Sacrificing Reason by Donald J. Dodd

Sacrificing Reason

February 16, 2008

My Friends,

Our founding fathers created a Government dedicated to the people whose primary responsibility is to promote the general welfare. This revolutionary idea has inspired countless dreams of individual liberty and has enabled Jeffersons from around the world to share freedom with millions.

But this idea of a better Government extends beyond our Conservative imperatives of fiscal responsibility, reasonable social spending and the preservation of virtue.

Promoting the general welfare means that our Government is responsible for sound planning that ensures a stable business climate and vibrant economy. And before you say that's obvious please ask yourself why so many of our elected officials talk about higher electric rates, higher heating costs, higher food prices and their corresponding drag on the economy while at the same time devoting themselves to restricting the availability of those same necessities of life?

When did the Republican Party collectively sacrifice reason and our children's future in favor of Al Gores' hysterical vision of an impoverished energy-starved nation?

The Democratic Party and their Republican allies' opposition to the Broadwater liquefied natural gas terminal is a perfect example of this inequity of reason.

The cost of energy is the catalyst that will make or break our economy and Connecticut's future is linked to the affordability of clean burning natural gas.

Because of limitations in the supply we have experienced dramatic increases in the cost of natural gas and the price can jump as much as 6 times the national average during peek periods of consumption. Making matters worse, government and private forecasters predict demand will begin to exceed the regions supply as early as 2010.

Broadwater represents an opportunity to reduce future natural gas and electricity prices by an average $680 million per year in the New York, Long Island and Connecticut. That equates to a household energy savings of about $300 per year from 2011 - 2025. Overall, the region is expected to have an economic benefit of nearly $1.2 billion on an annual basis, which includes both direct energy cost savings and economic stimulus of the energy cost savings.

Broadwater is a glaring example of our need for conservative leadership making decisions based on facts rather than emotions and feel good environmental policy.

Ethanol production, so often billed as an alternative to foreign oil, is another example of this inequity of reason and represents as much a threat to our economy as higher energy costs.

Corn prices have already doubled and China has taken the extraordinary step of banning further expansion of its ethanol industry after seeing a 43-percent increase in pork prices. In stark contrast our government subsidizes the domestic production of ethanol and is forcing American families to compete with this new industry just to put food on their table. Several U.S. ethanol plants scheduled to come online this year will take as much as 30 percent of our annual corn harvest - an unprecedented diversion of a precious resource that until now helped feed the world.

I don't know about you but my Mother raised me to believe that wasting food is a sin. Manufacturing gasoline from corn, that should be used to feed livestock and produce an abundance of inexpensive food, needs to be regulated not subsidized.

Other so called renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar are just as problematic. It will take a wind farm the size of Connecticut to produce enough electricity to power New York City. Unfortunately the average turbine functions about 8 hours per day when the wind happens to blow.

I personally don't place much faith in the fuzzy math and dubious science of CO2 driven Climate Change. But if CO2 is to be the deciding factor in determining our energy and related economic future then we as Conservatives must set aside the hysteria of radical environmentalism and embrace reason.

The U.S. Department of Energy predicts that overall energy demand will grow by 45% in the next 20 years. The only tangible solutions, to what can only be described as Connecticut's self-imposed or perhaps better legislatively imposed energy crisis, are projects like Broadwater.

Affordable electricity generated by nuclear power is another realistic option. Such power plants give off no emissions: no sulfur, no mercury and none of the greenhouse gases some believe contribute to climate change. Nuclear power presently offsets the release of roughly 700 million metric tons of CO2 each year and that is equivalent to the emissions from all passengercars in the United States.

With a little courage and a clear vision of a prosperous energy independent Connecticut, electricity generated from nuclear power could be so abundant and so affordable we could heat our homes with it.

Causes like this are why I sincerely hope you will join Radiofree West Hartford today. Your contribution of $250, $100, $50, $25 or more will play a major role in our quest to restore reason to government and "Build A Better More Conservative Connecticut." Since 2001, volunteers have dedicated themselves to making RadiofreeWestHartford.com Connecticut's source for non-partisan Conservative commentary that liberal media outlets like the Hartford Courant will never print. We are the website with the courage to espouse what most Republicans only think, and ask the tough questions the others dare not ask.

Thanks so much, and we hope you will make RadiofreeWestHartford.com part of your daily online experience.

Mr. Donald J. Dodd

Radiofree West Hartford

P.S. We will win this important battle because of good people like you who want to restore pride in the Republican Party and make Connecticut's energy starved economy New England's guiding light. I thank you again for your generous donation.

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