Review by Don Bongaards

I found the book “Climatism!!” by Steve Goreham to be so fascinating that I could hardly stop reading.  It should become a best seller since it exposes the greatest fraud in recent history.

From what Steve documents in the book, it appears that many of the world’s nations are committing economic suicide in the name of reduced carbon dioxide levels, while China and India continue to build coal fired power plants that will overwhelm any of their efforts. And, since it is provably clear that increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are only a bit player in affecting the current natural cycle of global warming, it seems like the world has gone crazy. Furthermore, with energy being the driving force for economic growth and free enterprise, it boggles my mind to see the Waxman-Markey Energy Bill being given serious consideration in the face of current high unemployment in the United States.

I was particularly intrigued by the fact that the science of manmade global warming is primarily based upon inaccurate and misleading computer models. Since water vapor is the primary greenhouse gas in the earth’s atmosphere – not carbon dioxide – these models currently cannot, and do not, accurately predict relative humidity and cloud cover. As a result, the analytical predictions are “force fitted” to match historical data. If we know the result that we are trying to achieve, and we have numerous independent variables to manipulate, we can get the computer analysis to predict almost any result we want!!

Although almost every page of the book contains documented facts to dispute global warming alarmists, I found that manipulation of the famous “hockey stick” graph to be the most disturbing. The graph completely ignores the indisputable fact of global warming that occurred in the middle ages; and illustrates, beyond any doubt, that the manmade global warming scare is politically motivated.

Furthermore, the deceptions resulting from the manipulated data from East Anglia University, plus other facts presented in Steve’s book, should put an end to this political charade. My concern now is for honest people who must now reject the false claims that they so fervently believe.

After reading the book, I have concluded that if the sponsoring organizations – especially the IPCC — supporting man caused global warming were to be tried in a court of law, they would unquestionably be found guilty of fraud and deception to the highest degree.

Don Bongaards www.hydrogenplan.net

Retired Westinghouse Engineering Manager and Author of the Book “A Sense of Urgency.”

Rapp’s argument is simple: the corporate income tax is not paid by business owners. Instead it is passed on to Minnesota’s consumers. To compound the insult, it is very regressive in nature, burdening lower income Minnesotans more.  He also points out that it is a  very “volatile” source of income compared to other taxes, such as individual income and sales taxes. This volatilty leads to budgeting woes and errors.  Even more interesting, is that Rapp acknowledges that the elimination of this tax would create jobs and encourage investment. How can we compete with other states for good employers when we punish them for doing business in Minnesota? Rapp goes on to acknowledge the political challenges this poses for “tax the rich” Democrats (”a gift to big business”) and “no new taxes” Republicans (”this will create a hole in the state’s budget” ). 

We have made all these arguments here before about the corporate tax; we are encouraged and delighted to be joined by Mr. Rapp. We look forward to hearing more from him. You can read his article in full at:  http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/83673327.html?elr=KArksc8P:Pc:Ug8P:Pc:UiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr

The convention, intentionally or unintentionally, seemed to focus around one question; where does the movement go from here? That question remains one of the most difficult to achieve consensus on. Many would like to see the movement remain decentralized and grassroots, others would like to see the Tea Party Movement organize and field candidates.

Others question whether or not to be affiliated with a party. Many tea partiers see both Republicans and Democrats as out of touch and fiscally out of control.

However, the issues that divide the group are far lesser than the issue that unites them; the frustration of paying for a government they feel is beholden to special interests and a frustration with Washington’s addiction to deficit spending.

Regardless of whether or not any semblance of consensus has been achieved in Nashville, one thing is for certain; the whole nation will be watching what direction this new grassroots effort takes.

Groups of conservative Democrats critical of runaway spending have emerged in both the House and Senate. One such member is North Dakota’s Sen. Kent Conrad, chair of the Senate Budget Committee. Conrad teamed up with New Hampshire Republican Sen. Judd Gregg to introduce legislation to create a budget task force (press release) to plot a more sustainable fiscal course.

The legislation has 31 co-sponsors including Minnesota’s own Sen. Amy Klobuchar.  In a press release yesterday, Klobuchar said:

“We have already seen what happens to our economy when Wall Street is fiscally irresponsible.  We cannot let our federal government do the same thing,”

“We need to change the way Washington works when it comes to our long-term fiscal outlook.  This is not about being a Democrat, a Republican or an Independent.  The Bipartisan Fiscal Task Force is about trying to get something done to stop unsustainable spending and restore our financial stability.” (Press Release, “Klobuchar Sponsors New Bipartisan Fiscal Task Force Legislation to Confront Nation’s Budget Crisis”)

The task force would have 18 members, ten Democrats and eight Republicans. The committee would also have bipartisan co-chairs.

Senator Gregg posted a fact sheet on the legislation here. For more information on the Bipartisan Task Force for Responsible Fiscal Action Act of 2009, click here.

The Value Added Tax

I posted on the Value Added Tax (VAT) back on October 9th when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in an interview that the controversial tax was on the table.

The Value Added Tax is in the news again this week because of an article in yesterday’s New York Times suggesting a VAT is gaining support on and off Capitol Hill. According to the article, the VAT is gaining support as the only feasible way to raise enough revenue to keep up with runaway federal spending.

Pelosi isn’t the only influential lawmaker eyeing a value added tax. Senate Budget Committee Chair Kent Conrad also believes a value added tax should be on the table. In an interview with the Washington Post in May, Conrad said,

“There is a growing awareness of the need for fundamental tax reform…I think a VAT and a high-end income tax have got to be on the table.” (Washington Post, “Once Considered Unthinkable, U.S. Sales Tax Gets Fresh Look,” May 27, 2009)

Whether through spending cuts, a new task force or a national value added tax, it is becoming clear that the cure for paying off the federal credit card isn’t as simple as raising the credit limit.

There is also disagreement between the two on how much money should be given to developing nations. China believes that developed nations should give upwards of 1.5% of their GDP to developing nations to help close the economic gap, a number much higher than the $10 billion per year pledged by first world nations.

Time will tell whether or not China and the US can come to an agreement, there are still nine days left in Copenhagen including a much anticipated visit by President Barack Obama.

The sentiment was echoed by the worlds media; according to the BBC an incredible 56 newspapers in 45 countries carried editorials “urging politicians to forget their differences and work together to forge an agreement.” The, “point of no return” theme permeates the conference. The sense of urgency combined with the unprecedented public attention creates a perfect storm of action; just what the organizers hoped.

We’ll be covering the event throughout the day, in the meantime you can watch it live here or below if your browser supports iframes.

8th district Congressman Jim Oberstar, chair of the U.S.  House Transportation Committee disagrees. In an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, Oberstar said “Those are factors yet to be determined…Resolution of those open-end issues will determine its overall cost. I don’t see the need for a billion-dollar investment.”

The line would spur an estimated $2 billion in investment, according to the Northern Lights Express Passenger Rail Project (NLX). However, headaches started when the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) and NLX found major discrepancies in their visions of the line. Some of the key sticking points are:

• The number of trains – MNDOT wants up to eight trains costing and extra $140 million, NLX suggests only three or four are needed to run the proposed eight daily trips.
• The track – MNDOT wants two sets of track running the full length of the corridor from the Cities to Duluth, NLX says only 100 miles of the route needs to be double tracked.
• Bridges – MNDOT wants to replace every bridge along the corridor, NLX disagrees saying if the route was only single track between Sandstone and Superior, it would eliminate the need to replace as many as four bridges, significantly reducing the cost.

MNDOT and NLX have the next several weeks to hammer out the details before the application must be sent. In the meantime, NLX is sponsoring an informational meeting on Thursday, December 3rd in Cambridge, Minnesota. The open house runs from 4:30 to 6:00pm at the Armed Forces Reserve Community Center – Assembly Hall in Cambridge.