Local government is wasting time on environmental issues
I found it very disappointing that the city council and county
government are wasting our time investigating plastic bag use. The
most telling comment was that they are too cheap. People complain
about the paper ones as well even though almost everyone on the
planet reuses them as garbage bags in the kitchen.
Others use the plastic ones in smaller waste containers. Both
break down in the environment.
One thing is clear, government simply can not think outside the
box. They can’t think outside the box putting the college downtown,
as the board violated EVERY criteria for their search for a site
and received an EIR waiver as any government project is essentially
exempt from EIR restrictions if it’s for the good of the people,
whatever that means.
Caltrans is inept as well. They can’t design a project unless it
involves massive land grabs, multiple overpasses, massive lane
widening, and they will still have a stop light at Union Road. The
bullet train is another example of the ever increasing government
project that has no requirement to pay for itself through use
fees.What’s worse is that you can’t vote the public out of
office.
We are more inept than the politicians we elect. The government
simply is not interested in commerce, only a net increase of
government jobs and government dependency. We should change the
Declaration of Independence to the Declaration of Dependence. We
are at a tipping point of voters either working for the government
or on government assistance versus the private sector that provides
their benefits.
I used to think the tide could be turned. Today, I am of the
mind to encourage the complete turnover of everything to the
government under the general welfare clause and outlaw completely
money, property rights, morals, religion, the family, and give the
people what they want, bags to contain their creativity.
The only thing left to supply them is a twisty to seal the bag.
Maybe we can have a twisty bailout to help people reduce their
impact on the environment.
Mark Dickson
Hollister
Local government is wasting time on environmental issues
I found it very disappointing that the city council and county government are wasting our time investigating plastic bag use. The most telling comment was that they are too cheap. People complain about the paper ones as well even though almost everyone on the planet reuses them as garbage bags in the kitchen.
Others use the plastic ones in smaller waste containers. Both break down in the environment.
One thing is clear, government simply can not think outside the box. They can’t think outside the box putting the college downtown, as the board violated EVERY criteria for their search for a site and received an EIR waiver as any government project is essentially exempt from EIR restrictions if it’s for the good of the people, whatever that means.
Caltrans is inept as well. They can’t design a project unless it involves massive land grabs, multiple overpasses, massive lane widening, and they will still have a stop light at Union Road. The bullet train is another example of the ever increasing government project that has no requirement to pay for itself through use fees.What’s worse is that you can’t vote the public out of office.
We are more inept than the politicians we elect. The government simply is not interested in commerce, only a net increase of government jobs and government dependency. We should change the Declaration of Independence to the Declaration of Dependence. We are at a tipping point of voters either working for the government or on government assistance versus the private sector that provides their benefits.
I used to think the tide could be turned. Today, I am of the mind to encourage the complete turnover of everything to the government under the general welfare clause and outlaw completely money, property rights, morals, religion, the family, and give the people what they want, bags to contain their creativity.
The only thing left to supply them is a twisty to seal the bag. Maybe we can have a twisty bailout to help people reduce their impact on the environment.
Mark Dickson
Hollister
Suppport senators in having a positive IMPACT
Nationally and globally we are in a very important transitional time both economically and environmentally. Seldom are we at such a crossroads with such a great opportunity for positive change. Right now we have such an opportunity with Sen.Sherrod Brown’s “Investments in Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology (IMPACT) Act.” We must support this act and urge our state’s U.S. Senators to do so as well.
The IMPACT Act will devote $30 billion for low-interest loans to help small- and medium-sized manufacturers to retool their factories to make the parts that go into wind turbines, solar arrays, batteries for automobiles and other sources of clean energy. Without the right support, our manufacturers will miss out on this historic opportunity to make the products that drive the clean energy economy.
As the world transitions from a fossil fuel-based economy to one that runs on clean energy, the U.S. needs to help pioneer this transition, not be tag-along followers. Europe, China and India are already making major investments in energy efficiency and clean energy production. They understand that the nations that dominate these technologies will dominate the 21st century economy. Currently, more than 70 percent of our nation’s clean energy systems and components are produced abroad. We must make smart, targeted investments to help our manufacturers make the products that will power America’s clean energy future.
The IMPACT Act will help accomplish that.
Martyn Phillips
Gilroy
