It is always a comfort to know that our future energy needs are being looked out for by those with the greatest interest in the public welfare: oil, gas and electric companies.
quote: Administration officials did not account for much of the money spent on the task force and could not remember whether anyone took official notes during the 10 Cabinet-level meetings the group held in 2001, the investigators said.
I think the answer is to simply open up all wilderness areas. What do the lemmings and grizzlies need oil for? We can use cheap, clean burning oil to heat our homes and power our cars for years to come. This infinitely renewable resource will power our excessive lifestyle for untold generations before we need to think about finding another source of power.
quote: The task force issued a report to President Bush (news - web sites) in May, 2001. The administration announced an energy policy shortly afterward, calling for more oil and gas drilling and a revival of nuclear power. The policy bogged down in Congress.
Critics of the administration, including environmentalists and some Democrats in Congress, said they suspected the energy industry had undue influence on the task force.
I applaud the efforts of the Republicans to ensure that we waste no money on foolish and ultimately useless research into alternative energies.
Posts: 4548 | Registered: May 2001
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The thing that really bothers me about this is that some people seem to be equating legal with correct. The Bush administration's claims are that it is legal for them to withhold this information. Now, I don't know a darn thing about this and a court had ruled in their favor, so I'm willing to say that this is within their rights. However, I am much less concerned about whether or not they can be legally forced to turn over the records from these meetings than what actually happened at these meetings.
I honestly believe that leaders often need to have what they say taken on faith in order for them to be most effective. I believe, for example, that there are intelligence sources that our government needs to protect by not revealing the information they provide. Also, oftentimes there is a need for actions or decisions to be made quickly, or, even when speed is not a factor, decisiveness is. So having every decision made be questioned can hamper a leader's effectiveness.
The big problem, and I think that this is something that the Bush administration (and it seems like modern politicians in general) don't seem to understand, is that this trust is not automatically given, but rather needs to be earned. Most people start off at a neutral place in my trust. Politicians actually start out in the negative. They need to consistently prove to be concerned about being upfront and trustworthy before they can earn my faith.
So, sure, the Bush administration had a legal right not to turn over the documentation of the meetings that they had about energy policy that seem to have been with energy company lobbyists, but I have also have a legal right to think that they are a bunch of liars who made their energy policy based off of the recommendations of just about the worst people to ask, and thus, oppose them at every step.
Posts: 10177 | Registered: Apr 2001
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