Be careful!

"When we were young, most of our parents would say, 'Be careful for what you wish for'

(or my words, vote for). Oh my gosh, has that ever come true!"

Today is an election day. In some areas it is minor. Some not so much. Two states are electing Governors. Some states have levies, referendums, school board elections and so on. I am reminded every voting day how much elections really matter. How we ended up with a very flawed, very unhealthy, statist Governor instead of a qualified one. How we ended up with a Socialist President (twice) who is really putting the screws to the country. Well, guess what folks - nobody put these people in power except us - the voting public. 

Today in the paper was an article about Xcel Energy requesting a rate increase of almost 10% over the next three years. That is over 3% per year. I don't know about anyone else, but I cringe every time our electric bill comes. It never goes lower, only higher. And the news is not good. Getting back to elections, both our President and our Governor have declared a war on coal. More and more renewables are being mandated. Renewables which are both expensive and inefficient. Guess who pays? Just look in the mirror.

Many poor folks consistently vote for Democrats. Please don't ask me why, as it make no sense. Republicans want to make poor folks a whole lot less poor - Democrats have done nothing in the past 50 years but keep poor folks poor.

It is the poor - let me repeat, it is the poor who get hit the hardest with higher energy costs. We have one of the most cost effective and efficient fuels in the world to generate electricity. And yet because of a fable, we are being forced to quit using coal. And instead use more bird killing windmills. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Our biggest electrical plant in the state has been bullied by the government for so long now, it is making the switch to natural gas in 2 out of 3 of its generators. It will cost about a billion or so to make this happen. And then the problem of how to get that much natural gas (safely) to the power plant will need to be addressed. Pipelines that the greenies are fighting, or risky rail cars? Maybe the solution will cost a bunch of more money. And every dollar spent mind you, will be paid for by - us. 

I have done research on the rising cost of electricity using many different sources. Guess what? Most all say the same thing. Mandatory renewables. Just about every source I used listed that as a major cost driver for these increases.

Is it that the nation is running out of coal? Nope - more than a hundred years of proven supply remains. Some say many hundreds. Is it the nation is running out of natural gas? Nope - we are swimming in it right now. Up in the Bakken Fields, they cannot get rid of it fast enough. Nuclear? No, if we would ever start building plants to meet demand, we would be fine. Was is it then? One more time - mandatory renewables.

So the beat goes on. After this rate hike, there will be another. Then another. Pretty soon we will be paying more for electricity than we pay for our mortgage. And the poor will become poorer, and the few remaining in the middle class will be hanging by their fingernails. Sound grim? It is.

One more time, as we cannot hear this enough - elections have consequences. Spread the word. People need to know. Especially the ones who never listen.