Change Idea #18 - Sugar

I like soda pop and Knots Berry Farm strawberry preserves.

It has been suggested and somewhat proven that High Fructose Corn Syrup is bad for you. If you look at the foods that should have sugar in them it has been replaced by HFCS. Soda pop and my favorite preserves are an example.

Why??

Because there is a law that protects the farmers of sugar beets in the US. We do not want them to suffer because sugar prices are so low in the rest of the world. Another reason is that Cuba makes sugar and we definitely do not want to support Castro?

Chicago used to be the candy capital of the US. No longer. Candy is now made in another country because sugar is so expensive in the US.

I doubt that America’s sweet tooth will abate anytime soon. The time for sugar subsidies needs to end. The time for sweetened products to have sugar in them needs to return.

This would be a change that would help America’s health.

Change #17 - Sunset Laws

Sunset laws, many of us have heard of them but not many of us know about them.

They are not enacted because it would cause our politicians to have to do work.

If anyone is paying attention our federal lawmakers put in less days of work than they have ever put in.

A sunset law would mean that Social Security would come up for reauthorization every 15 or 20 years depending on how long you want the sunset to be. I don't want Social Security not to be reenacted. But I am a firm believer that even the best program can be made better. With Social Security being such a political cow that can never be touched, a sunset law would mean that it would have to be touched. Improvements would have to be made. We know now that funding is coming up short and that would have to be addressed. Since it has been a Republican position that we should not have social programs like Social Security, then they would have a chance to end it as we know it and put in something better or have nothing. A change could be made, depending on your view it could be better or worse.

Every funding bill would have to get reauthorized. Every government official would have his job scrutinized every 15 years. Just like in business or as I call it “the real world” management would be expected to perform to certain standards. If they do not then the program that they are administering would be ended and their jobs ended with the program.

Sounds like a change that may cause some problems but long term could produce a better government that represents the will of the public.

Change #16 - Better utilization of land

I live in the Illinois .

When we have gone on vacation out west I have noticed that the median strips are used for growing grass and appear to be harvested by the local farmers.

I realize that growing grass in cities is impractical, but out on the highways it is not. In Illinois and eastern states I have not noticed the practice of growing and cutting “hay” on the highways.

If it was done it would save the taxpayers money. Eliminate politically connected jobs to have someone cut the grass on a regular basis, and cut down on fuel costs to cut the grass. I am sure that the farmers would only cut the grass when it was ready to be cut, and not on a schedule for purely aesthetic reasons. With ethanol becoming more prevalent, grow corn on the median strips. I don't need to see what is on the road coming the other direction. That might even stop the gawkers from slowing down every time anything happens in the oncoming lanes.

At some point in the future every inch of land that can have something grown on it will be utilized. By changing now we get ahead of the curve.

Change #15 - Turn off those lights!

Space photos of Earth at nightPickens Plan is to replace the natural gas we use to generate electricity with wind power. We can then use the clean burning natural gas to power our cars. That would reduce our oil usage and importation.

The one sentence of the plan that caught my eye is that Mr. Pickens is building a wind farm that could replace 4 power plants.

Yet if we replace our refrigerators with new ones we could have 35 power plants idle.

I like his plan because it can be part of a plan to reduce our oil dependency.

I have another change that would accomplish some of what Mr. Pickens wants and could be accomplished immediately.

I will start with a question.

Does anyone really need to know where stores are in the middle of the night?

Is anyone going to Radio Shack at 3am? Then why is the Radio Shack sign on?

Why are all the mall parking lot lights on in the middle of the night? There are no cars parked.

Conservation was what was hoped for in the seventies when lights had to be turned off. Now we have conservatives telling us that they can spend their money on what they want and there should not be any rules on what they do. They call it a free market. I think they miss the point. By not having enough energy for all they make the commodity scarce and the price higher for everyone. Their selfishness hurts all of us.

Lets start to look at the changes that I have so far proposed.

I use natural gas to heat my home. By insulating I reduce that amount of natural gas used. That amount could be used to fuel a car. I would save on my electricity bill in the summer by reducing the A/C that I would need to keep the home cool.

I have bought new refrigerators and have reduced my electrical consumption.

I have slowed down and increased my gas mileage.

New electronic toys are no longer “instant on” and takes some getting used to, instant gratification has to wait.

New proper sized furnaces would save another 20% of my natural gas usage.

Having solar cells could double our electricity and could be mounted on everyone’s home.

The technology is here. The commitment to achieve energy independence is not. The

Pickens plan can be a change that we could embrace, but there are other easy or low hanging fruit that could be harvested at the same time that would give us the same results faster.

I am still waiting for my one seater electric car that will average 100mpg.

Change #14 - Energy-efficient appliances

When you listen to news shows and other things on the radio or TV at times a single sentence you hear that is out of the ordinary.

I have heard that if we figure inflation the same way as under Jimmy Carter then inflation is at 10-11%. That is why things are so expensive. Information that explains high food bills and explains other economic problems.

I heard something else that would affect our daily lives and help us with our energy needs. I heard that if everyone in the US bought a new energy efficient Refrigerator that the energy saved would be equal to 35 power plants.

I do not know if these power plants would be equal to a nuclear power plant, but if they are then we could save 35% of the new nuclear power plants that has been proposed by John McCain, without the environmental hazards of nuclear power.

Something as simple as getting a new refrigerator can lead us to energy independence.

The easiest way to get new power is to use the power that you have more wisely. In other words CONSERVE.

What a change that would be.

change #13 - Road construction

Road construction. . .

we have all sat in the traffic caused by road construction. What is exasperating is that the same roads get rebuilt every 5-10 years. Why don't roads last longer? Is it the cost or do we plan obsolescence. Is this a political ploy to keep construction workers busy?

With all the roads and bridges that need repair would it not be best to not have to repair the same roads over and over? Our new I 355 extension here in Illinois is one of the worst new roads I have ever driven on. There are so many bumps and dips, it should be repaved right now.
Are there no standards? No quality control? Or does the state merely hope that a new road is built correctly?

Being around Chicago it is a possibility that someone made some money under the table to not look properly at the roads. The road construction company could be politically connected.
What needs to change is that the construction company guarantees that the road will last and will at its cost make any and all repairs if need be. If they try to declare bankruptcy, then people go to jail. Mandatory sentencing just as if they were drug dealers.

Change idea #12 - LED bulbs

At the moment, CFL’s are all the rage.

Compact fluorescent lights save energy because they put out 4 times the light as an incandescent bulb for the same amount of energy. The cost is finally coming down on CFL’s for the electricity savings.

I think that we should bypass this intermediary step. We should go direct to LED bulbs. You know those hockey puck-type lights they sell for under the cabinets, etc. They are also used on battery operated trouble lights. Manufacturers use LED’s because they give off a lot of light and can be run off of batteries. LED’s use a little bit of power.

Before the advent of computers and other electronic devices that are on all the time, lighting for the home was a big part of a homeowner's electricity cost. LED’s would greatly reduce that cost.

If we are to make a change in type of bulbs then lets make a big change.

Change idea #11- More nuclear power plants

Here is a change idea from John McCain.

John McCain has proposed that we should build 45 new nuclear power plants now and up to 100 new plants total.

McCain’s reasoning is that nuclear power would give us a clean source of energy. No emissions.

We should applaud McCain on the realization that we need more power and that cars of the future will be powered by electricity. His use of nuclear power will have zero carbon emissions. From my readings France has already gone the route of having nuclear power be their main source of energy. So the idea is feasible.

However, I have reservations about nuclear energy:

1) The cost to decommission a nuclear power plant is prohibitive. So far that cost has not been in any electric bill. When the cost of electricity doubles because of those costs, people will want to hang the regulators that did not allow those costs to be spread over the life of the plant. And/or the politician that put us on the course of nuclear power.

2) America still has no plan to dispose of nuclear waste.

3) Our nuclear power plants are not well protected now from terrorists, why would having 100 more be safer?

4) Companies are always trying to cut costs. This is not a plan that can fall into that mentality. My electricity company has been fined for not doing what they were supposed to do regarding training and maintenance.

If you all have ideas for change of your own, please post them.

Change idea #10 - hydrogen/electric small cars

Hydrogen cars are one option.
Here is how I have heard hydrogen cars work.
Hydrogen burns, creates energy that runs an electric motor that runs the car. Waste product is H2O. So what you have is an electric car with a different power source. It takes more energy (electricity) to break the bonds of H2O to get Hydrogen, than you get back when you make H2O. So having a hydrogen-powered car costs more energy than running an oil car. If we had 7 times the electricity that we have now then going to a hydrogen-based fuel makes sense (like having solar panels on every home).

But what is first needed is a credible electric car.
I would like to see a one-person electric car that can go 200 miles per charge. 200 miles because I live up north and batteries lose ½ their charge when it gets cold. Since I live 32 miles from work I would like to have a cushion of a few extra miles.

Cut the Smart Car in half and we have a car that is super efficient. I take myself with a lunch with me to work. Why do I need the extra space? Why does anyone need the extra space? Equivalent MPG would be near 100mpg. And I have read that the cost to charge the car would be $.50. You would have smaller car, that has less weight, shuts off at stop lights, is aerodynamic, and would be a perfect commuter car.

I must be still asleep, because this sounds like a dream because it makes to much sense.

Change idea #9 - Eliminate high school

High School is for sports, drivers Ed, and chasing girls.

Biology, Chemistry and Physics are College courses.

When you enter your first College English course the instructor tells you to forget everything that you learned in HS because it is wrong.

Every Mathematics course above Geometry is a College level course.

Accounting in a College course.

Foreign language studies are College courses.

The government requirement in High School can be met by taking similar courses in College.

Physical Education HS courses are a waste of time.

Study Hall in HS is a waste of time.

Lunch time in HS is a waste of time.

Dealing with unreasonable rules and teachers is what you learn in HS. Get a job and learn the same thing. Join the military and learn how to deal with unreasonable rules and superiors.

I just read that education is what will turn our economy around. Eliminate four years of useless education, provide for free State college tuition and the education level of Americans will rise.

(My three kids skipped high school and did as well those who went to high school, or better. Received their Associates Degrees while those of their same age were receiving high school diplomas. There are ways around the system.)

Change idea #8 - More available drinking water

I live near Lake Michigan . We have Lake Michigan water to drink. This are probably has one of the drinking water on this planet.

Others in this country do not have enough water. Areas of this country are losing their aquifer because we are growing vegetables in the desert. At some time this source of water will dry up. What are we to do?

With as I have proposed, 7 times the electricity that we have now we could have desalination plants that could provide as much water as needed, where it is needed.

Solutions to many problems come from having the right resources to do what needs to be done. Changing our way of getting energy could provide many opportunities for economic growth that other countries could not match.

I do not believe that John McCain's $300 million dollar prize to make a new battery is an incentive at all, but by proposing a reward, that idea has been brought to the forefront of discussion. With discussion can come ideas, with ideas can come plans, with plans can come solutions. Our country needs to start solving problems, not putting up roadblocks to gain political points.

Change idea #7 - Line dry clothes

Simple ideas are the easiest.

Many municipalities will not allow residents to dry their clothes outside. Like mine.

Change the laws to allow this so that gas or electricity can be saved drying clothes.

Simple change, big returns.

Change idea #6 - Better insulate homes

I go to home shows to see what is new and get ideas on what to do with my home.

One of the sales people at a recent show I went to said he wanted to come to my house to give an estimate for ceiling insulation. So I made an appointment for him to come over. I have R-19 insulation in my ceiling which is probably normal for homes built 20 years ago. The new standard in my territory is R-49.

Supposedly, I would save 20-30% on my heating and air conditioning if I better insulated my attic.

Since I am a do-it-your-selfer, the cost to insulate my home with blow-in insulation to the recommended depth to get R-49 would cost me about $400.

20% off my gas bill would be $20 per month. In less than 2 years I would have saved what it costs me to upgrade my insulation. Any business would love that Return on Investment.

What gets me is that new homes are not insulated to the standards put forth by our government. Saving energy should be a change that is paramount to our national security.

Better insulating homes is a simple, low cost way to get started on that path.

Change idea #5 -- Legalize industrial hemp

Industrial hemp is a cousin to cannabis and can only be grown in this country if there is 24-hour security and many other needless regulations.

Our drug police cannot tell the difference.

Industrial hemp grows where other crops will not grow.

In America we have many areas that fall into that category, nothing will grow there.

But Industrial hemp will grow there and is a cash crop that could put the owners of those lands into profitability.

From what I have read, Hemp is used in many products and we cannot import as much as is needed.

Politicians will not support a change in the law because they do not want to be labeled as a drug pusher.

Let's change this because it's the right thing to do and not keep our heads in the sand because of fear.

Change Idea #4 - Balancing environmental/economic concerns with an energy reality

I just read that Congress will not allow drilling off the coast of Florida .

There is already drilling off of the coast of Florida but Americans are not doing it. How will they stop the Cubans who are drilling 90 miles off of the coast? Let's kill Castro and annex Cuba , that will stop the oil drilling? Wait, that was already tried and failed (killing Castro). Besides, any oil spill will only go south and pollute somewhere else, I believe that one?

Not drilling off of the coast of Florida or in Alaska without an alternative energy policy is short-sighted. Drilling off the coast of Louisiana is ok, an oil spill will not go east and pollute Florida or any other state. DUH?

All sources of oil need to be found and used. That policy along with a plan to be like Iceland and no longer be dependent on oil for heating or driving around should be part of our overall energy policy.

Instead of no drilling because of environmental concerns, how about responsible drilling that takes into account environmental concerns. Intelligent compromise.

Do what is best for the country not what gets you elected. That debate is not heard.

Democrats for the environment, Republicans for big oil. There is never any compromise.

Change idea #3 - Solar panels on every new home.

Bill Nye the science guy said that if every home in America had solar panels we would provide 7 times the electricity that we have now.GE has said that if Arizona was covered in their solar panels we would double the amount of electricity in America. Many of my other ideas for “change” depend on the use of electricity. So getting a clean source of electricity is important.

By requiring solar panels on every new home the solar panel industry can be jump started, prices will come down and soon every home will have them. If you can afford the price of a new home then $20,000 for a solar panel installation can be afforded.

No new Nuke plants, no new coal fired plants, no new oil fired plants to generate electricity. This is one step on the way to energy self reliance.

Here again, the government has to make some people do what they do not want to do. For those who do not want government regulation, those people need to have a nuclear power plant/coal plant in their back yard. Of course, no complaints on your green-colored skin will be accepted.

Change #2 -- I can't drive 55

I actually remember when the speed limit was 55 and when we turned off lights to save energy. Anyone else remember that a few decades ago?

I did a test with my 2006 Impala that has a 3.5L 6-cylinder engine. I was going to Rockford 3 days in a row on business. My car has a feature that will tell you what your MPG currently is and also an overall total. I drove to Rockford at different speeds each day. (67, 62, and 57 mph) At 67 mph my gas mileage was a little over 31 MPG. At 57 mph my gas mileage was a little over 38 MPG. That's 22% better gas mileage at the slower speed.

My son recently slowed down on the highway and his gas mileage also went up on his 2001 Neon at about the same percentage.

If we cannot slow down on our own, it would be best for all of us if the government lowered the speed limit back to 55. Just look at how much fuel will be saved if everyone just slowed down.

Ideas for change #1 - Eliminating cash money

Benefits of eliminating the use of cash money

I have been thinking about the financial benefits (as well as convenience) if we did away with paper and coin money and make all transactions via plastic/debit card.

This would eliminate the underground or cash economy.

Many people do jobs that they get paid cash for. They do not claim this as income and do not pay taxes on this money.

I have read that the underground economy is as large as the normal economy. Getting tax income from this underground economy could double the governments income.

Since all transactions are on plastic they can be monitored.

Organized crime and the corner drug dealer can no longer get paid in cash.. Illegal immigrants and those on fixed time Visas either could not pay for anything or get paid because the illegals could not get a card and the people here on student Visas card would expire.

Sounds like big brother? If the government wanted to they could track most of your money now. It would not affect those of us who follow the rules.

With the extra income social security would be solvent and that would no longer be a political football that each party uses to its advantage.

We could have tax cuts.

We could balance the budget and pay off the debt. No longer indebted to the Chinese.

Free health care for all Americans.

The arts could be funded.

With free health care small businesses would be more competitive with other companies in the world.

Supplemental policies to provide the same coverage most of us expect would be offered and could be purchased by companies or individuals.

So, what are your opinions or thoughts?

Help make change a reality

This is the year of change in our political spectrum.

At least that is the word that is used.

I am a skeptic and politicians use words to get elected, make empty promises they do not intend to keep, and leave those of us who have believed in them, disillusioned.

The main political parties are soon going to have their respective conventions and to help make change a reality I think I can come up with 30 ideas of change.

My criteria will be:

1) Will the implementation of the idea cause or create a climate of positive change for our country. At least my idea of positive change, open for discussion?

2) Will the idea help or benefit the majority of the people in the USA. Is the idea good for the country?

Because the Republicans are so far to the right and the Democrats are so far to the left my ideas will not please everyone. But if everyone can look at the idea and determine if the idea benefits the majority of the people then political dogma needs to be left at the door.

Remember CHANGE is the buzzword and to change at some point compromise is needed. Maybe political compromise will be the first idea.

So the questions that will need to be asked are:

1) Is the idea feasible?

2) Is the idea a change or will promote a change?

3) Can the idea be made better?

4) Will the idea help the country for the long term?