The Romney - Ryan Energy Plan, and a few of my own suggestions on this and other topics

 The Romney -Ryan Energy Plan 

Is it enough to make us Energy Independent by 2020?  The Plan (in yellow below) states:

  http://www.mittromney.com/issues/energy

Energy

Producing more domestic energy would create good jobs and bolster local economies in a wide variety of energy-producing regions that effectively “export” their product to the rest of the country. While countless jobs are engaged in the actual energy-production process, they are a small fraction of the full workforce that benefits. For instance, before the first barrel of oil is pumped out of the ground, entire industries are hard at work creating the equipment and providing the services used in drilling, production, and the long chain of supporting industries that brings energy from inside the earth to the consumer.
The ripple effects into the non-energy sectors of the economy are commensurately important. If instead of sending hundreds of billions of dollars overseas we can send them to our own energy-rich centers, the nation as a whole will experience the economic benefits that we currently see other countries enjoying at our expense.

Obama's Failure

Unfortunately, the first three years of the Obama administration have witnessed energy and environmental policies that have stifled the domestic energy sector. In thrall to the environmentalist lobby and its dogmas, the President and the regulatory bodies under his control have taken measures to limit energy exploration and restrict development in ways that sap economic performance, curtail growth, and kill jobs.

The Obama administration’s energy policy has been simply incoherent. For instance, it has blocked off-shore drilling in U.S. waters while applauding increased drilling off the coast of Brazil. Similarly, it has blocked construction of a pipeline that would bring Canadian oil to the United States, knowing full well that the result would be Canadian oil flowing to China instead. And it has pursued numerous regulations that would drive up energy prices while destroying millions of jobs.

As the Obama administration wages war against oil and coal, it has been spending billions of dollars on alternative energy forms and touting its creation of “green” jobs. But it seems to be operating more on faith than on fact-based economic calculation. The “green” technologies are typically far too expensive to compete in the marketplace, and studies have shown that for every “green” job created there are actually more jobs destroyed. Unsurprisingly, this costly government investment has failed to create an economic boom.

Mitt's Plan

As president, Mitt Romney will make every effort to safeguard the environment, but he will be mindful at every step of also protecting the jobs of American workers. This will require putting conservative principles into action.

Significant Regulatory Reform

The first step will be a rational and streamlined approach to regulation, which would facilitate rapid progress in the development of our domestic reserves of oil and natural gas and allow for further investment in nuclear power.

• Establish fixed timetables for all resource development approvals
• Create one-stop shop to streamline permitting process for approval of common activities
• Implement fast-track procedures for companies with established safety records to conduct pre-approved activities in pre-approved areas
• Ensure that environmental laws properly account for cost in regulatory process
• Amend Clean Air Act to exclude carbon dioxide from its purview
• Expand NRC capabilities for approval of additional nuclear reactor designs
• Streamline NRC processes to ensure that licensing decisions for reactors on or adjacent to approved sites, using approved designs, are complete within two years

Increasing Production

The United States is blessed with a cornucopia of carbon-based energy resources. Developing them has been a pathway to prosperity for the nation in the past and offers similar promise for the future.

• Conduct comprehensive survey of America’s energy reserves
• Open America’s energy reserves for development
• Expand opportunities for U.S. resource developers to forge partnerships with neighboring countries
• Support construction of pipelines to bring Canadian oil to the United States
• Prevent overregulation of shale gas development and extraction

Research and Development

Government has a role to play in innovation in the energy industry. History shows that the United States has moved forward in astonishing ways thanks to national investment in basic research and advanced technology. However, we should not be in the business of steering investment toward particular politically favored approaches. That is a recipe for both time and money wasted on projects that do not bring us dividends. The failure of windmills and solar plants to become economically viable or make a significant contribution to our energy supply is a prime example.

• Concentrate alternative energy funding on basic research
• Utilize long-term, apolitical funding mechanisms like ARPA-E for basic research

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Now, Newt Gingrich gave his input months ago on the fact that we can reduce Gas Prices at the pump to a National Average of under $2.50 a gallon quickly.  And I concur. 

However, what is missing is the need for New Mega Refineries and depositories here in the USA.  

 If we become an oil and gas EXPORTER and pay ourselves the extra $700 Billion in revenue for jobs, industry, and profit to be spent and kept here at home...we need the greater capacity of storage, processing, and distribution domestically. 

I have such included in Budgetary Proposals I would put forward for consideration, and implementation (if they should merit the same). Remember, these are just my own ideas as suggestions for consideration.  They are not set in stone, but are meant to add some supplemental necessary discussion. 

The Original Republican 2012 Budget Proposal is available at the ff. link

http://www.gop.gov/resources/library/documents/budget/path-to-prosperity.pdf

My Theoretical Budget Proposal go to the following effect, and these all need to be put in writing and passed through Congress as bills signed into law:

1.      Defense Spending for 2013 should be capped at $600,000,000,000

     $570,000,000,000 for regular operations budgetary authority, $30,000,000,000 for removal of troops from Afghanistan and last operations while pulling out.

a.     Pensions freeze for retirees for 10 years

b.     Pension reductions to a $4,000 a month cap regardless of rank, including generals - admirals (even retired Joint Chiefs of Staff).

c.      Defund the Afghanistan War and pull the troops out

d.     Option:  Up to $50,000,000,000 of Military Budget may be set aside for discretionary surgical strike spending (being pre-approved by Congress for this contingency) that can be rolled over into the next fiscal year for discretionary covert and surgical strike operations to a maximum fund of $80,000,000,000 in any given year, the surplus used to pay down the National Debt. Congressional Oversight and Intelligence will still need to be informed of the finances used, and pre-authorize use when operations not self-defense contingencies for being fired upon or specific rescue operations to recover personnel. 

e.      Reduction in top wage earners above$ 120,000 to that wage, and frozen for 5 years

f.       Veterans Medical Services salary caps, reducing Administrator and Medical salaries to a cap of $85,000.   

g.     Reallocate surpluses saved in wages and pensions to Veterans Medical Service expenses, with the goal of increasing services and procedures for military veterans directly  wounded while in performance of Military Service or in Military Transport.

2.     Building of 4 US Military Oil/Gas Refineries and fuel storage Depots to be located on Atlantic Ocean US Coast, Caribbean US Coast, Pacific Alaska US Coast, and Pacific Continental United States Coast.    These will be harbor facilities with a depth requirement of 120 or more, and given environmental impact waivers for dredging and construction. 

    Each facility on the Pacific Continental and Atlantic U.S. Coast will accommodate storage of 30,000,000 barrels of oil, and have a capacity to convert a minimum of at least 250,000 barrels of oil per day.  The facility located on the Pacific Alaskan U.S. Coast will have the capacity to store 60,000,000 U.S. barrels of oil, be able to convert 300,000 barrels of oil per day, and is be located within 400 miles of Juneau.   

           Encourage the the Private Sector equivalent oil/gas depots and refineries to mirror these.  One in Alaska, one on the Lower 48 West Coast, one more at the Caribbean, and one on the East Coast. Furthermore, it is expected that there would be immediate renewed negotiations offering EPA and necessary clearances to bring down Canadian Keystone Pipeline Oil to the Central US.  Also advocating the opening 3 Private sector refineries in the Mid-west to store and process the oil at 20% capacity of the above coastal projects (or a 6,000,000 barrel storage capacity with a capacity to convert 50,000 barrels of oil per day).  That would be an authorization of 7 new private sector refineries with depots, and 4 U.S. Military refineries with depots for a a total of 11.  

 Congress, with the ending of the war in Afghanistan, would set aside a one time allocation of $16,000,000,000 per military facility, and all 4 facilities and their harbors must be fully built and operational by January 1, 2016.  They will be manned by US Military personnel and a force of no more than 25% Civilian sub-contractors, and require Secret Clearances. And the loan would be required to be paid back within 5 years of operations, and an authorization to make sales of oil to foreign allies would be granted up to the amount of 100% over the cost to man and maintain the facilities annually.  A surplus of no more than another 100% above that may be sold and processed for other budgetary emergencies.

An expected growth of 50,000 military personnel that would operate in self sufficiency, 10,000 of them being security, is factored in.  If the rest of the military is in any way cut, these personnel would be exempt by requirement in my proposal.

     

      Foreign energy companies issued drilling permits should be required to a 10% or more gross volume operations fee to drill oil or natural gas off of US Coasts within 200 miles of the Continental United States.  The monies to be divided equally between the State and the Federal Government without penalty to the State. Higher gross operations fees can be applied to new rigs and / or new drilling, the same as raising tariffs; but contractual existent rigs must be honored at the 10% fee unless a state of hostilities or alliance to a foreign hostile power allows an operative contractual clause for the US Government to order the drilling to stop because its operations directly aid and abet a hostile foreign power to the United States of America. 

   These State and Federal revenues should be exempted from any form of personal gain, pensions, salaries, profiteering, and such applications of cronyism should be listed as felonious misuse with 20-30 years Federal Prison time, and forfeiture of all assets and properties.  

       

3.     Social Security

a.     Remove all non-seniors and non-US Citizens from receiving Social Security Checks, with the exception of U.S. Citizens who are disabled having an 80% or above disability, or if less than 80% disability have at least a 50% disability with a 15 year or greater work history.  All other U.S. Citizens removed with less than 50% disability will be expected to be rescheduled into welfare to work and food stamps to work programs unless they care for an 80% or above disabled or children under 6 years old.  The hours and days of work will generally be on public school days during public school hours between 8:30 am and 1 pm.

b.     Re-categorize Food Stamp and Welfare into its own Government Resource, and prevent any cashing out or cash back issuance on food stamp debit cards.

c.      Thumb prints into national computer identity index for every food stamp and welfare recipient (both primary and claimed beneficiary) .  An initial investment of $10,000,000,000 to create a national data clearing house specifically designed to check the identity of only those who choose to be on welfare and/or food stamps, with a feedback within 5 minutes or in real-time to prevent fraud, with arrest and prosecution and property recovery on those convicted (with a mandatory 5 years hard labor for each identity fraud duplication) to be served consecutively.  The system will also be required to maintain these records, and have an alert system for any multiple payments of the same payment issuance to the same fingerprint or home address under the same name, spelling changes, or aliases. 

d.     Reduce all payments to a maximum of $2,500 per month

e.      Allow cost of living increase of 10% for any Social Security payments under $1,500 per month, and then freeze at $1,500 for Fiscal year 2012

f.       Social Security payroll tax increase of 1% on wage earners January 1, 2014 to be locked in and not increased for a minimum of 10 years. 

g.     All those not having a dependent with 80% or more disability or under the age of 6, will be expected to work during public school hours between 8 am and 1 pm daily for 20 business days per month.  Those having no dependents under the age of 12, will be expected to work Monday to Friday 8 am to 2:30 pm for 20 business days a month.  Sick days or scheduled absences must be worked (made up) for within 45 days or financial aid will be revoked.  Exigent circumstances and severe illness can be granted waivers of more than 10 days without penalty (with physician or case worker verification) for no more than one instance per calendar year.

4.     Income tax rate, taxes, interest rates (private sector), the Federal Reserve

a.     An across the board 10% tax rate cut for incomes between $20,000 – 100,000

b.     An across the board 5% tax rate cut for incomes $100,000.01 and up

c.      Exemption deduction, $8,000 Single or Married filing separately, $10,000 Head of Household or Married.  

d. There should also be some reform with Capital Gains, and with all major banks charging more than 5% interest over LIBOR, gouging their customers, especially when constantly renigging of fixed rates for life for those in good standing who keep their contractual agreements while the Banks have gouged and ripped off the consumer for decades, altering the language of the debt anytime they wish to rip off the consumer for greater profits among themselves.  That thievery needs to end, and if the banks cannot honor their original agreements, then we need to enforce them to honor the rates they originally offered the consumer (whichever best benefits the consumer).

e.  Dissolve the Federal Reserve, and make public through open Congressional Hearings / open the books and televise as to who ran the Fed and what they did.

5.     Corporate Tax Rate to be lowered to 20%

6.      Reduce the wages of Congress regardless of age or seniority to $100,000 per year.  Removal of all pensions to anyone having served less than 10 years, and a sliding scale used.  Less than 10 years’ service: a retention of Health Benefits for 1 more fiscal year from the passing of the budget before removal.   10 years’ service, $1,000 a month pension for 12 months and retention of Heath benefits for 24 more months before removal from pension and benefits.   20 years’ service or more, $2,000 a month pension and health benefits retention for those having a property and assets value or gross worth less than $400,000.  All others will be given a minimal Health Coverage package valued at no more than $2,000 a month in non-hospitalization coverage, and recreational prescriptions such as Viagra and Cialis would  hereby be revoked.

7.     Allocate a $10,000,000,000 a year budget expense to upgrading the electric infrastructure of this nation’s power grid on a 15 year plan with increments of 3% more per year investment increases.  Revenues will come by opening up issuing permits to US and allied nation Oil companies willing to enter a contractual agreement to give the U.S. Government.  Surpluses beyond this amount may be applied to more intensified power grid upgrades or to pay down the national debt only. 

 Again, these are just ideas that those who are interested in discussing what may or may not work can discuss at the Romney-Ryan round-table.  More than likely, none of the above will be considered by them.  But who knows?  Sometimes articles get forwarded and read if it is worthy of such consideration.  

Peace.