“Our Bloom Is Gone; We Are The Fruit Thereof.”

Quote by Wallace Stevens.

In my case, Bloom is obviously referencing the new site occupying the railroad tracks on the site of the ex-Chrysler manufacturing plant. If you saw today’s News Journal, you probably saw the piece regarding the lawsuit being brought against it.

Sigh. I guess the election was the moon passing before the sun… a major drama extinguishing interest in the sunspots occupying the suns surface at the time…

(Explanation of that metaphor: a total eclipse is an unnerving event if ever experienced. However it does no damage as neither would the shadow of a passing cloud. However, our entire solar system and particularly our electrical, communications, and space technologies, live and die by explosive sunspot activities. Where and when a burst does occur, can have a profound impact upon us, far more severe than an eclipse in the Indian ocean off Australia might. But an eclipse will dominate our entire thought process, the same as our election blocked very important local matters from our view; matters that have far more effect on Delaware than says who wins the 4th or 19th Senate might.)

The complaint is filed by John Nichols, clone extrodinaire of the Caesar Rodney Foundation. This foundation is a quasi information function set up by unelectable Republican operatives to offer false evidence against scientific principals… They are primarily known for saying Global Warming is a hoax created by Al Gore because they have proof it has since snowed in Pakistan; no kidding here so yeah, you know the types.)

Bloom Energy wants to build a manufacturing spot on the East Coast… Their operation will probably be as big as the Chrysler operation was during its heyday. The equivalence of this in scale, is that if we had lived in the horse and buggy days (1911), and someone wanted to introduce a new technology to manufacture an item called the horseless carriage, we would probably have the ancestor of John Nichols, along with a company specializing in rubber buggy bumpers, around to interfere with the investment of THAT, too… (In other words, nuisance lawsuits are allowed by our Constitution although complaining against REAL progress as such, benefits no one.)

What are Bloom boxes? If you don’t know, here is an interesting video that fairly quickly explains not only how they work, but gives you the vision of just how important they can be if Delaware jumps on the bandwagon first….

The Bloom boxes create electricity while providing heat and hot water to neighboring businesses, and creates little pollution.

With that in focus, one can see that a vendetta against science of which John Nichols is the tip of the spear, is simply that. The use of false science conveniently made up by the Cesar Rodney Institute, to dismantle a viable economic program that actually has no real cost to John Nichols or anyone else…

Here is the complaint that was filed…. I should note it is being helped along by a major competitor of Bloom Energy, called FuelCell Energy, based out of Danbury, Connecticut. So in this odd combination, we have a non science proponent, teemed up conveniently with a competitor who gains prodigiously if Bloom is shut down. Instead of duking it out in the market place, FuelCell Energy has jumped on this case to metaphorically pull a King Herod, … kill all babies two years or less in Bethlehem…

The complaint has three legs.

The first is violation of the Commerce Clause. FuelCell cannot come in and compete.

The second is John Nichols is being forced to pay more to Delmarva for electricity than is market.

The third is equity issues. These charges would be paid by Delmarva customers but not by Tidewater or other company’s customers.

So we will respond to all three.

The first complaint is that REPSA (Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards Act) violates the commerce clause because it restricts unfettered business across state lines. This may appear worthy on the surface of such a claim, but this particular claim totally fails to justify how not regulating greenhouse gases was not in the interest of every state resident. In fact, the complaint does not mention the greenhouse equation at all. The REPSA was the legislature’s acknowledgement that considerable costs to society derive from its use of energy. Any accounting for one’s energy cost, in fairness must include the total cost to society, and not just the cost of the fuel…

Bluntly put as a rudimentary example. I could pour fuel oil into a hole dug in my backyard, set fire and keep it burning indefinitely. However, my fumes would sicken my neighborhood and spread for miles around. I might pay back some of those costs to society upon going to the hospital the next time I got sick, in paying them the higher fees that my risk had created… But in my own world, I could say, I’m free, this is cheap. In the larger picture, someone else is paying dearly for my freedom and my cheapness….

So, for those who know the players, it is obvious that this is little more than a philosophical measure being brought to penalize an imaginary enemy of “liberals”, who dared enable legislation that marginalizes profits of someone’s patron: the petrochemical companies…. It has nothing to do with John Nichols paying an extra dollar or of FuelCell being competitive.

Here is why. The Commerce Clause gives the Federal Government the right to regulate commerce between the states; (hence for future reference it will be called the “interstate commerce clause” here as is common practice.) The question in this case becomes: why would the Federal Government want to?

Doing so would disrupt a major economic deal in works, a big negative. It would prevent the gigantic manufacturing facility from being built, a big negative. It would eradicate the possibility of over a 1000 building and manufacturing jobs, lasting for at least 21 years, a big negative. It would delay the implementation of the Carbon Control program, a big negative. It would create environmental hardship, by continuing unabated the current CO2 levels possibly leading to higher oceans and storms like Sandy, a very big negative.

The argument being given in this complaint, states that FuelCell Energy, “could have” provided a competitive bid. But because of this legislation, it now cannot do so….

On the surface this may appear to have merit. However, once stepping back, it is laughable in its reality. Along the same lines as this argument, would we allow some of Middletown’s center city businesses to void their obligations on their legal requirements, simply because Wal*Mart moved and built a gigantic operation on the outside of town? Of course not! Timing of the signature on a contract, is a very important part of any equation.

In the perfect Conservative dreamworld, if FuelCell had competed at the time we were negotiating with Bloom and presented a lower rate, and had we not months ago signed an agreement with Bloom, (even though that still would have been within our prerogative), their case could be stronger. But to come suddenly too late, and say annul the agreement, is again, laughable based on the basic tenants of contract law. It would be as if married to my spouse, and suddenly a new prospect transfers into my employment, and angrily demands my marriage be annulled,… Why? …So they can have a fair, equal chance to compete… Uhh, excuse me, Honey; if you’d been here through the courtship, your pleas then could have been considered. But to annul a marriage just because “you didn’t get your chance”? As I said, in business such lawsuits are unfortunately allowed under the Constitution. So hopefully this one gets thrown out with no major expenses incurred by Delaware taxpayers.

The second plank of the complaint is that John Nichols will have to pay more for electricity than is the current market price. As mentioned above, his market in the case, is smaller than the market considered by REPSA. All health benefits, all savings due from clean energy, all savings from keeping the ocean as low as it is, all quality of life issues, are included in the cost under REPSA. Paying cheap fuel, then getting hit with a $250,000 medical bill is not cheaper, for anyone. Better to pay slightly more per kilowatt, and have NO medical bill! That is the wisdom behind REPSA.

REPSA is sanctioned by our government. It is the will of We, The People. John Nichols may not consider himself to share in the view of the majority of Delaware’s population. That is his right. However, we too, are under no obligation to also be forced to share the view of one crackpot minority. Global warming is real, and the majority acted to do something about it.

Secondly, the issues being brought by John to augment his case, would continue to be in place regardless of whether Bloom or FuelCell Energy was providing this same option. Costs would be closely the same. Pollution would be the same. The contract would be the same. If FuelCell had wanted a piece of this market, they should have made a cold call. The only difference between FuelCell and Bloom is jobs. Bloom will build a plant that hires 1000 people in Delaware for 21 years. FuelCell Energy builds its boxes in Connecticut. We will grow jobs there while spending the same cost we would be paying Bloom here….

As a state, “We the People” have the option to choose the best deal for ourselves. 1000 people working at $50,000 a year pumps, $50,000,000 into our economy. Over the course of twenty one years, a little over a trillion dollars will be plunked directly, infused into Newark’s economy. That investment must be coupled alongside any cost to determine what will be the true benefit Bloom Energy provides us, We the People who live in this state’s confines….

So when John says he will pay more for electricity, he is wrong because whoever takes Bloom’s place will charge him the same, yet the economic recovery which benefits everyone, would be absent. The net loss or cost, would be far more than John is complaining about now.

The final point of his complaint, is equity issues. John says the costs of this deal only apply to Delmarva Power customers. They won’t apply to those customers who opt out on one of the green plans Delmarva offers, or those on City power grids, or those on grids downstate under other private companies’ ownership.

Again, John is looking just at the surcharge. He is not counting the fact that Delmarva Power Customers pay less than do others whose grids have to buy smaller, higher priced amounts. Those entities lacking the negotiating power of Delmarva, pay more already. For John’s argument to have merit, the court must require all companies to charge all Delawareans the same. Despite that fact that regional distribution differences (it costs more to provide power further away from the source) would rather severely penalize the other companies. Therefore, because costs vary, if you decide that the other companies are to be “allowed” to charge what they need, then that same rule must also apply to Delmarva Power. It “needs” to charge more for Bloom energy.

John’s argument is just out of luck. On its merits alone, the court will decide to dismiss.

Now, let’s look at the extenuating factors.. This is the fun stuff. FuelEnergy just ten days ago, announce a huge deal with a South Korean consortium to provide fuel cells there. For it to make Delaware’s fuel cells, we would have to wait an awful long time.

FuelCell is rapidly becoming the monopoly in the fuel cell wars. John is playing right into their hands in reaching out to them to join him here. They would like nothing better than for Bloom to go out of business. Bloom is scheduled to begin returning on its investment this year…

Fuel Cells are tailor made for the East Coast. No pollution using cheap natural gas, they can be fired up providing electricity during peak times right where it is needed. When peak demand hits at 2:30 pm on a summers day, these boxes can kick on, easing the load of the grid, quietly, pollution free, no CO2, right where they are needed. In fact, one can imagine these boxes on top of skyscrapers, providing an entire building’s energy needs, as well as providing its heat, and hot water too. Putting a coal powered power plant in the heart of Manhattan is not an option. Yes, the demand is such; these boxes will sell….

Western State Connecticut University is powering such a building beginning December this year. In this article the University’s administration brings up their hope to teach fuel cell technology to their students. The proximity of Bloom to the University of Delaware, also creates the possibility of creating a hub of fuel cell technologies spinning of the Bloom plant and expert talent from the University.

Here is the op ed piece place in the Washington Times by John Nichols. Obviously it is a one side attempt in a business friendly paper to drum up support for getting rid of the Greenhouse Gas Initiatives. Bottom line: most people don’t want to give up and throw in the towel on global warming, especially if we can fix it for only pennies a day.

Here is a fuel cell up and running in Orange County California. It’s by-product is hydrogen which is used in gas stations to power hydrogen cars from LA to San Diego.

Here is what FuelCell Energy is working on in South Korea. It will be the largest fuel cell manufacturing plant of its kind. Soon, we may be giving our technology edge to Korea thanks to FuelCell Energy who is providing the expertise for this South Korean adventure.

Finally, the lawyer representing John Nichols and FuelCell Energy is part of a DC operation that tends to be one sided on their lawsuits. Cause of Action by its name alone, suggests a history of barrity… the legal equivelent of ambulance chasing.

I was more intrigued with Amber D Abbasi’s case here, than with the case on unsure footing she filed here in Delaware….. Again, the evidence there too does not decide in her favor. There is a valid reason two lesbians who want to artifically inseminate with a mutual friends sperm, must have it tested, whereas married heterosexual couples who already would have shared any risks of STD’s between, would not necessarily need to….

Bottom line, It is probably a good thing overall that this lawsuit over Bloom Energy was recently filed. Just to reiterate again to Delaware’s public (and prove Rick Jensen wrong) just how good this deal will be for all of Delaware as soon as it gets moving forward, barring anymore litigation from the Dinosaur’s Anonymous wing of the Anti-Global Warming Club.

Wow. For a small state, we sure got more than our fair share of kooks here, didn’t we?

GREENLAND MELT RECORD GETS SMASHED………

Courtesy of Climate Code Red

If you kinda thought the weather was wild this year, you were right. The most ice lost is taking place right while you read this. A large chunk was broken up by a freak storm. Another similar on is on its way. The question that no one knows the answer to, is… will this affect the circulation pattern.

We all know in our lives that as human beings we can put up with aggravation rather well, unless we are Type A. Whether it is aggravation from our boss, from our spouse, from our in-laws, from our choir director, from that guy selling papers on the corner,… we put up with it, accepting it as the normal course of business. Except once or twice in our lives, we just snap. And the consequences of that, momentary snap, cause big changes… maybe in our employment, maybe in our marriage, maybe in our in-law’s will, maybe from the choir director’s husband, maybe from the police…. things change for us in a big way…..

That is how we have to see this. From a mud core taken from an ancient lake, Lough Monreach, in Ireland in 2009 it was discovered that in a matter of one month 12,900 years ago, we went from normal seasonal temperatures to an ice age. The cause came from a switch in ocean currents. As cold fresh water entered the ocean, warm water stopped flowing north. That Ice Age lasted 1300 years before the thaw returned. It flipped in one month…. 30 days more or less.

So is that happening?

The science is too big. We don’t know. It will be like on the Day after Tomorrow where we first find out from buoys scattered across the Atlantic. It cannot be predicted.

What can be foretold is that the earth has never had this much stress before during civilized mans span on earth. Do you know when you snap, or does it take you off guard as well?

That is where we are…

Of course nothing could come about it… Just like when your boss insults you in front of all your staff, your office competitor’s staff, and ridicules you like you have never been before… You just take it…

The boss tells your competitor… “I knew he was a wus… I wasn’t worried one bit… you have nothing to worry about him…”

Republicans will say in Tampa:… “I knew it was a scam…. I wasn’t worried one bit… we have nothing to worry about burning carbon fuels and putting carbon dioxide into the air.”

News Flash: The earth is not a wus……..

2012, day 230, 2.87743 million square kilometers
2011, day 253, 2.90474 million square kilometers (previous record low)

At What Price, Loyality?

This is going to my hard core Republican friends. Why are you still supporting Romney?

1) You know he is not going to win.
2) You know as the election heats up, his Bain Capital experience will make Republicans untouchable for decades.
3) You can’t pin down where Romney stands on anything.
4) He tied his dog to a car.
5) He stands with black people and says “Who let the dogs out, woof, woof.”

Most of you are telling me, “I certainly can’t vote for Obama. I guess I’m not voting for President this time.”

Let’s say, just for argument sakes there was a presidential candidate out there who says to have good government you need: …………………

1. Become reality driven. Don’t kid yourself or others.
Find out what’s what and base your decisions and actions
on that.

2. Always be honest and tell the truth. It’s extremely
difficult to do any damage to anybody when you are
willing to tell the truth–regardless of the
consequences.

3. Always do what’s right and fair. Remember, the more
you actually accomplish, the louder your critics become.
You’ve got to learn to ignore your critics. You’ve got to
continue to do what you think is right. You’ve got to
maintain your integrity.

4. Determine your goal, develop a plan to reach that
goal, and then act. Don’t procrastinate.

5. Make sure everybody who ought to know what you’re
doing knows what you’re doing. Communicate.

6. Don’t hesitate to deliver bad news. There is always
time to salvage things. There is always time to fix
things. Henry Kissinger said that anything that can be
revealed eventually should be revealed immediately.

7. Last, be willing to do whatever it takes to get your
job done. If you’ve got a job that you don’t love enough
to do what it takes to get your job done, then quit and
get one that you do love, and then make a difference.

Honesty. Integrity. Principal.

Sounds good so far. Let us say just for argument, he had chief executive experience. Let us say just or argument that he once ran a state, one of the fifty in this union. Let us say while governor, this is what he did…..

During his tenure, New Mexico experienced the longest period without a tax-increase in the state’s entire history.

1) He cut the rate of government growth in half,

2) Left the New Mexico state government with a budget surplus and 1000 fewer employees (without firing anyone),

3) Privatized half of the prisons in the state,

4) Brought a state-wide school voucher system to New Mexico.

5) Vetoed 750 bills (more than all the vetoes of the other 49 Governors in the country at that time, combined) with only 2 overrides, earning him the nickname Gary “Veto” Johnson.

6) In 1999, Johnson became the highest-ranking elected official in the United States to advocate the legalization of drugs.

7) Shifted Medicaid to managed care.

ISN’T THAT WHAT YOU WANT? ISN’T THAT WHAT WE NEED?

Can you not think of a better way to show your lack of enthusiasm over a wealthy capitalist buying his way to the top of your ticket, by voting for someone who has character, who does what you’ve always wanted, a doer, not a talker?

And to think…. you were simply just going to throw your vote away.

His name is Gary Johnson. He is the new party’s candidate for President.

Remember Republicans. It is your values that are important. If your party has given up and moved on from your values, don’t think you have to be loyal to the word…. “Republican”… What you have to be loyal too, is yourself. Always. Never lie to yourself.

You don’t need to waste your vote on Romney. You probably need to find more about this guy, Gary Johnson, and then throw your support behind him.

Don’t worry it is not one of the two parties on whose ticket he is running. Remember, at one point in time, the Republican Party was a once a third party too. One that went mainstream because of its core values, its principles resonated with everyday American People.

Taxes and The Wealthy

Right click to open full image… Pictograph Courtesy of Viral..

So, can someone tell me again, why we shouldn’t tax the rich, and instead, balance the budget on the backs of everyone else?…….

I seem to be missing that little detail where that all makes sense……

Fair, Is Fair

As some of you know, I blasted administration officials on their handling of the “Occupy Movement.”

I have since received additional information regarding the internal workings of the Markell administration, that sheds new light on their decision making process, and I feel, since I misaligned them, I would do the honors of correcting any misjudgment that could arise by my actions.

One, the state had jurisdiction over only two “park” areas near Wilmington. One, was Fletcher Brown; the other was Brandywine. The state was focused on trying to find appropriate parkland in real time, for the camp to continue.

Two, the permit was generic, and that clause restricting sign use, was missed in the frantic give and take that was occurring in live time on days before the event was scheduled. I can see their point.

Example: if my son’s boy scout troop put troop signs around Lums Pond Campground, we, as the troop’s adult leaders, would have walked around without being prompted, and taken them down, bringing them back to our site. For that to be on a generic permit, is not an unreasonable request.

The administration says it missed that clause. In their defense, so did a lot of “Occupy Delaware” participants during the first day. Those participants had much more time to peruse the permit, than did officials in the rush, rush, rush, phase of negotiations.

I may be a sucker. But I know Selander. I know Markell. This explanation is far more believable to me, than the one I offered before, that they were curring favor with the corporate powers that don’t really run this state, but think they do sometimes.

I’m just saying that to me, this explanation fits with the personalities of those two individuals… That’s all.

And to not say that… I think,… would be unfair.

Furthermore, I think the error, actually helped the cause. by putting Spencer and Freedom Plaza as the place to be.

Freedom Plaza. how can you argue against a name like that?

Be Careful, Brian Selander. Be Very Careful…

Brian Selander to those of you who don’t know, is a really good guy… I bet he wishes (like most dads), that he had more time to spend with his children….

It happens quickly. You get a call. You just sat down at the dinner table. It’s a Sunday, the only time you ever get to spend with your family, … and it’s a reporter who says: “Occupy Delaware just defied the state government and is staking a claim at that plaza beside the Federal Building in Wilmington. Do you want to go on record with any statement or comment, considering you have now been defied and all?”

You want to say, “I’m eating dinner with my family. Leave me alone, Ms Reporter!”… but you don’t.

Instead the words come out without you thinking as that delicious smell of food that you almost had in your mouth, becomes all you really care about, and that professional part of you that functions so much that it is automatic, takes over and says something like: “The state made a very reasonable offer with the use of state managed properties at Brandywine and Fletcher Brown park,” Selander said. “It was an offer that respected constitutional rights to be heard and assemble. They’ve chosen a different path.”

And it gets twisted like this: Brian Selander expressed dismay at the group’s decision to defy the state, for the second straight day, by choosing not to accept the Brandywine Park permit.

Thinking you made a neutral statement that says nothing but holds them off for a while, you exit and go back to your dinner.

You can be forgiven. I WOULD HAVE SAID THE SAME THING, primarily because I wouldn’t have had time to think about it first….

But thinking changes things, a lot.

This is not some ragtag group of protesters. These are former professionals, people currently employed or not, who are scared to death, that their country is going down the wrong path, fast. As much as you and Jack have been scrambling to bring jobs here to Delaware, YOU KNOW THEY ARE RIGHT!!

We ARE going down the wrong path, … and HAVE BEEN, ever since the 2000 elections! And the nuts who got elected from conservative districts in 2010, haven’t helped!

What you have underestimated, Brian, is the amount of resonance this movement has. They, are expressing the sentiments of a vast majority of humanity. Those human beings have looked for “hope” when “change” was promised… and not delivered. They looked with “promise”, when “throwing out the bums” was “delivered”, but things got worse. What you may not realize is that most Americans look at this Occupy Movement, and say, “finally, finally, someone is saying what we feel. Even better, someone is doing something about it! It may not be much, but at least, SOMEONE IS DOING SOMETHING!”

You, dear colleague, have the most unenviable task. In a way, you are in the exact same position as was King George’s governor of Massachusetts, attempting to put down the rebellious nature of its citizens…. If you remember history, you have only one time, ONE TIME, to get it right. Had the British immediately repealed the Stamp Act, and said, “thanks Colonies, for bringing it to our attention; you’re right, it was stupid of us to try that! Forgive us, we’ll do our best to act better in our future,” seriously, we’d be speaking Kings English right now. There would be no United States of America because there would not have been an American Revolution. In fact, as things continued to unravel in the colonies, the British did just that: repealed the Stamp Act. (Yep, it was too late.)

Instead, the initial reaction was a response to those catcalls from the insignificants on the sidelines: “are you letting them get away with it? Are you some kinda pussy or something” (To be perfectly clear, I am talking about real cats here). They felt they had to show who was in charge and they cracked down, killing 6 in a massacre, and then later, sneaking off to the arsenals of Lexington and Concord to confiscate their powder and arms….

Bad plan.

Today no one knows off the top of their head, the name of that governor of Massachusetts. But his actions, at his expense, planted the seed that grew into the greatest nation this planet has ever known.

Since you are a great guy, and have a family, and are in a very, very difficult position right now, I’m going to advise you how to work your way out of it… I could do it in an email, but I fully believe in public disclosure, for the simple reason that if I do it here, all know, and if the possibility rises that a flaw exists, someone is sure to point it out in public, and the action in question can be amended to cover that detail. Make sense?

Never give into bullies. The bullies here are NOT the “Occupy Movement.” They are Greg Lavelle and the 9/12 Patriots. How many Republicans are there in Delaware? You don’t need them. You do need the rest of us. So what I would do, is strategically take this approach.

“These people are citizens of this nation. They are protected by the U.S Constitution like everyone else. We are a fee based society. Sometimes, like the poll tax, those fees get in the way of pure democracy. Heaven forbid, that democracy could only exist, for those who could afford to pay a fee. In fact, the Stamp Act by the British, that event that triggered the American Revolution, was exactly that. A fee for a permit. Currently, the Occupy Movement is representing the revolutionary spirit that created this country. Likewise, they represent the moral equivalent of those who felt slavery, despite it’s being sanctioned by the Federal government, was intensely immoral, and an abomination. They too, like those who said it was wrong to have a second class citizenry, based solely upon the color of ones skin, even though that too, was approved and sanctioned by State governments around this nation.

For this reason, we are going to issue permits for this group. They have the same right as every citizen in America, to make their grievances known. When the wealthy lost an election, they had money to advertise, set up rallies, buy media spokespersons, pour unheard amounts of money into tiny local campaigns. But when the poor want to do the same, we say, sorry, you can’t because you don’t have cash…. and your checks come back stamped: insufficient funds.

One must wonder, if our current mayor, yes, that one who got his start during the Civil Rights movement right here in Wilmington, would be here today, if he, failed, yes, failed to lead a protest on some steps near here, because to do so, he would have first, had to pay a fee?

A fee/permit system is the surest method to silence the poor. Yet those who can’t afford it, were expressly given the same rights under the Constitution of the United States of America. They were given them, simply because, we were going to be a nation designed like no other, where each person, no matter his income, had the equal right to life, to liberty, and to their individual pursuit of happiness..

Like Philadelphia to the north of us, Baltimore to the south of us, New York to the northeast of us, we too will allow these citizens of the Occupy movement, to make their grievances known, in their own way. Their symbol of communication, is with tents. We ask, and have been given assurances, that they will respect every other citizen’s rights and property, in their pursuit of expressing their message.

We wish them luck with their endeavor.

Done.

Simple, short, to the point. Your second term is safe.

But, it couldn’t hurt to have the entire line of Democratic office holders, sail by Greg Lavelle, the GOP, and the 9/12 with gun-ports open, cannons fully loaded and primed, and unleash a fusilade of the like that has never before been seen, equating Greg Lavelle, the GOP, and the 9/12 Patriots with the likes of King George, Southern Plantation Owners, and Southern Whites who enforced segregation. That’s exactly what they are. Hanging on to power by impeding democracy; not celebrating it.