Fees for Unemployment Debit Card

[Sonic Glitch]

contact your local state representative. 8)

Yes because they'll totally jump right on that and take care of it. Our legislators obviously have more important things to do, witness PA House Bill 363

Err...wouldn't that be decided on by the school board? Since when do you require a law to ban mobile phones in schools?

You would think that wouldn't you? And to answer your question: Since now apparently. Or at least whenever the pager bill was written.

[Lt. Staplic]

well, never underestimate the power of the state to interfear in affairs they shouldn't be messing in!

[Tsukiyumi]

well, never underestimate the power of the state to interfear in affairs they shouldn't be messing in!

And stay out of things they should be involved in.

[Lt. Staplic]

ah, yes, I knew I was forgetting something they forgot.

[Tsukiyumi]

In my opinion, the sole purpose of any government should be to safeguard the rights of its citizens (mostly by regulating the practices of companies). They shouldn't meddle with people's private activities.

[Lt. Staplic]

ah, a conservative.

I'm more moderate, the government shouldn't get too involved, but we need an active government too, there's to many instances in the past where an inactive government spawned a mess of issues that required huge reformes to fix, and one time a War.

[Tsukiyumi]

ah, a conservative...

Hardly.

Conservatives rarely support regulation of companies, whereas I support outright nationalization of a number of industries.

I'm pretty much a Libertarian when it comes to personal freedoms, and a Socialist when it comes to corporate regulation.

[Lt. Staplic]

well then your view of government is beyond that of simply protecting the rights of its citizens if you want government owned trade.

[Tsukiyumi]

No better way to protect people's rights than to make sure companies don't trample them.

[Lt. Staplic]

Well, if you listen to some isn't it a persons right to perform their trade in a free market where they aren't limited by their government.

[Lazar]

I think an unregulated free market would be too dangerous, with too many opportunities for people to get screwed over by corporations. I'm in favor of an economy with solid labor, business and environmental regulations, and with universal public health insurance to take the profit motive out of medicine.

[Tsukiyumi]

Well, if you listen to some isn't it a persons right to perform their trade in a free market where they aren't limited by their government.

I don't believe anyone has a "right" to extort people.

Example: You could argue that homeless shelters and soup kitchens are cutting into the profits of landlords and restaurants, right? After all, people should have to pay for practically everything, right?

Unregulated companies are a breeding ground for selfishness and greed. Look at the news and you'll see what the results of even a semi-free market are. They should all be strictly regulated, IMO.

Lazar - right on.

[Lt. Staplic]

don't get me wrong I'm not an advocate of a free market.

My opinion towards the economy is this:

the Capitalistic beast should be the master , however there should be some Socialistic policies around to act as the skeleton incase of atrophy.

[Tsukiyumi]

don't get me wrong I'm not an advocate of a free market...

Good.

I'm not really even an advocate of capitalism, but that's the game we're all playing, so I aim to play without exploiting people.

I like to use this analogy: the idea that companies can regulate themselves is akin to letting a convicted child molester run a day care. Suuuure, he won't touch any of the kids; after all, he knows what the penalty is, right?

While we're still on the subject of "free market" capitalism, think about these -

Q: Why not put solar panels on every rooftop that can use them? Then individuals and businesses could create their own power, pollution free.
A: Because it would pretty much put power companies out of business. Can't have that.

Q: Why haven't we already set up a complete health care system like the ones our European friends have?
A: Because too many people are enjoying the outrageous profits from the current system.

Q: How are banks allowed to charge fees on something that is supposed to be government mandated assistance?
A: Because banks are something so vital to a capitalist system that the government can't deny them all financial aid, and also can't really regulate them without assuming at least partial control.

And, this one's a bit more on the topic of "why I think our system is flawed"
Q: Why are hundreds of thousands (or millions) of people homeless while millions of houses sit empty?
A: Because we have a societal system based overall on want, instead of need.

[Coalition]

Q: Why not put solar panels on every rooftop that can use them? Then individuals and businesses could create their own power, pollution free.
A: Because it would pretty much put power companies out of business. Can't have that.

I'd argue it is because the power supply is intermittent, and the cost:benefit is currently too high. You can add to that the need for various chemicals needed to make the solar cells as a nice 'bonus'. I am ignoring tax breaks and similar for cost:benefit calculations.

The intermittent power supply means that you need a backup power supply at night/rain/clouds. The power company will have to handle that, or you can put lots of rechargeable batteries (the better ones release hydrogen gas as they charge, meaning major fire/explosion hazard) on your property. Recharging back to the grid is iffy, as it means that a line techician has to be careful of live power from both ends of the cable, rather than just one.

Now if you had a dedicated order, allowing developing an effective factory dedicated to making a single line of solar panels, that would be useful. If there is plenty of sunlight, they would be very useful for disaster relief (the solar panels can be put up in parallel, while a new power plant would take time), or simply deciding to cover a desert.

Power companies would benefit from the latter, as the new infrastructure needed to transmit the power would be a nice chunk of change.


My stunt would be a massive nuclearization project, with the reactors built near the coast, and paired with desalination plants. The electricity and heat from the nuke plants can be used to desalinate water, with power during the day being used to power the grid, and excess power at night being used to pump water uphill (grey water or otherwise) to hydroelectric dams. The hydroelectric dams release water during the day depending on demand (or to avoid overfill). The reactors would all be of a single design, meaning inspectors don't have to memorize several different plant designs to make sure everything is working properly.

The nuke plants have a several minute time frame to change the generation capacity (like all thermal plants), meaning they work best if left at a constant setting. Hydroelectric plants are the only type of plant that can handle large power demand changes in seconds. Solar and wind are too intermittent for steady power, geothermal is only useful in certain locations (most of which are already being used, and it is a thermal type plant), not sure about garbage/biofuel (and those are likely thermal as well). As nuke plants come on line, close down coal plants. Maybe start research into coal -> fuel projects, using coal to provide non-oil sources of petrochemicals. You still have cars burning fuel, so that will have to be another project.

A coast-coast grey water project would be a series of pipelines going from state to state, so if one location is in danger of flooding, it can pump water into the pipe network, and another state that is suffering from drought can take water from. Again, the nuclear plants would be providing power to this network. A good example of this is several years ago when the Missippi river flooded. A coast-coast pipe system would have been used to pump away water not only in the region currently flooded, but also regions downriver.

Both of these jobs would require local labor to accomplish, and if the projects were done steadily they could provide over a decade of work. Once it is done though, we have a modernized power grid, reduced need for oil, and be more resistant to natural disasters.