The Green Agenda… Solyndra… and the Price

Just like the view below, the American economy and way of life are casualties of the left’s Green Agenda… or will be if we don’t stop them! And Solyndra is just the latest example of the lengths the left will go to, to achieve their desired ends: the fundamental  transformation of America, global distribution of wealth and the demise of our way of life. The green agenda or Green Hell are very much part of that plan!!

Lovely Mountain View… Or It Would Have Been ;-)

Freedom Works: Every day in Washington D.C. is filled to the brim with sound bites delivered by our incompetent leaders, devoid of any facts or reason, but fit for media consumption. The Obama administration is no exception to this unfortunate, but ironclad, rule of politics. Take the predictable spiel about “green jobs,” for instance we always hear rosy scenarios of a growing green industry, flush with high-paying jobs. A solar company touted by Obama as “a testament to American ingenuity and dynamism” merely a month ago has just shut its doors. Solyndra, the recipient of $535 million in low cost loan guarantees from the inefficient Department of Energy, closed shop without warning two weeks ago, ordering confused workers to vacate the premises. The unholy connections between Solyndra and the current administration, though, run deeper than a loan gone sour. Indeed, it is curious that George Kaiser, a large contributor to the failing company, was also a high-profile bankroller for Obama’s 2008 campaign.

            Dubious handouts from the government to favored businesses are nothing new, however. As many political observers of the 1980s could tell you, the subsidization of synthetic fuels was similarly a disaster. Originally an attempt by the Carter administration to promote “energy independence,” the Synfuels Corporation received a hefty $15 billion appropriation. Although it began with the noblest of intentions, it wandered from its original purpose and became mired in cronyism and corruption. High-profile resignations and repeated claims of mismanagement led Democrat Howard Wolpe to remark that, “We have created a fiscal Frankenstein that is beyond the control of the Executive and Legislative branches." Although many lawmakers may use the “job creation” line as a last ditch defense of their failed pet initiative, they fail to mention jobs that are indirectly lost. A recent study from King Juan Carlos University in Madrid finds that every “green job” will result in the loss of 2.2 other jobs on average. Why is that? As the author of the report, Gabriel Calzada, explains, “The loss of jobs could be greater if you account for the amount of lost industry that moves out of the country due to higher energy prices.”

            The question that naturally arises is why failure inevitably plagues government initiatives and “investments”? As we have seen in both the Solyndra and Synfuels saga, the government is more interested in promoting political ends rather than economic expansion. Whether a subsidy’s aim is to pay back a loyal supporter, or to attract more supports in the name of a vague ideal, power-plays and political considerations are the sole focus of activity. If the government were to simply yield to the private sector in matters of energy policy, America would be able to achieve “energy independence” quickly and more efficiently than it would under a stifling bureaucracy. In the case of Synfuels, even the Energy Secretary of the time admitted that "drilling in America would produce much more oil" than handing the corporation a blank check. Even today, political leaders fail to acknowledge the benefits in unleashing a dynamic free-market in the energy sector. Despite the millions of barrels of oil that could be obtained through off-shore drilling and the abundant supplies of natural gas, the government imposes a daunting regulatory approach to producing energy. Also, the government inefficiently subsidizes deep-shore drilling, which collects less oil on average and leads to the dangerous conditions present in the BP Oil Spill. These missteps, though, are merely a few of the plethora of unintended consequences that haunt every government action.

Government Picks a Loser

We now know that Valerie Jarrett, Pete Rouse Joe Biden and Obama knew there was a problem with Solyndra… if not worse. (Obama visited the facility at least twice and gave a speech from there.) 

From their own website:  Fremont, CA, March 20, 2009 – Solyndra, Inc. announced today that it is the first company to receive an offer for a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) loan guarantee under Title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Solyndra, a Fremont, California-based manufacturer of innovative cylindrical photovoltaic systems, will use the proceeds of a $535 million loan from the U.S. Treasury’s Federal Financing Bank to expand its solar panel manufacturing capacity in California.

“The leadership and actions of President Barack Obama, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and the U.S. Congress were instrumental in concluding this offer for a loan guarantee,” said Solyndra CEO and founder, Dr. Chris Gronet. “The DOE Loan Guarantee Program funding will enable Solyndra to achieve the economies of scale needed to deliver solar electricity at prices that are competitive with utility rates. This expansion is really about creating new jobs while meaningfully impacting global warming.”

But now Hillary??

Hillary Clinton and Solyndra

One of the things liberals used to say about the Obama regime was that it was squeaky clean.  We knew that was not true, but Obama seemed lucky enough not to have any scandals stick. 

Until now.

Solyndra may be a name that follows Barack Obama throughout 2012 and a name he may end up wishing he had never heard of. 

The Obama regime began hyping Solyndra as the great green hope.   Solyndra’s biggest attraction to Obama was money.  The investors of Solyndra donated personally or bundled large amounts of money for the Obama campaign.  Who needs a good business plan when you can just give money to a candidate for the Party of Treason? 

The net result was a  $535 million dollar loan guarantee to Solyndra.  While alarm bells were being rung by the government employees who actually understood what was going on, and did not receive campaign contributions, those who did receive the contributions, pushed the project. 

One email between the White House and an agency staffer said it best.  “This deal is not ready for prime time,” the email announced.

In 2010, Obama visited the plant to tout it.  Perhaps he was just looking to start lining up 2012 campaign contributions.  Joe Biden slobbered, “This is what the Recovery Act was all about!”

The warning signs were there.  Auditors who had looked at the company raisedserious concerns. 

An audit of the company performed by PriceWaterhouseCoopers two months before Obama's visit noted that the firm had accumulated losses of $558 million in its five years of existence.

The auditor noted that Solyndra "has suffered recurring losses from operations, negative cash flows since inception and has a net stockholders' deficit that, among other factors, raises substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern."

Why was the Obama regime so concerned about pushing this “Green company?”  It is simple.  Money.

One of the major investors for Solyndra was George Kaiser, an Oklahoma billionaire and Obama campaign contributor.  He invested only after demanding that his investment be given priority over other investors, including the government.

With Republicans in control of the House, more of the actions of the Obama regime and Solyndra are going to come out and 2012 is going to be a bad year for Obama.

With his popularity plummeting and his chances of getting anything else done growing dimmer by the day, along with his reelection chances, Obama cannot be a happy camper.  Now, he can count on hearings running through next year featuring every detail of how the regime ignored the warnings of auditors and experts and pushed this risky loan guarantee through, which will now cost the tax payers half a billion dollars.

As the Obama regime demands higher taxes, we should all ask the question, “why?”  Why do we need to pay higher taxes? So Obama can send more money to companies like Solyndra?

All of this brings us around to Hillary Clinton.

If 2012 is going to be tough on Obama, it will be the 7^th circle of hell for Hillary Clinton.

Since she was young, Hillary has always dreamed of being the first woman to be President of the United States.  She still thinks she should have won it in 2008 and in her heart thinks she should be the one running for reelection in 2012. 

Had John Edwards beat her, she would already be out there as a primary challenger to a “President Edwards.”   Unfortunately for her, Barack Obama won.

Hillary was relegated to be Secretary of State.  As such, she has had the thankless job of traveling the world and doing very little.   She is chomping at the bit to take on Obama, who she believes she can take down, but she knows she cannot.

If she takes on Obama and beats him, black Democrats will abandon her and possibly even abandon the party, creating a rift which could totally destroy the party and which would guarantee a Republican win in 2012.  Actually given the magnitude of the anticipated Republican victory in 2012, the only difference would probably be the size of the victory.

If she takes on Obama, loses and then Obama loses, she knows the Clintons will be blamed, thus destroying the Clinton legacy and still possibly splitting the Democrat Party.

In the end, she knows even if she could beat Obama, almost any Republican picked out of the phone book will be able to beat any Democrat candidate.  For Hillary, her future is simply a retirement. 

She knows it and for her, that is a worse fate for her than it is for Obama.

Related:

ABC News: Solar Scandal Threatens to Engulf White House, Impact Election

Solyndra Not the Only Company Who Benefited From Democrat Ties

Whoa… RNC: “Obama Isn’t Briefed on Loan?” – Does anybody really believe that??

Solyndra Officials Made Numerous Trips to the White House, Logs Show

Yes… Bush Administration Looked at Solyndra and Turned Them Down

Oh My Emails Show White House Knew Solyndra Was a Disaster Before It Issued $535M Crony Loan

So will it be Operations Fast and Furious/Gun Walker or Solyndra Scandal that stick to the second Teflon president.  It was a cigar and a blue dress that stuck to the 1st!

Perhaps the most amazing part of all this is that in the midst of the unfolding Solyndra scandal, the Obama administration announced this week that they plan to finalize 15 additional green projects in the next two weeks… really???

Frank Buckles: America's Last Living World War I Veteran

By the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Originally Published: February 6, 2008 – Updated July 3, 2009

In 1917 – more than 90-years ago -- the United States entered the Great Conflict in Europe. Sixteen-year-old Frank Buckles decided he wanted in, too. He figured he could fib about his age; say he's 18. But the Army recruiter told him, "No good: you need to be 21." So he kept shopping around until finally, he found a recruiter who believed him when he said his home state of Missouri didn't keep birth records when he was born; it's back home on the farm, an entry in the family Bible.

Frank Buckles

Soon, young Frank was "Over There" in England. His ultimate goal was France where the action was. It took him a while but eventually he made it, thanks to some sage advice.

"An old sergeant said, if you want to get to France in a hurry, then join the ambulance service," Frank recalls. "The French are big for ambulance service."

Of the two surviving World War Oneveterans in North America today, Frank Buckles is the only remaining World War I veteran who actually saw the war in Europe.

"I had many different assignments," Frank says, "and I was doing things that I thought were important... no, I didn't either: I didn't think they were important. But I found out afterwards when I read up on my history that some of the things that I did were quite important."

Being an ambulance driver, Frank didn't see combat but he saw plenty of casualties. And after the armistice, he delivered German POWs back to the Fatherland, a foreshadowing of his own fate 20 years later.

After two years in the Army, Frank went out to see the world and worked for the White Star Line of Titanic fame. For the next 20-years, he lived the life of a merchant seaman.

By 1941, the shipping business had taken Frank to the Philippines. On December 8th, he and millions of Filipinos experienced their own horrific version of Pearl Harbor when the Japanese invaded the islands. Ironically, although Frank served in only one world war, he suffered in two.

For the next three and a half years, Frank was a prisoner of war. It was a harsh, brutal experience. Frank ended up at Los Baños, a former university campus that had been converted into an internment camp for more than 2,000 civilians. He kept himself and his fellow prisoners mentally sharp by focusing on the physical: every day, he led the group in rigorous calisthenics. Finally, in 1945, the Los Baños prisoners were rescued in a daring raid by paratroopers from the 11th Airborne Division. When Frank emerged from Los Baños, he was 100 pounds lighter than when he entered.

At war's end, Frank returned to the States. He fell in love with a California girl and she agreed to settle down with him in the beautiful northwest corner of West Virginia: the Buckles' ancestral homeland. Frank and Audrey bought and restored a charming 18th century stone farmhouse. Fifty-three years later, he's still there. Although Audrey passed away in 1999, their daughter Susannah and her husband now spend much of their time running the farm – with Frank. Frank was still out working the tractor at the age of 103.

Today, Frank surrounds himself with family and friends, books and mementos from a life filled with journeys and adventure. In his private study is home to dozens of books about World Wars One and Two. His larger library contains more than a thousand volumes. Even now, Frank continues his life-long passion of reading. But not the reading of just anything; Frank is an unabashed student of history. He has no time for fiction.

Frank says, "Why should I read something someone made up when real events are so interesting?"

When asked his secret to a long life, Frank has a quick answer at the ready: "Be prepared," he jokes. But the longer answer may lie in the independent way he's always led his life. Frank Buckles neatly fits the profile that gerontologists point to as ideal: he's had a life-long passion for reading and learning; an ongoing interest in foreign languages and culture; and has been physically fit his entire life.

Years ago, Frank made a sentimental journey to his father's farm in Missouri, the place of his birth. There he spotted the old bell that his father rang the day he was born in 1901. He made the current farmer an offer and bought it on the spot. Today on his farm in West Virginia –107 years later – that same bell rings loud and clear for Frank Woodruff Buckles: a National Treasure.

Frank Buckles is now 108 and still going great guns, motivated by his goal to honor his fellow WWI brothers. He was interviewed for the 4th of July 2009 by Fox News. He humbly said he didn’t do much while he was serving in Europe, but those that served with him did and deserve a Memorial in Washington D.C. on par with those for the other great American Wars!! The U.S. government finally agrees and is upgrading the WWI Memorial in Washington D.C. with TARP Stimulus money.

Related Links:

• 1 Known WWI Veteran Left After Bay Area Man Dies
• Veterans Call for Flags to Fly Upside Down

Posted: Daily Thought Pad

Expert: Stimulus Fraud May Hit $50 Billion

Any large government endeavor is susceptible to fraud, and that’s certainly the case with the $787 billion fiscal stimulus package.

Up to $50 billion of that total could be siphoned off by fraudsters in current months, says David Williams, who runs Deloitte Financial Services Advisory.

He estimates that $500 billion of the package will flow through the traditional government procurement network.

"The rule of thumb typically is that of the… money that's going to run through the procurement process, somewhere between 5 percent and 10 percent… usually finds its way into potential problems," Williams tells MarketWatch.

"That's sort of the benchmark that I use."

The fact that the money flows electronically puts companies even more at risk of being ripped off, Williams points out.

"We're telling our clients to be very careful and to make sure their firms are resilient in terms of dealing with the potential opportunities for fraud and waste," he says.

"It becomes ever more important that firms remain diligent about their data."

FBI Director Robert Mueller also warns of fraud stemming from the stimulus package.

“These funds are inherently vulnerable to bribery, fraud, conflicts of interest, and collusion,” he said last month.

Many experts oppose the stimulus for issues far removed from fraud and corruption.

“It’s just a grab bag of every spending proposal that’s been banging around Congress for years,” publisher Steve Forbes told Bloomberg TV.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009 11:54 AM
By: Dan Weil – Newsmax

Next stop… Nationalized Medicine… If we don’t stop government run healthcare, this fraud will look like a ‘walk in the park’… while medical services become more and more restricted, the number of doctors and nurses diminish and government decides who qualifies for what services… or that you don’t qualify at all because you are too old etc etc, the fraud will be rampant!

Posted: Daily Thought Pad