You can call me Al...

Well after several months of absence from the world scene, Albert Gore Jr., great high mucky-muck and spiritual leader of the Universilist Church of Global Climate Change has emerged from his vision quest to address the surge of doubt in not only Anthropogenic Global Warming, but to Global Warming at all! His answer to the doubters: IS SO!

In a lengthy and rather self-serving Op-Ed to that bastion of objectivity the New York Times, Gore wants us to know that, despite the weather, that the climate is changing, although he "genuinely wish(s) that the climate crisis were an illusion".

He effectively states that climate change cannot be exemplified by observing the weather. It is a slow an inexorable process that is melting the ice caps, causing sea level rise, etc that are barely perceptible to casual human observation. Unfortunately later, he refutes his own thesis by stating that hurricanes are getting worse, droughts are getting longer and that the rate of species extinction is accelerating. He even attributes the recent snow and blizzards in the northeast United States and the UK as PROOF of Global Warming even as he discounts weather observation as a fair method of evaluating Global Climate.

If that isn't playing both sides of the weather fence, I don't know what is!

I will give him credit for admitting that SOME of the IPCC's conclusions in their 2007 paper on Global Climate Change were "flawed". Of course if you believe Mr. Gore or read the US reporting on "Climategate" you would think that a few "flaws" had been blown out of proportion. In order to get the real picture, I would recommend the papers from the UK, particularly the "Daily Mail" and the "London Telegraph".

Follow this link for the latest on Climategate: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/7332803/A-perfect-storm-is-brewing-for-the-IPCC.html

Unreported by himself or the US media is the fact that Mr. Gore has made an obscene amount of money from selling "carbon offsets" to carbon producers. Effectively a promise to plant trees and invest in carbon neutral technology. After Mr. Gore takes a nice slice for "facilitating" these efforts of course. Could we call this a vested interest in the demand for climate change action.

I will just mention in passing Mr. Gore's obscene 10,000 square foot mansion that consumes an average of $1,400 per month in electricity bills, all the while claiming to live a "carbon neutral" lifestyle.

OK, so I'm a bit worked up about this. Call me a Global Warming skeptic, or a "denier" as the "warmists" like to call us.

My response is simple:

Y2K

Health Care versus Health Insurance

OK, so this debate has been going on now for over a year, and apparently we are no closer to being done with it than we were a year ago. The "Health Care Summit" provided an interesting opportunity for the different sides in the game to give their opinions and ideas, and gave the President the opportunity to look like a consensus builder.

From what I can tell, it comes down to this: The Democrats want a plan by which virtually every person in this country will be required/able to purchase some sort of health insurance. This insurance will have federally mandated minimums and no one may be refused despite any preexisting conditions. In order to pay for those people, the risk pool must be increased to include younger people with fewer health issues. The only way to get them in the pools is to force them into it.

The Democrat bill is predicated on the belief that everyone has a right to health care and that the only way to guarantee this right is to mandate insurance coverage for all. Government must intervene to make a level playing field for all.

The Republicans argue that access to health care is not the issue. In 1987 Congress passed a law that required hospitals to provide health care to anyone who presents themselves with a medical complaint. They contend that if you wish to reform health insurance, they are fine with that, so long as it is done by creating incentives for companies to provide better access to policies. They discuss issues like purchasing insurance across state lines and doing something about tort reform that would reduce the necessity of "defensive" medicine.

To boil it down, Republicans believe that health insurances and health care are two different things. While basic health care may be a right, health insurance is a product that is purchased. While the government may take steps to make it easier for citizens to purchase insurance, and ensure that citizens receive fair treatment in disputes with the insurer, it has no right or authority to mandate that individuals must purchase this service.

Here's my take:

1. Hospitals should create "medicaid" clinics where those without health insurance can go to receive basic care without clogging the emergency rooms.

2. Insurance companies should be forced to compete nationwide, rates should be based on national risk pools and they should provide the opportunity for everyone to purchase insurance, regardless of their current infirmity or preexisting condition.

3. Kill all the lawyers. Props to Shakespeare. Actually do what Texas and other states have done by limiting awards to plaintiffs. Unfortunately, this must be done state to state.

4. Get the Federal Government out of the business of me choosing my health care provider, level of coverage, etc. Mr. President, that's MY BUSINESS not yours.

As Thomas Paine said, "That government is best that governs least"!

Ignorance or Arrogance?

Yesterday at the "Health Care Symposium" hosted by the President at Blair House in Washington, the President shared this small personal anecdote:

When I was young, just got out of college, I had to buy auto insurance. I had a beat-up old car. And I won’t name the name of the insurance company, but there was a company — let’s call it Acme Insurance in Illinois. And I was paying my premiums every month. After about six months I got rear-ended and I called up Acme and said, I’d like to see if I can get my car repaired, and they laughed at me over the phone because really this was set up not to actually provide insurance; what it was set up was to meet the legal requirements. But it really wasn’t serious insurance.

Now, it’s one thing if you’ve got an old beat-up car that you can’t get fixed. It’s another thing if your kid is sick, or you’ve got breast cancer.

Now let me get this straight. You purchased the state required LIABILITY insurance that would protect OTHER DRIVERS should you crash into them with your beater. You chose NOT to have Collision and Comprehensive insurance included in your policy that would have repaired YOUR car should that have occurred. You were SURPRISED when, after calling the insurance company, they did not want to repair your car, a service that you did not pay for.

Based on this, there are some things I am wondering:

1. How could a Harvard graduate be so IGNORANT as to the purpose and scope of his insurance policy?

2. Does the President understand that Automobile Insurance is required, like a Driver's License, for the privilege of driving on the public highways, and

3. Did this really happen, or is it just another politician "story" to try and make his point, and does he really have the arrogance to think we are so stupid to fall for this obvious misrepresentation of what the insurance company involved was obligated to do?

With this latest example of "Obamaspeak" people still wonder why the average American has lost faith in this man?

You know what I'm tired of?

A little background. I am an avid reader of political commentary: Conservative and yes, Liberal. I do my best to keep an open mind to the writer's point of view and, even if I don't agree with the writer, at least try to appreciate his perspective.

But I'm damn tired of being called ignorant, uninformed, racist, un-American and lots of other things JUST BECAUSE I DON'T AGREE WITH SOMEONE'S AGENDA!

Note to those people: I think for MYSELF! If I disagree with your opinion, it's because I disagree with your opinion, not because someone has told me to disagree with your OPINION! Your's holds no more validity than mine does.

Also a note to Democrats: Your party controlled BOTH houses of Congress all of last year. If you couldn't get your policies through in that amount of time, please stop blaming Republicans for your failures.

Oh and Mr. President, you can stop blaming Mr. Bush now. You've been President for 14 months. You've got the ball!

Perry vs Hutchison

Well, Tuesday is primary day, and the hottest race going is... nobody!

It's amazing to me that there is so little talk out here about this race. I visited Austin a few weeks ago, and this was all the talk. "Gov. Goodhair" versus "Ms. Pris". The "big city" papers are full of charges, counter-charges, endorsements and all that.

Out here, you might hear a radio spot (cause everybody listens to the radio out here), or an occasional TV commercial, but standing in line at the Subway or sitting down in Tencha's cafe waiting for lunch, you don't hear anybody discussing this race. I can only assume that it makes no difference to most folks out here. Honestly, either way works for me.

The biggest discussion you will hear around here is whether former-yellow-dog-Democrat-turned-Republican Delwin Jones will be re-elected to his 50th term (I am exaggerating) in the Texas House. Even that doesn't matter here, because he doesn't represent our county!

Things move pretty slow out here this time of year. Most are more concerned with whether they will actually be planting in the next few months. How much moisture is in the ground and whether they should go ahead and turn, and how many acres of peanuts versus how many acres of cotton, getting your farm loan and either getting your taxes to the accountant or filing for an extension. Such exciting conversations!

Well folks, I never promised the news from West Texas would be exciting!

First Thoughts

I realize that there are hundreds, no thousands of blogs out in cyberspace that expound on the happenings in our great country. Each has it's own point of view and each has it's place. This blog is to give a voice to those of us in rural America, particularly West Texans who feel ignored by our National and State governments.

West Texans are a unique breed who for the most part would be happy to be left alone, unless we have something to say. Then, BY GOD, you had better listen.

So, I'm going to use this space to express my opinions. I am a fiscal conservative, small government, pro-military, white male. Believe me, I have some opinions.

I welcome your feedback, but no ad hominem attacks, cause I don't need your drama.