Pat Schwind Presents: Strategic Edge Thursday, 05/06/2010

Local Libertarian Attorney Michael Kielsky. PHOTO RADAR: Public Service or Government Money Grab?

Minutes of 04/22/2010

1. Attended 04/22/2010 : Attended: John Manifold, Dixon Oates, Steve Avilla, Rich Woods, John Kizis, Mark & Rae Sordahl, Mike Green, Barry Nemet, Jay Shelton, Mystery Man, Powell Gammill, Ed Stroup, Tom Compton, Mary Lou Benigno, Andrew Greaves, Olga Strickland, Pat Schwind, Michael Kielsky, & our speakers Joe Napier & Sandy Bahr..

2. Note: All opinions are those of Pat Schwind only, & not those of anyone else at Impact Mortgage Network.

   We had a real live Earth Day Debate, between Nuclear Engineer Joe Napier of APS, & Environmentalist Sandy Bahr of the Sierra Club. They both put on a great “power-point” presentation. Joe started by summarizing the 3 main concerns with Nuclear Power: Safety of operation, Cost & “Spent Fuel” storage. He feels the risk of death in the short run, from a nuclear disaster is insignificant, & that since the Pyramids have lasted ~ 5K years, we can prob’ly contain spent fuel for the 100K – 500K years needed. Hmmmm?

   He presented some convincing stats on the immediate danger; but I’m not sold on the long term safety issue. It also looks like nuclear power is pretty cheap once you get the plants built; But dang! Those up front “capital costs”, of $5 – $15 Billion can be tough to swallow. Ouche! Sandy did a great job for her side, specifically pointing out that half the money spent on building Nuke plants is wasted, since so many never get finished, leaving us tax & rate payers to foot the bill!

   Joe said that the "spent fuel problem is a political, not a technological problem." It's a "Nimby" (not in my back yard") issue. "France got over the problem 20 years ago". I'm not so sure of that. The "Drill Baby Drill" crowd has been yelling at us lefties for 3 decades, that we're too concerned about safety & the environment. I wonder how the "T-Baggers" feel now, as we're facing one of the worst ecological disasters in U.S. History, as we speak, in the Gulf of Mexico.

   Sandy contends that the spent fuel problem is horrendous, but even if it weren't, the outrageous capital commitments needed to build a nuclear plant should cause us to look elsewhere for our future energy needs. Such conservative & libertarian think tanks & organizations as the Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, & National Taxpayers Union have all questioned putting taxpayers "on the hook" for constructing plants, since half never reach production for various reasons.

   She said the money we commit to nuke plants could be much better spent on research & development of alternative energy sources. I must agree. Sandy also pointed out that many conservatives, (& especially the "T-Bagger" idiots), rail about "government intervention". Their hypocrisy is exposed in their support for nuclear power, which requires huge government oversight. (I think the average nut job T-Bagger would respond: "But we don't need no stinkin' gov'ment oversight!!")

   My good friend Dixon Oates pointed out that the real answer to America's energy problems lies in "demand reduction" through greater energy efficiency. I agree; but I also feel that we have to not only use energy more efficiently, but use less of it.

   Having grown up the youngest of 12 kids, in a very fiscally conservative family, I feel that society must be prepared to "have less stuff & do less stuff". It's that simple. We can't just count on exploiting new/alternative energy sources, or existing sources more efficiently. We need to get used to the idea that as a nation, we've been "living beyond our means", on many fronts, for decades, & reverse the trend. If that means we "have less toys", or don't "blow money" on all kinds of "goodies", that's life. It's about time we got used to it!!

   But I digress. Have a nice day!

3. Our next meeting is this Thursday, 05/06/2010

   Please arrive before 7:30 AM at “JIM’s CONEY ISLAND CAFE”, 1750 No. Scottsdale Rd., Tempe, at the southwest corner of Scottsdale & Cavalier, Click Here for a map, 1 block south of McKellips, ~ 1 mile north of the 202 Freeway.

   Our speaker will be Local Libertarian Attorney Michael Kielsky. PHOTO RADAR: Public Service or Government Money Grab?

   Bring Guests!

4. Future Speakers

   • NOTE: NEW START TIME IS NO LONGER 7:30am. Just Show Up by 8am.

   • 5/6- Local Libertarian Attorney Michael Kielsky. PHOTO RADAR: Public Service or Government Money Grab?

   • 5/20- Inge Casey of AZ Death Penalty Forum, & the ASU Justice Project: The Death Penalty Must be Killed!

   • 6/3- Liberal Attorney Sean Larkin: “Sheriff Joe” Arpaio vs. Free Speech.

   • 6/17- The Magic of Tony Barnhart.

   • 7/8– NOTE – Special “Off Week” Engagement: Health Care Reform Show-Down. Let’s Get Ready to Rumble! “Single Payer” Advocate Dr. Jonathan Weisbuch vs. Dr. Byron Schlomach of the Goldwater Institute.

   • TBD in July or August- Social Historian Dr. Joel Olson: Fanatacism.

   • TBD- Economist Dr. Stephen Happel: "Obamanomics: Report Card After the First Year Plus".

   • TBD- Tom Compton of “We Hold These Truths”: The Dangers of Christian Zionism!

   • Dr. Brent White vs. Pat Schwind (or Dr. Marianne Jennings): The Morality of Walking Away from a Mortgage Contract.

5. Folks, if you're concerned about the insane "Prison Industrial Complex", which is really the result of right wing "god squad" control freaks, in bed with conservative politicians, conducting a "war on the poor", (especially on Brown People), you gotta check out a film, "Texas Tough: The Rise of America's Prison Empire"; Wednesday evening, 5-19, 7pm, at the home of my good friend, (& "9-11 Truther"), Kent Knudsen.

   Also, my good friends Dr. Tex Sample & Ahmad Daniels (exec. director of the AZ office of "CAIR"), both affiliated with the AZ Interfaith Movement, will be giving a presentation on the subject of "Economic Justice", Tuesday, 11:30am, 5-18.

   These will both be great opportunities to get a different opinion on how things are going terribly wrong in America today. Our nation has been in the grips of conservative goons, for most of the last 4 decades. If you care at all about this situation, & our nation's future, please call me for details.

Sincerely, Pat Schwind, MBA