Includes thoughts and comments about energy needs, resources, conservation and their relationship to politics at home and around the world.

Monday, April 02, 2007

EPA Regulation Authority

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to enforce limitations on greenhouse gas emissions from American automobiles. It's going to be interesting to see how they will do it. Eco-cops in every assembly plant? in every engine lab? on every street corner? Or a whole new bureaucracy?

Conflict of Interest

Conflict of interest in any position be it government or the private sector is a serious matter. It looks like Senator Feinstein (D-CA) may find out just how serious it can be. The claims, if true, that the companies her husband has ownership in (Perini Corp. and URS Corp.) have benefited from the Senator's lead position and votes on a subcommittee responsible for approving appropriations for major military construction projects certainly smack of conflict of interest. Her sudden resignation from the subcommittee suggests she lacks a defense. Interestingly, mainstream news media have been silent on this matter. Even though I'm a Republican, I take no delight in seeing Feinstein or the Democrat party take the heat in this matter because greed in public officeholders has become rampant in both major parties. It is terribly disheartening and it further destroys one's confidence and trust in all of our political leaders.

Raced-based College Admissions

It has been reported that race-based admission policies in our leading institutions of higher learning are not producing the results originally set by Affirmative Action; i.e., more black minority doctors, lawyers and other professionals. One theory has it that in accepting minority students with lower academic qualifications than those of the other students at a given institution puts the minority students in a position of feeling inadequate. As a result, the theory says, such students fail to go on to professional careers. Had these same students gone on to institutions where their academic qualifications were equal to those of the rest of the students, the results would be better. It is asserted that universities and colleges should concentrate on results, not on raced-based admissions.

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