Gulf of Mexico Horror and One Candidates Take

5/20/2010, and unbelievably, the freakin British Petroleum well is still disgorging tens of thousands a barrels a day, one freakin month later! As an advocate of off shore drilling, I'm humbled. What more can you say. We're at the mercy of our own huge appetite for energy.

While we wait..... and wait..... and wait- the conspiracy theories are surely being hatched, including my personal one, that they (the government) is afraid to take charge. I'm wondering , drastic as it sounds- what if, they blew a small tactical nuclear weapon up on top of the damn "blow out preventer?" Put aside world opinion- and deal with that "nuke" obsessed nut job in Iran- separate from this There's 4 more miles of pipe before you get down to the actual well. We could cross our fingers, and hope and pray, it only fuses the ocean floor and the pipe, and nothing more.

Are there any better ideas coming from the Government, The Dept. of Interior and some incompetent sub-agency called "Minerals and Mines?" . Washington, as usual, is dithering, and it's unforgivable leaving this up to British Petroleum, i.e., Washington bureaucrats- afraid to do anything, or shift any responsibility off the main party's; BP, Halliburton and the rig owners. Deal with the crooks later.
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5/21/2010 Publish first, worry later, that's my style. Today I googled "nuclear devise, Gulf of Mexico oil spill."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/7726142/Barack-Obama-sends-nuclear-experts-to-tackle-BPs-Gulf-of-Mexico-oil-leak.html

Barack Obama sends nuclear experts to tackle BP's Gulf of Mexico oil leak

The US has sent a team of nuclear physicists to help BP plug the "catastrophic" flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico from its leaking Deepwater Horizon well, as the Obama administration becomes frustrated with the oil giant's inability to control the situation.The five-man team – which includes a man who helped develop the first hydrogen bomb in the 1950s – is the brainchild of Steven Chu, President Obama's Energy Secretary.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Hayward said the five-hour meeting involved a "very deep dive" into the situation at hand, with "lots of nuclear physicists and all sorts of people coming up with some quite good ideas actually."

Pressed further about the meeting, he said they had "come up with one good idea" but declined to elaborate.

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Continued
........5/20/2010   Tactical nuclear weapon? Whoever the heck see this, it's a flight of fancy and frustration for sure, but somewhere out there are either, legitimate- better ideas- and /or, they're not being heard in high places??!!

This can't go on another 2 months until they drill a relief well. And there needs to be some kind of plus that comes out of this massive negative, besides stepped up inspections of oil rigs!.

For the millions of barrels spilled (and for contaminating the Ocean floor with radioactivity, if a - fuse the ocean floor- idea even made any sense) how about some bipartisan policy to make up for the shame we're all feeling over this disaster?

Here's one layman ideas (a private citizen, but also a candidate for Congress) for some small compensation for our destruction of the Gulf of Mexico.... and waters beyond.

1) We develop a legitimate energy policy and put partisan bickering aside for once. The "drill baby drill" tough guy crowd like me (and Sarah Palin) wipes the smirks off our faces- retroactively.

2) We drain every nickel BP has, and wish them good luck in the future.

3) We impose a one time tax, of at least a few billion dollars on- each and every- oil company in the Gulf, just for being BP's neighbor out there in the Gulf and because we (Uncle Sam) can.

That's a warm up, how about...

       a) 1) A new 75 cents tax on every gallon at the pump. 2) Some kind of Uncle Sam debit card keeping track of the # of gallons purchased. 3) Every cent rebated back to the consumer every month with smaller vehicles getting the original- extra tax levied at the pump back- plus a little extra. On second thought, maybe every one gets a little extra back and the smaller vehicles- even more- but everyone gets something extra... just for the inconvenience, and because we need gimmicks to do the right thing!.

        b) An option to purchase an Energy Savings Bond, in lieu of being credited back the money in cash from the 75 cent new tax on gas. Think of those dying birds and fish in the Gulf.
                     1) Use the new Savings Bond windfall to fund for example, better battery technology,
   which China by the way, outspends us by, two to one.

         c) And "what if?" How about something completely original oozing out of Washington for once, unlike that goofy Stimulus I and II last year (a few words more about that on the bottom of the page). For instance, why not a commitment by the government to create the specifications, and place a huge order in advance, for a very small, very inexpensive $6000, electric car, and lease them back to us.

                            something the size of the Smart Car

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Registered and legal on the local roads only, avoiding all kinds of extra ordinary safety regulations and technology problems. No money down, $59 a month, taxes, titles and tags included ((plus lifetime tire rotations- have fun with the idea, just no ridiculing (me)) This- limited use- battery technology is available now; the price would be right. And as a sweetener to sell (lease) us, the little two seater's, the government picks up the vehicle's insurance. In my opinion, the cost and the insurance, plus the need to make them suitable for the interstate is keeping sales of existing, electric-hybrids, down. If that's too "big brotherish" just make sure the insurance companies only charge us a book keeping fee, since this vehicle won't replace anything we already own, it would just add to the existing vehicles on our policy.

A big self conscious sigh by What_If@steinforcongress2010.com.... if all this is just wishful thinking by the the longest long shot candidate in history, can we at least put a refundable 5 cent tax on the billions of plastic grocery bags, millions of which get loose and wind up eventually in- yes the oceans- including the Gulf of Mexico. If you beat me Mr. LoBiondo, a reasonable proposition given your advantages, how about proposing it your self; trade industry lobbyists be damned!

Off to work...................................and (Tom Paxton; Whose Garden Was This)
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5/21/2010

And If any of my musings seem a little silly or gimmicky, consider the better ideas coming out of the "big idea folks" in Washington, D.C. and beyond. Gee, what do you know? Gimmicks!

Representative Eric Cantor from Virginia

Tired of Big Government Spending? Then YouCut it! - Big Government

May 12, 2010 ... Eric Cantor dares you to cut the budget your own self: Today, we are launching YouCut – a ... These are all great ideas but do not go nearly far enough. ...... Is this the best you have Eric? You've got to be kidding! ...
biggovernment.com/ecantor/.../tired-of-big-government-spending-then-youcut-it/ -

..........I did like one comment following the article( I read about 20 and couldn't take it anymore, politicians.treating us like school children)

Blogger, Andrew said: "Mr Cantor, Here is a novel idea. Instead of cutting just programs, let us kill complete departments and 'services' ".

I second that Andrew. The oversight- their reason for being- of about a dozen agency-departments is criminally missing. Kill them and give ultimate responsibility to the Dept of Justice. That's where this B.P. fiasco is going be decided. A lot of good, some bureau called Mineral and Mines was! Same thing about 2 months ago in that mine disaster, or the SEC and Bernie Madoff, and all these new agencies on the look out for terrorists.... on and on it goes.

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*** "unlike that goofy Stimulus I and II last year" ......which was goofy! Unlike the rescue of the banks which was disgusting, unfortunate, and unpopular....but necessary.
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added 5/21/2010

Having pondered my idea for the last 30 days (and seeing that no one has picked up on it) and seeing enough nightmare images coming out of the Gulf of Mexico to last a lifetime- I'd add this

1) Rather then have a moratorium on deep water drilling like Obama has done- temporary or not- continue drilling- does anyone think another oil company is ever going to take another short cut like BP did? It also keeps Republicans happy and off balance.

2) Reprise the "luxury tax" on gas guzzlers (ending after a few years, giving companies like Cadillac a chance to quit making 565 horse power CTS's- put into a fund and rebated back to consumers who buy the next generation of the smallest and most economical cars. If the tax doesn't cover the rebate, then the Government ponies up the rest. Why? Because it's lessening "our dependence on foreign oil stupid"---- never mind the arguments that oil- foreign and domestic- goes into one big commodity pool.

3) The double down- daring "outside the box" thinking on June 20, 2010. As the government keeps track of what logically would be the rising average millage performance of the American driver- if whalya- my ideas swept Washington off it's feet- the amount of extra rebated money per one dollar tax collected at the gasoline pump- would go up- thereby giving all Americans a rooting interest in seeing rising sales of hybrids, electrics and super economical gas powered cars.