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Friday, September 05, 2008
836 - Geezer and Gidget go to Washington
These are unusual times in Wyoming and across our land and even across our world. Here are a couple of the things that have piqued my brain cells recently:
• Although Sarah Palin may be a great governor of Alaska, I worry that her Vice Presidential candidacy may be short-lived. Her biggest challenges are overcoming stereotypes and deflecting comic routines at her expense.
Let’s look at some of her virtues. Her work in battling the entrenched corrupt power structure of politicians/energy lobbyists in her state is worth celebrating. Especially when viewed from here in Wyoming, where so much of our political establishment is also intertwined with a similar energy establishment.
And it is easy to appreciate her pro-life approach in her personal life and her decisions to hasten energy development.
You have to love the fact that a presidential candidate has reached out to an unknown in a low-populated western state.
Former Speaker of the Wyoming House, Fred Parady and his wife Lisa Skiles, recently moved from Rock Springs to Alaska and had this to say:
“We met Governor Palin in Barrow in late June. She came up for the Nalaqutak Celebration, as our Inupiat Community was very successful in their whaling, receiving the gift of life of 9 whales.
“Sarah is a great choice - scrappy, spirited, feisty. If she helps Sen. McCain win, which they have a heck of a shot, then you are watching the first female president (to be) of the USA on her first trip across the national stage.
“Alaska loves her. She sold the state jet on eBay (Gov. Freudenthal should follow her lead!). She tackled the biggest energy issue in the country with her AGIA act (Alaska Gas Incentive Act - modeled on our Wyoming Natural Gas Pipeline Authority) to get a pipeline moving and she tackled corruption and business as usual head on.
“I read an article in the New York Times that said her selection called McCain`s vetting process into question. I couldn`t disagree more. His vetting process was based on leadership and talent. What is going on is a muckraking process, which is far different, and which the American people will see through. I especially think she is an inspiring choice in contrast to Sen. Joe Biden. There is talent in the USA outside the Senate!
“We love Alaska but can`t wait to get back to Laramie for some Cowboy football!”
The Paradys are working in the same school district as former Wyoming State School Supt. Trent Blankenship.
My friend Bruce Pozzi of Anchorage says: “Sarah is a very smart person. She is diplomatic, charismatic, knowledgeable about issues, and tough.
“Sarah is criticized about not having experience but hers is in more of an executive leadership capacity as compared with the three senators. Running a small town can be complex and while some consider Alaska to be small, it is a state small in population but very diverse in its needs with bush communities. And it has a large budget of nearly $4.7 billion that she oversees as chief executive.”
He said someone printed up thousands of tee shirts saying, “Our mama can beat your Obama.” Sold’em out in hours, he said.
As someone who wants to vote for John McCain I admit that I was initially surprised with this choice.
A heartbeat away from the oldest president we may ever elect? Already unbelievably busy, she looks like Superwoman with a huge state to run and five kids at home. But the Vice Presidency of the United States?
And for sure, she brought down the house during her speech at the Republican convention. This Tina Fey-look-alike seemed to have stepped right out of a Saturday Night Live skit as she blasted the Democrats.
She has been butt of some killer humor. One cartoon showed the new Republican motto as: “Geezer and Gidget 08.”
For more comic relief, check out Comedy Central’s take on the Sarah Palin pick on YouTube.com.
• Tom Friedman, the Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the New York Times, recently offered a unique insight on how two countries can react very differently during similar times.
He laments how the countries of China and the USA have reacted in the last seven years.
China was awarded the Olympics in 2001, just before 9/11, and spent $57 billion on infrastructure in the ensuing years to get ready for the Olympics.
The USA, meanwhile, spent a trillion dollars in those seven years chasing terrorists and invading countries.
Interesting contrast.
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Thursday, September 04, 2008
CR01 - A big empty space in a big empty state
This column first appeared in the Wyoming Catholic Register
Like just about every Wyoming Catholic, the news hit me like a kick in the gut.
The announced appointment of our Bishop David Ricken to Green Bay, WI. was news that was hard to take.
Sure there is no question he will be serving ten times as many Catholics for the poor folks in Green Bay who have gone more than a year without a bishop. They lost their beloved Bishop David Zubik a year ago when he was sent to an even bigger diocese in Pittsburgh.
Selfishly, darn it, we felt we had been had.
“I took a vow of obedience. I guess I’m out of here,” he told me with a rueful laugh.
He also gladly recounted just how much he loved his job here in Wyoming. Outside of the governor, he is the highest profile public person in the state. He handled that role extremely well.
He came to us from Colorado where he loved the high plains of the rural part of that state. He felt at home here in Wyoming.
His youth and energy were contagious. And although he certainly did not flaunt it, his intellect is nearly at a genius level. Not much slipped by him.
On a personal level, I had worked with Bishop Ricken on the Catholic Charities Board, the advisory committee of the Catholic Register and with the founding the Wyoming Catholic College in my hometown of Lander.
Among his many talents, he knew how to run a meeting.
They always started and ended with a prayer. He made sure everyone had their say-so, but he always wanted the meetings to have a direction and a goal. A plan of action. Like a modern CEO, he was not fond of meetings for meetings’ sakes.
When you look at the accomplishments of this bishop, well, the list is long and very impressive.
To me, his stewardship of the new Wyoming Catholic College will be a lasting monument to his vision and organizing ability.
At the press conference to announce the selection of a ranch outside of Lander as a site of the college, Bishop Ricken continually used the theme “answered prayers.”
This is a prayerful man and he will always refer to the remarkable power of prayer when it comes to making good things happen.
The remarkable coincidences that have led to a very successful founding of the college are too numerous to mention here (perhaps in a future column), but needless to say, it is almost impossible to deal with this project without seeing the power of prayer in action.
In his message to donors to the college, he wrote:
“But this story of Providence was only beginning. Starting a college is not for the fainthearted; there are challenges every step of the journey. In prayer, I came to know that this was Our Lady’s College and I was moved to dedicate and consecrate the College under her patronage and most fitting title – Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom.”
This month the second class of 32 students has arrived in Lander and is starting class. The curriculum offered by WCC is so powerful that more than 200 applicants applied for those 32 spots.
Yes, Bishop, your vision was on target and your prayers were answered.
Perhaps we can conclude that you can take the Bishop out of Wyoming, but gosh darn it, you cannot take Wyoming out of the Bishop!
Godspeed to you, kind sir.
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Tuesday, September 02, 2008
WBR01 - In Wyoming, we love our gas guzzlers
This column appeared in the Wyoming Business Report
There was a sign at the station near by my house that said, `We take Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card, and American Express. After I filled up they took my Visa, my Master Card, my Discover Card, and my American Express. Jay Leno
To me, driving a big Sport Utility Vehicle was always because of safety concerns.
And for most Wyomingites, the typical mode of transportation over the years has always favored big rigs for lots of reasons.
Whether it was a cattle baron in a big Cadillac, an energy worker in his jacked up 3/4-ton pickup, a cowboy in a mile-long pickup and horse trailer or mom in her SUV, well, we were living large when it came to our outfits (which is what cars and trucks are called in Wyoming). We also drive more miles, per capita, than just about anyone in the USA.
Gas mileage was not a big issue. We’ve always had just about the lowest gas taxes in the country and lots of refineries. For a long time, gasoline or diesel prices were not something to talk about. Or complain about.
My, how times have changed.
There is a genuine rant going on statewide over fuel prices, especially across the northwestern tier. Although prices are going down, they are still high and definitely higher in some places more than others.
A Riverton citizens group bought a big ad in their newspaper showing photos of Casper gas pumps with prices 50 cents per gallon cheaper than in their town.
In Jackson, the price is $4.09 and folks are steaming. “Gouging the tourists,” my friend Clay James says, lamenting that he paid $3.36 per gallon in Missouri recently.
In Lander, a new convenience store opened with lower prices and the place was overwhelmed. Now, their prices are just like everyone else here – high, $3.99 as this is being written.
Best consumer deal is when it is a loss leader. Sam’s Club in Cheyenne was recently selling at $3.74 per gallon with Safeway even lower. Up here in Fremont County, the Wind River Casino’s Smoke Shop fueling center often has the lowest prices. Prices in Casper and Gillette dropped to the $3.62 range.
On a national level, one big oil company exec went public to answer the complaints and compared gasoline to milk ($6.29 per gallon), bottled water ($21.19 per gallon) and Pepto Bismol ($123.20 per gallon). That last example certainly did not make him a lot of friends. He has not been heard from since.
So what about our gas-guzzlers?
The Wyoming Business Report had a story on this subject by Tim Monroe Aug. 8. Most Wyoming car and truck dealers claimed they were holding their own despite a national downturn.
They complained that the biggest price drops were in used diesel 3/4-ton pickups and large SUVs. They were running $6,000 lower than blue book. On eBay, the bigger SUVs were at least $10,000 under what you would expect.
If you are in the market for a big outfit, wow, now is the best time to buy. But, before going to eBay, give your local dealer a chance to find you a rig. They will welcome you with open arms.
The Ford Explorer is the best selling SUV in history. Yet, last month, just 5,000 were sold worldwide. It is a dinosaur.
Another dinosaur is the Yukon XL/Suburban line by General Motors. A year ago, GM had a 92-day supply. This year, they have a 174-day supply.
As stated above, my car is that same GMC Denali XL (yes, a dinosaur). It gets 18 mpg on the highway, which is good considering we haul a lot of people. We appreciate the safety of a big four-wheel drive SUV. But it has not been enjoyable to endure gas fills costing over $100.
We just completed a 1,400-mile drive to Denver and then over to Flaming Gorge and then home.
It was truly astonishing to see the number of hybrid Toyota Prius cars on the Interstate highways. Now, this is the ugliest car to come to market since the AMC Gremlin a generation ago.
Yet, with Toyota’s reliability and good gas mileage, over 1.1 million have been sold. And a lot of people are taking their family vacations in these little tin cans.
It is easy to conclude that the smart money might be in buying that big late model SUV now. Take your pick among a Navigator, an Escalade, an Expedition, a Durango, a Sequoia or even a Yukon like mine.
Just figure out how much money you are saving off the sticker price and then add up how much gas that saving would buy.
And then as an added kicker, consider the safety aspect of driving one of those on Wyoming’s winter roads compared to a Prius?
I know. I know. We have a responsibility to cut emissions and reduce gasoline consumption.
But let’s give one final little cheer for our long-time Wyoming friend, the gas-guzzler. Like dinosaurs, they may soon be headed toward extinction.
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Saturday, August 30, 2008
835 - An exotic energy world in southwest Wyoming
Wyoming is a land of mountains, deserts and high plains.
Not sure that the correct adjective would be “exotic” but in certain places, the man-made creations for energy development can provide amazing sights.
Many of those places are in southwestern Wyoming.
Central Wyoming residents have discovered a short cut route that takes some 20 minutes off their drives to Salt Lake City. A side benefit is that it takes you through some of the state’s more interesting energy projects.
Instead of going south at Farson to I-80 and then west to Evanston, this route heads west into a vast open area. The world’s largest trona deposits are south of it and the huge Jonah Field natural gas deposit is north of it.
In-between is the billion-dollar ExxonMobil Shute Creek plant. It is located truly in the middle of nowhere.
One of the most rare elements in the world is helium and 25 percent of the world’s supply comes from that plant. Helium is a byproduct along with CO2 from scrubbing sour gas from the Madden Formation wells near LaBarge. Seven different gasses are separated at that facility.
Shute was not its original name, by the way. The real name is not publicly mentionable.
Earlier this month, Devon Energy announced plans for a $100 million project to pipe CO2 from Shute all the way to Riverton. They will pump carbon dioxide into mature oil wells and then extract enough oil to make the project profitable.
That $120 per barrel oil price is the incentive for this incredibly ambitious project.
And of course prior to getting to this route, we drive over South Pass and that vista gives you a spectacular view of the Jack Morrow Hills in the Red Desert, where environmentalists and energy companies have been sparring for ten years over the development of thousands of natural gas wells.
Next big fight in that region may be over somebody’s idea to build a field of big windmills on South Pass. A few decades ago someone tried to build a power line over the historic pass and it was throttled by the public outcry.
What will they say about hundreds of big windmills perched there in one of the windiest places in Wyoming?
Whenever I go to Farson down an absolutely straight-line road of more than 20 miles of desert high plains, a project called Wagon Wheel comes to mind.
Back in the 1970s, engineers knew there was gas deep in those Jonah Field formations but could not figure how to get it out.
In their infinite wisdom, the Atomic Energy Commission planned to detonate underground nuclear bombs to break loose the gas!
The late U. S. Representative Teno Roncalio and a young editor of the Lander newspaper campaigned hard against the project and somehow, people came to their senses, and the project was scrapped.
Then it was up to two fellows named McMurry and Martin from Casper to figure out how to tap into those deep sources of gas and the rest is history.
Our southwesterly route also takes us to the lovely little town of Opal (pronounced O’-pal), which features hubs for the huge natural gas pipelines that head off into the infinite distance.
A company called EPD owned by Houston billionaire Dan L. Duncan has built a big new facility north of Opal with rumors of another six to be built on up the road.
As we continue on this shortcut route, we head to Kemmerer and Elkol, where the Naughton 715-megawatt power station exists. It is powered by coal from the old-time Kemmerer Coal Company.
A beneficiary of that old coal wealth is John Kemmerer III who moved back to Wyoming to buy the Jackson Hole Ski Area. His family has pumped millions of dollars into it, making it one of the premier resorts in the Rockies.
From there it is south to I-80 and past huge windmills that lead into Evanston, home of a 20-year energy boom concerning something called the Overthrust Belt.
My friends Rusty and Carrie Fife say that town is still growing and developing. From a sleepy little burg three decades ago, the town now is one of the nicest in the state. Their River Walk is a highlight.
Wyoming is full of these unique back road areas, which at first glance, may not seem too interesting.
But if you wander farther afield you can find yourself in the midst of an exotic and fantastic landscape that is having a huge impact on our country’s energy fortunes.
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Thursday, August 21, 2008
834 - Reflections on elections - especially U. S. House race
In the wake of last Tuesday’s primary election, a number of important conclusions can be drawn:
• At this point, I am positive that current sitting U. S. Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso will get my votes in the Nov. 4 general election. These two Republicans breezed through last Tuesday’s primary and are poised to easily win the general.
They are two of my all-time favorite Wyoming politicians. We are very lucky to have these two looking out for our interests in Washington, D.C.
Now, let’s talk about Nick Carter and Chris Rothfuss, the two Democrats trying to unseat Senators Barrasso and Enzi. These are darned good candidates. They are personable, well-informed and deserve your attention. If you get the chance, spend some time with them.
Mr. Carter is a Gillette attorney and he has an interesting story to tell. He has one of the more entertaining stump speeches I have heard. Even with Barack Obama’s coattails, there appears to be no way he can even come close to winning, but he is a worthy candidate.
Chris Rothfuss, Laramie, is a young man with a sparkling resume. He is a UW prof who knows all about carbon credits. No doubt, he can even describe for you every single aspect of the process where energy comes from. And he is not an egghead.
He also has the background of a diplomat, having negotiated international treaties concerning nano-technology. I am thrilled that a man of his caliber is working at UW.
Go listen to him. His stump speech is entertaining. But when he starts talking about energy, well, pay attention. He really knows his stuff.
Can he beat Sen. Enzi? No chance, in my opinion, but it is good for Wyoming that he is running. My vote is for Mike but Chris will bring up some important points during the campaign.
• It is also appropriate to talk about the U. S. House race.
The Democrat in that race is seemingly one of the nicest guys in state politics, Gary Trauner of Wilson.
He has spent at least three years building a powerful statewide network. And he might just win the general election.
• On the GOP side, after all the shouting and posturing, the person who started out as the front-runner ended up the front-runner. Cynthia Lummis is the GOP nominee for Wyoming’s lone U. S. House of Representatives seat.
Mark Gordon, Buffalo, ran an aggressive campaign to combat old-fashioned person-to-person politicking by the longtime GOP player Cynthia.
Give Mr. Gordon credit – he came from nowhere and spent $1.25 million trying to make it a horse race. Incredibly, his campaign may have cost over $47 per vote. Not since Bob Schuster’s multi-million dollar run against Barbara Cubin in the 1994 general has a candidate squandered so much money for so little in return. Mr. Gordon probably spent twice as much money as any candidate in a Wyoming primary ever. Historically it appears that a candidate usually spends about $10 per vote.
But also, historically, it is virtually impossible to win a GOP primary without the pro-life and pro-gun folks behind you. Those folks supported Ms. Lummis.
Gordon’s single biggest mistake was his choice of campaign advisors. He spent a fortune on high-priced San Francisco so-called political experts who took his money and wasted it on a TV campaign. In Wyoming, it is far better to put your political money into local media, including newspapers like this one.
Inevitably, the big-shot national political pros will steer Wyoming candidates toward TV because it is easy for them and it works elsewhere, but not so hot here. Of course, it is his money and he had a right to spend it how he wanted.
Mr. Gordon now joins a long list of one-time statewide candidates who ran aggressive races and then are never heard from again – this writer, included.
But I am not so sure Mr. Gordon will disappear so fast.
In two years the GOP will be looking for a governor candidate who can win. And with current Democrat Gov. Dave Freudenthal out of the way, it will open the door to a huge cast of characters.
It never seemed that obvious to me that Mr. Gordon wanted to spend the bulk of his time in Washington, D. C. He loves being in Wyoming and so it would not surprise me to see him throw his hat in the ring in two years for the gubernatorial nomination. You read it here first.
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