Archive for the ‘Economics’ Category

How close are we to energy independence?  Vertically the distance is 8,000 feet, horizontally it’s a bit longer.  But neither of these distances is insurmountable.  In fact, if we’d just get government regulations out of the way and end the ban that keeps American oil locked under ground and safely away from American consumers who need it, this oil could reach us in 5 years or less.

It is Joe Donnelly’s record on energy issues that is under scrutiny, but as you look at that record it becomes quite obvious that consistent votes against opening up domestic oil resources comprise a record of lethergy on an issue many Americans are concerned about.  The Luke Puckett campaign issued a hard-hitting press release today drawing attention to Donnelly’s consistent record (his rhetoric changes, but his record doesn’t) of anti-domestic drilling votes.

Here is the Release:

Fairbanks, AK-Today Congressional candidate Luke Puckett declared that he is the only candidate running for Congress in Indiana’s 2nd District who supports lowering gas prices for Hoosiers by expanding access to large domestic oil reserves like the ones in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the oil shale deposits of Colorado and Utah.

“From January of 2007 to today, Joe Donnelly has never voted for a bill that would expand domestic oil exploration and drilling. I find it unconscionable that Mr. Donnelly would repeatedly vote to block our access to domestic oil reserves and effectively vote to hold Hoosiers hostage to foreign oil and high gas prices,” Puckett remarked.

Puckett believes that Joe Donnelly has failed to be a leader in Washington on the single biggest issue people across the district care about. The rising gas prices affect everyone from blue collar workers to white collar business owners, from soccer moms to farmers. These people were not helped when Donnelly chose to co-sponsor an obscure energy bill that will probably never see a floor vote while opposing a floor debate and vote on an energy bill that was co-sponsored by 177 members of Congress.

(Read more below the Fold) (more…)

Ten years ago we were told that it would take ten years to get the oil out of ANWR and onto the market. Today we’re told that drilling for oil in ANWR is not really much of a solution because-you probably guessed it-it will take ten years for that oil to reach the market. This argument is rather handy for opponents of domestic drilling because it allows them to eliminate a solution that they don’t like simply by inserting an amount of time between the discussion at hand at when the proposed solution is expected to take affect. In part they are relying on you to forget ten years later when the problem is still around that you mentioned the same solution before-ten years ago.

But does it really take ten years before that oil can reach us and provide us with the relief that we need? Luke Puckett wanted to find out, and here’s what he learned:

More videos and updates will be available over on the Puckett campaign blog. For those of you who use Twitter you can follow Luke Puckett here.

As many of you know, Luke Puckett, candidate for Congress in District 2, is leading a group of Drill-Here-Drill-Now-Pay-Less-supporting congressional candidates on a trip the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this week. Throughout the trip Luke is doing short video clips talking about where he’s at, what he’s doing, and what he’s learning about the enormous potential for drilling for the estimated 16 billion barrels of American-not foreign-oil that lies below the coastal plain of ANWR.

Here is Luke heading to the airport on Monday:

We’ll continue to update Hoosier Access readers on the trip, but you can also follow the trip on “LukeTube” and the Puckett Blog. You can also learn the background of the trip by going here.

…reminds me of the Democrats response to soaring gas and energy prices, the war in Iraq, national security, the economy, ect. and Bluto’s reaction is how I wish I could respond sometimes.

John Belushi (may he rest in peace) brings you your Friday open thread.

YouTube Direct 

(H/T to Mark Warner and his snazzy new website for the video)

What would you ask Governor Mitch Daniels if you had the chance to ask him one question? Hoosier Access is proud to offer up it’s newest feature, “Ask the Gov”. Each week, we’ll take questions from our readers and pass them along to Governor Daniels. You can ask about different issues from around the state, what his agenda is for his next term, how the campaign is going…I think you get the picture. Just click on the graphic over in the next column to submit your question. We hope to make this a regular feature. Your involvement will make that happen.

To get the ball rolling, we asked Governor Daniels the first question. Our question was:

“How would you explain the status of Indiana’s current economy in relation to what’s going on nationally and in our neighboring states?”

(See the governor’s response below the fold) (more…)

There are a couple of pieces of news that are not being generally covered that everyone should be aware of:

1. One major component of the increase in the unemployment rate is that teens who are on summer break are not being employed very well this year. Why? Bad economy? No. The minimum wage was increased. (See the Minneapolis Examiner)

2. Did you know that the Republicans in Washington are actually TRYING to make noise about drilling for our own oil? The big media outlets seem to be burying the story, but here are a couple of relevant stories:

CNS News on Republicans Blame Democrats for a Nation of $4 Gasoline
The AP regarding Senate debating adding a windfall profit tax and other regulations onto oil companies
President Bush is still calling for increased drilling–as recently as Monday.
Less than 1 month ago, the Democrats in the Senate Appropriations Committee voted down an amendment to end the Udall Moratorium (named for Rep. Mark Udall, D-CO) that PREVENTS the leasing of public lands for the mining of shale oil. The same article linked here also indicates that 57% of Americans want to drill in the U.S. (offshore and “wilderness” areas) and only 20% believe that Big Oil is engaging in price gouging.

Pressure is building–The American Solutions petition is up to 475,000 signatures.

If you’ve kept an eye on the U.S. Senate this week you know they’ve been debating the merits of the largest tax increase in human history.  Only in the Senate would the merits of a tax increase running into the trillions of dollars be given serious consideration.  

Of course, supporters of the tax increase don’t call it a tax increase.  The call it a ”cap-and-trade” policy that will help the country fight global warming.  What they don’t like to talk about, and what has taken the Heritage Foundation, among others, to figure out, is that the Lieberman-Warner climate change bill contains mandates for a new government bureaucracy (actually one of 45 new bureaucracies) that will oversee the operation of 85% of the American economy.  The last time a large country practiced top-down management of an economy millions of people suffered and, ultimately, the economy collapsed on a massive scale.

As of today, the Senate failed to end debate on Lieberman-Warner (a bill, by the way, who’s basic policy concept is endorsed by John McCain) and so it is highly unlikely that the Senate will continue to debate this bill.  It takes 60 votes to end debate on a particular matter and only 48 Senators voted to end debateand move to the next phase, which would be an up or down vote on the entire bill.  Unfortunately, Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) voted to end debate and keep the measure moving forward. 

Read more below the fold. (more…)

If you listen to talk radio or read some of the national conservative blogs, you may have heard of the American Solutions Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less. petition drive to bring attention to the fact that we need to be drilling for domestic oil if we’re serious about lower gas prices and energy independence.  Yesterday Luke Puckett, who’s running for Congress in the 2nd District, sent out this press release regarding the American Solutions issue campaign and the need for increased domestic drilling:

SOUTH BEND, IN – Luke Puckett, Second District Republican nominee for congress, continued his push today towards energy solutions by encouraging Second District voters, including Rep. Joe Donnelly, to sign the American Solutions Pledge that calls for domestic oil and gas exploration. 

“The price of gasoline isn’t getting cheaper.  Our dependence on foreign oil isn’t decreasing,” Puckett said.  “And yet Washington isn’t doing anything about it.  This is why I am encouraging Second District voters, including Joe Donnelly, to sign the American Solutions Pledge that calls for domestic oil and gas exploration.”

(More after the great divide.)

(more…)

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(Kurt Luidhardt originally posted this at Prosper Group Think.  He touches on some very important points as we consider the leadership of Indiana this year and beyond. - Josh)

I had the privilege of sitting down with Indiana L.G. Becky Skillman for an interview last week. There will be more thorough coverage of the interview on Veritas Rex later, but I thought I would provide some commentary here.

It’s clear to me that Skillman is the most underestimated politician in Indiana. Dem blabbermouth Jen Wagner calls her the Lite Guv and there are more than a few Republicans putting together operations for 2012- disregarding Skillman’s intentions to run (or not).

But every time I sit and talk with her I get the strong sense that of anyone in the Guv’s administration, she is the one with a finger on the pulse of the state. She’s got years of experience on a number of levels as a local elected official, State Senator, and now as LG. In addition, she’s not caught up in the Indianapolis-first mentality of so many of our party’s leadership (a key quality considering current controversy). Skillman also has worked hard to build relationships with local Republican officials from across the state. It’s been evident as I travel.

(Read more below the fold) (more…)

I was proud of my President earlier in the week when he dug around and found his veto pen and rejected the $300 Billion Farm Bill. But apparently there is enough pork in this bill to make pretty much everyone happy–only $70 Billion actually has anything to do with Farms. The bill was brought up yesterday before the House to override President Bush’s veto. The measure passed 316 to 108 (25 more than needed).

With a number that high, many Republicans had to have joined in to override this vote. As it turns out 100 Republicans voted for this mess. So, who in the Indiana delegation voted against this thing. Here is the list:

Rep. Burton
Rep. Pence
Senator Lugar (WOW!)

That’s it. Souder and Buyer both voted for it. I know–they are in very rural areas–but we certainly should accept more from conservative Republicans. Lugar’s vote was on the original bill as the Senate has not voted yet to override the veto.

What a disgrace.

Reading an AP article on Yahoo, the Democrats have proposed a .5% tax rate increase on some taxpayers. This is only the tip of the iceberg, as evidenced by the first Clinton Administration when the Democrat Congress at the time passed a hefty tax increase. The upcoming Congress will already raise taxes if the Democrats are in control by not renewing the “Bush Tax Cuts”. It’s a built in tax increase that is already forthcoming. The Democrats already claim the economy is in recession, so they being typical liberal Democrats put their misguided thinking caps on and attempt to tax the nation into prosperity. Not like that’s ever worked before but hey it makes for good sound bites on Countdown with Keith Overbite.

If you’re wondering what “CHANGE” is all about, sounds like “CHANGE” of jacking up tax rates will be the first order of business in a Democrat administration whether it’s Hillary’s third term as President or B. Hussein Obama’s.

But you’re not going to miss it.