Tri-Community Thoughts
By Al Morrissette
What Is Acceptable For Energy?
For a couple of years now, the country has taken the curve in the energy road that expands the use of alternative energy. Whether you are of the mindset that America is the creator of Global Warming or if Global Warming is even real really does not matter at this juncture. What does matter is that every day each one of us uses petroleum or some other energy resource in our activities.
What also matters is that politics is playing much too large of a role in the decision of what is permissible to provide current and future demands of energy. I happen to support alternative energy when it is provided in a viable program, but today I address the Keystone Pipeline.
This pipeline will transport Canadian oil to Texas refineries. It starts in Alberta, Canada, has passed all Canadian environmental reviews of the sites and 2,147 miles of Canadian pipeline. The United States has also performed countless state and federal reviews and investigation and through public meetings and listening to environmentalist concerns from such groups as the Sierra Club and Greenpeace. The Canadian pipeline company offered a dozen alternative routes or to even blend some route concepts, thus the Fed’s found in their final report that the pipeline does not create any significant environmental impact. The 1,379 mile portion in America will route the pipeline into Wood River, Illinois, creating jobs at new refineries. It will reach into Missouri and Oklahoma creating more jobs at existing facilities, and then it will end in Texas near the Gulf Coast servicing current refinery needs and possibly refinery expansions along the route. This route was best-case scenario by environmentalists concerned with the possibility that the pipeline might take a different route through Nebraska or Montana and pass over the Ogallala Aquifer, which serves over two million mid-westerners and our mid-west agriculture belt. I agree with the environmentalists and having the pipeline go through Illinois in that diversion is perfectly fine. The 36-inch diameter pipeline will be buried at least 4-ft underground and disturbed landscape will be replanted, thus the deer and antelope can still play. The project planning started in 2005 with expectations that a finish date of 2012/13 was feasible.
But politics in Canada delayed it a year, then their parliament agreed and the project can go forward. In the U.S. our Democrat vs. Republican stonewalls have taken affect with Obama tabling the project to 2013. The fact that this project will provide 25-30 thousand American jobs and still protect the environment is irrelevant to Obama and some party line Democrats. It does not matter that in the U.S. we already have over 200 thousand miles of similar pipelines, party politics will prevail. The Canadian Prime Minister did recently announce that if Keystone is deadlock in American politics that Canada will precede with step two. That will move the pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia, where Chinese vessels will transport the fuel to their environment. By postponing this project we are not doing what Americans have said for years, to get away from Middle East Oil. It still keeps us subject to a foreign oil supply, but in a much friendlier environment and this creates….JOBS. So if you understand that this is a good pipeline to include in our existing pipeline maze, then contact your senators, congressmen and Obama and tell them to let this flow. If you do not agree with this week’s column, then I suggest you reread slowly and without bias.
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Journeys and Perceptions
By Michael Palecki
Flip, Flop, Crash
Way back in 1996 when the United States economy was flying high, an end-of-the-Cold War-dream was also launched. A stealth fighter jet aircraft would be built and paid for with “peace dividend dollars”, or in laymen’s language-the fiscal reward of not being at war. At that time, Pentagon officials predicted the aircraft would rule the skies in future wars and amaze the world.
Intended to replace the F-16, A-10 and F/A-18 planes used by three separate branches of the U.S. Military, the “F-35 Fighter Jet” would become the one-size-fits-all stealth aircraft-second only to the F-22 Raptor. And so after a little fine tuning by Pentagon planners that consumed five years, the first work orders were delivered to Lockheed Martin in 2001.
The contract specified the Pentagon would purchase 2,443 jets at a cost of $323 billion. But then, shortly afterwards when the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq erupted, peace dividends dollars turned into a one trillion dollar debt. And so, the U.S Government decided to scale back the order and seek financial partners.
In doing so, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program was born, with NATO partner member countries and close U.S. allies-being allowed to purchase 700 jets. Since then, the U.S. Military, and Great Britain, Australia, Turkey, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Israel, Japan, and the Netherlands-have been waiting for their planes.
After a few technical glitches, the first F-35 was in the air and amazed the world on December 15, 2006. The amazement was mostly over the increased budget to $382 billion, or $156 million per plane. By 2009, six planes had been completed at a price that exceeded the original cost estimate by more than 50 percent. In 2011, twenty F-35’s had been delivered and were undergoing flight tests. However a few more glitches developed and all 20 planes were grounded.
So what were the problems? Well just to cite a few, the first was a fuel subsystem fire hazard and the planes have no fire suppression system. And then, the F-35 airframe was deemed unlikely to last for the life span of the jet. Slightly more problematic on five test flights, was the failure of the arresting hook mechanism to engage for Navy and Marine Corp jets landing on aircraft carriers.
Aeronautical engineers who author performance reviews of new aircraft have written, “The F-35 can’t turn, can’t climb, can’t run, is heavy and sluggish, and has a pitifully small pay load-for all that money.” Meanwhile Air Force Magazine writes, “Pentagon officials are considering cancelling the F-35 because its short range from bases or aircraft carriers it flies from, would be too close to hostile missile sites.”
But not to worry that the plug will be pulled on the F-35. The Congressional Joint Strike Caucus with members representing 47 states, is concerned that 127,000 jobs promised by Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Pratt & Whitney-will not materialize if production is halted.
Considering the fact that those corporations have donated $29,500 to each caucus member’s reelection campaign-it’s a moot point.
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Have You Ever?
By John Cromshow
Frederick Douglass
“Frederick Douglas from Slavery to Freedom: the Journey to New York City” is a new exhibit that will be at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands. According to an article (2/2/12) in the San Bernardino Sun, “As you walk through museum’s Crossroads to History room, the panel exhibition immediately captures your eye with images, broadsides and letters that explore the life of Douglass.” This Black History Month exhibit is included with general museum admission.
Douglass was featured in one CD biography about Abraham Lincoln I listened to. Lincoln consulted him concerning the abolition of slavery. In the midst of the Civil War, the president was struggling with the political and military implications of abolition. Douglass proved to be an articulate spokesperson and advisor. He was impressed with how respectfully Lincoln treated him. Here he was, a former slave, being treated by the President of the United States as a trusted friend and ally.
Douglass was a popular orator and also an author. One of his books, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, describes the day he arrived at a plantation in Maryland with his grandmother. She told him to go play in the back yard of one of the houses with children she told him were his relatives. He never saw her again because she had sold him into slavery. Four years ago, I took a side trip to that plantation, following the NEA Representative Assembly in Washington, D.C. It was by special invitation and I was given a tour of many of the places mentioned in Douglass’ book. An amazing experience to see a page out of history spring to life!
Douglass was mentioned recently in my Constitutional Law class when he was quoted by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the only African-American member of the Court. Some argued that Douglass’ words were taken out of context by Thomas, an opponent of affirmative action. In his dissenting argument in this 2003 case, Thomas quoted Douglass, “…if the Negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall also. All I ask is, give him a chance to stand on his own legs! Let him alone! . . . Your interference is doing him positive injury.” In their 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court “narrowly upheld the limited use of race as a factor in law school admissions.” That could change, as this is a new case that the Supreme Court may decide to hear. Justice Samuel Alito’s vote could lead to a change in direction.
Wikipedia notes, “Douglass was a firm believer in the equality of all people, whether black, female, Native American, or recent immigrant, famously quoted as saying, ‘I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.’” There’s still time to see the Fredrick Douglass exhibit. It will be at the museum through the end of this month. That’s February 29, 2012 – a day that puts the leap in leap year. That’s another story.
Have you ever visited an exhibit about the life of Frederick Douglass? Please e-mail jcromshow@yahoo.com.
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What It Is…
This Week In The World
Whitney Houston has left the building. When major superstars like Whitney fall some of us can’t help but root for them to get back up. I was not a huge fan but certainly recognized her stardom and talent, and who could forget that Grammy performance of hers back in 1994? If you missed it, surely you have seen clips. She had an amazing voice, that’s for sure.
As we wait, and speculate, the facts of her death will come out, but unfortunately no matter what the outcome most will remember her downfall as much as her music, if not more. That’s just how most people are.
None of us is immune to the trappings of Hollywood, or just plain addiction, and I think those with a seemingly endless supply of money have a harder path to recovery than those of us less fortunate in that sense. Let’s not get me started with the horrendous prescription drug problem in this country…it is seriously out of control.
Maybe one day we can print remembrances of superstars dying while doing something cool such as “Betty White dies at 97 on her first solo sky dive” or “Justin Bieber dies in art studio explosion blowing glass hearts for Selena Gomez”. It’s possible.
And by the way, just a mere sidenote, Betty White is the shizzle, the bomb, is awesome, phat, dope, rad and all those other words!
I read this headline earlier in the week: “1.8 MILLION dead people still registered to vote in the U.S., study says”. The article also goes on to state that ‘1 in 8’ active voter registrations has serious errors and cited that the current system is not set up to accommodate mobility in the US.
You may remember from a previous column that approx 16% of US residents move about the country each year and as they do and they register to vote, well their registrations are duplicated on a federal level. In a nutshell there is no way to track those that move AND vote. Who knows what the other issues are. To me, this is just another fine example of an archaic system that is inadequate to our needs as a society and all of these ‘departments’ continue to drain our lack of budget. Wake up America!
On a more positive note I would like to wish my mom a Happy Birthday tomorrow! This has been an interesting year for the two of us and we have really come a long way. So, I hope you enjoy your day mom and all that comes with it.
Enjoy the weekend everyone and take time to smell the pine trees because this life has no expiration date and you never know how many days, weeks, months, years or decades that you have left to live it. Live it, love it and learn to take the good with the bad.
Email: aboyd@mtprogress.net
Facebook: Anjela M Boyd
Twitter: anjbiz
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Email: aboyd@mtprogress.net
Facebook: Anjela M Boyd
Twitter: anjbiz
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The Way It Was...
30 Years Ago This January
By Sharon Z.
Taken from past issues of The Mountaineer Progress
Newspaper.
January 1982
Wrightwood firemen received a 5% raise hike. Firemen’s pay
went up to $1,806 per month.
Another big raise went to Phelan School
Superintendent/Principal. His salary went up to $35,200 per year.
Jackie Devlin, in 2012 owner with her husband Richard of
Devlin Realty, was introduced 1982 as the new residential sales person for
Timberline Realty in Wrightwood. She certainly has made real estate her career!
Pat and Dick Troeger of Mountain Hardware in Wrightwood were
celebrating their 15th year in business.
12 lucky Serrano High School students were chosen to learn
about computers in a special Midas Program course that was presented with two
TRS 80 computers the school had obtained. It was hoped they could expand the
program in the future.
The school board selected the Snowline Joint Unified School
District as the name of the new school district out of 29 suggested names
including Joshua Pines, Wrightlan Hills, Serrano, Blue Sky, Mojave Foothills,
Pinon Pines, Blue Ridge, Desert Mountain, and Sun & Sage.
The local telephone company, Continental Telephone of
California, (Contel), asked for a 100% monthly rate hike which would mean a
raise of basic monthly rate charge to go up from $7 to $14.40.
A new school holiday was added to honor Martin Luther King,
Jr.’s birthday.
The local Wrightwood establishments were celebrating the
15-year anniversary of the Super Bowl. Chuck Mantkus Toyota of Wrightwood
reported that the first Super Bowl was broadcast on both CBS and NBC and was
announced by Ray Scott and Frank Gifford on CBS and Curt Gowdy and Paul
Christman on NBC.
Ski Sunrise hosted the cast and crew of the movie “Snowbird”
starring Dick Van Patten and his sons. The movie was about a ski resort owner
and his sons but I couldn’t find any trace of the movie on the Internet.
Beeline Fashions in Wrightwood was planning a fashion show
of women’s fashions but only men were invited to attend. They could purchase
valentine gifts for their sweeties and beer and pretzels were to be served. Admission
was $5 and admission proceeds would go to the “Jaws of Life Fund” for the
Wrightwood Fire Department.
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