Hi Everyone,
So Sandy has come and gone, but her aftermath will be here for years to come. Even though the majority of people have gotten their electricity back, there are still tens of thousands who have not. Why? To find the answer all one has to do is look at any ocean shore community in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. Those shore communities still look like WWIII had hit them. The media has tons of print and screen stories about the damage done and the beginning of the rebuilding effort in these affected areas.
Here on the East Coast, recent history, just using the past 1 1/2 years, has shown that hundred year storms, or storms of the century, lately occur more on a yearly basis. We have not gotten an increase in the number of storms that hit us, but more of the storms have become monsters, with the monster damage that accompanies them. Is global warming to blame? And if not, what is causing these monster storms? Will there be another monster storm next year, like on 10/29/13? So I have a question that needs to be at least contemplated before this current rebuilding process is completed. Does it still make common sense to keep rebuilding in known flood zone areas like ocean beaches and barrier islands etc.? Even though the Federal Government mandates flood insurance in areas prone to flooding, how many times can you rebuild in the same area, over and over again, before it no longer makes any business sense, or common sense to repeatedly rebuild. I think the time is coming now for a major discussion about when a building, be it a home or a business, does not get rebuilt. Maybe after being demolished for the third time? Does it make any common sense to keep rebuilding when the question is not if, but when the next storm will hit? The answer/solution will be hard to get since you are talking about not rebuilding peoples homes and/or businesses after a certain number of storm related demos. But, even if you don't agree with me on this, you watch what is going to happen.
This is what I think is going to happen sooner rather then later. First of all, some one will figure out that just the tri-state region, (NJ, NY and CT), damage total will reach over $100 billion. Yes $100 billion, in just three states, which doesn't include all the damage done to: D.C., Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maine. Add that to the damage from the tri-state area and the real damage total will be an astronomical amount, never before seen. That will make Sandy the costliest storm, by far, in U.S. history. Then the discussion will begin and sometime down the road, the cut off amount and/or number and how close one can build to an ocean and/or even a river, will be decided and then implemented. After the "third strike", an affected owner should be bought out based on the fair market value as of the date of the storm. There really is no other way, is there? It is an unfortunate statement of fact that humans are no match against mother nature. She will win every time. So why would it make sense to keep rebuilding in flood zones that can also be hit hard by hurricanes? That's a double whammy that is a lose-lose situation.
Til next week.
Peter
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Chicken Little Was Wrong
Hi Everyone,
This past election day, the citizens of Colorado did something that no other state has ever, ever done. Who would have thought that a mid-western state would be the first? All I can say is, what took so long? I even blogged about this back on 10/16/11. In a million years, I never would have guessed back then that it would happen so quickly. Are the voters in Colorado just plain crazy? I think not.
What am I talking about? The legalization of marijuana. On November 6, 2012, Colorado voters approved a change to their state's constitution that legalized pot for personal use. Yes it is true. The personal use of pot is no longer illegal there. FYI, Colorado approved medical marijuana with a doctor's prescription, three years ago. And guess what happened with medical marijuana? Nothing bad happened and the sky didn't fall, as some prominent politicians had predicted. Instead of something bad happening, something good actually happened. A new, high revenue source was discovered. Somehow the lawmakers in Colorado managed to agree to put the legalization question to the voters; and vote they did. More people voted to legalize pot then voted for either President Obama or Mitt Romney. It is apparent that the citizens saw a great opportunity to increase their tax base from just medicinal use to now include personal use. It will be very interesting to see just how much more tax revenue they take in.
I know that there are a lot of people who are totally against legalizing pot. But maybe now is the time to seriously think way outside of the box in order to find new tax revenue sources that people will approve. Alcohol prohibition didn't work in the 1920's and early 1930's and marijuana prohibition is not working today. In addition to the new tax revenues that Colorado will now receive, think about all of the cost savings from all of the law enforcement agencies used to enforce the old laws. There will be less prisoners also. It is a win-win situation for everyone, isn't it? Maybe states with huge deficits should consider this option.
Unfortunately I did think of a potential speed bump for Colorado. The federal government still says that marijuana is still illegal. I sense a U.S. Supreme Court date looming. As always, time will tell what will happen.
Til next week.
Peter
This past election day, the citizens of Colorado did something that no other state has ever, ever done. Who would have thought that a mid-western state would be the first? All I can say is, what took so long? I even blogged about this back on 10/16/11. In a million years, I never would have guessed back then that it would happen so quickly. Are the voters in Colorado just plain crazy? I think not.
What am I talking about? The legalization of marijuana. On November 6, 2012, Colorado voters approved a change to their state's constitution that legalized pot for personal use. Yes it is true. The personal use of pot is no longer illegal there. FYI, Colorado approved medical marijuana with a doctor's prescription, three years ago. And guess what happened with medical marijuana? Nothing bad happened and the sky didn't fall, as some prominent politicians had predicted. Instead of something bad happening, something good actually happened. A new, high revenue source was discovered. Somehow the lawmakers in Colorado managed to agree to put the legalization question to the voters; and vote they did. More people voted to legalize pot then voted for either President Obama or Mitt Romney. It is apparent that the citizens saw a great opportunity to increase their tax base from just medicinal use to now include personal use. It will be very interesting to see just how much more tax revenue they take in.
I know that there are a lot of people who are totally against legalizing pot. But maybe now is the time to seriously think way outside of the box in order to find new tax revenue sources that people will approve. Alcohol prohibition didn't work in the 1920's and early 1930's and marijuana prohibition is not working today. In addition to the new tax revenues that Colorado will now receive, think about all of the cost savings from all of the law enforcement agencies used to enforce the old laws. There will be less prisoners also. It is a win-win situation for everyone, isn't it? Maybe states with huge deficits should consider this option.
Unfortunately I did think of a potential speed bump for Colorado. The federal government still says that marijuana is still illegal. I sense a U.S. Supreme Court date looming. As always, time will tell what will happen.
Til next week.
Peter
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Hope
Hi Everyone,
I'm back.......... finally. One year to the day, 10/29, but this time due to hurricane Sandy, we lost our electricity again. But this time, the outage lasted for 8 1/2 days, the longest ever for us. You may have watched or heard of the TV show, Breaking Amish? Well my family and I were really becoming Amish. Not so much fun with no phone, no lights, not a single luxury, oh wait that was from another TV show. Remember it? Anyway I digress.
Today's blog isn't about the completely and utterly total lack of common sense of almost every electric utility company in the tri-state region regarding their response, or should I say lack of a response to Sandy. Today's blog is about hope. Hope that common sense is used by the people who seem to never be able to use it, no less heard of it. The people I speak of are of course politicians. Even though President Obama won the popular vote by a small percentage, he won a decisive win with the Electoral College, 332 to 206 with Florida's votes finally counted, 4 days after the election was over. What is Florida's problem with elections? Can anyone explain that to me?
The bottom line is that the American people have spoken by casting their ballots. Now where does that leave partisan politics in D.C.? Hopefully DOA in the morgue and not to rear its ugly zombie head for at least the next four years. Now is the time for common sense to rule in D.C. and compromise to become a good thing and not a dirty word. Both sides need to and absolutely must begin to start compromising ASAP, for the sake of our country. But, the GOP must immediately take off the table, no tax increases for the rich. That's because that's part of what the majority of people voted for. If the GOP continues with their no tax increase stance, they will again be seen as obstructionists and will loose even more seats in the mid-term elections in two years. It is now time for Grover Norquist to crawl back into the hole from whence he came from, (see my blog dated 11/27/11). But I stress that both sides must compromise and do what is right for the people of this country. Although I wish that politicians would just do what is right for us and stop worrying about doing what they think they should do in order to get re-elected. That really is wishful thinking, but one can hope right? Maybe it is really time for term limits. No more life time jobs with life time benefits.
In the spirit of today's blog, I hope that civility also returns to D.C., ASAP! Additionally, the lies, rhetoric, distortions, name calling and the vocal sore losers who say they will move to another country must stop now! We can only hope!
Til next week,
Peter
I'm back.......... finally. One year to the day, 10/29, but this time due to hurricane Sandy, we lost our electricity again. But this time, the outage lasted for 8 1/2 days, the longest ever for us. You may have watched or heard of the TV show, Breaking Amish? Well my family and I were really becoming Amish. Not so much fun with no phone, no lights, not a single luxury, oh wait that was from another TV show. Remember it? Anyway I digress.
Today's blog isn't about the completely and utterly total lack of common sense of almost every electric utility company in the tri-state region regarding their response, or should I say lack of a response to Sandy. Today's blog is about hope. Hope that common sense is used by the people who seem to never be able to use it, no less heard of it. The people I speak of are of course politicians. Even though President Obama won the popular vote by a small percentage, he won a decisive win with the Electoral College, 332 to 206 with Florida's votes finally counted, 4 days after the election was over. What is Florida's problem with elections? Can anyone explain that to me?
The bottom line is that the American people have spoken by casting their ballots. Now where does that leave partisan politics in D.C.? Hopefully DOA in the morgue and not to rear its ugly zombie head for at least the next four years. Now is the time for common sense to rule in D.C. and compromise to become a good thing and not a dirty word. Both sides need to and absolutely must begin to start compromising ASAP, for the sake of our country. But, the GOP must immediately take off the table, no tax increases for the rich. That's because that's part of what the majority of people voted for. If the GOP continues with their no tax increase stance, they will again be seen as obstructionists and will loose even more seats in the mid-term elections in two years. It is now time for Grover Norquist to crawl back into the hole from whence he came from, (see my blog dated 11/27/11). But I stress that both sides must compromise and do what is right for the people of this country. Although I wish that politicians would just do what is right for us and stop worrying about doing what they think they should do in order to get re-elected. That really is wishful thinking, but one can hope right? Maybe it is really time for term limits. No more life time jobs with life time benefits.
In the spirit of today's blog, I hope that civility also returns to D.C., ASAP! Additionally, the lies, rhetoric, distortions, name calling and the vocal sore losers who say they will move to another country must stop now! We can only hope!
Til next week,
Peter
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