OUR FIRST CONTEST-RENAME "CLEAN EDGE"

The Democrats in Congress announced a new energy plan. They named it "Clean Edge". What does that have to do with energy? After all these years, haven't they learned what's in a name? The Republicans take the rhetorical high ground on every issue in Washington these days, and now energy is no exception. Yes EDGE is an acronym for Clean Energy Development for a Growing Economy-got it? Does that evoke energy independence for you, or a new brand of razor? The Gillete Clean Edge-not bad!!

So here's the contest-come up with the best name for the new Democratic plan, which can be found at http://democrats.senate.gov/energy/cleanedge/

My entry is Declaration of Energy Independence 2006. The winner gets a free tank of gasoline, which is more savings that you will ever see from this plan. I know this is bad policy (see my discussion of GM and Ford below), but I promise to get the winning entry to Senator Harry Reid, and who knows, it might help get a policy passed. So send those entries now!!

The New Democratic Energy Plan- Simply Sausage

The Democrats issued their new energy policy for 2006, know as Clean Edge (see the link and discussion above). This so-called policy is for the most part a list of every policy proposed by anyDemocrat for the last twenty years-in other words, its not a policy at all. What do the Democrats prefer? Criticize the Republicans all you want, but at least we know they stand for more drilling for gas and oil, including in Alaska, and more recently, celulosic ethanol? The Democrats apparently stand for wind, solar, more fuel efficient vehicles, flex fuel vehicles, infrastructure conversion, blah, blah and of course blah. Nothing in this plan is particularly controversial or objectionable, but the real problem is the caucus can't agree on anything, so everyone's proposals make the plan and destroy its coherence.

When you design a horse by comittee you get a camel. When you write a policy by committee, you get sausage-all the parts mixed together and you have no idea what you are eating. And why does everything have to wait until 2020-why should we have goals for 2008???

Boo of the Month I:Gas Rebates from GM and Ford-Bad Cars, Worse Policy

How far have GM and Ford fallen? Having built a slew of gas guzzling SUVs and cars that noone wants, they are offering cheaper gasoline as a sales incentive. For GM, it is a cap of $1.99 per gallon of gas for a year. Ford has one upped GM by providing debit cards good for $1000 of gas. Policy makers have been discussing a gasoline tax to discourage excessive consumption. The GM and Ford plans are a "negative tax"-they encourage profligate use of gas and discourage conservation. Let's avoid these deals and send GM and Ford a message that the best way to solve their corporate profitabilty problems are not with free gas, but better, more fuel-efficient vehicles.