, and we will be tremendously screwed. Biodiesel is cheap and much more eco-friendly. Furthermore, it can reduce pollution caused by fast-food chains. If more companies were started up that converted oils and greases from common fast-food chains, and some government-aided conversion processes were enacted, many local and national automotive businesses could be used to help reduce our oil dependency and at the same time create some new jobs — or at least support our local automotive businesses. The Examiner gives preference to letters containing fewer than 150 words. Please include name, phone number and city of residence. To add your voice By e-mail: letters@sfexaminer.com By mail: Editorial Page Editor The Examiner, 450 Mission St. San Francisco, CA 94105 By Fax: (415) 359-2766 |
