It is the United States' most vital resource, yet it has no smell, no taste and no color. It is stored in glaciers, ice caps, deep underground and in surface reservoirs. Quantities are so vast that it is measured in quintillions. And yet the risk of future supplies becomes more acute each year.
Water covers about two-thirds of the planet, but it is fast becoming scarce in many areas of the country. The federal government predicts that at least 36 states will face water shortages within the next five years. An American Chemical Society research study forecasts 70 percent of the nation's 3,100 counties have "some risk" of fresh water shortages.
As the population grows, water consumption increases for residences, agriculture, manufacturing and commercial use. Water usage in the United States topped 148 trillion gallons in 2000, according to the latest available figures from the U.S. Geological Survey.
With rising usage, tensions over water rights have boiled over. Farmers squabble with water-starved cities for more. States feud about boundries to establish water ownership. Cooperation has evaporated between cities, states and regions thirsting for increased water supply.
Despite the looming crisis, federal, state and local governments are only paying lip service to the issue. Billions of taxpayer dollars are shoveled into highways, airports, bridges and seaports without giving water a second thought. Often the collection, purification and distribution of water is not even considered a key part of a city's economic infrastructure.
Unlike oil, water is not a scarce resource. By some estimates, there are 360 quintillion gallons of water on the planet. Scientists believe there is more water on the earth now than just a few decades ago. However, it is not evenly distributed and nearly 97 percent of it is salty sea water, unsuitable for either agriculture or human consumption.
Despite all the hoopla over energy, water represents the greatest challenge for the next century.
Addressing the issue will require major changes at the local level. Today many major city water departments are led by political appointees with no professional experience in water management. For example, the city of San Antonio's water system is headed up by Robert Puente, an attorney and former member of the Texas legislature. This is all too common practice across the country.
The U.S. needs more water resource management professionals. Without an upgrade in management personnel, there will be little progress because the easiest solution always is to mandate strict water conservation and rationing. The country cannot conserve its way to more water to satisfy ever increasing demands of a mushrooming population. Experts acknowledge that cities must better manage current resources, but without new sources, the nation will have a water deficit.
Here are four key steps required to secure the country's water future:
Mandate more cooperation on water resources management and planning. Too often water is seen as a zero-sum game with each region squabbling over the resource. States and cities must plan together on the best strategy to share and acquire water supplies. Proposals should be drafted to handle extreme contingencies, like long-term droughts, so that states and regions can shift supplies from one locale to another.
Build more water recycling facilities. An American family of four can consume up to 400 gallons of water per day, according to WaterSense. Much of the liquid fills bath tubs, showers, sinks and toilets. Once it is used the water disappears down the drain. This so-called "gray" water could be recycled for use on residential lawns, crops, city landscaping, golf courses and greenbelts. This would save millions of gallons of water, particularly in agriculture, which soaks up 70 percent of the nation's consumption. In addition, drip irrigation and precision sprinklers need to be widely deployed for more efficient crop watering.
Construct more desalination plants. Surprisingly, there are about 1,000 small-to-medium sized desalination plants in the U.S., which extract seawater from oceans and remove the salt. Tampa Bay boasts the country's largest desalination facility, producing 25 million gallons of fresh water a day. But it pales in comparison to Saudi Arabia's $1.6 billion Shoaiba Desalination Plant, which pumps 125 million gallons every day, supplying water to one of the world's driest regions. Although the plants are expensive to build, construction must start on large-scale facilities to satisfy the spiraling demand for water in the U.S. Only three percent of the earth's water is freshwater and the world's population has access to just one percent of it. Without tapping the world's oceans, future water needs simply cannot be met.
Invest in a nationwide water transportation network. Natural gas pipes, fibre optic cables and electricity lines crisscross the United States. However, there is no similar water trans-continental network to move the liquid from one part of the country to another. In most years, parts of the country are plagued by record floods while other sections suffer crippling droughts. Rain always seems to fall where it is needed least.
Where do we get all the money for such investment?
First, the nation must consider water a critical infrastructure issue and realocate existing budgets more equitably to fund projects. Cities and states should pool resources to offer water development bonds to attract investment from the private sector. Individual project loans could be used to finance stand-alone projects, such as a desalination plant. At the national level, the feds could provide government-backed loans to private sector firms engaged in water research and development in exchange for their expertise in solving the water conundrum.
The country's predicament is not having too little water to meet our needs. It is a crisis of water supply management and planning that has helped create the water quandary. Without urgent action, the U.S. inches closer to the the brink of a catastrophe with every sip of water.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Propaganda Masks Economic Stench
For months, the Obama Administration and their cronies in big media have been churning out statistics to convince Americans the economy has healed itself. Unemployment is improving. Jobs are growing. The private sector is enjoying an economic renaissance. Never has their been a propaganda campaign to match this.
When the facts don't support a rosy economic picture, the slavish media buries the news. As evidence, the National Journal recently researched national news coverage of unemployment and discovered that mentions of the the issue have dwindled by more than half since August, 2010.
However, not even the lapdog media could hide May's government report that showed unemployment ticked up to 8.2 percent, marking 40 consecutive months that the nation's jobless rate has exceeded eight percent. That triggered a swift shift in the Obama Administration's narrative.
The White House now shies away from any talk of country's economic condition because the coverage makes the White House seem impotent to do anything about the tepid recovery. The new Obama strategy is to blame Europe's crippling debt and George Bush's economic missteps for the malaise.
With the strategy shift, the media has gotten new marching orders from the Obama campaign. Now the media is trying to convince people of the absurd notion that headlines may be bad, but the economy is good. Americans aren't buying it. The most recent Consumer Confidence Index found only 16.6 percent believe business conditions will improve over the next six months.
There are good reasons for consumer pessimism. Here are three measurements of economic activity which indicate the current economic sickness will linger:
According to the latest figures, American corporations are sitting on nearly $2 trillion in cash. Instead of investing that money, companies are hoarding it. In economic good times, firms shovel money into research, development, new factories and hiring. Businesses simply see no reason to invest when there are so many unknowns about taxes and the costs associated with Obama Care. The overhang created by this uncertainty has made American firms adverse to taking risks with their money.
The country's labor participation rate is at an all-time low. Not many in the media follow this metric contained in the Bureau of Labor's Statistics monthly employment report. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of working-age persons who are employed or looking for a job. At the end of May, the country's labor participation rate was near a historic low of 63.8 percent, a precipitous drop from 65.8 percent at the end of President Bush's term. The Obama apologists have tried to argue that the the reason for the decline is the aging of the population. However, the facts say otherwise. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the labor participation rates of those over the age of 55 are soaring. There are fewer people participating in the economy because there are fewer jobs. The Obama economic plan has produced a "jobless recovery."
Consumer spending on discretionary goods and services has plummeted. Consumer purchases account for 70 percent of the country's economic activity. When consumers spend less, the economy suffers. In the latest Gallup survey, the average consumer spent $58 per day on non-essential items, such as clothes, dining and soft drinks. When George Bush left office in January 2008, the average was $97 a day. This drop of 40 percent has dealt a crippling blow to the economy. While consumers are spending less on clothes and eating out, they are shelling out more for fuel and health care. Gallup attributes the decline to several factors, including "economic uncertainty." Consumers are fearful because they have watched their home values sink and their stock savings plunge. The prospect of higher taxes has an added a chilling impact on spending.
Instead of waging a propaganda war, President Obama could awaken the lethargic American economy by ordering the repeal of his health plan, making permanent all the Bush tax cuts and overhauling corporate taxes. Overnight, these moves would unleash a torrent of economic activity.
Sadly, Obama prefers to point his finger at Europe and George Bush rather than exercise leadership this economic crisis demands. The president has done nothing to jumpstart America's growth engine. Even the sycophant media can no longer camouflage Obama's abject failure on the economy.
When the facts don't support a rosy economic picture, the slavish media buries the news. As evidence, the National Journal recently researched national news coverage of unemployment and discovered that mentions of the the issue have dwindled by more than half since August, 2010.
However, not even the lapdog media could hide May's government report that showed unemployment ticked up to 8.2 percent, marking 40 consecutive months that the nation's jobless rate has exceeded eight percent. That triggered a swift shift in the Obama Administration's narrative.
The White House now shies away from any talk of country's economic condition because the coverage makes the White House seem impotent to do anything about the tepid recovery. The new Obama strategy is to blame Europe's crippling debt and George Bush's economic missteps for the malaise.
With the strategy shift, the media has gotten new marching orders from the Obama campaign. Now the media is trying to convince people of the absurd notion that headlines may be bad, but the economy is good. Americans aren't buying it. The most recent Consumer Confidence Index found only 16.6 percent believe business conditions will improve over the next six months.
There are good reasons for consumer pessimism. Here are three measurements of economic activity which indicate the current economic sickness will linger:
According to the latest figures, American corporations are sitting on nearly $2 trillion in cash. Instead of investing that money, companies are hoarding it. In economic good times, firms shovel money into research, development, new factories and hiring. Businesses simply see no reason to invest when there are so many unknowns about taxes and the costs associated with Obama Care. The overhang created by this uncertainty has made American firms adverse to taking risks with their money.
The country's labor participation rate is at an all-time low. Not many in the media follow this metric contained in the Bureau of Labor's Statistics monthly employment report. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of working-age persons who are employed or looking for a job. At the end of May, the country's labor participation rate was near a historic low of 63.8 percent, a precipitous drop from 65.8 percent at the end of President Bush's term. The Obama apologists have tried to argue that the the reason for the decline is the aging of the population. However, the facts say otherwise. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the labor participation rates of those over the age of 55 are soaring. There are fewer people participating in the economy because there are fewer jobs. The Obama economic plan has produced a "jobless recovery."
Consumer spending on discretionary goods and services has plummeted. Consumer purchases account for 70 percent of the country's economic activity. When consumers spend less, the economy suffers. In the latest Gallup survey, the average consumer spent $58 per day on non-essential items, such as clothes, dining and soft drinks. When George Bush left office in January 2008, the average was $97 a day. This drop of 40 percent has dealt a crippling blow to the economy. While consumers are spending less on clothes and eating out, they are shelling out more for fuel and health care. Gallup attributes the decline to several factors, including "economic uncertainty." Consumers are fearful because they have watched their home values sink and their stock savings plunge. The prospect of higher taxes has an added a chilling impact on spending.
Instead of waging a propaganda war, President Obama could awaken the lethargic American economy by ordering the repeal of his health plan, making permanent all the Bush tax cuts and overhauling corporate taxes. Overnight, these moves would unleash a torrent of economic activity.
Sadly, Obama prefers to point his finger at Europe and George Bush rather than exercise leadership this economic crisis demands. The president has done nothing to jumpstart America's growth engine. Even the sycophant media can no longer camouflage Obama's abject failure on the economy.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Wisconsin's Recall Casualty: State's Students
The hate-filled, gutter fight over Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's political future left a string of casualties in the wake of a bitter recall election. Public sector unions tried to bully elected officials and failed. Teachers exploited students and forfeited their credibility. Democrats shamelessly smeared the governor with raunchy sexual allegations and were shunned by their own president.
Despite unprecedented baseless attacks on a sitting governor, Walker emerged victorious. But in the end Wisconsin's public school students were the real losers. They were treated to a civics lesson of what happens in a democracy when vengeful union officials decide their interests come before fiscal responsibility.
This was not a recall about malfeasance in office. Public sector unions were ruffled after Governor Walker led a legislative battle to make changes in the pensions, benefits and bargaining rights of teachers and other state employees as part of a crusade to reduce Wisconsin's bloated budget deficit.
Like spoiled brats the unions stamped their feet in outrage. How dare the people's elected representatives tell them what to do! To show their disgust, they occupied the Wisconsin legislature's chambers in Madison and trashed the place and left it looking like a bus station rest room.
This sickening display of utter disrespect by union thugs was hailed in the media as a show of strength in the face of a power-hungry legislature. Nothing could have been further from the truth. It was a petulant, abhorrent misuse of union muscle which many voters never forgot.
The main culprit in this vendetta of mayhem was the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the bargaining agent for the state's 98,000 teachers and support personnel. On its website, the council describes its role as a "strong voice for its members and for the 885,000 children" in public schools.
What a joke!
The council's "advocacy" for children included such abuses as exploitation of minors, fraud and a blatant disregard for professional ethics.
During the nasty campaign, the union called a massive sickout, which cost taxpayers about $6 million. Teachers used faked notes from doctors to justify their absence from school. When teachers act like truants, what message do they send to their students?
News reporters uncovered how one teacher organized a bogus "field trip" to the state Capitol to demonstrate against the governor. In Madison, high school students were "recruited" by teachers to participate in protest marches. When teachers use students as pawns for union purposes, what does it say about their priorities?
The Milwaukee teachers union's chief coordinated an effort to stuff political materials into the backpacks of students, including kindergartners, to take home to their parents. The unwitting children were nothing more than union mules. When teachers take advantage of their students for political reasons, what does it say about their respect for them?
The recall campaign tactics were so malodorous that the stench reached all the way to the White House. President Obama, an avowed public sector union advocate, refused to spend what precious little political capital he has to even make a public appearance in Wisconsin. It was a political not moral choice for Obama, who recognized the recall effort had denigrated into cesspool politics with no winners.
The mainstream talking heads and keyboarding print drones spun the election results in a manner which suggested the governor had merely "survived" the recall. He did more than "survive." Walker defeated his Democrat opponent by a wider margin than when the same two gubernatorial campaigners faced-off in 2010.
The truth is the citizens of Wisconsin turned out in record numbers to send a message to the union's sore losers who campaigned to oust the governor for purely spiteful reasons. Voters are fed up with elephantine budgets and swollen deficits. They want reform of public sector union perks that are out of line with private industry benefits.
Wisconsin's recall vote represents a teachable moment for President Obama and his Democratic Party allies. A new day has dawned in America. Voters yearn for courageous politicians who will stand against powerful union interests determined to bankrupt states with their outlandish demands.
Are you listening President Obama?
Despite unprecedented baseless attacks on a sitting governor, Walker emerged victorious. But in the end Wisconsin's public school students were the real losers. They were treated to a civics lesson of what happens in a democracy when vengeful union officials decide their interests come before fiscal responsibility.
This was not a recall about malfeasance in office. Public sector unions were ruffled after Governor Walker led a legislative battle to make changes in the pensions, benefits and bargaining rights of teachers and other state employees as part of a crusade to reduce Wisconsin's bloated budget deficit.
Like spoiled brats the unions stamped their feet in outrage. How dare the people's elected representatives tell them what to do! To show their disgust, they occupied the Wisconsin legislature's chambers in Madison and trashed the place and left it looking like a bus station rest room.
This sickening display of utter disrespect by union thugs was hailed in the media as a show of strength in the face of a power-hungry legislature. Nothing could have been further from the truth. It was a petulant, abhorrent misuse of union muscle which many voters never forgot.
The main culprit in this vendetta of mayhem was the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the bargaining agent for the state's 98,000 teachers and support personnel. On its website, the council describes its role as a "strong voice for its members and for the 885,000 children" in public schools.
What a joke!
The council's "advocacy" for children included such abuses as exploitation of minors, fraud and a blatant disregard for professional ethics.
During the nasty campaign, the union called a massive sickout, which cost taxpayers about $6 million. Teachers used faked notes from doctors to justify their absence from school. When teachers act like truants, what message do they send to their students?
News reporters uncovered how one teacher organized a bogus "field trip" to the state Capitol to demonstrate against the governor. In Madison, high school students were "recruited" by teachers to participate in protest marches. When teachers use students as pawns for union purposes, what does it say about their priorities?
The Milwaukee teachers union's chief coordinated an effort to stuff political materials into the backpacks of students, including kindergartners, to take home to their parents. The unwitting children were nothing more than union mules. When teachers take advantage of their students for political reasons, what does it say about their respect for them?
The recall campaign tactics were so malodorous that the stench reached all the way to the White House. President Obama, an avowed public sector union advocate, refused to spend what precious little political capital he has to even make a public appearance in Wisconsin. It was a political not moral choice for Obama, who recognized the recall effort had denigrated into cesspool politics with no winners.
The mainstream talking heads and keyboarding print drones spun the election results in a manner which suggested the governor had merely "survived" the recall. He did more than "survive." Walker defeated his Democrat opponent by a wider margin than when the same two gubernatorial campaigners faced-off in 2010.
The truth is the citizens of Wisconsin turned out in record numbers to send a message to the union's sore losers who campaigned to oust the governor for purely spiteful reasons. Voters are fed up with elephantine budgets and swollen deficits. They want reform of public sector union perks that are out of line with private industry benefits.
Wisconsin's recall vote represents a teachable moment for President Obama and his Democratic Party allies. A new day has dawned in America. Voters yearn for courageous politicians who will stand against powerful union interests determined to bankrupt states with their outlandish demands.
Are you listening President Obama?
Monday, June 4, 2012
Who's The Bigger Crook? Morgan or Government?
When news of J.P. Morgan Chase's $2 billion trading loss reached Washington, federal regulators and Congress were apoplectic. The banking giant was called on the carpet by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Congress launched a series of hearings. The White House harrumphed.
Too bad the same kind of righteous outrage has not accompanied the billions in losses suffered by green energy firms siphoning taxpayer dollars. Unlike clients of J.P., taxpayers cannot withdraw their money when glaring investment decisions are exposed.
Although the demise of solar panel manufacturer Solyndra was trumpeted nationally, dozens of other government-backed companies have quietly gone belly up without so much as a peep in the mainstream media. The mounting taxpayer losses are a national disgrace that deserves public airing.
Solyndra went bankrupt last year, taking with it a $535 million government loan that was part of President Obama's phony stimulus package designed to "put Americans back to work." Scores of jobs were lost when the solar firm shuttered its doors.
Unfortunately, Solyndra is only the tip of a hidden iceberg of deception about President Obama's use of taxpayer funds to prop-up the so-called green energy industry in the name of economic stimulus.
Many cash-flush green energy companies used taxpayer money to fatten the wallets of executives. Several firms took the funds and opened facilities overseas, costing Americans jobs. Criminal investigations have followed in a handful of cases. Yet the media has remained silent.
Here are some of the most egregious examples of the toxic mix of failed government oversight, corporate debauchery and executive malfeasance:
ECOtality: The Obama Administration doled out $141 million in stimulus money to this manufacturer of electric vehicle charging stations. During 2011, the firm hiked executive and director compensation by 150 percent. The company has racked up more than $45 million in losses and its executives are under investigation for insider trading.
First Solar: The solar power operator received nearly $1.5 billion in stimulus-backed loans from the Department of Energy. The company recently fired 30 percent of its workforce in the face of a deepening financial crisis. Yet the company paid its chief executive officer a whopping $32 million in salary and bonuses over three years. He was fired this year after First Solar's stock plummeted 30 percent. In November of last year, the firm spent $223 million to expand its factory in Germany.
A123: The electric battery manufacturer scooped up nearly $250 million in stimulus funds. Despite the company's warning of an impending financial disaster, the company's top three executives were gifted with a 20 percent increase in salaries last year and were handed generous stock awards. In a recent SEC filing, the firm warned that without more taxpayer money its future would be "adversely" affected.
SpectraWatt: The solar cell company received a $500,000 grant from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as part of the stimulus package. The firm was an abject failure, filing for bankruptcy in August of last year after barely two years of operation
Evergreen Solar, Inc: The solar panel installation company grabbed $5.3 million of funds in the stimulus gold rush. The firm collapsed into bankruptcy last year. According to news reports, Evergreen plans to emerge from from bankruptcy and focus on building its manufacturing facility in China.
Beacon Technology: This energy storage company went bankrupt in 2011, just one year after it was given a $43 million Department of Energy loan guarantee as part of the stimulus package. At the time of its Chapter 11 filing, Beacon was saddled with $47 million in debt and declared its revenues were insufficient to support ongoing operations. Its assets were acquired by a private investment firm this year.
These and scores of other failed stimulus-supported firms stand as testimony to the government's deplorable record of bungled investments. Unlike J.P. Morgan Chase, the Obama Administration has not been called to account for the billions of wasted taxpayer dollars.
There should be no double standard. J.P. Morgan Chase's losses have been publicly scrutinized and investigated. The company's CEO has assumed full responsibility for mishandling of funds.
Americans deserve a scrupulous accounting of stimulus spending on green energy. However, in today's culture of media complicity and political corruption, government accountability is as allusive as honest answers from the Obama Administration.
Too bad the same kind of righteous outrage has not accompanied the billions in losses suffered by green energy firms siphoning taxpayer dollars. Unlike clients of J.P., taxpayers cannot withdraw their money when glaring investment decisions are exposed.
Although the demise of solar panel manufacturer Solyndra was trumpeted nationally, dozens of other government-backed companies have quietly gone belly up without so much as a peep in the mainstream media. The mounting taxpayer losses are a national disgrace that deserves public airing.
Solyndra went bankrupt last year, taking with it a $535 million government loan that was part of President Obama's phony stimulus package designed to "put Americans back to work." Scores of jobs were lost when the solar firm shuttered its doors.
Unfortunately, Solyndra is only the tip of a hidden iceberg of deception about President Obama's use of taxpayer funds to prop-up the so-called green energy industry in the name of economic stimulus.
Many cash-flush green energy companies used taxpayer money to fatten the wallets of executives. Several firms took the funds and opened facilities overseas, costing Americans jobs. Criminal investigations have followed in a handful of cases. Yet the media has remained silent.
Here are some of the most egregious examples of the toxic mix of failed government oversight, corporate debauchery and executive malfeasance:
ECOtality: The Obama Administration doled out $141 million in stimulus money to this manufacturer of electric vehicle charging stations. During 2011, the firm hiked executive and director compensation by 150 percent. The company has racked up more than $45 million in losses and its executives are under investigation for insider trading.
First Solar: The solar power operator received nearly $1.5 billion in stimulus-backed loans from the Department of Energy. The company recently fired 30 percent of its workforce in the face of a deepening financial crisis. Yet the company paid its chief executive officer a whopping $32 million in salary and bonuses over three years. He was fired this year after First Solar's stock plummeted 30 percent. In November of last year, the firm spent $223 million to expand its factory in Germany.
A123: The electric battery manufacturer scooped up nearly $250 million in stimulus funds. Despite the company's warning of an impending financial disaster, the company's top three executives were gifted with a 20 percent increase in salaries last year and were handed generous stock awards. In a recent SEC filing, the firm warned that without more taxpayer money its future would be "adversely" affected.
SpectraWatt: The solar cell company received a $500,000 grant from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as part of the stimulus package. The firm was an abject failure, filing for bankruptcy in August of last year after barely two years of operation
Evergreen Solar, Inc: The solar panel installation company grabbed $5.3 million of funds in the stimulus gold rush. The firm collapsed into bankruptcy last year. According to news reports, Evergreen plans to emerge from from bankruptcy and focus on building its manufacturing facility in China.
Beacon Technology: This energy storage company went bankrupt in 2011, just one year after it was given a $43 million Department of Energy loan guarantee as part of the stimulus package. At the time of its Chapter 11 filing, Beacon was saddled with $47 million in debt and declared its revenues were insufficient to support ongoing operations. Its assets were acquired by a private investment firm this year.
These and scores of other failed stimulus-supported firms stand as testimony to the government's deplorable record of bungled investments. Unlike J.P. Morgan Chase, the Obama Administration has not been called to account for the billions of wasted taxpayer dollars.
There should be no double standard. J.P. Morgan Chase's losses have been publicly scrutinized and investigated. The company's CEO has assumed full responsibility for mishandling of funds.
Americans deserve a scrupulous accounting of stimulus spending on green energy. However, in today's culture of media complicity and political corruption, government accountability is as allusive as honest answers from the Obama Administration.
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