Monday, June 23, 2008

Let's Drill It, That Will Help

Here are two articles that I found on PennLive, a site that features stories and news from around the Harrisburg area and in Pennsylvania in general.

This one is about how the government (local or national) is getting too involved in the lives of its citizens.

If you don't want to read it, here is a brief overview.

The borough of Stroudsburg (near the Poconos) has decided that people cannot have furniture on their front porch if it was intended for indoor use.

Meaning that they cannot have a couch or upholstered chairs on their front porch.

Why can't they you ask...

Because they say it could start a fire. Back in 1994 (14 years ago and none since) there was a fire at Bloomsburg University that started in a porch sofa.

So the borough is arguing that for people's safety no one can have a porch sofa any more.

Now lets consider the real reason....

It looks terrible. And to a point it does.

I have seen front porches that have a TON of trash and junk on their front porch. It is dirty looking and definitely influences the opinions of people that are driving through.

But once you buy a home aren't you allowed to do with it what you please (obviously within reason).

I hate looking at homes with junk all over the front porch but a couch? Please...don't these governments have ANYTHING better to do?


The second article is about drilling in Alaska because of how gas prices have shot up.

I was never against this and still am not but the reason to do it now is RIDICULOUS.

The article says that in 2000 70% of Americans were against it but now only %49 percent are against it.

And the reason people are starting to like the idea is because they all think it will help gas prices!

Maybe I am wrong about this but even if the government allowed companies to drill there, wouldn't it take a few years before drilling actually started??

And wouldn't we STILL run out of oil eventually??

And it WOULDN'T lower gas prices anyways!! It would just make us a little (and by little I mean not much at all) less dependent on foreign oil.

So here is an idea....(and I realize how completely ridiculous and absurd this is, but I have to say it)

Lets try some alternative energy!

The sun or wind seem to produce energy, so let's power our homes and world with them.

You want to heat your home, get a geo-thermal unit. I have one, they work WONDERFULLY!

And for cars....electric, hydrogen, bicycles, or I don't know maybe MASS TRANSIT!?!?!?!

(And I don't want to hear about ethanol because that WILL NOT help the prices. Ethanol is just as or even more expensive than gas.)

I ride the bus daily and it saves me a ton (it costs $45 for a whole month or you can get 25 rides for $32). But of the probably close to 50,000 people that work in Harrisburg, I would bet there are only 1,000 (maybe 2,000) that regularly take the bus.

And yes I know some people can't take mass transit due to where they live but there are ALOT that could if they wanted to. And for those who think they can't take it....I don't live on a bus route, I drive about 10 minutes to get to one then I park and ride the bus. There are even lots around the midstate for this EXACT PURPOSE!


I don't know maybe I am just being stupid to think that we could use things other than oil and gas to get by.

But something tells me that it has been done before?!?!

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