Here is the video from the forum last Thursday on "Energy and Sustainability."Another thanks again to the speakers:
Paul Nonnenmacher of the quasi-governmental CRRA
Sue Merrow of the not-for-profit 1,000 Friends of CT
Dr. Bob Giddings a member of the not-for-profit Friends of Boulder Knoll
Tim White
Laura DeCaprio has scheduled a meeting about Mixville for Wednesday night at 7pm in Town Hall.
There'll be a Council meeting on Thursday night in Town Hall about the trash disposal facility... not sure though how much will be in executive session to discuss negotiation strategy.
Did anybody go to the Pool Bubble Alternative Subcommittee meeting tonight?
Tim White
WHEN: MONDAY EVENING OCT. 6TH 2008
6PM – 7:30PM IN THE EVENING
WHERE: JOE & MARILYN BARTOLI’S HOME
754 DEVONWOOD DR CHESHIRE
SPECIAL HONORED GUEST AL ADINOLFI
FEATURING SPECIAL INVITED GUEST DAVID CAPPIELLO
SUGGESTED DONATION:
$15.00PP $25.00 PER COUPLE
RSVP: BY 9/28/08 TO 271-2497
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO CHESHIRE REPUBLICAN TOWN COMMITTEE
Anybody know about other fundraisers this fall?
Tim White
Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac... we lost three in a row before finally winning last night.
But tonight the bailout continues:
In a bid to save financial markets and economy from further turmoil, the U.S. government agreed Tuesday to provide an $85 billion emergency loan to rescue the huge insurer AIG. The Federal Reserve said in a statement it determined that a disorderly failure of AIG could hurt the already delicate financial markets and the economy. (AP)
Treasury Secretary Paulson had me for about 24 hours, then lost me. I still think Bernanke is a lost cause.
We need a return to sound money.
Tim White
Yesterday I offered my view on why the Council majority has failed to:
1) seriously consider performance contracting and
2) create and implement a comprehensive energy action plan.
The answer? Even though Council members won't admit it, it's all about the town's debt burden. But at least staff have the courage to acknowledge the issue:
"The idea of having savings pay down the debt (on a performance contract) has enormous potential, but it's still viewed as debt on the books." (NHR, by Luther Turmelle)
I further opined that (based on the inaction of the majority) reasonable people could conclude the majority opposes energy conservation and is indifferent to wasting fossil fuels. But I don't believe that to be true.
Regardless, there is another conclusion that could be reached by reasonable people. That possible conclusion slipped my mind yesterday and I forgot to mention the Council's approach to governing:
How could I forget the heavy lifting done by this Democratic Rubber Stamp Council?! Let's give a big round of applause to the majority for their indefatigable use of The Rubber Stamp!
All kidding aside... yes, reasonable people may conclude the Council is simply a Rubber Stamp. But on this particular topic, a promise was made:
And that promise was made by the Council majority, not by staff. So even if this is a case of Council members being "overruled" by staff... I gently remind the Council majority of their biennial review in November '09.
We should and could begin to create a comprehensive energy action plan immediately and implement it within a year. Will we?
Tim White
The NHRs Luther Turmelle reports on Senator Sam Caligiuri's "3 Strikes Coalition."
I understand the first person to sign the pledge form was State Rep. Al Adinolfi.
So when the website mentions:
We have sent every state legislative candidate a letter requesting that they sign a pledge form in which they promise to vote for a three strikes law if they are elected.
I guess they can skip Al.
Tim White
The WRAs Paul Hughes reports on a rift between Republican legislative leadership (Rep. Larry Cafero and Senator John McKinney) and our Republican Governor, Jodi Rell.
Cafero and McKinney have been trying to create a distinct identity for Republicans in the legislature as part of an overall strategy to increase the GOP's influence and numbers in the General Assembly. This effort contributes to Republican tensions in Hartford, the two leaders and others said.
The article gives a good synopsis of the public spats between legislators and Gov. Rell earlier this year.
Like them or not, legislative Republicans are now taking action. For years they seemed to just go along with whatever the majority or the Governor wanted. Not anymore. And I appreciate that even when I disagree with them.*
The article though seems to paint Cafero and McKinney as equals in "creating a distinct identity for Republicans." Personally, I think it's Cafero and George Gallo. They've done a lot of good. And even when the debate gets heated, I think it's better for democracy to have a real discussion... not just a rubber stamp.
Tim White
* For instance, subsidizing the CT fuel cell industry has serious drawbacks.
After the federal government bailed out the billionaire bankers at Bear Stearns and, the morally corrupt, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac... the billionaires finally encountered pushback from Paulson!
The AP reports:
In Washington, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who refused to toss a financial lifeline to Lehman, was unapologetic as the Bush administration signaled strongly that Wall Street shouldn't expect more rescues from Washington. (By PATRICK RIZZO and JOE BEL BRUNO)
As far as I'm concerned, that's great news. But the story continued:
The American people should remain confident in the "soundness and resilience in the American financial system," Paulson told reporters at the White House.
I'm not quite onboard with that comment. To me, it's kind of like being lost in the desert and finding a canteen of water. Yes, it's refreshing. But are you out of the woods?
Until we return to some sort of commodity-backed currency (for instance, a gold standard), America runs a high risk of people controlling the money supply who may place personal interests before American interests.
Unfortunately, until Congress learns to control the money supply... they have a "partner-in-crime" with the Fed enabling Congress' spending addiction.
If either McCain or Obama would speak the phrase "monetary policy," he may win my vote. Along with ending the corruption of Washington and dealing with the unfunded long-term liabilities... either would have a shot at my vote by being honest and forthright about the issues that, IMO, could actually destroy the republic (though not in the next four years).
Anyway, hats off to Hank Paulson for finally standing up for The Little Guy! And telling Bernanke's Billionaire Banker Buddies to take a hike.
Tim White
In the past I've touched on the reason why the Council majority is opposed to performance contracting. And while reasonable people could conclude that the majority opposes energy conservation, IMO the primary reason they:
1) oppose performance contracting and
2) fail to create a comprehensive energy action plan
is because their beloved ratings agencies have informed them that the value of such contracts would be viewed as debt... even though no debt would be incurred with a comprehensive energy action plan engaged via a performance contract. And that may negatively impact their much bally-hooed improved bond rating.
As staff explained in August:
"The idea of having savings pay down the debt (on a performance contract) has enormous potential, but it's still viewed as debt on the books." (NHR, by Luther Turmelle)
And recall... back in December '06 the Town got a "rating upgrade" from A to AA. That upgrade was trumpeted to the public:
The most immediate benefit of this upgrade will be a reduction in the Town’s interest rate on borrowings
Then in November '07, the Council majority ran on that bond rating upgrade (see the second bullet point):
1) seriously consider performance contracting and
2) create a comprehensive energy action plan
as a result of very poor judgment that (without putting pen to paper) favors debt (and interest expense) minimization over energy conservation. If we would simply put pen to paper, I believe the "business case" would be made easily. Though that remains to be seen, because the majority opposes putting pen to paper as it runs the risk of making the case for energy conservation... and negatively impacting the bond rating.
So while reasonable people could conclude that the majority is simply opposed to energy conservation because of a desire to continue wasting energy and consuming fossil fuels unnecessarily... I don't fall in that camp.
Tim White
Yesterday I commented on the WaPo's piece that showed the Bush administration blaming Congress for the Fannie / Freddie bailout.
Today, MSNBC & the WaPo are showing the Clinton administration blaming Congress for the Fannie / Freddie bailout.
Gary Gensler, an undersecretary of the Treasury, went to Capitol Hill in March 2000 to testify in favor of a bill everyone knew would fail...
The bill failed...
Blessed with the advantages of a government agency and a private company at the same time, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac used their windfall profits to co-opt the politicians who were supposed to control them. The companies fought successfully against increased regulation by cultivating their friends and hounding their enemies. (By Binyamin Appelbaum, Carol D. Leonnig and David S. Hilzenrath)
So it appears to me that the Fannie / Freddie blame game is not shaping up to be R vs. D. Rather, it's the Congress vs. the Executive. It's not the first time I've seen this and IMO it is something of a pattern.
For instance, look at the 2002 vote to "authorize the use of force" in Iraq. To me, watching HRC vying for the Dem nomination, while never seeming to give a clear answer on the meaning of her vote... THAT is exactly what the Founding Fathers wanted to avoid when they explicitly reserved the power to declare war for Congress. The Founding Fathers wanted our elected Representatives to put their John Hancock on the dotted line... so we could hold our elected officials accountable.
Instead, we now have an atmosphere in which many members of Congress seem to prefer feeling important... but avoid "troublesome" votes... such as declaring war... and dealing with Fannie / Freddie.
As far as I'm concerned, some people in Washington have badly skewed priorities and have been around too long.
Tim White
Reported by the NHRs Luther Turmelle:
The town’s Youth and Social Services Department is launching an effort later this month to help elementary school students learn a foreign language.
The 12-week program will offer Spanish and possibly Latin to children in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades, said Lauren Villecco, a parent who helped facilitate the program. The classes, which begin Sept. 23, will meet twice a week in The Yellow House, a Youth and Social Services Department building located across South Main Street from Cheshire High School, Villecco said....
Lauren Blackwell, youth program supervisor for the Cheshire Youth and Social Services Department, said officials there are happy to sponsor the program. "We’re looking forward to the opportunity to provide an environment in town where Cheshire youth can develop their language and cultural understanding," Blackwell said....
The cost of the language program is $144, although two $100 scholarships will be offered each semester, Villecco said. Classes will meet Tuesdays and Fridays from 3:40 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Tim White
Personally, I'm not too concerned if the Town engages in performance contracting. My goal is more basic - a comprehensive energy action plan. I just happen to think that performance contracting could help jumpstart and expedite a serious discussion on a comprehensive energy action plan.
And of course there's that problem with PC - "nobody" does performance contracting. For instance, you won't find a Fortune 100 company that engages in performance contracting, right?
This company named "Johnson Controls" that's listed at 72 on the Fortune 500 list must be a fake!
Their webpage on PC must be a fabrication! Their words must be rubbish:
Do More with Fewer Resources
Perform building improvements with predictable energy savings, without draining your capital reserves.
Today you are being asked to do more with fewer resources. Performance Contracting by Johnson Controls lets you improve your facility’s energy efficiency -- reduce emissions, reduce waste, decrease water use, lower energy use, lower operational costs -- without budgetary pressure. Performance Contracting can be applied to both public and private sector facilities. The facility improvements are funded out of the guaranteed savings to which we commit once we do a professional engineering audit on your building(s). The savings and results we project are guaranteed for the duration of our contract (we pay any difference) and once the project is complete, you keep the remaining savings! Through energy saving improvements your organization can reduce its energy consumption by 10% to as much as 50%.
Johnson Controls, as the global leader in energy efficiency, manages the largest performance contracting portfolio in the U.S. - a portfolio of over $3.8 billion.
From schools and hospitals, to public housing and government facilities, Johnson Controls can help you create a more sustainable community. We are experts in energy efficiency and the solutions required to maintain your facility's peak performance.
Obviously, I'm being sarcastic. Johnson Controls may not be well-known to everyone, but they have a good reputation among engineers and the people who are paid to understand "energy." Hopefully our town will soon be past their obfuscation of my call for a comprehensive energy action plan... and finally get their act together... else some may begin to question if they oppose energy conservation.
Tim White
From the Sept 12 WaPo by Al Hubbard and Noam Neusner:
Taxpayers face a tab of as much as $200 billion for a government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the formerly semi-autonomous mortgage finance clearinghouses. And Sen. Christopher Dodd, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, has the gall to ask in a Bloomberg Television interview: "I have a lot of questions about where was the administration over the last eight years."
We will save the senator some trouble. Here is what we saw firsthand at the White House from late 2002 through 2007: Starting in 2002, White House and Treasury Department economic policy staffers, with support from then-Chief of Staff Andy Card, began to press for meaningful reforms of Fannie, Freddie and other government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs).
Note about the authors: Al Hubbard was director of the National Economic Council and assistant to the president from 2005 to 2007. Noam Neusner was a speechwriter and communications director in the Bush administration from 2002 to 2005.
Recognizing that Hubbard and Neusner are obvious partisans, their piece appears to shed some very revealing light on the in/action of Washington on Fannie / Freddie for the past number of years... including unbelievably lax Congressional oversight* under both Democratic and Republican majorities.
I strongly encourage you to click through and read it to see at least one perspective on what led to our taxpayer-funded bailouts of:
1) Bear Stearns - $30billion guaranteed by us
2) Fannie / Freddie - hundreds of billions guaranteed by us??
3) the home mortgage broker bailout - hundreds of billions guaranteed by us??
And what about Lehman Brothers - will this be another taxpayer funded bailout?
At this point I can't even keep track of all these hundreds of billions of dollars of bailouts... funded with our tax dollars that the pols inside the Beltway seem to believe belong to them.
How in the world do they tolerate a $24million bonus to the booted CEOs of Fannie / Freddie? Only thing that makes any sense to me is that behind the scenes, they're all friends. But publicly, the pols pretend as though they give a damn.
I'm disgusted with them all.
Tim White
* Rather than describing the situation as "unbelievably lax oversight" of Fannie / Freddie, it may be better call it "backroom representation by fatcat politicians."
From Reuters (By John Poirier and Kevin Drawbaugh):
Democrats on Tuesday criticized the multimillion-dollar pay packages awarded to the former chief executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac at a time when taxpayers could foot a massive bill for the companies' bailout.
In a joint letter to Fannie and Freddie's regulator, Senators Charles Schumer of New York and Jack Reed of Rhode Island said the combined pay and bonus packages of about $24 million should be revised.
I'm glad they're questioning this stuff. And I need to read up on this a bit more, but as taxpayers... we just got put on the hook for potentially hundreds of billions of dollars. And these guys are getting bonuses?! Something is very, very wrong with this picture.
Tim White
The May 9, 2007 (not 2008) letter from the Town of Cheshire to the Project Engineer:
Tim White
Reported by the MRJs Jesse Buchanan:
Police arrested Japhet Linares, of 78 Chestnut Street, Waterbury, on charges of second-degree larceny Tuesday... Linares was wanted by police for the theft of 34 pairs of designer sunglasses, worth $8,500, from Macy's Logistics and Operations on 475 Knotter Dr.
Tim White
The NYTimes (by ADAM NAGOURNEY) reports:
Senators John McCain and Barack Obama are confronting a sharply abbreviated general election campaign season, the product of the late nominating conventions and a boom in early voting in tightly contested states. This shortened timetable is forcing both campaigns to recalibrate the pace of television advertisements, accelerate voter turnout operations and tailor the candidates’ traveling schedules to accommodate states where voting is imminent.
While it is just eight weeks until Election Day, even that schedule overstates how much time the presidential nominees have to win over voters. More than 30 states allow some form of early voting, forcing the campaigns to deal with a rolling series of Election Days. Iowa, a crucial state, will begin voting on Sept. 23, less than three weeks after the end of the Republican convention marked the traditional start of the general election sprint.
If you'll be out of town on Election Day, make sure you order your absentee ballot.
Tim White
In a recent post, I gave you some unintentionally misleading information. I apologize for that, but the basic thrust of my concern hasn't changed.
If you click through to the above mentioned post, you'll see two dates - March 21 & May 9 - that appear to be from 2008, but they're related to 2007 documents. See here:
Regardless, my basic concern about the Council voting to waive the architect selection process in March 2008... and the Town issuing the Notice to Proceed in July 2008 still leaves me at a loss. And I still don't see how the Council can rightly blame the Board of Ed for failing to ensure the Town does its job expeditiously.
Tim White
