Rick Perry picked to head Dept. of Energy

[Chris0nllyn]

President-elect Donald J. Trump plans to name Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas, to lead the Energy Department, an agency far more devoted to national security and basic science than to the extraction of fossil fuels that is Mr. Perry’s expertise.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/us/politics/rick-perry-energy-secretary-trump.html?_r=1

The DoE was one of the three agencies Perry forgot he wanted to eliminate in the 2011 debate.
[video=youtube;0uvmKnFY4uk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uvmKnFY4uk[/video]

While I seriously doubt Perry would shut down the agency he's soon-to-be running, 60% of DoE's budget goes to overseeing the USA's nuclear weapon stockpile so one could wonder if Perry would roll back Obama's moratorium to finish the Yucca Mountain nuke waste facility. 30% of its budget goes to subsidies, so it'd be nice to see some of that rolled back. It'd also be nice to see him rollback some of the appliance energy standards the DoE is trying to ram through before Obama leaves office.

 

[This_person]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/us/politics/rick-perry-energy-secretary-trump.html?_r=1

While I seriously doubt Perry would shut down the agency he's soon-to-be running, 60% of DoE's budget goes to overseeing the USA's nuclear weapon stockpile so one could wonder if Perry would roll back Obama's moratorium to finish the Yucca Mountain nuke waste facility. 30% of its budget goes to subsidies, so it'd be nice to see some of that rolled back. It'd also be nice to see him rollback some of the appliance energy standards the DoE is trying to ram through before Obama leaves office.

I can very much see him doing everything he can to essentially shut down the agency which he wanted {wants} to end.

The reason a huge percentage of the budget goes to nuclear waste is that the Dept was required, by law, to come up with a solution. They did, and Sen Reid did his damnedest to thwart it and has so far been successful. Thus, the payments made by energy corporations, to pay for the solution, have been refunded to the corporations. I believe that this administration has the potential to fix this problem.

I also think, like you, that if you take enough of the regulations away - those that are not actually mandated by law nor within the bounds of the constitution for federal government involvement - the dept is functionally gone, whether in reality or just in influence.

I also note the link to the subsidies doesn't work. However, I have zero problem with the government paying for research into the useful sciences (one of those things they're supposed to do per Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution), but not in corporations.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

I can very much see him doing everything he can to essentially shut down the agency which he wanted {wants} to end.

The reason a huge percentage of the budget goes to nuclear waste is that the Dept was required, by law, to come up with a solution. They did, and Sen Reid did his damnedest to thwart it and has so far been successful. Thus, the payments made by energy corporations, to pay for the solution, have been refunded to the corporations. I believe that this administration has the potential to fix this problem.

I also think, like you, that if you take enough of the regulations away - those that are not actually mandated by law nor within the bounds of the constitution for federal government involvement - the dept is functionally gone, whether in reality or just in influence.

I also note the link to the subsidies doesn't work. However, I have zero problem with the government paying for research into the useful sciences (one of those things they're supposed to do per Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution), but not in corporations.

Try this link: http://www.eia.gov/analysis/requests/subsidy/

Contrary to what many people assume about libertarians, I have no problem with government programs. My problem is with this black hole effect that seems to happen with them. This idea that all the money must be spent so more can be requested next year. It's this metastasizing blob throughout government I have a problem with.

If they can do the work for less money, and better quality products (whatever they may be), I'm okay with it also (assuming we have the money to fund that agency).

 

[Larry Gude]

So, he cuts 'waste'. What then? Where do those people go to get fed?

 

[This_person]

So, he cuts 'waste'. What then? Where do those people go to get fed?

My best guess? They do the same thing buggy-whip manufacturers did; they find a different line of work.

 

[Larry Gude]

My best guess? They do the same thing buggy-whip manufacturers did; they find a different line of work.

You may recall, ( I am far too young so I'll trust you on this ) that when buggy whip guys closed up it was a time of great opportunity and expanding economy. Now, our economy is, analogous, to musical chairs where there are already 95 million too few chairs.

 

[This_person]

You may recall, ( I am far too young so I'll trust you on this ) that when buggy whip guys closed up it was a time of great opportunity and expanding economy. Now, our economy is, analogous, to musical chairs where there are already 95 million too few chairs.

There are as many jobs as there are ideas, and those willing to chase their dreams. I feel quite certain that the few workers in the Dept of Energy that will be displaced by no longer being needed in the federal employment for that dept can find work in another dept, or, in the commercial world. Last I checked, there were about a gazillion jobs on USAJobs.com. People are retiring every day and their jobs need filled. No one ever hears about a Betamax machine anymore, but you hear all about Oculus and Hololens - perhaps with a wee bit of training these few displaced employees can find a job from the position they currently hold monitoring coal plants to become engineers in the small-modular reactor arena?

 

[itsbob]

You may recall, ( I am far too young so I'll trust you on this ) that when buggy whip guys closed up it was a time of great opportunity and expanding economy. Now, our economy is, analogous, to musical chairs where there are already 95 million too few chairs.

According to Nancy, unemployment is a boon.. You can't afford to eat, or put a roof over your head but you can pursue your dreams and aspirations.

Firing really is a blessing!!

 

[Larry Gude]

According to Nancy, unemployment is a boon.. You can't afford to eat, or put a roof over your head but you can pursue your dreams and aspirations.

Firing really is a blessing!!

You'll please excuse me if I'm not interested in Dear Leader Nancy's opinion on which directions turds swirl down the toilet in either hemisphere.

 

[Larry Gude]

There are as many jobs as there are ideas, and those willing to chase their dreams. I feel quite certain that the few workers in the Dept of Energy that will be displaced by no longer being needed in the federal employment for that dept can find work in another dept, or, in the commercial world. Last I checked, there were about a gazillion jobs on USAJobs.com. People are retiring every day and their jobs need filled. No one ever hears about a Betamax machine anymore, but you hear all about Oculus and Hololens - perhaps with a wee bit of training these few displaced employees can find a job from the position they currently hold monitoring coal plants to become engineers in the small-modular reactor arena?

I admire your enthusiasm for the benefits of other people losing their place at the trough.

 

[This_person]

I admire your enthusiasm for the benefits of other people losing their place at the trough.

Done properly, letting the buggy-whip manufacturers go is a good thing in the long run. Same with overly-aggressive regulators. I'm certainly not here to say things like Clinton and Obama have about destroying whole industries, but I'm also not about to tell you I will feel bad if some government employees have to change jobs due to decreased regulation.

 

[This_person]

I admire your enthusiasm for the benefits of other people losing their place at the trough.

I work in the defense industry in DC. If my job were eliminated due to a complete lack of any conflict with any other country anticipated for generations to come, should I keep it anyway? No, and I'd be ok with that.

 

[Larry Gude]

I work in the defense industry in DC. If my job were eliminated due to a complete lack of any conflict with any other country anticipated for generations to come, should I keep it anyway? No, and I'd be ok with that.

13,000 people unemployed January 1? There are a lot less people in D of Energy than I thought but that's a nice chunk of people losing good jobs.

 

[Gilligan]

So, he cuts 'waste'. What then? Where do those people go to get fed?

McDonalds. Duh.

 

[This_person]

13,000 people unemployed January 1? There are a lot less people in D of Energy than I thought but that's a nice chunk of people losing good jobs.

That's decimal dust in the grand scheme of things.

 

[SamSpade]

If they can do the work for less money, and better quality products (whatever they may be), I'm okay with it also (assuming we have the money to fund that agency).

Which is why I'm in favor of programs or policies that ENCOURAGE thrift and efficiency instead of the opposite.
For example, an automatic bonus of half the amount you come under budget.