hustlerguy

One reason very little gets solved in government.
Everyone is willing to cut funding from stuff they don't like. But things they do like they don't want to change or touch unless your giving it more money.
The facts are there is waste in ALL areas that need to be cut out.
See my I need gasoline to run my business, my toys. But If there truly is oil subsidy of millions (depends who reports on what, everyone full of half truths). This should be cut also. If the oil companies can't make it on there own they need to get more efficient!
I am willing to cut the fat from even things I like and need.
I don't care if your right or left in politics, it's time to be honest.
I don't have to like what you do, you don't have to like what I do but if country is to get better it's time to think big picture and not be selfish and want others to pay for what you like.
That is by definition redistribution of wealth, socialism.

RollWithIt

Very well said. I agree on the vast amounts of wasted governmental spending. If government was run like a business, without the option of being bailed out, it would have failed a long time ago.

tommymonza

One thing I can say after staying up in Michigan with some friends since Sept is Florida is dirt cheap to live compared to here.

Frikin property taxes are ridiculous . Your endless heat bills are crazy , and your electric bill that is powering nothing but the frig and lights cost more than I pay to air condition my house in the heat of summer in Florida.

Not a huge house nor an inefficient house I'm staying at..

Florida is damn cheap living if you bought an affordable house.

tommymonza

1st thing Trump needs to do is do away with ethanol subsidies and get rid of its production.

Get farmers back to growing affordable food for Americans . The single most inflationary affect on the average American is the cost of food.

kidturbo

I spent past 10yrs in the biofuels industry, and finally realized if it ain't black and pumped from the ground, no one gives a chit... Long as there is a few drops of crude left to suck out of the ground or suck out of tar sands, no one will ever willing chose to use alternatives. The whole biofuel market is made up of crooks and cheats who spend most of the day trying to figure how to get some special credits from the gov without ever making fuel.

That said, there is a reason for all the fraud. Most like myself got into it for the right reasons, then realized there was no market for the products. The gov promised everyone tax credits, blender credits, and built a tracking system called RIN's which assigned a tracking number to every gallon of biofuel produced. Then our Einstein politicians left it up to big oil to blend all this biofuel into the mainstream. When they didn't, they mandated so much per year be blended. After a couple years of solid mandates, they started delaying legistaion for the following year until about half way into that year. Tax credits, same thing, Releasing the proposed fuel tax credit figures for 2016 in like October 2016..

Whole deal would be equal the gov telling Apple they have to sell so many Samsung phones per year or pay a fine. Apple says Ok, we will buy 100 Samsung phones, toss them in the trash, and move on... Then next year by like say June, they say Apple you have to buy 120 phones this year. Leaving the small guys wondering for six months if the have any sales for the year or not. Basically how the whole thing works. Except Apple also spends 50x that money on adds slamming Samsung, and just as much to lobby against them in DC. Get the picture?? Substitute your favorite big oil company for Apple. It's so screwed up I said F-this whole venture, hope all the oil drys up soon and I can watch everyone walk to work...

Ethanol in the US is counter productive. Takes more energy to produce a gallon than ya get back from the fuel. Is purely due to Corn as the only feedstock. However, it does run great in a boosted engine as some are starting to learn. Biodiesel, made from used cooking oil is a positive on the energy chart. Also a great fuel when used correctly. Ran everything I owned including my boat on it for many years. However when it comes to demand side, you could meet the US market demand by making it out of Willie Nelson's left over pot seeds and he'd still have plenty to run his bus on... That's what I leaned first hand about clean energy in the US.

Indy

Bottom line for me is when I see the same passion surrounding something like military spending which accounts for 55% of our budget then I'll recant my dismissing this topic as nothing more than dogma.

If they spend something on keeping my playgrounds, water, air, et al, and some of it happens to be waste which exists in all areas then it's not going to get much attention from me. My water comes from a well, I'd like it to be clean and free from contaminates so I don't grow a thumb out of my forehead.

Payton

We are producing cheap food! The cheapest in the world. Most of your facts were close until you talked about ethanol. Corn is not the only feed stock used in this country. Garbage, wood chips, switchgrass, corn stover and sugar can to name a few. Also it's not "counter productive". Those numbers are 20 years old.

Bondo

Ayuh,... Typical progressive talkin' point,...
Problem is,...
Tax deductions are NOT Subsidies,....
Just as any other business uses Tax Deductions against spent moneys, 'n depleted resources,...

RidnMcNasty

They are making advancements but it definitely is not at any kind of alarming rate. I too love the environment but being close to the energy industry, I just don't see us getting away from big base load power plants (coal, natural gas, nuclear) in my lifetime. There is just too many variables that make them a liability when talking about reliable grid operations. Another option that we are seeing explored at a high rate is the new "Ocean Wave Energy" renewable sources, but again, these are built offshore to importing the energy to the load centers is a chore. Batteries are also being researched and improved at a high rate and are now able to actually be a regulating resource in the energy market and they do so very well but more research and development is needed.

hustlerguy

This thread was supposed about cutting money from the great lake fund correct???

This has turned into the Liberal Partisan talking point thread.

The quote above about military spending amounts is typical liberal talking points that are a complete spin on numbers. People here it and believe the politicians spewing the nonsense. This was my point earlier in a post of how both parties lie and get people worked up.
BTW how is cutting wasted research money from the great lakes effecting your well? I've never heard of anyone growing a extra thumb anywhere on there body from water. Another example of liberal spewed rhetoric, (if you don't do what I like you want dirty air and dirty water and your a killer). Liberals speak this non stop and have gotten away with it for years until recently. Now people are tired of the rhetoric bull crap and some are willing to call it what it is.

Just so others can see the real numbers.
Here is real military #'s Look them up yourself, don't feed others misleading #'s
Health Care 31% of federal budget (gone up from 28% in 2014 with the disaster pork filled bill Obama Care) Cut the pork and stupid restrictions from this bill also. Last I checked I cant use birth control pills or a mammogram or planned parenthood.
Social Security 25%
Military Defense and Homeland security 15% (homeland security airport security/border patrol, parts of the drug task force accounts for approx 4% of this) So really Military spending is 11% of federal budget. BTW I'm fine with cutting wasteful spending from this budget also!

This thread has gone no where near what it was labeled in the last couple of pages. Should probably be moved to the political section by a Mod.

If you want to use wind and solar energy so badly I'd kindly suggest buying a Sail boat. I see lots of them in the Apostle Island area using both solar and wind. Not my cup of tea but I also don't try to tell others what they have to do with there lives or like. Do what you like, just dont tell me how or what to like also.

Everyone on this site uses Gasoline to run there engines on there boat. (unless they have a diesel or turbine engine)