The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

It has been more than 80 days since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill began. I have watched in horrified amazement as this disaster unfolded. It is obvious that we have no idea how to respond to oil spills at this depth. We did not implement our own worse case scenario plan. We did not instigate a burn. We did not have the skimmers and booms we needed. We turned down the offers of other countries who wanted to help.


What did the federal government do? For over 30 days it did virtually nothing! The government sat there twiddling its thumbs as the black oil crept closer and closer to shore. I did not expect the federal government to plug the spill, but I did expect them to do something – anything – to protect the shores.

The Gulf States begged for help. They received little. In many, many cases the federal government actually prevented the states from helping themselves. The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers said that states could not build berms without a study because it might adversely affect the environment. Any sane person knows the oil would do vastly more damage than a berm would.

Please tell me that this very slow and lack-luster response to the spill was not done to advance a political agenda. “If the damage is bad enough, we can pass Cap + Trade.” Of course, the alternative reason – incompetence – is not reassuring either.

It is obvious that this country needs oil – our own oil – to function. We must not depend on foreign oil. Practical alternative fuel is far in the future. We need to seek safer oil. If the government can not protect our shores from deep-water drilling, we need to drill closer to shore where spills can be contained quickly. We need to drill on shore. We need to make use of our large quantities of shale oil. We need more clean coal and natural gas. We can not afford to turn this country into a third world economy by waiting for some unknown or undeveloped alternative fuel. We need fuel now. We have fuel – let us use it.

Signed,
The Electorate

2011 Budget Hidden in War Bill

The House recently passed and the Senate is considering a supplemental war funding bill. Of course, Congress is adding billions in extra spending for their favorite projects, which are in no way related to war funding. This unfortunately is only Washington politics as usual.

What is really offensive is a hidden provision that was added to the bill which states that if the war funding bill is passed that the 2011 budget will “be deemed as passed”. Congress is too cowardly to openly debate and vote on next year’s budget. They know it is larger than last year’s humongous budget. This budget includes over one and a half trillion dollars of deficit spending. Congress knows the public is concerned about their outrageous spending and borrowing. The American people want the government to cut spending and reduce the debt. Congress does not want to go on record as voting for this spending binge in an election year. Hence they seek to hide the budget in another bill.

The 2011 budget should not be slipped through in a hidden provision. It needs to be openly and fully debated. Congress’ votes need to be recorded. If you support the bill, you must be willing to say so. You are responsible for your votes. The American people are tired of dirty tricks and backdoor deals. We deserve better.

Most importantly do not use our military to sneak through more outrageous spending. Anyone who uses our military to pass a bloated budget should be ashamed. This would be Washington at its devious worst.

Signed,
The Electorate

Department of Justice Lawsuit

Today the Department of Justice filed suit against the state of Arizona stating that Arizona’s law was illegal because it was the job of the federal government to secure the borders of this country. No one has ever disagreed with the statement that securing our borders is the responsibility of the federal government. However the federal government is derelict in its duty. The federal government has not secured our borders. It no longer even seems to be trying to secure our borders.

The Constitution was never meant to be a suicide pact. James Madison made it very clear in the Federalist Papers that if the federal government did not or could not secure our borders that states retained the right of self-defense. Does anyone really think that if hostile Indians swarmed a state’s border that the state would wait for the federal government to defend them? The answer is obvious. Drug dealers and human traffickers are now swarming our southern borders. If the federal government will not act, states are permitted to protect themselves.

The federal government should take this opportunity to assure the states that it will secure our borders and enforce our immigration laws. The federal government should not seek to further its political agenda by using the trouble and suffering of the citizens of this country.

Signed,
The Electorate

NASA's Mission

The Electorate is finally over their ennui regarding this Congress and President and is now back to a regular writing schedule. We'll be starting off with NASA Chief Charles Bolden's statements of Obama's instructions for NASA.


In an interview with Al Jazeera Charles Bolden, the NASA administrator, stated that President Obama charged NASA with three tasks. The most important of these tasks was “to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world”.

This is insanity!! Are the inmates in charge of the asylum?

NASA’s mission is the exploration of space – for this country. NASA is not a political organization. Why is this administration perverting it? Why is Congress allowing this to happen?

Last spring the President, single-handedly, ended the United States manned space program. He gave up our leadership in space. Now he is using this once proud program to investigate global warming and singing “kumbaya” with friends and foes alike.

Bolden also stated that the United States is not going to travel beyond low-Earth orbit on its own. This statement is incorrect. Our government is not allowing NASA to go beyond low-Earth orbit. We have the ability to explore beyond this point. We need to unleash NASA and let it do what it wants to do – what has done in the past and can do again.

Allow NASA to explore the final frontier. The future awaits us.

Signed,
The Electorate


Snark from the Daughter of the Electorate: I guess we were stupid to believe the goal of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was space flight.