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[Childers.Paula AT epamail.epa.gov]

Dan, I would wholeheartedly second all that!  or to make it short &
sweet, "It's the ECONOMY, stupid!"

I would also ask everyone to think for a minute about all the $$$$ being
put into oil & gas subsidies, and the costs ($$$ and human) of all the
wars (Gulf War, Vietnam, Iraq war? Afghanistan?) and mini-wars and
mercenary acts and coup d'etats (Venezuela) we have waged over the years
to support our oil habits... and then think about what if even 10% of
that (far less than Bush proposes to spend on the Iraq war) was given to
sustainable energy development? Instead of invading other soverign
nations?  I read somewhere that over the last 20 years, the fossil &
nuclear fuel subsidies (the ones on the books as such) averaged between
$1200-$2000 PER YEAR for every living person in the US (I think the
exact figure is about $30 BILLION annually for recent years), whereas
the subsidies given to alternative sustainable energy development (wind,
solar, geothermal, tidal, hydrogen fuell cells) would run to about 12
cents per person TOTAL.

Here's some food for thought:
http://www.fcun.org/sustain/energy.html
http://www.rmi.org/

There are other ways to pull out of recession, develop our nation's
technology & infrastructure, and renew our nation's economic growth,
that don't involve killing innocent people or exploiting the
already-poor or destroying the planet.  It seems to me like just plain
common sense to start investing in sustainable technology now, that's
where the boom will be in 10-20 years- or sooner, if we have any sense!
Think about this - a New Deal-style good old-fashioned Keynesian
national effort to convert the US to sustainable energy technology
within 20 years. God, how many great new jobs would that make!  How much
worldwide goodwill we'd win!  And what a signal to the world economy -
the US would again be a great and insightful leader, not just a
behind-the-times bully as it seems we've become. The global renaissance
of technology would be astounding!  And nobody has to get blown up or
shot dead because THE SUN SHINES AND THE WIND BLOWS EVERYWHERE.

Think about it.



My .02.

What about associated costs?  First you have costs of covert programs,
then if military force is required, the $B's which most likely won't be
shared this time around.  Then, if we engage a military action, what are

the official and under table (kickbacks) costs to rebuild a decimated
economy and install a new puppet government?

What I want to know is HOW does Bush/Rove explain this in such a way to
gain widespread mainstream US acceptance when our own economy is in the
toilet, and the Bush economic team receives failing grades on domestic
policy by our nation's leading independent economists?

IMHO, these costs are difficult to justify when our stock market is down

40% (so far) during the Bush watch, companies aren't aren't hiring, and
consumers are curtailing spending.  The lastest consumer spending report

hit the news yesterday.

The US is the key driver in the global economy; we can't rebuild other
countries' economic infrastructure without our own rebound first.