Lies and coal mine, a solution

I have listened to commercials on a local radio station decrying the proposed Usibelli coal development project.  I have read the arguments.  I have yet to read or to hear one substantive argument or legitimate, relevant fact in opposition to the mine that makes any sense or has any bearing whatsoever on whether or not Usibelli will operate within the boundaries of the law.  All I have read to date and heard on the radio ads in opposition to the coal mine are the most egregious misrepresentations and outright lies.
Where is there any evidence of potential damage to a watershed, or the specter of an air quality violation?  Where is there evidence of any damage to property values or to the ability to get a loan on property?  First National Bank of Alaska and the Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union have both denied the allegations of those opposing the mine.  Yet, the lie is maintained on in the radio ads.

This campaign against Usibelli has been undertaken with the typical liberal penchant for making the most outrageous claims without any basis in substance or fact.  The only issues that they can bring up are areas that are the responsibility of our federal and State agencies.  They imply with their gross misrepresentations that these agencies are incompetent.  They imply by their advertising that the EPA, DEC, DNR, and the Army Corps of Engineers have been suborned to the coal company's "evil" purposes.  That these agencies and the professionals that staff them will not evaluate Usibelli's plans under the scrutiny of State and federal law.
I have a solution.

Let these whining liberals who have decided that this Valley does not need this development pay into the MSB's and the State's coffers the tax revenues that would otherwise be generated by this project.  Let them also put up a fund to compensate local business for the loss of the revenues generated from the lost wages were this project not to come to fruition.  Let them put their money where their mouths are, because all that they have done so far is to whine and cry, and to express their liberal anti-development tirade at the expense of those who need, want, and otherwise would support the development of a resource that has a long history of development in this Valley.
Given the unlikelihood of those opposing doing their civic duty and compensating for the loss of the mine, I propose the following alternative.

Why did the Alaska Rail Road (ARR) stop maintaining the track to Sutton after the coal mine shut down?  Bad policy, and a Palmer City Council that did not want coal trains moving through Palmer.  The ARR, rather than float the bonds to repair and refurbish the rail system, and to circumvent Palmer, if necessary, has required any company that needs their services to move coal or minerals from that area to pay for the track.  Must be nice to have a monopoly.  However, that is not what the ARR is all about.  It is a quasi-public corporation that is supposed to benefit the State, which is the only shareholder. 

Governor Parnell's DNR, the Valley legislative delegation, and the ARR should get together and figure out the benefits of the coal mine to the Valley and the State.   Instead of squandering $214M on a 500mmcf/da natural gas pipeline from the North Slope to Nikkiski that will never be economically viable and will cost millions in subsidies yearly and raise our natural gas prices in south central, using the money to repair and upgrade the rail to Sutton would be of greater benefit to Alaska and the Valley in the long term. 

Jobs would be created for the refurbishment of the rail line.  The ARR could rehire those it just laid off, because of the shut down of the Fairbanks Flint Hills Refinery.  Jobs for Valley residents would be created by the mine development, and there would be no trucks on our highways.  Rail would haul the coal from Sutton to Seward or Pt. MacKenzie.

Once again, coal would fire the economy of the Valley and provide year round high paying jobs.  The ARR would be supporting resource development as it is supposed to do, rather than acting as a financial impediment to further development of energy and mineral resources.

EPA is taxing cow and pig . . . what?!

As reported by the Business and Media Institute, the New Year is hardly in, and the EPA is attempting to reduce air pollution.

Gee, that is what EPA does, right?

What’s the big deal?

The EPA is proposing to reduce Green House Gas emissions from bovines and swine sources. Particularly, the methane produced by the aforementioned bovine and swine internal process of digestion resulting in . . . uh, there’s no polite way to write this . . . farts.

How does EPA propose to do this?

By imposing a tax on Bessy and Porky.

Everyone knows cows and pigs do not have any money! Otherwise the more prosperous would be using that wealth to buy dispensation from the slaughterhouse or buying out of a life of slavery in a milk barn for greener pastures or a new hog wallow.

EPA is not going to tax the animals. Instead, the old legal theory of respondent superior applies here. EPA is going to tax the farmer for each head of cow and pig owned.

The impact from this idiocy?

EPA is proposing a tax of $175 per dairy cow, $87.50 per head of cattle raised for meat, and a $20 tax per hog.

Farms with more than 25 dairy cows, 50 head of cattle, or 200 hogs would need to apply for permits from EPA, or be fined.

The American Farm Bureau estimates that the impact upon dairy operations would be a minimum of 8 cents per gallon of milk produced in the U.S.

Cows and pigs will continue to . . . fart and the farmer will be taxed.

You and I will pay more for milk, bacon, and hamburger at the grocery store check out.

Evidently, the study and methodology I wrote about quite awhile back regarding the production of methane by said bovine sources must have produced something to cause the bean counters at EPA to salivate. The regulatory hawks in the EPA obviously believe that they can bite the American consumer with impunity under the guise of taxing cow farts.

I can imagine that the proceeds from this tax might fund research into mechanical aids to reduce these now illegal methane emissions from bovine and swine . . . farts.

A plug of some sort, probably. That would be the quickest solution to the bureaucratic mind for reducing emissions.

In which case, you gotta wonder who would be the poor soul who gets the job of screwing the darn thing in?

Worse, that poor fool would not be the most popular soul in the ol’ bull pen or pig pen. Those animals are not that stupid.

Can you imagine the employment ad?

“Wanted, individual male or female, with a good mechanical aptitude and strong forearms and strong hands. Must know a right hand screw thread from a left hand screw thread. Must not be squeamish or shy about animal biological processes. Good physical dexterity and the ability to run a quarter of a mile all out would be advisable. Rubber gloves, rubber boots, goggles, gas mask, and rubber suit provided.”

Can you imagine OSHA’s reaction to the first injury produced by a full blown dairy herd blow out comprising several hundred head blowing their plugs at the same time, injuring the aforementioned poor soul?

The end result of that regulatory oversight would make a medieval knight look underdressed.

I would like to point out to EPA that the Norwegians have studied this issue. The Norgies concluded that moose . . . farts, produce more methane than do bovine . . . farts.

I note that with bovines and swines being targeted for this tax, it may be that ACLU might come to their rescue alleging prejudice, given that moose are getting off scot free. Oh, yeah.

I further note that this tax awaited a new president with a socialist bent. One would think that with all the male bovine offal coming out of the Bush Whitehouse over the last four years as G.W. tried to out liberal the libs, such a tax would have been a shoe in.

All kidding aside, this is a serious matter with serious portent for the American consumer.

The proposed tax will not affect foreign grown beef, dairy and pork.

This proposed tax is in the public review period.

Call our Congressional delegation and let them know that we are taxed enough as it is. Tell them to have EPA lay off the bovine and swine . . . farts.