MassDOT, Wind Turbines and a Third Party
A Wall Street Journal/NBC Poll last week announced that trust in Government is at a 12 year low and that half of all Americans now support a third party. That's lots of average people who have seen enough of what the two party system has had to offer.
A Chinese company has a deal to supply turbines to the largest wind farm's in the US. The 36,000 acre spot will house 240, 2.5 mega watt units. Backed by 1.5 billion in financing from Bank of China, if all goes well, by 2011 all these units will be making electricity. Federal stimulus funds in tax credits will help this project along and while only 15% of the jobs created will be for Americans, this project should be a sign of things to come.... I just wish Amercian companies had won the contract.
Long overdue, Deval has made good on his promise to effectively end Mass Turnpike, MassHighway, The MBTA and the registry. And while we all supported this move for decides, as of Nov 1, no revealing plans have shown up. No big costs saving measures and while we may have though, one group could real in the expense side of these crony lead corrupt institutions, the new board is not unlike the old board. Deval has appointed three left overs from the original gang, all with strong ties to past mismanagement. The new chairmen of the board, John Jenkins lives in Natick, a plus for those of us west of the city, but with 4000 union employee's and another 6000 union employees at the MBTA, one has to wonder, if Deval should not have placed the same old, worn out, people who have furthered the cause of secrecy, political patronage and the lack of accountability to run an institution that needs more than an overhaul, it needs a new direction. Their new web site is www.mass.gov/massdot.
posted by Jim Pillsbury @ 11:25 AM
19 Comments
19 Comments:
Jim am I reading this right? 85% of the jobs created on these wind farms are going to go to people who are not US citizens? What is the deal with that?
Why the heck arent we buying this wind machines from a US manufacturer? Is there no company here making these? And if that is the case, then isnt that a perfect place to invest some money in getting a business up and running that will make these from US materials, using US workers, on US soil. I have to say I get more than a little nervous seeing us throwing more and more business to the Chinese. The more dependent we get on them, the stronger their influence over us becomes. That red menace still lurks in the back of my mind, could be a result of my being old enough to remember that menace being real, but I think they are a very big country and we should not be giving them so much of our money to build our products using their citizens. What happened to taking care of our own first?
Nice way to line up your messages here Pillsbury. Trust in government at a 12 year low followed by a story about sending millions of business in wind turbines to China, and Patrick monkeying around with the new transportation department. Two good examples of why we no longer trust our government. This is saying that we have less trust in our government now with Obama at the helm than we had 2 yrs ago with Busch at the helm. Pretty telling statement in my opinion, and I am a strong supporter of Obama.
Third party is not a new concept. Who do you think the Libertarians or the Green Party are? The problem is that no one thinks a third party candidate can win, so they feel it is not worth voting for someone they know will lose, so they instead cast their vote for the lesser of the 2 evils in the 2 party system. As long as the logic exists, a 3rd party does not stand a chance of getting elected. If voters can cast a vote for someone who is dead because they are so ill informed about their candidates for public office, then this is all hopeless. Imagine, they take the time to go to the voting booth, but they don’t even check the newspaper that day to get information on the candidates. That is the most illogical process I can imagine, but it is the one that exists. We need to overturn the apple cart, do away with party affiliations altogether, each candidate stands on their own platform and the voter chooses whose platform makes the most sense. If the candidate is not tied to a party line, then we have a far better chance of getting and honest, hardworking candidate, don’t you think?
Question Jim, any insight on what will happen with extending the unemployment benefits? Lots of us are teetering on the edge right now and an extension of those benefits could make the difference. You always seem to be up on this stuff, just thought you might have some information to share.
JPrice.. I watched some of the laborious debate of the extending Unemployment, Bill 3548. It looks like it has bi partisan support... after all, unemployment is just not one parties problem. Unfortunately, some R's in the Senate are complaining and the D's have "filled the tree" with amendments, which have nothing to do with unemployment and doesn't allow the R's to add anything. Typical of a two party system that helps only the parties themselves.
The Senate version says to extend bennies for another 14 weeks across the entire country with and additions 6 weeks in the hardest hit states.... I believe we are in that category. The House version says only extend to the hardest hit states for 14 weeks.
Something will happen in the next few days I believe... I can't imagine them not extending it.
On the Wind turbines, keep in mind, the Red's have it over us by a mile, cheaper labor, no environmental laws concerning manufacturing, cheaper raw materials and their government, like our's, is trying to help companies sell across the globe.
We have GE here in the States that build industrial garde turbines, but as big as GE is and with ALL the bennies companies are getting here from our Government, it pails to what China and for the most part, ALL far east companies are getting from their own people.
In defense of our president, he has insisted that we build here in the States wind energy products, but we are a few years behind just about everyone else on the globe and when it comes down to making money in wind energy, it's the initial costs that can make or break a project.
I'll bet this is a wake up call to GE and others and it's my guess, American made products are going to be insisted on, when using stimulus money. Look at what Ford did last quarter, 1 Billion in profit. Americans are looking for American made products and Ford has shown they can compete with anyone.
We have only ourselves to blame and only ourselves to get us out of just what Soldier fears the most, the power of another country holding us hostage. I sure most of you will remember when the push was on for buying American some years ago and Walmart of all stores boasted about their claim that they were the America's store. If anyone can find anything in that store that is made here... I'll buy lunch.
And while short term prospects don't bode well for us, we are now exporting more things to other countries.... Hallelujah and it's not jobs for a change.
Annon... correct you are, the third party is nothing new, but never before do I remember so much talk about the third party and in NJ, where a heavily favored sitting D Gov is being challenged by a R and an Independent. Not since Jesse Ventura have I seen such interest.
Most working class have had it with the two parties, even the ones that don't vote. The party loyalists can vote for the deceased and indicted, but I do think, from what I read and hear, voters may now look at candidates in a different light and not as a party loyalist.
I agree with your concerns about the supposed merging of these entities. Seems to me nothing was merged at all, they were just all put under the same umbrella. Merging would require laying off people doing duplicate jobs, have not heard about any layoffs so far, have you? I am beginning to have a very strong sense that Patrick is not being honest, and is playing the old Boston politics game. Hope I am wrong, but this is just one example of where I think what he says and what he actually does do not coincide.
If I may share this with our readers.... it goes to what Annon wrote about voters.
This afternoon, a lovely cashier at my local favorite hardware store told me that an elderly women came in and was checking out and told the cashier, she had gone to vote today at her usual voting location and found that no one was their for voting. She asked the customer, who were you voting for? and she replied, Mayor Maneno of coarse. I died laughing.
Second hand yes... but true I'll bet.
Edward.. .the media will not rest... if there are not at least some layoff's at the new DOT and very soon.
The top honcho now, Mullen will be forced to make the right call... I hope.
I predict, there will be more private snow plow operators than ever before.... farm it out if it gets to much for the hired hands. Very temporary contractors can cost less.
What’s your take on the election results last night in states where GOP beat democrats? Isn’t that a statement by the people that they are not happy with the road the dems are taking us down? What do you think that will mean for politics here in MA?
It's a sign for sure Sox and as the State fails to address the needed cuts in patronage, waste and fraud, the run of the mill same old thing just won't cut it among the voters who don't usually vote.
Look at how many independents ran last night and did somewhat surprising well.
2010 may offer some real positive change for us.
Are you going to be among those running as an option for change in 2010 Jim?
Only death or jail would stop me from getting on the ballot ... Annon.
That is an ominous statement you made. Hope neither of those options, death or jail, come into play. Not sure that this is going to be your year, so many people looking for change that I think there will be more people running, which divides the vote and pretty much insures the incumbent will get re elected. But if people have been paying attention, and know anything about this blog, then you should win hands down. Problem is lots of people don’t know you, and some of those that do know you have the wrong impression of you. Hope you have some plan in place to combat those issues. Last time you got in the race far too late to make a difference. I hope you are not going to do that again. The more time people have to get to know you the more chance you have to get some votes.
On this wind turbine thing what does this actually mean? If I want to put one of these up on my property today, do I have to pull a permit, if so, what are the regulations I have to comply with in order to do that? Or does the fact there is still no bylaw mean I can put it up and no one can stop me? Seems like dragging their feet on this is a means to an end if the lack of a bylaw can prevent me from doing this.
Annon... while Article 25 was sent back... and as of now, I don't know why...you have the right to capture wind on your property. That being said, your neighbors will have some say if you want to install something that could crash down on their house.
But as of today, there is not a roof mounted unit that has proven to work and the newest of regulations governing the manufacture, testing and validation of any small or mirco wind turbines is just being adopted by the industry. These rules will make most of any by-law here in Framingham, moot.
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