Topic: The economy is easy to fix.

[Predator Don]

Libertas: I would argue unions and government regulation and taxation are all riders in the same cart


And as a small business owner, I totally agree. This gov't mentality of control, regulation and taxation has reached to the very smallest of cities. Layers upon layers of hidden fees. A negative mindset.

Consider my dilemma, and this is occuring in every city in America: Small project, 150K cost, had land, but it has a dry stream.... considered wetlands. Unless I wanted to purchase another wetland so I could "destroy" this one, I cannot do my small project. If I did the project, here are my list of costs before the first shovel:

1) 9K to hook up to sewer
2) 6 K to get water
3) $750.00 building permit
4) $6k impact fee
5) 75.00 to get in front of "board"
6) Full set of drawings to be approved by city. (cost unknown)
( even though company I would purchase from includes detailed drawings)
7) 1500.00 electrical hookup
8) Approval of city water dept : 150.00
9) Approval of city sewer dept: 150.00
10) Inspection fee: 45.00 X3
11) electrical inspection fee (cost unknown)
12) Purchase a "wetland"...... (who the hell knows the cost)


All this for a 20x20 building.....On top of the cities building restriction as to what materials are deemed appropriate for the city.

10,000 people in my town. This is commonplace all over America. This mentality is destroying our country. My local leaders are too busy searching for reasons to hinder or tax a project, instead of providing assistance as to avenues to get the project done. They have no concept of creating more business opportunity, thus increasing the tax base in a state that works off a sales tax. No, thier sole focus is to create another tax...To get them out of the hole thier in....

My town is also floundering in debt because it can generate no tax revenue because, surprise, there is no new business coming to town.....And we are located right on I-65 south, one of the buziest interstates in America.

[Pandora]

Are you sure you don't live near me?

Same nonsensical, hoop-jumping, expensive bullsht goes on here in my county with the same predictable results - tax revenues down/budget "gaps"/few businesses and NO industry.

Personal story:  we built an all-steel garage, steel beams/studs, metal roof, Hardiplank (cement composite) siding, in effect, termite-proof, in the only site on the property that we could - within 50 feet of our well, because of county restrictions on property line distances/spare septic field requirements/yadda yadda.  (Can't tell from the outside it's all metal, it looks stick-built.)

In order to get the building permit we had to have our septic tank pumped out, despite us not plumbing the structure.  Why?  Because "they" decided it was one way to make everybody pump out their tanks.

In order to get the building permit, "they" insisted we termite-treat, as a new structure, despite the steel construction, BUT - get this - we were told we couldn't treat because it's closer to the well than 50 feet.  We asked for a waiver to termite treat because it was already termite proof and the bureaucrat told me it didn't matter, termites would eat any cardboard we brought inside the place.   When I pointed out that would not affect the structural integrity, he terminated the conversation.

I finally had to call the State and ask them if they would waive the requirement for the above reasons and after some hemming and hawing (CYA, you know), the guy finally assented.

We needed to pay for three inspections, foundation/electrical/final, and the work could not proceed to the next step without each.

We're strictly residential; I can only imagine what the county bureaucrats inflict on businesses seeing as we have so few.

[AlanS]

Libertas, I'd like to disagree with you a little.

Natural gas is booming. There are tons of wells that are already drilled but capped because the price of gas is very low as well as pipelines need to be built for distribution.
There is so much gas in the Marcellus shale, it would take a long time to use it.
But, there may be environmental issues related to ground water.

And I'm going to have to disagree with you a little. Natural Gas is booming, but there aren't any wells capped down here. There drilling and building pipelines out the wazoo.

http://www.istockanalyst.com/business/news/5003825/louisiana-boasts-top-shale-find

[John Florida]

Libertas, I'd like to disagree with you a little.

Natural gas is booming. There are tons of wells that are already drilled but capped because the price of gas is very low as well as pipelines need to be built for distribution.
There is so much gas in the Marcellus shale, it would take a long time to use it.
But, there may be environmental issues related to ground water.

And I'm going to have to disagree with you a little. Natural Gas is booming, but there aren't any wells capped down here. There drilling and building pipelines out the wazoo.

http://www.istockanalyst.com/business/news/5003825/louisiana-boasts-top-shale-find

 Alan any word down ther about Brazil Drilling in the Gulf and no new permits for other companies?

[warpmine]

Gasoline engines, 9:1 compression or better ratio , 100 octane pure gasoline. 
Natural gas has no lubricating properties and the existing internal combustion engine is not designed for non-lubricating fuel, maintenance and repair costs would escalate.Unions and lawmakers have been in cahoots forever.  During the depression the unions would have gotten no traction at the Big 3 if it were not for FDR.

Manufacturing is a straw dog red herring. After WWII the auto manufacturers wanted to replace people with robots and the unions blocked it.  Today, if manufacturing were allowed to return to the US (no-unions) it would all be robotic.  There would be a few people in sterile rooms watching monitors. 

Each state responsible for its own electrical generation, I don't want the fed in control of my electricity.  Remember a couple of years ago when one state browned out and several failed?  If the Fed controls it they all will fail.

Let the marketplace determine outcomes.

 They said the same thing when we took lead out of fuel but that didn't prove to be true.

That's not true. Lead softened the blow to the valve seat. Cylinder heads had to have seats heat treated so they wouldn't recess into the head. Lead also raised the octane RN. MFG's had to make adjustments for the no lead fuel. Hardened valve seats added to the cost of the engine just like anything else. Compression ratios came down and so did efficiency. Eventually they figured out new chamber designs to promote swirl which allowed compression ratios to come up to where 93 octane fuel could be used with 11:1 ratios as long as the ECM and PCM's could keep up.

[John Florida]

Gasoline engines, 9:1 compression or better ratio , 100 octane pure gasoline. 
Natural gas has no lubricating properties and the existing internal combustion engine is not designed for non-lubricating fuel, maintenance and repair costs would escalate.Unions and lawmakers have been in cahoots forever.  During the depression the unions would have gotten no traction at the Big 3 if it were not for FDR.

Manufacturing is a straw dog red herring. After WWII the auto manufacturers wanted to replace people with robots and the unions blocked it.  Today, if manufacturing were allowed to return to the US (no-unions) it would all be robotic.  There would be a few people in sterile rooms watching monitors. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V8mgpfAZI0
Each state responsible for its own electrical generation, I don't want the fed in control of my electricity.  Remember a couple of years ago when one state browned out and several failed?  If the Fed controls it they all will fail.

Let the marketplace determine outcomes.

 They said the same thing when we took lead out of fuel but that didn't prove to be true.

That's not true. Lead softened the blow to the valve seat. Cylinder heads had to have seats heat treated so they wouldn't recess into the head. Lead also raised the octane RN. MFG's had to make adjustments for the no lead fuel. Hardened valve seats added to the cost of the engine just like anything else. Compression ratios came down and so did efficiency. Eventually they figured out new chamber designs to promote swirl which allowed compression ratios to come up to where 93 octane fuel could be used with 11:1 ratios as long as the ECM and PCM's could keep up.

 And in the end it all got sorted out Now we have cbs in Vegas that don't use gasoline and we've had even commercial trucks that run on it. Like anything else it can be dealt with.

[AlanS]

Alan any word down ther about Brazil Drilling in the Gulf and no new permits for other companies?

After reapproving 3 wells that were started before this fiasco, the administration has FINALLY approved 2 new wells this week. LA and TX aren't exactly jumping for joy, but it's a start.

As far as Brazil, I haven't heard too much about it around here. The few people I know working overseas seem to be going to the far east or Africa.

[MacWell™]

As far as Nat Gas, the cost, and therefore margin would be irrelevant because of the volume they'd sell. Even if the price stayed the same, anyone who had investments in natural gas would make a killing, stocks would go through the roof, and the market would respond with lower prices for everything. America can, and imho should make a difference in the world, just as we always have.

[Pandora]

As far as Nat Gas, the cost, and therefore margin would be irrelevant because of the volume they'd sell. Even if the price stayed the same, anyone who had investments in natural gas would make a killing, stocks would go through the roof, and the market would respond with lower prices for everything. America can, and imho should make a difference in the world, just as we always have.

Which is why the anti-frackers are out in full force, flying their enviro-freak flags.

[charlesoakwood]

Heard on the radio that fracking has become a women's issues, it endangers the unborn.

[Pandora]

Heard on the radio that fracking has become a women's issues, it endangers the unborn.

Yah, unh hunh.  Almost like they're trying to make me barf.  According the "them" everything "endangers" the unoborn except abortion, about which they're dedicated proponents.

Makes one's head spin, don't it.

[John Florida]

Heard on the radio that fracking has become a women's issues, it endangers the unborn.

Yah, unh hunh.  Almost like they're trying to make me barf.  According the "them" everything "endangers" the unoborn except abortion, about which they're dedicated proponents.

Makes one's head spin, don't it.

 Not any more I just shake it.