Article 1; Section 8 of the United States Constitution states (in part): The Congress shall have Power To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
As we can see from this one small example from our Constitution the current regime has ignored any and all manner of it. From blowing up “alleged” Venezuelan drug dealers/smugglers in open waters to starting an unprovoked war in Iran, the current regime has thumbed its collective nose at the very document that has shaped our nation’s existence to this day.
While there’s so many aberrations resulting from government run by morons, the focus in this article is oil and the cost thereof. Since the start of this illegal war, (not an "excursion") the cost of putting gas in your vehicle has jumped ever higher in a short amount of time. Half the nation's 50 states have seen average gas prices spike by over $1 a gallon in the last month. Examples:
Colorado +$1.31/gallon
New Mexico +$1.31
Arizona +$1.27
Illinois +$1.25
California +$1.20
Utah +$1.19
Kentucky +$1.18
Indiana +$1.13
Wisconsin +$1.13
Idaho +$1.13
The price of diesel surged over $2 a gallon in 30 days. Examples:
Tucson +$2.21/gal
Phoenix +$2.10
Orange County, CA +$2.06
McAllen, TX +$2.01
Madera, CA +$2.00
Napa, CA +$2.00
The Villages, FL +$2.00
Prescott, AZ +$1.99
Sarasota, FL +$1.98
Here in New Hampshire, we’re averaging about $3.26 a gallon, an increase of nearly 50 cents. The state has also experienced a higher increase in extreme weather since 2011. Our utility bills have risen nearly 12% in the past year. What’s being done to address this? Address anything even related to clean energy, environment, climate?
Well, not much with Republican Free Staters in the majority.
Last year they voted against establishing a commission to determine the financial costs of climate change. They rejected all offshore wind energy projects, while declaring “the development of advanced nuclear energy technology to be in the best interest of NH.” They voted down a bill for electric vehicle funding for charging stations. FYI, this was a local control bill which would have allowed towns to establish a revolving fund for building these stations and marking dedicated spaces for these charging spaces.
This year they repealed the solar energy tax exemption. Voters in 153 NH cities and towns had previously voted they wanted to use this tax exemption, which is an incentive to “go solar.” That is NOT what the Republican Free Staters or Americans for Prosperity want! So they tabled the bill, 187-157.
There is bi-partisan legislation coming before the House on Thursday. HB 1602 will establish a statewide battery stewardship program requiring the safe collection, recycling, and management of covered batteries and battery-containing products, administered through producer participation and oversight by the Dept. of Environmental Services. It will cost the state nothing. NH Fire Chiefs testified to millions of dollars in fire damage at transfer stations from batteries and support this bill. Naturally the Republican Free Staters/Liberty Alliance members on the House Finance Committee want to “kill the bill.” They think of it as a hidden sales tax. Which it isn’t. It’s protecting the environment.
Another bi-partisan bill was recently vetoed by the governor who says it would create a sales tax. HB 451called for paint manufacturers to participate in a stewardship program, which manages end-of-life paint in an “environmentally sound” way while educating people about the program. This program would be similar to PaintCare programs in 12 other states and the District of Columbia. PaintCare is funded by a fee on each container of architectural paint sold in a PaintCare state as follows: Retailers — PaintCare. This fee pays for all aspects of operating the paint stewardship program. The PaintCare fee is not a tax, nor does it go to the state. The PaintCare fee is not a deposit, customers don’t get it back when dropping off paint. It goes to support a program whose goal is to protect the environment.
But not in New Hampshire . . .
We’re still stuck with a majority party whose focus has been on elevating school vouchers at property owner expense, destroying public schools, getting rid of life saving vaccines, eroding local control, needlessly attacking not just immigrants but the transgender community, making it harder to vote for just about everyone, proposing their cruelty with bills calling for hard labor and four (YES, four!) death penalty bills, banning books in schools and libraries that THEY don’t like, attacking free speech and turning just about everything a teacher does or doesn’t do into a punishable violation! Cruel and mean-spirited.
Sick of it? Then do something about it and vote in Nov.!