Manchin needs to be removed, immediately, from all energy-related U.S. Federal oversight; you can't have an owner of coal mines their conflict of interest; how was he allowed to continue in those capacities ? He is Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee--the fox in the hen-house when he and numerous close relatives have interests in billions of dollars of coal assets. Completely insane.
It should be discussed, and all the background of his gross conflict of interests revealed to the public. How can we expect stringent management of carbon from a guy whose wealth, in the billions, is related to coal mines; not to mention the coal assets in the hundreds of millions he transferred/now controlled by his sister and children. There is no better seedbed for corruption.
President Jimmy Carter put solar panels on the roof of the White House because he knew fossil fuels were on the way out. In 2005, I asked my utility to give me their free assessment on the viability of solar panels on my roof and they said the City trees would make to much shade to be profitable at $8.00 per watt installed. I instead, started putting solar panels in my back yard away from the city trees and in 2020, with the price of solar down to $3.00 per watt, I finally installed a Tesla Solar Glass Roof on my home.
Combined, the two systems, one off grid and one on grid add up to 16,000 watts with battery storage. I knew, after President Ronald Reagan removed the solar panels off the White House, our Government would flip flop between fossil fuels and renewables, so, each individual, that believes climate change is real, must do their part rather than wait for the Government to mandate change.
What made the choice simple was the 5 tiered rates charge by Pacific Gas and Electric that could be as high as 48 cents per kilo watt hour. The average cost was 25 cents per kilo watt hour and the off grid system, with batteries, that include 4 battery exchanges over 25 years pro rated at 16 cents per kilo watt hour so it was the money savings, in electricity, over what PG&E was charging that clinched the deal. I was partially "Off Grid, with batteries, in 2010 and kept building onto the system until last year when the Tesla Solar Glass Roof was installed. I voted with my dollars to make a difference and so should you if you have the means to do so.
Now, with this much electricity, I can eliminate natural Gas heat and look forward to buying an Electric Car when my current car needs to be replaced because I put an extra 4 Mega Watt Hours on the grid in my NEM Bank from April through September in 2021. Millions of homeowners, all over our planet, have gone solar and with fossil fuel prices going up and solar installation costs going down, it will just be a matter of time before we will have emissions under control if we all do our part.
You make a very strong case for solar panels and the solar glass roof. And you put it in terms that anyone can understand. It becomes a question as to why anyone would choose to stay with fossil fuels when the costs of solar are so much lower. Thank you for your lucid explanation. I am not a home-owner but if I were, you would have sold me on the deal.
Lucid explanation - about Tesla solar panels! True, but also a chuckle from me. In case people don't know, Lucid is an up and coming competitor of Tesla. 😁
As always, the problem is Big Money flooding our politics. The Build Back Better legislation is far harder to pass than the Republicans' 2017 tax giveaway to the wealthy, because the Big Money campaign contributors were threatening to withhold campaign contributions if the 2017 tax giveaway didn't pass, while they are lobbying vigorously against Build Back Better (which is the main reason Republicans and Manchin/Sinema oppose it). There is also dark money funding the "election fraud" nonsense. Somehow the news media don't mention this.
IMO, Biden could use his bully pulpit most effectively by relentlessly decrying the role of Big Money in our politics and government policies, and how it is making our lives worse, including constant criticism of the Citizens United decision.
As for the Supreme Court's decision to weigh in on regulation of carbon emissions, about which they know nothing, I think the Biden administration should take the bold and brash preemptive action of asserting that it will consider the court's opinion to be only advisory, that this issue is too critical to allow five or six unelected, non-expert judges to dictate our national policy.
Yes...I believe you're spot-on. The goal of running for office (and winning, of course) is to assure one's wealth and prosperity and power. (The voters be hanged.) There are a few progressives in the enterprise who have decided that they were elected to serve the public, not to get on an endless gravy train. Joe Manchon and Kyrsten Sinema are simply playing the self-seeking roles they decided on when they ran for office. BIden seems to think that, if he can whittle the BBB plan long enough and hard enough, he will eventually come to a toothpick=sized program that won't offend the self-seekers too much. The goal is not to use the vast resources of the federal government (i.e. taxpayers' hard-earned dollars) to help ordinary, hard-working, family-raising, workers of the former middle and lower classes get by and live decently and look to a better future but to fill the coffers of Manchin and Sinema and most of the others in office. This is an okay system that works well for those in office and provides them with cushy benefits like full insurance, etc. The rub is that someone has to pay for this and, well, since we elected them to serve us, it stands to reason (?) that we honor them by whittling our plan to non-existence so they can have what they planned on all along. (Hm!)
I've been thinking about the obbligato of US political reportage: the GOP is either triumphantly in control or coming from behind, while Dems are always hapless failures or foolishly taking victory for granted.
Why do people refer to Manchin and Sinema as moderates? They are nothing of the sort. Democrats really only have a majority in name only. Manchin is a Republican in Democrats clothing. Just because the republican party has jumped off such an extreme right wing cliff, that justifies insurrection, nazism and so much more, doesn’t mean that Manchin is a moderate. And I don’t get the impression that Sinema even knows what she’s doing, beyond garnering attention for herself.
I hear you, Michael. Money in politics is corrosive and discouraging. Let's build up grass-roots energy for the midterms and vote out politicians we don't serve the public interest. People are tired, I know, but the alternative is worse.
Thanks for your reply, Robert. Your suggestion sounds good on paper, but Sinema's rise is a case in point. She campaigned as a true representative of her voters' interests, but then sold out. Recall Trump's campaign promises . . . all lies. If the money is available, it will be used to buy congresspersons. Hence the need to eliminate it.
-------- then there are a bunch of radical/progressive millionaires . i'm not the only one. and there's the patriotic millionaires (patrioticmillionaires.org ) who are spending their money in support ! . . .
-------- being able to take the time to talk to politicians . being able to donate substantially to their campaigns . being able to host supporters and potential supporters, etc .
Okay, but I am speaking of politicians bought and paid for such that they don't represent those who voted them into office to do just that, while representing the interests of those who have no vote. Most salient examples now are Manchin, Sinema, Gottheimer and other such "moderates." Bought and paid for . . .
I can't believe all the bickering going on in the Democratic party. It is time for real change and Sinema and Manchin should be ashamed of themselves. I get so sick of the power games in Washington. The Build Back Better agenda is what the American people want. Time for this to happen. Don't kid yourself, Biden is smarter than all of us and he has ways of getting things done. Trump is a washed out, pathetic example of a person. He is riding on a descending wave that will come crashing down around him and his family. Don't forget, trump doesn't do humanity. The Biden/Harris administration knew what the mess that was left by the last administration. Because of all the mess and anxiety from the last administration, it really has only been 8 months to clean up the mess of 4 years. Be patient and VOTE for the Democrats.
I agree. Democrats must pass both infrastructure bills, the only concerns are Manchin & Sinema. Then they must pass voting rights legislation, which according to Robert Reich, requires nullifying the filibuster, & the approval of Manchin & Sinema. Then Democrats can best investigate the Trump administration & campaign for the midterms. Progressives can grow more powerful, only if we increase Democrats in Congress. I do not like depending on the votes of Manchin & Sinema.
Thank you Brian for your comment. I find it appalling that two Democrats are holding the whole process hostage and they know it. Evidently, the Democrats in Arizona are furious with Sinema and are adopting a resolution for a vote of "no confidence" to Sinema. I don't like it when politicians are so vague of what they want. They should be thinking of the their constituents and the future of this country. My family emigrated to America from Russian controlled Hungary. I don't want to see America fall into this abyss. I am hopeful to a certain point. GET OUT THE VOTE is so important this year. Let's all do our part to make this country move forward not backwards.
When the Potomac River backs up and floods Washington DC, they can call the resultant bay "Manchin Bay" and New York is under water, they can call is the "Sinema Swamp" because they caused the results of sea level rise.
We need to elect more Progressives if we want to get anything done for climate and for everyday Americans. Right now our margins are too slim. Corporate Dems like Manchin will thwart all efforts to effect real change. And it's not just Manchin- if he were to step aside some other corporate Dem would start making objections to progressive legislation. The donor class owns the corporate Dems just as much as they own all Republicans.
Great work again Robert. It really helps me here in New Zealand clarify what is happening in your country. It is really hard to understand the selfishness of some people in leadership positions who should really know better.
Thank you, Professor Reich, for your analysis. The State of Virginia will suffer greatly if McAuliffe loses, and that loss could give Trump even more to beat his tom-tom about and rally more followers to his "cause," with dire consequences in other parts of the country. Very sad.
I'll be honest. I am completely disillusioned. Money has become to much in our political system and it will be America's downfall- money and GREED.. We haven't taken care of the people of this country for far too long and we will lose our democracy because of greed.
I agree with your statement, Laura, but would add the eternal quest for power. Money and power, and in our warped system money IS power. More reason to stop unlimited corporate political donations and do whatever we can possibly do to shorten the distance between the rich and ultra-rich and all the rest of us. Let's put an end to the "new Gilded Age". Not that any of this is possible with an even split between the two parties in Congress.
Somehow we need to do the impossible come 2022 and have Democratic gains in the Senate and the House, negating the veto of conservative (not "moderate") Democrats Manchin and Sinema and giving Dems the power to end the rule of the minority.
For the people and John Lewis voting rights is the #1 issue after these most recent negotiations. Pass it whatever it is and continue with these voting bills because if not nothing else will matter. Both will help with cleaning up some of the dark money also and at least try to help make it more transparent. If this voting bills pass the way is also passed for more progressive changes also most importantly on climate change & ways we all can help eliminate our carbon footprint. In the meanwhile we each continue doing our part for democracy and all the other issues we are pressing for.
It is Manchin and Sinema who gained power by holding the Democrats hostage over the filibuster; the reconciliation Build Back Better; and voting rights. They know that once the dam breaks on these, their power will be diminished. But they have put themselves into a position with their bad faith 'negotiations' that now their power will also be diminished if these fail. This is the reason they are dragging out negotiations and votes. These primadonnas hold power over the Democrats agenda now, but are in a no win bind of their own making.
They are 'riding the tiger' of power now because we desperately need them. But someday they will have to get off. I wonder if they realize that? I wonder how much the 'friends' they are making are worth it.
Manchin needs to be removed, immediately, from all energy-related U.S. Federal oversight; you can't have an owner of coal mines their conflict of interest; how was he allowed to continue in those capacities ? He is Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee--the fox in the hen-house when he and numerous close relatives have interests in billions of dollars of coal assets. Completely insane.
You're right, dogant -- it's absurd. Even if it's technically legal, it is certainly not ethical (tantamount to corruption).
Could Schumer remove him from his position on committee on grounds of Manchin's conflict of interest?
It should be discussed, and all the background of his gross conflict of interests revealed to the public. How can we expect stringent management of carbon from a guy whose wealth, in the billions, is related to coal mines; not to mention the coal assets in the hundreds of millions he transferred/now controlled by his sister and children. There is no better seedbed for corruption.
Absolutely. What I wonder, though, is whether Schumer has the power to do that.
He is unbelievable ...................
Thank you Robert for breaking it down for us. Your newsletter is always appreciated and welcomed.
Thank you Julishka.
Thank you for this insightful and informative newsletter today!
Thank you, Jane, for reading and chiming in.
President Jimmy Carter put solar panels on the roof of the White House because he knew fossil fuels were on the way out. In 2005, I asked my utility to give me their free assessment on the viability of solar panels on my roof and they said the City trees would make to much shade to be profitable at $8.00 per watt installed. I instead, started putting solar panels in my back yard away from the city trees and in 2020, with the price of solar down to $3.00 per watt, I finally installed a Tesla Solar Glass Roof on my home.
Combined, the two systems, one off grid and one on grid add up to 16,000 watts with battery storage. I knew, after President Ronald Reagan removed the solar panels off the White House, our Government would flip flop between fossil fuels and renewables, so, each individual, that believes climate change is real, must do their part rather than wait for the Government to mandate change.
What made the choice simple was the 5 tiered rates charge by Pacific Gas and Electric that could be as high as 48 cents per kilo watt hour. The average cost was 25 cents per kilo watt hour and the off grid system, with batteries, that include 4 battery exchanges over 25 years pro rated at 16 cents per kilo watt hour so it was the money savings, in electricity, over what PG&E was charging that clinched the deal. I was partially "Off Grid, with batteries, in 2010 and kept building onto the system until last year when the Tesla Solar Glass Roof was installed. I voted with my dollars to make a difference and so should you if you have the means to do so.
Now, with this much electricity, I can eliminate natural Gas heat and look forward to buying an Electric Car when my current car needs to be replaced because I put an extra 4 Mega Watt Hours on the grid in my NEM Bank from April through September in 2021. Millions of homeowners, all over our planet, have gone solar and with fossil fuel prices going up and solar installation costs going down, it will just be a matter of time before we will have emissions under control if we all do our part.
You make a very strong case for solar panels and the solar glass roof. And you put it in terms that anyone can understand. It becomes a question as to why anyone would choose to stay with fossil fuels when the costs of solar are so much lower. Thank you for your lucid explanation. I am not a home-owner but if I were, you would have sold me on the deal.
Lucid explanation - about Tesla solar panels! True, but also a chuckle from me. In case people don't know, Lucid is an up and coming competitor of Tesla. 😁
Thanks for your note. Truth be told what we need is competition in this field so more power (and energy) to Lucid!
My Old Man put up solar hot water when I was 13 years old; it was piping hot even in winter.
I am now 64!
As always, the problem is Big Money flooding our politics. The Build Back Better legislation is far harder to pass than the Republicans' 2017 tax giveaway to the wealthy, because the Big Money campaign contributors were threatening to withhold campaign contributions if the 2017 tax giveaway didn't pass, while they are lobbying vigorously against Build Back Better (which is the main reason Republicans and Manchin/Sinema oppose it). There is also dark money funding the "election fraud" nonsense. Somehow the news media don't mention this.
IMO, Biden could use his bully pulpit most effectively by relentlessly decrying the role of Big Money in our politics and government policies, and how it is making our lives worse, including constant criticism of the Citizens United decision.
As for the Supreme Court's decision to weigh in on regulation of carbon emissions, about which they know nothing, I think the Biden administration should take the bold and brash preemptive action of asserting that it will consider the court's opinion to be only advisory, that this issue is too critical to allow five or six unelected, non-expert judges to dictate our national policy.
Only progressives truly dislike big money in polittics
Yes...I believe you're spot-on. The goal of running for office (and winning, of course) is to assure one's wealth and prosperity and power. (The voters be hanged.) There are a few progressives in the enterprise who have decided that they were elected to serve the public, not to get on an endless gravy train. Joe Manchon and Kyrsten Sinema are simply playing the self-seeking roles they decided on when they ran for office. BIden seems to think that, if he can whittle the BBB plan long enough and hard enough, he will eventually come to a toothpick=sized program that won't offend the self-seekers too much. The goal is not to use the vast resources of the federal government (i.e. taxpayers' hard-earned dollars) to help ordinary, hard-working, family-raising, workers of the former middle and lower classes get by and live decently and look to a better future but to fill the coffers of Manchin and Sinema and most of the others in office. This is an okay system that works well for those in office and provides them with cushy benefits like full insurance, etc. The rub is that someone has to pay for this and, well, since we elected them to serve us, it stands to reason (?) that we honor them by whittling our plan to non-existence so they can have what they planned on all along. (Hm!)
I've been thinking about the obbligato of US political reportage: the GOP is either triumphantly in control or coming from behind, while Dems are always hapless failures or foolishly taking victory for granted.
Thank you from Sydney Australia, to give me true and real perspective, helps so much from the outside
I am very glad you've joined the dialogue and hope to hear more from you. Your perspective is more than welcome.
Why do people refer to Manchin and Sinema as moderates? They are nothing of the sort. Democrats really only have a majority in name only. Manchin is a Republican in Democrats clothing. Just because the republican party has jumped off such an extreme right wing cliff, that justifies insurrection, nazism and so much more, doesn’t mean that Manchin is a moderate. And I don’t get the impression that Sinema even knows what she’s doing, beyond garnering attention for herself.
Progressives ARE discouraged, and have been for 50 years . . . and will be as long as there is money in politics!
I hear you, Michael. Money in politics is corrosive and discouraging. Let's build up grass-roots energy for the midterms and vote out politicians we don't serve the public interest. People are tired, I know, but the alternative is worse.
Thanks for your reply, Robert. Your suggestion sounds good on paper, but Sinema's rise is a case in point. She campaigned as a true representative of her voters' interests, but then sold out. Recall Trump's campaign promises . . . all lies. If the money is available, it will be used to buy congresspersons. Hence the need to eliminate it.
-------- then there are a bunch of radical/progressive millionaires . i'm not the only one. and there's the patriotic millionaires (patrioticmillionaires.org ) who are spending their money in support ! . . .
Buying politicians?
-------- being able to take the time to talk to politicians . being able to donate substantially to their campaigns . being able to host supporters and potential supporters, etc .
Okay, but I am speaking of politicians bought and paid for such that they don't represent those who voted them into office to do just that, while representing the interests of those who have no vote. Most salient examples now are Manchin, Sinema, Gottheimer and other such "moderates." Bought and paid for . . .
I can't believe all the bickering going on in the Democratic party. It is time for real change and Sinema and Manchin should be ashamed of themselves. I get so sick of the power games in Washington. The Build Back Better agenda is what the American people want. Time for this to happen. Don't kid yourself, Biden is smarter than all of us and he has ways of getting things done. Trump is a washed out, pathetic example of a person. He is riding on a descending wave that will come crashing down around him and his family. Don't forget, trump doesn't do humanity. The Biden/Harris administration knew what the mess that was left by the last administration. Because of all the mess and anxiety from the last administration, it really has only been 8 months to clean up the mess of 4 years. Be patient and VOTE for the Democrats.
I agree. Democrats must pass both infrastructure bills, the only concerns are Manchin & Sinema. Then they must pass voting rights legislation, which according to Robert Reich, requires nullifying the filibuster, & the approval of Manchin & Sinema. Then Democrats can best investigate the Trump administration & campaign for the midterms. Progressives can grow more powerful, only if we increase Democrats in Congress. I do not like depending on the votes of Manchin & Sinema.
Thank you Brian for your comment. I find it appalling that two Democrats are holding the whole process hostage and they know it. Evidently, the Democrats in Arizona are furious with Sinema and are adopting a resolution for a vote of "no confidence" to Sinema. I don't like it when politicians are so vague of what they want. They should be thinking of the their constituents and the future of this country. My family emigrated to America from Russian controlled Hungary. I don't want to see America fall into this abyss. I am hopeful to a certain point. GET OUT THE VOTE is so important this year. Let's all do our part to make this country move forward not backwards.
When the Potomac River backs up and floods Washington DC, they can call the resultant bay "Manchin Bay" and New York is under water, they can call is the "Sinema Swamp" because they caused the results of sea level rise.
Love your comments!
We need to elect more Progressives if we want to get anything done for climate and for everyday Americans. Right now our margins are too slim. Corporate Dems like Manchin will thwart all efforts to effect real change. And it's not just Manchin- if he were to step aside some other corporate Dem would start making objections to progressive legislation. The donor class owns the corporate Dems just as much as they own all Republicans.
Great work again Robert. It really helps me here in New Zealand clarify what is happening in your country. It is really hard to understand the selfishness of some people in leadership positions who should really know better.
Thank you, Professor Reich, for your analysis. The State of Virginia will suffer greatly if McAuliffe loses, and that loss could give Trump even more to beat his tom-tom about and rally more followers to his "cause," with dire consequences in other parts of the country. Very sad.
I'll be honest. I am completely disillusioned. Money has become to much in our political system and it will be America's downfall- money and GREED.. We haven't taken care of the people of this country for far too long and we will lose our democracy because of greed.
I agree with your statement, Laura, but would add the eternal quest for power. Money and power, and in our warped system money IS power. More reason to stop unlimited corporate political donations and do whatever we can possibly do to shorten the distance between the rich and ultra-rich and all the rest of us. Let's put an end to the "new Gilded Age". Not that any of this is possible with an even split between the two parties in Congress.
Somehow we need to do the impossible come 2022 and have Democratic gains in the Senate and the House, negating the veto of conservative (not "moderate") Democrats Manchin and Sinema and giving Dems the power to end the rule of the minority.
hang tough, the money changers are becoming more irrelevant everyday
For the people and John Lewis voting rights is the #1 issue after these most recent negotiations. Pass it whatever it is and continue with these voting bills because if not nothing else will matter. Both will help with cleaning up some of the dark money also and at least try to help make it more transparent. If this voting bills pass the way is also passed for more progressive changes also most importantly on climate change & ways we all can help eliminate our carbon footprint. In the meanwhile we each continue doing our part for democracy and all the other issues we are pressing for.
It is Manchin and Sinema who gained power by holding the Democrats hostage over the filibuster; the reconciliation Build Back Better; and voting rights. They know that once the dam breaks on these, their power will be diminished. But they have put themselves into a position with their bad faith 'negotiations' that now their power will also be diminished if these fail. This is the reason they are dragging out negotiations and votes. These primadonnas hold power over the Democrats agenda now, but are in a no win bind of their own making.
They are 'riding the tiger' of power now because we desperately need them. But someday they will have to get off. I wonder if they realize that? I wonder how much the 'friends' they are making are worth it.