Energy Taxes

Forget “Cap and Trade” and “Climate Change Legislation”. What we are really talking about are taxes on fossil fuel energy consumption. And taxes on fossil fuel consumption are exactly what we need  in order for our state to prosper in the coming decades.

South Carolina currently imports $14 billion in oil and $10 billion in coal a year. That, my friends, is a chunk of change. It is a huge drag on our economy and a problem that will only get worse. The time has long past for action on this issue.

What our primary focus should be is how to get those numbers down. The sooner we start thinking about energy independence as a  state, and actually implementing a plan, the better off we will be. The state that produces all of its own energy is going to be the state that is strongest and most competitive in the global marketplace.

Higher taxes on imported fossil fuels are necessary to fund our transition to in-state produced sources of energy. To all of you short term thinkers out there,  get out of the way.

Wind Turbine Test Facility

South Carolina is “in a race” for a 45 million dollar test facility for super size wind turbines to be funded by the federal government. Other states on the track are Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Michigan.

Oh, to win this race. It is imperative that South Carolina become energy independent as soon as possible, and such a facility could act as a catapult in that direction.  But I wonder which state will win the race. Do we really think it will be the state from which a congressman(and I do use that term loosely), at a joint session of our nation’s congress, shouted out “you lie” at the chief executive?

Though it would be a really great thing for our state, I am not holding my breath.

State schools hire lobbyists

Let’s see, South Carolina tax dollars being spent to pay individuals to lobby for state institutions of higher learning. I can certainly see where federal and state money is getting harder to come by these days, but I also wonder why the board of directors are not stepping up and taking on that role. Isn’t that one of their tasks traditionally? Perhaps instead of spending eighty to a hundred thousand dollars a year on a lobbyist, these institutions should tell their board members to get it in gear, or step aside and make room on the board for people who can get the job done. Why, with the savings, the schools could probably pay for three or four more professors.

Gubernatorial Candidates

I have looked at the websites for all of the candidates for our next governor and so far I see no one who wants to lead this state.

What will it take for someone to put their mouth where their money is and tell us what they will do to lead our state? We are nine years into the 21st century, but we pretend like it is 1952.

Someone please step up.

70% Consumer Spending

I keep reading about how 70% of our economy is based on consumer spending, and that we need to spend more to bring us out of this recession.

It needs to be pointed out that consumer spending is consumption, and that 70% consumption is, to put it mildly, unsustainable. Does that mean that only 30% of the economy is production?

A new found frugality and increased savings rate are nothing but a good things for our state.  It is time for a major restructuring in how we function in our economy.

Air Industry News

The recent news that the global air industry faces a 9 billion dollar loss for 2009 tells us that the air industry will be going through massive changes in the coming years and a comprehensive plan to position our state to handle this change needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later.

I have already outlined a plan for a centralized airport hub in our state in a post dated 12/13/08, with the rest of the state being connected with high speed rail lines.

We can’t get direct flights from our three airports and it is killing us with bringing prospective business to the region.

It’s either get on such a plan soon or have Charlotte and Atlanta split the state for our air travel business, crippling South Carolina commerce and tourism.

Pay Day Lending

Let’s get a few things straight.

The pay day lending industry in our state are bottom feeders. They charge upwards of 400% interest on their loans. They fray the base of our society and make our state weaker.

When I read that they have a strong lobby within our state’s legislature I am sickened. Any politician defending these bottom feeders should be run out of office and out of our state too, as far as I’m concerned.

Loaning money in our state should be capped at 30% above prime, a return any real investor would be more than happy to get. The present plan to unnecessarily expand government by implementing a state run pay day loan tracking database should be scrapped.

Urban Homesteading

Some thirteen months ago, my wife and I were lucky enough to purchase a house on a lot of about a third of an acre. It came with a mature pecan tree in the front yard, from which last summer we didn’t get any pecans, but we cleared off the many vines growing up into it and we’re hopeful that this year we will get some production out of it.

Other than the pecan tree, we have planted an apple tree(a hot weather variety), a blueberry bush, grapevines, and a 4′ by 20′ vegetable garden.

My wife is calling this our homestead year, and let me tell you we are thankful to be able to head out to the grocer, because otherwise we would be starving right now.

No but really, we are having moderate success so far, and we are looking forward to having a lot of tomatos, onions, squash and cantalopes this summer, and maybe pecans.

I am treating my urban lot as a homestead because it is the conservative thing to do. It saves my family money and saves a small percentage on produce that would otherwise be imported from out of state. Oh, I suppose I could be spending that time out water skiing, but water skiing is hardly an activity of someone calling themselves a conservative, now is it?

SC Energy

I read with interest that South Carolina will soon be exporting 350,00 tons of switchgrass to Europe to fuel power plants there, as they move away from coal.

With the recent downturn in energy usage across our state, and with lower projected energy use into the future coupled with technological breakthroughs in alternative fuels, it is time to abandon SC&G’s plan for a new nuclear plant and Santee-Cooper’s plan for a new coal plant. An energy independent South Carolina is a strong South Carolina and concentrating our efforts in the following areas is what will make this happen.

1. Switchgrass fueled electrical plants. Switchgrass is native to our state and is found here in abundance. The farming of switchgrass in our state is already moving forward, and we need to take advantage of this right now.

2. The development of a wind farm in the far upstate, where we have world class energy producing wind. Also offshore wind should be put to the front burner and invested in heavily.

3. We should be doing everything we can to develop our own solar industries here in the Palmetto State. It is expensive, but recent breakthroughs in the technology should make solar power a major factor in South Carolina’s push towards energy independence.

4. Conservation.  One initiative that would have a major impact is the regular publication of our energy usage as a whole- How much gasoline  we use in a quarter, as well as electricity, water and natural gas, if published and promoted, would give us solid numbers to rally around and make us more aware, and more willing to work harder to use less energy.

Again, we should be concentrating on energy sources  and strategies that will make us energy independent as soon as possible. It is absolutely critical that we do so without delay.

Megadumps

It is good to see our elected officials taking steps so that South Carolina does not become the trash dumping ground for the whole eastern seaboard.

DHEC has passed new regulations making it more difficult for these megadumps to be built here. I would like us to go further and make it absolutely impossible for them to be built here. Let’s think to the future shall we, or at the least we should have some basic self respect.

South Carolina is no dumping ground. At best these places would be a short term revenue generator for these counties, and in the long run would ruin whole areas with toxic pollution in the ground and in the ground water, making it more difficult for these areas to generate wealth for themselves in the future.

DHEC says it can’t unapprove the megadump in Marlboro County. Sure it can. Or how about the legislature pass a law that simply says we do not accept any trash from outside our borders? They could still build it and Marlboro County could be the dumping ground for our own state’s trash, but that would be it. By the way, the company wanting to build this particular dump is not even a South Carolina based company.

I’ll say it one more time: South Carolina is no trash dumping ground. Period.