Once again he’s on the campaign trail for his “green energy” meme
(Washington Post) The pitch President Obama will make as he visits the Energy Department’s Argonne National Laboratory outside Chicago Friday involves a bit of policy jujutsu: let’s take the money we make by producing oil to stop using it altogether.
Sequester? What Sequester? It costs $180k an hour to run Air Force One. The six hour round trip flight (to make a quick speech, shake a few hands, ask for some campaign donations, and then boogie back to D.C.) will cost over a million dollars, which could fund White House tours for 15 weeks. He couldn’t make the announcement on the grounds of the White House?
Obama will call for the establishment of the Energy Security Trust, a $2 billion fund over 10 years that takes some of the federal royalties the government receives from offshore oil and gas leasing to invest in research that will shift the country’s transportation sector away from using oil.
The White House selected Argonne because the lab did some of the breakthrough research into advanced battery technology back in the 1990s, before there was a commercial market for such things. Establishing a fund that will not be subject to the uncertainties of the annual appropriations cycle, said a White House aide who asked not to be identified in advance of the president’s appearance, will provide “a reliable stream of funding for critical breakthrough research†in the transportation sector.
In other words, a way to hook up Democrat donors with federal tax money not subject to the annual appropriations cycle, just like with 80% of the allocated Stimulus funds.
The goal, the aide continued, is to “ultimately get our cars and trucks off of oil.â€
Yet, Obama will take yet another unnecessary fossil fueled flight, first on Marine One to Andrews, then on Air Force 1, followed by a trip in a fossil fueled limo surrounded by lots of fossil fueled SUVs, make a speech, followed by fossil fueled cars and trucks, then fossil fueled plane trip and helicopter trip. It’s good to be the king.
More: meanwhile, PINO Obama plans on further ruining the economy by expanding the Nixon era environmental requirements for projects to consider Hotcoldwetdry.
SIGH.
Please, let this madness end soon.
Does no one in DC see the cronyism at play here? Is no one asking for audits?
The United States overwhelmingly elected Obama to be the leader. Only idiots would expect him to walk everywhere in order to promote his policies.
only idiots would expect our leader to BE hypocritical, demanding serfs behave one way, while he himself refuses to live up to his demands.
Why can’t he make this short speech in DC, John?
[…] William Teach wrote, “Yet, Obama will take yet another unnecessary fossil fueled flight, first on Marine One to […]
The ACTUAL operating costs of a 747 are much much lower about 25000 per hour
http://www.what2fly.com/operating_cost/boeing/747-300.php
Those costs of 180,000 include such things qas having a flight crew on stand by with a full Colonel. Those costs and most of the rest of the 180000 are going to be incurred whether the 747 flies or stays on the ground. Sigh
Typically the OUTRAGE of the rightwing comes from selectively picking facts to make their case. The fact is that Obama has used Air Force One LESS tahn Bush did in his first 2 yeasr. I haven’t found anything later., but would be happy to see someone find it and post it.
Manu of these “facts” come on chain mails.
http://factcheck.org/2011/07/the-traveling-president/
Sorry john, but Huffingtonn and the AP all say Obama travelled more than Bush. But it is not only how much, but where. Bush was known to take trips back to Texas to a secure ranch. Obama travels to destinations that are not secure requiring more secret service and law enforcement.
Ultimately, Obama is more wasreful than Bush ever was.
But even all that is not the point. While energy costs are still rising, and Obama is looking to dump more money ito “green initiatives” that have yet to prove any positive benefits to the American people. In fact, we have seen these initiative riff with corruption and illegal activities. We have seen the effects of “green energy” in England where higher energy costs is literally killing people. We also have the EU looking to back away from green because it is killing economies.
But of course you think all that is a good thing.