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.

Markell on MSNBC

Why can’t DC come together?

In Dover we have to come together…We have to get things done. Glad I’m not part of an environment where you get points for standing firm, and where agreement is considered a bad trait.

What impact does it have on you….

Two, both driving uncertainty.. The first is uncertainty with ones future budgets to know the impact of future federal funds incoming to your state…

The second is the impact on the business environment. Less people hiring because of Washington’s uncertainty. Should they build, or hold tight… Need credible budget in Washington before that can be decided.

Focus needs to be on: Jobs, jobs, jobs, and we should continue payroll tax credit.

In Delaware we took on pensions… Got everyone to the table, said we don’t want positions. Here is the math. We need results and we got it done….

Visit to Afghanistan…

30 hours spent there does not make me an expert, I went to see our national guard. While there, I went to hospital, where hours earlier a soldier was brought in without legs. It’s sobering… Incredible, what price they are paying.

Their future? Its an impossible job, handing over control to illiterate Afghans. Most don’t have literacy skills. Their leader said if the US went to war, he’d join Pakistan if that happened. How hard is it to turn over a country to that?

So should we be there?

So many complex issues, I’ll defer to Bill Clinton who said it best; that after having been president, he’d have to say he’d support Obama because as president, he has access to tons more information than I ever could have. I’m at loss to say based on the little bit I know…

The troops are great. Their mission is simple: to get their buddy out safely.

As for Globalization; answer is to bring business to Delaware?

Globalization is here to stay. Astra Zenica, England, our steel mill: Russia. We have companies who’s base is in Taiwan. Trying hard to export chickens all over the world… Around the world, a lot of economies are growing faster than our , so we should sell our products over there.

Delaware is pivot point. Dover AFB and death, and huge corporate entities in Delaware.

Delaware needs to be a fantastic place to do business.

7.9 Unemployment. Are policies working there?

Auto bailout right thing, absolutely. Part is to pound away at growing jobs and not get distracted by other issues.

Small business. what’s in the way? High taxes, Tight regulation?…

Demand…

How do you drive demand?

State can’t.. We need to look as a business would. Why would they want to move here? Same reason it turns out as most people.. Great schools, fair taxes, quality of life, higher education and connections between it and local companies ,and where government is extremely responsive.

Balance of less taxes, less regulations? with great schools.

If a Rick Perry plan took effect, one he says it would grow jobs… less taxes, less regulations, less lawsuits…. Globally there are lots of dead countries with Regulations just like that… Education is what starts businesses. That is the key.

Once Steve Jobs was asked what it would take to bring overseas jobs back to America, he replied he’d need around 30,000 engineers we didn’t have….

We should staple green cards to overseas student’s diplomas to keep them over here…

The Camden Water Controversy

The News Journal article came out Sunday……

Through all the hoopla it is pretty obvious where the bone of contention lies….

Residents are paying too much for their bills and would like to know the salaries of those on the board to determine if they are simply being taken like sheep to the slaughterhouse….

Those on the board do not want their peers to know how much, or how little they actually make…

So obviously, if a way could be found to divulge the salaries to certain trusted parties, but shield them from the prying eyes of one’s neighbor who has never been up to any good as long as he’s owned the property next door, this dilemma could be quickly solved….

One avenue would be to offer the release of the salaries to the Attorney General’s office. Interested parties could then sign a binding agreement, subjecting themselves to fines and imprisonment if they divulge the information to anyone else.

This solution would meet the needs of both parties.

But to argue whether the Water/Sewer board needs comply with FOIA, is rather silly. Ms. Sherlock (Attorney at large) should have seen the implications and fallacies of such an argument, from great distances. I challenge her to respond.

I will briefly argue why the Board must comply with FOIA….

Although the Water Board is a private entity, one that does contract work for the state and local governments, because it is a utility, it has greater obligations than say someone who shovels snow off the courthouse steps, on a contractual basis.

In the snow-shoveler’s regard, his salary matters little. The grand total of the contract is public, saying: “this certain amount was paid to this person, for this service”. If someone can offer it cheaper, then great.

But a public utility receives very special allowances from local government. If contracted out to a private firm, that bond through government, is still viable.

Unlike the snow shoveler, customers of a utility are bound to use that product. What are they going to do? Say forget you and shit in their yard? Point is one can always get another snow shoveler. One can never get another utility at a moment’s notice.

For that reason, as stated in Delaware Code, Title 9, Chapter 23, 2303, if citizens want to establish a sewer or water works, it has to go to a vote among the very residences themselves. In other words, whether the entity exists at all, is up to the public voting process. This as direct correlation as to whether a utility is subject to the public’s inspection.

2304 The County Council then holds a public hearing, where all parties can express enthusiasm or dread over the upcoming origination of a new utility.

2305. After that public hearing, the County Council meets to decide “WHETHER IT IS IN THE PUBLIC‘S INTEREST TO ESTABLISH A WATER/SEWER DISTRICT AND EXACTLY WHAT BOUNDARIES THAT DISTRICT WOULD HAVE.
After the establishment of boundaries, the County Council receives an estimate of the potential cost, and must publish that cost, broken down per foot, in a PUBLIC venue.

2306 After this has been decided, “the County Council then shall cause an election to be held within 6 months following the date of the hearing, at which the question shall be submitted to the voters residing within the boundaries of the sanitary sewer district as fixed by the County Council as to whether the district shall be established or not. Notice of the election shall be advertised in the same manner as provided in § 2304 of this title for advertising the public hearing. The cost of the election shall be borne by the County Council, which shall be reimbursed for such cost by the district, if established by the election.”

Again, who pays the cost? The cost is borne by County Council, which shall be reimbursed for such cost by the district if established by election. If not, ie the sewer goes down in defeat, the County does not get reimbursed and eats the whole cost. That alone would establish grounds that the entity would be required to comply with all County regulation, including those of FOIA.

2307 If the election is successful, “the County has 30 days to authorize the the Department of Public Works and the County Attorney to procure the necessary land and rights-of-way by purchase, agreement, or by condemnation in accordance with existing laws…” In other words, even though the sewer may be a private entity, eventually, unlike the snow shoveler, it’s groundwork is completely laid out by public employees. That alone would be grounds that he entity should be required to comply with FOIA just as does the Public Works and the County Attorney according to existing law.

2308 If the county controls the main sewer system, into which the entity sends it’s sewage, and which without, the entity would not be able to exact the removal of sewage for which it was contracted, that would exact another reason why that entity would need also to comply to FOIA. Common sense: if contaminants were traced up through the public main sewers to the private sewer’s outlet, and no further information were allowable, then considerable public harm could ensue. Since the entity is dependent on County functions, it should also be required to assist the public when information was necessary for the public good.

2311 The County Council may issue tax free bonds to cover the costs of construction. The bonds are “backed by the full faith and credit of the county.” That alone, would be grounds for assuring that a private entity benefiting from public financing, as is this entity, would be required also to comply with FOIA requests.

2312 County Council shall advertise the bonds for sale in at least 2 issues in each of 2 newspapers, 1 of which shall be a newspaper of general circulation published in the City of Wilmington, and the other a newspaper of general circulation published in the City of New York, inviting bids for the bonds. The bonds are public. On these grounds alone, the private entity must be required to comply with FOIA.

2316 The County Council must do an annual Sanitary Sewer District Assessment, after holding a public hearing. The salaries could easily be required by this assessment under current law, and they must, as an expense, be given over to the County overseeing government. This alone, precludes the right of FOIA to pertain to a utility.

2318 Delaware law specifically states that the County government is responsible for all rules and regulations pertaining to the sewer entity. At will, it could determine that it is in the public‘s interest to know the salaries, and force compliance with existing law. Since the disclosure is enforceable by law, it should equally be required to be dispensed under a FOIA request.

2319 The County Council may accept grants or loans of money, labor, materials, equipment or technical assistance from agencies of the federal or state government or from interstate agencies established by law…. Public money supports utilities. They, even though private, are beholden to those laws affixed to the dispersion of public money. This alone would make the FOIA request fit within existing law.

2321 And if you needed just one, seal proof reason why a private utility must be treated as a public entity, despite who the actual owner may be…. it is this…

The County Council may, where it deems it necessary to the preservation of public health, order the owner of any lot or parcel of land within a sanitary district which abuts upon a street or other public way containing a sanitary sewer, which is part of or which is served or may be served by the county sewerage system and upon which lot or parcel of land a building shall have been constructed for residential, commercial or industrial use, to connect such building with such sanitary sewer.

Barbara Blomquist doesn’t have an alternative choice…….

Should she refuse?

If any owner shall fail to comply within 60 days with such order to connect with a sanitary sewer, the County Council shall forthwith institute action in a Justice of the Peace Court in New Castle County or in the Court of Chancery of the State to compel compliance with such order.

This is where their attorney falls short. It would just take one of these planks to enforce through legal action the compliance of FOIA in regards to a private (public) utility…. Although I applaud the libertarian intent to keep salaries private, for a private corporation, completely separate from government, that would be fine…

But for a arm of government, disguised as a private entity, that cannot be the case. It is still, as deemed by the citizens and voters of that district, seen as a public entity, because as the above pretty well shows, … it is…

It would only take one reason to force a FOIA judgment. I have given you eleven….

Form a Grand Jury, give them subpoena power, give them wiretap clearance, and get to the bottom… quickly..

Camden-Wyoming Sewer & Water Authority eventually will have to comply… it IS in the law.

Delaware Could Get First Hurricane Ever

If prognosis based on computer models are correct, Delaware could have its first tropical depression of the year, be a one to remember…

All our other ones since 65, have been downgraded to tropical depression long before reaching our shores… Which means their winds are under 35 mph.

Currently Hurricane Irene is scheduled to drop in this weekend like a Mother-in-law, still packing hurricane winds over 75 mph. Best check the storm damage clause of your insurance policies today…..

Then watch how fast our friends in Sussex County, those very ones who want to dismantle the Federal Government, start complaining the current administration is not doing enough to help…. Guaranteed to happen…

Why Delaware Was Picked To Lead……

It has always been a dream of mine, ever since Gingrich destroyed the camaraderie of Congress with his bombastic attacks, that one day, both sides would give the press a collective F*ck You and begin to work together……..

The press instigates many of the adversarial relationships… Framing questions, reporting sound bytes without mentioning the context in which they were uttered.

So, as you know, the two principal players were Eric Cantor, and President Obama. Obama’s role was mostly filled by Delaware’s own Joe Biden…. affectionately known in here, as Seabiscuit.

Personal relationships are how things happen. That doesn’t make good copy, so the press tries to find differences and drive wedges in to split them further…..

On would be shocked, shocked to hear something like this went on….

“I think the success of these talks thus far is due to the vice president and the way he has conducted the meetings,” Cantor explained.

“it’s been a great, pleasant surprise” to work with Cantor. “The guy’s as smart as hell,” Biden said, adding that Cantor has “been totally, completely straightforward and sincere.”

(Btw, just how smart is hell? On Google, I can find no reference!)

Elsewhere in the House majority leader’s comments on deficit-reduction talks he praised to the Times-Dispatch, the panel led by Vice President Delaware’s Joe Biden.

The commission had identified a possible $1 trillion in cuts. Cantor cited the seriousness of the endeavor and the civility of the tone mentioning “this is how the political realm ought to function”.

Remember Dick Cheney?

Wind: Uhhh, Could Use Some Now…..

From Aaron Nathans of the News Journal…..

NRG/Bluewater Wind got good news on a different front Monday, as the federal government moved one step closer to issuing the developer a lease on a tract off the southern Delaware shore.

The Department of the Interior announced it would open a 30-day public comment period on the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of offshore renewable-energy projects off Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia.

If the department determines no significant impact off Delaware, it will move forward with Bluewater to sign the lease, said its president, Peter Mandelstam. He said he hopes to secure the lease by the end of the year.

Once a lease on these ocean blocks has been secured, construction permits can begin. Or better put: Bluewater can proceed with more detailed environmental reviews to try to get a construction permit.

And to those of us who marshaled the deal in 08, here is a reminder of how time flies… Bluewater faces a September deadline to exit the Delmarva contract or pay $2.75 million, money it would get back if it successfully completed the wind farm.

The following concern has also been noted in the Federal overview of the project. Construction will take place near an area off Delaware, where ships typically anchor. Wind development should be avoided in that area, the U.S. Coast Guard has argued.

The anchorage area, off Delaware Seashore State Park, sits on the outer edge of Bluewater’s proposed development area.

Every time I pay my electric bill to Delmarva, I sigh, knowing that had wind gotten underway faster, I’d be paying 60% less…….

We Need To Hurl The Sails; If We Are To Catch The Wind

Map Courtesy of US Dept. of Energy (right click for full image)

As one can see there is a lot of competition for offshore wind… At one point in time, Delaware was poised to become the center of offshore wind manufacturing. Unless we move quickly, that place in history will be lost….

And just like our once ground-breaking New Castle- Frenchtown Railroad, although considerable investment was put in place to get it running, the rest of the world quickly passed us by…. because Delawaeans did what Delawearns do… sit on their hands…

We need to court GE with all the good reasons why they should build their new 5.0 offshore turbines here in Delaware. We need to spawn the development of an offshore tower construction company set up in Lewes. We need the MAPP lines connecting DC to our coast to continue forward quickly without interruption. Furthermore, we need to get NRG moving on building Bluewater Wind as fast as possible. Finally we need Delaware’s political contingent, including the Vice President, to create the tension always necessary to make bureaucratic things “happen”..

Time is wasting; we are sleeping.. The alarms gone off; it’s time to WAKE UP!.

Delaware; It’s A Crying Shame….

Katie Hanson; Miss Delaware USA (photo’s courtesy of Miss USA Pagent

I really don’t know why it gets to me,… but it does… My state, the first state to enter the Union, the second smallest but still, the one state with the fewest counties, my state, the one our nation’s Vice President calls home…… My state, the one poised to be the first state in the union to have an offshore wind farm…. has, never… not recently, not even in ancient history, … ever won a title in a national beauty pageant….

Just as we are the only state without a National Park; we are also the only state that has never won a national title… Wikipedia almost gloatingly points out, “The least successful states are Delaware, the only state that has never placed;”

How come? Did any of you know this?

It’s obviously not because of our women! We have some amazing women here… Why is Delaware the ONLY STATE TO HAVE NEVER PLACED IN A NATIONAL COMPETITION?

To be honest, it’s because we don’t care. until of course, we happen to catch a glimpse on TV of our stunning candidate, and say wow, they really do look better than the competition…. By then, it’s too late.

No matter how you feel about beauty competitions… they do represent your state.
and Delawareans should begin getting mad that we are always left out…

When the Miss USA of Texas gets crowned, she is given a line of prizes a mile long.

Usually the family of the Delawarean contestant must pay out of pocket for the privilege to fly out and compete…. One would think, someone here in Delaware, would want provide some help to sponsor her? In return for advertising, if nothing else?

Is there anything we can do?

Yes, there is… For the first time in history, citizens of Delaware can go online here and vote 10 times a day for the candidate of their choice… Of course with our few citizens, compared to the numbers of New York and California, only a ambush will give us any chance… But ambushes are the American way.. Look at the Battle of Trenton, and Princeton!… We have a shot…to change history, at least get Delaware into the semi finalists, if everyone reading this votes, and votes often….

Why?

Primarily because we are a small state, one with few sport’s hall of famers… Often the butt of national jokes, we usually simply have no choice but to dismiss them… Now, before us is an opportunity to brag a little if we can pull this off.. Do we have a great candidate? Yes!.. Look at the competition on the site above..

We have a contender….

Delaware has never placed… Let’s do something about it?

What if we all petitioned David Letterman, to negotiate with Donald Trump, ( the owner of the Miss USA pagent) live on air, to give Miss Delaware a fair shot at righting this dubious distinction? Of course, Delaware will have to take some pings in the process ( that’s what comedy is all about) but to see one of our own as a finalist, would still send chills up our spines, irregardless of what we normally profess to think of beauty pageants.

It’s Delaware we’re talking about…

A brief note should turn the tide; something like this:

Dear Dave: Often you make Delaware the butt of your jokes. That is probably because we deserve it. But did you know, Delaware is the only state that has never placed in a national beauty pageant? Now, we know you are good friends with Donald Trump and he runs the Miss USA pageant. Could you do our humble state a favor and introduce Miss Delaware USA to Donald Trump on your show? We are not expecting miracles… but she IS beautiful…. and we could use some extra publicity so the world knows it… After all we are the only state that has never, ever placed… even Wikipedia makes fun of us…
If you can help us, thanks…

Here is the site for the David Letterman show... please include any jokes their writers might enjoy…. The email address is: lswdl@aol.com

5 or 10 won’t do it; I figure the minimum to be noticed is around 30,000… It will take some enthusiasm, some selling, and some enthusiastic supporters to make a dent in a contest that is obviously stacked against us, like a Republican Congress is stacked against John Carney!…

If you can spread the word, please do… and vote… and yes, vote often…. It’s our state pride that’s on the line here…..

Reasons Why GE Should Build in Delaware

1. Proximity to one of the top research Universities in the country..

2. Well trained work force, ex Chrysler, GM, DuPont, Siemens,

3. Good relations between unions and management at all Delaware companies.

4. Proximity to Dupont Headquarters.

5. Delaware’s Corporate Legal System.

6. Delaware’s own underutilized and “cheap” access port for import and export ocean traffic .

7. Close proximity to the moneyed and power towns of Washington, New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, which is good for investor relations.

8. Nearby beach as incentive to draw top engineers from around the nation.

9. Soon to be built, cheap offshore wind power, which will help to moderate utility costs against the ever rising price of coal and natural gas.

10. By getting foot in Delaware’s door, GE could have an inside track at building and installing their top rated turbines off Delaware’s shores…

GE is looking for somewhere to build a new solar plant... Not one requiring tons of sun, but a place to manufacture the thin film necessary for the exchange of electrons necessary to make electricity. Driving down the cost of this film, will drive down the cost of solar electricity.. The lower the cost, the more it will be used, meaning less coal will be burned….

Lower Delaware is the best place in the nation for it.

.. and thanks Nancy for bringing this to our attention…. 🙂

Ho, Hum. Feeling A Little Nostalgic…

A Giant Battle For A Little Wind

A little over two millennium ago, the roots of our western civilization stood on the brink of eradication. Only a small band of Greeks stood between the massive Persian army and the destruction of Athens, the foundation of democracy and defender of fine arts. Ironically had the outcome of the battle been different, perhaps it might be us placing IED’s along roads built and traveled by those descendant of that Persian stock.

But against such invincible odds, this small band of men chose to fight, and took the necessary action, even though outnumbered 10,000 to one, against the greatest army ever to land upon Grecian shores. Through strategic planning and personal courage, they stood fast against the onslaught and in doing so, changed the course of history..

Now we too stand at a crossroads of civilization, where our choices and bravery will lead to great consequences. The nemesis we face, however, is one we have brought upon ourselves.

Of the hottest years ever recorded in history, twenty one have occurred during the last twenty five. The ten hottest years on record, have occurred since 1993. Five of those hottest years have occurred since 2000. The year 2005 was the hottest on record. Last year 2006 was the hottest ever in America. This winter, the one we finished yesterday with the first day of spring, is the hottest winter ever recorded! This problem is not static; it grows worse with each day.

A decision is about to be made, regarding the future generation of Delaware’s electricity. This decision, though made by a few, will certainly affect many. Due to its timing, this is to be one of the first major decisions ever made by a state in real time regarding renewable energy. If chosen, Blue Water could be up and running in little over two years, not fifteen. This gives other states and other nations the distinct possibility of being influenced by our success, to such a degree that man’s ultimate footprint upon this planet, may have the distinction of being first decided in our small state.. One can hope, that instead of the PSC dooming us to continued carbon dependency, a choice will be made that will prove to all, that wisdom, open mindedness, and courage are not yet extinct among Delawareans and that this state of Delaware can indeed count on those traits to remain instrumental when it comes time to choosing what is best for our own future.

It will require great courage to vote for Blue Water’s wind proposal. For we will not know what problems may yet appear over the future’s horizon. As someone already mentioned, on these shores wind power is untested. But a cold eye cast towards gas or coal can quickly discern monstrous problems down those two roads should we choose to follow either of those options. Sometimes, as with cancer, the certainty of knowing what WILL happen if we continue doing what we have always done, can sometimes propel us down the road less traveled.

There will be great pressure upon you in the PSC to take the comfortable choice, and avoid the upcoming battle against the carbon interest should you dare to make the “right” choice. But in years ahead, the gravest of consequences are predicted to befall each of us, should you fail, fall short, and err in judgment. With gas and coal both expected to continue their steep price climb over the next twenty five years, any wrong choice made now, could burden this struggling small state to the point of economic exhaustion.

Only a fresh puff of wind can break this downward trend. Blue Water’s generation plan can give us, this army outside your tent awaiting your decision, the extra economic lift it needs to face down the multitude of obstacles arrayed before us.

Be known, that as you confer in your tent that is flapping in the stiff breeze, and ponder the subtle strategies arrayed upon the ground before you, that you have an loyal army of public opinion, over ninety percent, ready to take on any hardship, attack any risk, and march forward into any battle with you arm in arm, should you decide to lead us to renewable energy. We do it willingly, not for glory, not for honor, not for personal aggrandizement, but because we are truly in awe of the immense and profoundly global consequence that our small state’s actions may impart upon the future of all civilization.

Should Delaware fall short, fail to do its duty, and continue to compromise its future by the rapid exhumation of carbon fuels, we no doubt shall one day be viewed as harshly, as that poor fool who panicked and guided the Persians to a secret path through the mountains, thereby surrounding those brave souls, whose valiant effort against incredible odds of 10000 to one, managed to stall the onslaught and save Athens and the future of western civilization.

Now civilization looks to us.

When the CO2 ultimatum is laid before us, demanding that we too sign over our state’s future to those armies beholden to carbon kings, and threaten to blot out our sun with hundreds of thousands’ of tons of emissions volleyed in our direction, let us hope that we too, fully mindful that we guard our own Thermopylae through which all these monstrous armies of carbon interests must pass, stand shoulder to shoulder, and reply ” “In that case, we shall fight in the shade……………”