Well, we’ve got a couple of things going on today:

1. Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson, (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University) recently released a well documented study examining energy security and potential. His observations and research confirm many of the points regarding renewable energy we have made on our blog. If you are interested in exploring the viability of different energy options, I encourage you to check out this article. His conclusion is right on target:

Wind, geothermal, tidal, solar, wave, and hydroelectric provide electricity at most benefit and least impact.

2. Wired recently reported on the nations first “underwater wind turbine,” installed in Mississippi River near Hastings, Minnesota.

The 35-kilowatt turbine is positioned downstream from an existing hydroelectric-plant dam and — together with another turbine to be installed soon — will increase the capacity of the plant by more than 5 percent.

Hydrokinetic turbines like those produced by Hydro Green and Verdant capture the mechanical energy of the water’s flow and turn it into energy, without need for a dam.

“After the wind and solar craze, people said, ‘What else is out there?’” Stover said. “The investment community is quite interested.”

Why are we reporting on this? Simply to demonstrate the viability of different types of renewable energy, and to refute the “fossil-fuel” myth.

3. A new 60 MW wind farm to be built in Wasco County is closer to final approval.

Cascade Wind is positioned to help Oregon take a national leadership role in renewable energy production. We are excited to be working with so many people dedicated to expanding clean, green and environmentally responsible energy options in the northwest,” said Paul Gaynor, President and CEO of UPC Wind. “Filing our application today is a solid step forward in our plans to develop the Cascade Wind Project, which will greatly expand Oregon’s wind energy capacity.”

4. A company in Vancouver is making steady progress in geothermal exploration and use. Keep the good work up.

5.  Kulongoski is pushing a new tax-per-mile for all Oregon residents. A GPS system would be installed in a person’s car, record how many miles they drive, and calculate how much they owe in taxes based on that information. Oregon’s governor would like a new revenue stream. No surprises there.

Well, at least he admits that Democrats will indeed tax anything they can get there hands on. That’s a start. After all, the first of the 12 steps of change is “We admit we are powerless over alcohol [budget]—that our lives have become unmanageable.” Just 11 more steps to go.

Seriously, consider this quote from Senate President Peter Courtney:

Q: The governor proposed various tax increases. How much of that is factored into this budget, and what are the issues that are going to revolve around that?

A: This is a very difficult issue for us, and even for Democrats. I know that people think we will tax anything or increase any fee we can get our hands on, but there are some difficult revenue questions before us.

Q: Do you think there will be some kind of tax increases or fee increases?

A: Oh, sure. Absolutely. I don’t see how we can get through this.

May we have permission to interject a thought? The State of Oregon literally (we’re not kidding) has money falling out of its ears. In fact, the Governor has so much money that he is adding some 1,500 new positions to Oregon Government!

Let us consider a hypothetical question: Your business is struggling because the economy is on a downturn. You currently have 50 employees. Unfortunately, you cannot afford to pay all 50 of them. So, you let 10 employees go and downsize operations until the economy gets back going again.

Not if you’re the State of Oregon.

If you’re the Governor, you higher 20 more employees and cut necessary company services (veterans affairs, for example). Now, you’re still the governor, so guess what you do with these employees? You increase your Department of Human Services by 18%, and increase your Department of Administrative Services by 23%.

Wait a minute; I thought there was a budget crisis?

In the last four months the Lights On Oregon Blog has covered a lot of ground. Unfortunately, some good things must come to an end eventually. The 30th will be the last regular post for Lights On Oregon: the Blog. Yes, it’s sad—perhaps well start back up again sometime in the future. . . .

Today, I want to provide a quick summary of the areas our blog has covered.

• We’ve demonstrated the availability and importance of wind energy in numerous posts.
• We’ve kept you up to date on the progressing technology behind wave energy.
• We’ve  thoroughly demonstrated the obstruction and down right dangerousness of Radical Environmental Groups.
• We’ve shown why nuclear is important, and how it could benefit Oregon.
• We’ve extensively covered the LNG terminal and pipeline debates, and revealed why their opponents are misguided.
• We’ve kept track of the increased investment in renewable energy sources—as an indicator of where the market is on this subject.
• We’ve followed the current news regarding hydroelectric—and we’ve shown that it is one of the most important renewable energy sources available to mankind.
• We’ve explored the world of geothermal and we strongly maintain that it is the best energy option on the market.
• We’ve demonstrated the potential of biomass, and encouraged future investment in it.
• We’ve broken water in the world of politics—by breaking several important stories regarding Kulongoski’s new $2 billion tax package.

Energy. That’s what we’re all about.

Economist Mark Skousen once declared

Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure.

Apparently, Governor Kulongoski agrees with Skousen. Currently the budget for the state of Oregon $48 billion— that’s $6,376 per year for every man, woman and child in Oregon. Taxes today are nearly twice as high as they were 25 years ago (yes, this number is adjusted for inflation). Consider the chart below:

As we have reported earlier, currently Governor Kulongoski is asking for $2 billion in additional taxes and fee hikes. What is Kulongoski going to do with this money? You guessed it, he is, in fact, adding some 1,500 new positions to Oregon Government. In addition, services like veterans affairs are being decreased by some 16% and the state’s bureaucratic agencies are being increased (Department of Human Services +18%, Administrative Services +23%).

Why is Kulongoski doing this? According to the Register Guard

Government labor unions unquestionably have a lot of muscle in the current political environment. Labor unions are big donors to the campaigns of Kulongoski and top Democratic legislators in the Oregon House and Senate, where the state budget will be worked on.

Kulongoski is increasing his largest voting block (public employees), and decreasing services like senior services, veteran affairs, mental health, and public safety and standards.

How is Oregon’s economy currently? We are suffering from unemployment rates over 8%:

Oregon’s unemployment rate climbed to 8.1 percent in November, leading to a rise of nearly 50 percent over the last six months.

According to the economic think tank Cascade Policy Institute:

Looking forward for the next biennium, the Legislature will be faced with the age-old challenge of satisfying unlimited demands with limited resources. Smart Spending, rather than new taxes, will be one step on the path out of our current crisis.

There is no economic rationale for Governor Kulongoski to increase taxes. That is, no rationale–except that of expanding government.

The $2 billion increase is a bad idea. Send the Governor an email and let him know you think that.

An excellent opinion piece was recently published, it made some important points:

1. “With two years left in office, he [Kulongoski] is simultaneously seeking to create a legacy, endear himself to the union workers who have generously supported him (and he in return), and at the same time balance a budget that he once anticipated would be fueled by a rebounding economy.”

2. “He is probably also aware that while his political party has a lock on both houses of the legislature and every single statewide elected office, if things get really out of hand, there is nowhere to look for blame but in the mirror. Seeking to attach any blame to the Republicans would be futile. There aren’t enough of them around Salem to cause him any grief.”

3. “Kulongoski, is also probably regretting his largesse in terms of recent salary raises, particularly those granted department heads.”

4. “The governor, like his cadre of legislators, were gifted millions of dollars in campaign funds by the public employee unions. That figure is somewhere around $9 million, according to The Oregonian. In return, they have expectations and those expectations aren’t focused on programs for the elderly, highways, prisons, or transportation. According to the unions, those big issues include collective bargaining rights, higher salaries for state workers, more individuals on the state payroll, and paid family leave.”

For more information about Kulongoski’s tax increases see

The Double Talk of Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski

Kulongoski Proposes Raising More Fees

Send An Email: Stop the Tax Hikes

and

Kulongoski to increase taxes by $176 per year

We must wait and see the answer to the question: “will governor, legislature work for people of Oregon, or bow to unions?”

Lights On Oregon has just released a new study detailing “How the fanatic extremism of the few poses grave dangers to us all.” There have been some quick reactions across the blogosphere. One blogger provided an excellent summary of the important points of the study:

1. Energy is necessary
   • Energy shortfalls in Pakistan resulted in widespread rioting and massive injuries
   • The 1997 New York City blackout that led to mass public hysteria and more than $61 million in property damage
   • In 2003, 15,000 people died in France and another 5,000 throughout Western Europe when temperatures hit 104 degrees and there was not sufficient energy to provide cooling
2. Radical Environmentalists have blocked many important energy projects in Oregon
   • hydroelectric power generated from the Klamath River
   • dams on the Snake River
   • A wave project proposed near Florence to har­ness the immense power of the sea. It would have powered 15,000 homes and was planned to be expanded to power more than 100,000 homes
   • The $1.3 billion proposed Shepherds Flat (wind farm) Project. It would have powered 22,000 homes.
3. No energy project satisfies the radical fringe
   • Radical environmentalists loudly denounce “big oil” and profess the need for clean, renewable, sustainable, af­fordable energy—at least when the media is listening. The truth is, as evidenced by their own actions, they are opposed to all forms of energy.
4. What do Oregonian’s think?
   • 66% favor construction of large wave energy farms in marine reserves off the Oregon coast.
   • 62% favor building large wind energy farms in scenic or wildlife sensitive areas in Oregon.
   • 60% favor building a natural gas pipeline across Oregon, to supply Oregon and the Western United States with natural gas.
   • 73% believe environmental groups can be unfair and unreasonable in their efforts to stop energy development.
5. Conclusion
   • Education and renewed dedication to the development and delivery of all energy are reasonable goals, and are goals that are supported by a broad majority of the public —the silent majority is too often drowned out by the media-grabbing radical fringe.

Another blogger provided his own shortened version of the study.

We at Lights on Oregon encourage you to pass this study around and get the word out.

Today we would like to encourage you to send Oregon’s Governor an email asking him not to increase taxes. We have a prewritten letter for you to send, or if you’d like, you can write your own. Here’s what the base letter looks like:

Governor Kulongoski’s new gas tax increase, along with other hikes in vehicle titling fees, and annual registration fees, are not the way out of this economic crisis.  It’s hard to think of a time when spending money and taxing people more helped anyone in an economic crisis.  This kind of idea hasn’t worked at the federal level, and it won’t work in Oregon.

The Governor argues that using this money on infrastructure improvements like building roads, bridges, and public transit is “good for the economy and our citizens by putting people back to work.”  However, credible economists agree that real growth comes when you have an environment that encourages business and innovation, not high tax burdens and cumbersome regulations.

Rather than tax Oregonians who are already suffering under sky-high energy costs, Governor Kulongoski should step out of the way and make it easier for business and industry to come to Oregon, bringing jobs with them.

New energy taxes are unacceptable.  Now is the time to leave money in families’ pockets.  If the Governor really wants to “get Oregon out of this economic crisis” he should get government out of the way of new energy sources and technologies that would bring lower costs and jobs to Oregon, not raise taxes.

If you support keeping taxes low and letting Oregon recover from this economic downturn, email the Governor by clicking here.

So the Statesman Journal is reporting that Oregon could “lose” up to $400 million more than what was originally projected. Not that this really means anything, for

The current state budget in Oregon was 20% larger than the previous budget. Plus 7½% more money from the natural increase in taxes. If you add that together, that’s 27% over four years.

Regardless, this is what is important:

State Rep. Bruce Hanna of Roseburg, the House Republican Leader, was more blunt about what he said was an ongoing “unsustainable spending” habit in the face of a previously predicted revenue shortfall.

On top of that, the governor issued enormous pay increases to state employees and directors of state agencies, so the budget has gone from bad to worse,” Hanna said. “Look, it’s not a lot different than your home budget. When you don’t have disposable income, it’s likely you go out to the movies less often or instead of going to an (upscale restaurant), you go to a (fast food) place. You adjust what you’re doing based on your revenue.

He said the only way out of the shortfall is to cut spending and impose a freeze on state hiring, wage increases and capital spending projects.

And here’s the kicker. How does the governor respond to this?

The governor will not budget based on revenue speculations, his spokesman Rem Nivens told the Statesman Journal.

With this in mind, why should we the people of Oregon be subjected to Kulongoski’s massive tax increase?

Earlier this week, the Hillsboro Argus reported that

One of the leaders of the fight against proposed natural gas development in northwest Oregon is joining the Oregon Department of Justice as a special counsel.

Brent Foster, executive director of Columbia Riverkeeper, has been one of the public faces of the fight against liquefied gas terminals proposed for the Oregon Coast, and compressed gas pipelines that would deliver that fuel inland.

He’s been appointed by incoming Oregon Attorney General John Kroger as special counsel for environmental enforcement and policy. In that role, Foster will likely have a key role in Kroger’s fight against the pipelines and terminals.

Earlier this year, a commentary published by the Oregonian demonstrated Mr. Foster’s complete lack of knowledge regarding LNG

On a positive note, the article [which was biased and suggested that the Bradwood LNG terminal would be exporting gas overseas, etc.] provided yet another opportunity for Brent Foster of Columbia RiverKeeper to demonstrate his complete lack of understanding of LNG, natural gas and the technologies employed for bringing them to market. His assertions were uninformed and simply wrong. An LNG terminal would help stabilize energy costs and be good for Oregon economy.

As Oregon Public Utility Commission Chairman Lee Beyer noted earlier this year, “Other regions of the country are all looking to secure access to additional gas supply sources, such as LNG and nonconventional gas to replace supplies from quickly diminishing domestic and pipeline import sources. The Northwest should so the same.”

The necessity of the new LNG terminals has been demonstrated. Oregon’s new Attorney General has made a grave mistake.

A few days ago, we reported that Oregon’s Governor was planning to raise taxes by $176 per year per person. Now the Oregonian is reporting that Kulongoski is proposing even more fee increases.

• Two-year Vehicle Registration: 200% increase
• Vehicle Title: 100% increase
• Fishing License 25% increase
• Hunting License 24% increase
• State Park Campground: 20% increase
• Death Certificate: 185% increase
• Custom License Plate: 100%
• Registered Nurse Certificates: 26%
• Psychologists two-year license: 37% increase

Those are just an example. There are many more increases not listed above. In addition to the above fee increases and the many others not specified above, Kulongoski is also

• Raising the state gas-tax by 2 cents per gallon (a 8.5% increase)

In total, the governor’s budget calls for collecting $1.6 billion in fees, an increase of 36 percent over the 2009-11 budget period.

Let’s make sure we have our tax and fee increase numbers straight. The current state budget in Oregon was 20% larger than the previous budget. Plus 7½% more money from the natural increase in taxes. If you add that together, that’s 27% over four years. That averages about to about a 7% tax increase per year. That’s about twice the rate of inflation!

Now, the Governor is asking for $2 billion in additional taxes and fee hikes. And what is to be done with this money? Kulongoski is adding some 1,500 new positions to Oregon Government. In addition, services like veterans affairs are being decreased by some 16% and the state’s bureaucratic agencies are being increased (Department of Human Services +18%, Administrative Services +23%).

Why is Kulongoski doing this? According to the Register Guard

Government labor unions unquestionably have a lot of muscle in the current political environment. Labor unions are big donors to the campaigns of Kulongoski and top Democratic legislators in the Oregon House and Senate, where the state budget will be worked on.

Kulongoski is increasing his largest voting block (public employees), and decreasing services like senior services, veteran affairs, mental health, and public safety and standards.

Finally, Senate Republican leader Ted Ferrioli asks the question,

The private sector is hurting and laying off people. How come the public sector employment is still growing? Ordinary citizens are furious about that.

Kulongoski’s tax increases don’t make sense. In fact, they are bad for folks like you and me. Tell the Governor that you oppose expanding the size of Oregon’s bureaucracy.