Free Press –
Energy Policy discussed by Jim Greenwood, Quakertown-Richland Police Combine
Dear Friends,
Good morning. I hope that you had an inexpensive Memorial Day weekend. Mighty Betsy and I did, vowing that we’d not leave Second and Juniper Streets as a self imposed withdrawal from the outside world…at least for 24 hours. I think about America’s lack of an energy policy every time I go to the gas station.
I can think of 17 reasons why America is still dependent upon Middle East oil. Here they are: Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II; Senators Schweiker, Heinz, Specter, Santorum, and Casey; and Congressmen Biester, Kostmayer, Greenwood, Fitzpatrick, and Murphy. Did I forget someone in the sequence begun with the 1972 oil embargo?
Thomas Friedman wrote an earful when he penned, “I am convinced that the big foreign policy failure that will be pinned on this administration is not the failure to make Iraq work, as devastating as that has been,” he began in his op-ed piece in the New York Times (May 21). “It will be one with much broader balance-of-power implications…the failure after 9/11 to put in place an effective energy policy.”
Friedman’s right of course but there’s plenty of blame to go around. Why didn’t politicians of every rank and party come to grips with the need for a coherent energy policy? Why have we been unable to use every energy arrow in its quiver? For starters, wind, solar, nuclear, Alaska and off shore drilling, coal, bio engineered fuels come to mind.
With energy costs accelerating and the quality of American high schools deteriorating, the future does not look as bright as it could.
“If this huge transfer of wealth to the petro-authoritarian states continues, power will follow.” Friedman continued. “With oil at $200 a barrel (It was $135 last Friday), OPEC could potentially buy Bank of America in one month worth of production, Apple computers in a week, and General Motors in just 3 days.” (By petro-authoritarian states, Friedman meant Iran, Russia, and Venezuela.)
As my friend, Phil Miller, often says, “It’s enough to make you weak!”
And speaking about former congressman Jim Greenwood, I listened to his presentation at the fifth Annual Anna Neamand Series Event last week. Sponsored by the Quakertown Education Foundation, the Neamand series is named after a former Quakertown teacher who served this community for 44 years. Anna Neamand was a super star.
“She probably served as a class adviser to more classes than any other Quakertown High School teacher,” Carolyn Potser wrote in the program notes. Potser was Anna Neamand’s friend, colleague and student.
Greenwood spent six years in the state assembly, six years in the state senate, and eight years in Congress. From 2001 to 2004, he was the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, but was unable to put a dent in the energy crisis.
Greenwood is unusual because he left congress voluntarily. He did so to become the President of the Biotechnology Industry Organization in Washington which represents more than 1,150 biotechnology companies, academic institutions and related organizations across America and 30 countries, plus.
His trade organization is searching for the answers to famine, energy and disease. It was fascinating to hear his 45-minute summary. Some day, I’ll have a comment or two about it.
I was disappointed with the turn out. I don’t think there were more than 30 people who greeted him at the 3:30 public meeting. Quakertown’s school should have made a full court press for Greenwood. At the stroke of a pen or the use of its telephone tree, the school could have assembled 100, or more. Greenwood spent the entire day with students and faculty.
Bravo, Greenwood!
He’s a very busy fellow…Greenwood left the next day for meetings in China.
At the Neamand conference, I did have a chance to ask the superintendent a question about the proposed Pennsylvania graduation competency test scheduled for implementation in the 2013-2014 academic year.
Pennsylvania’s Department of Education is proposing that students must pass the following tests before they can receive a diploma in 2014: Math-pass any two of Algebra 1, 2, and Geometry; English- pass English composition and literature; Science- either Biology or Chemistry; Social Studies- pass any one of American history, world history, civics, and government.
I asked Superintendent Lisa Andrejko whether Quakertown schools would support this recommendation? Some school boards, teachers’ unions, and state legislators are digging in their heals to oppose the proposal. I, for one, can’t understand why…unless the public school industry is worrying about not measuring up.
Friends, America’s public schools are monopolies. Monopolies generally don’t appreciate oversight…and they seldom warm to criticism. In the meantime, America’s high school graduates are not leading the international pack. European and Asian kids are eating our lunch.
Dr. Andrejko hasn’t made up her mind yet, she told me. So we’ll have to stay tuned.
Final item.
Are
The Richland Community Police Liaison Board wants the supervisors to add five officers to its force of 13 and aim for a total of 22. It could cause the property tax rate to accelerate.
A Morning Call article (May 10) noted that each new policeman costs $100,000 in salary, benefits, and equipment. Every added mill in property taxes yields $157,000 in annual revenue.
Richland depends upon the state police for 25 to 30 percent of its coverage. In order to provide 24-hour [local] service, Richland would have to add nine more…close to $900,000 yearly. By my arithmetic, Richland would need to increase property taxes by nearly six mills to cover the cost.
Wouldn’t you think that the two municipalities should sit down together…and talk?
Sincerely,
Charles Meredith