http://www.newsday.com/ap/topnews/ap422.htm

Energy Conservation Pressure Mounts

by H. JOSEF HEBERT

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- As the White House prepares to unveil an energy policy tilted heavily toward production, President Bush is getting pressure, even from some of his strong supporters, to pay more attention to energy conservation.

Some Republican lawmakers and key business lobbyists expressed concern in recent days that unless the president's energy blueprint focuses more on saving energy, as well as producing it, the package will never be approved by Congress.

In his weekly radio address, Bush said Saturday that conservation would be an important element of his policy.

''This week, we will introduce a comprehensive energy plan to help bring new supplies of energy to the market, and we will be encouraging Americans to use more wisely the energy supplies that exist today,'' he said.

Bush said he would encourage companies to explore ways to conserve energy resources, such as making appliances more efficient, installing sensors to shut off lights in empty rooms and upgrading power transmission lines to make them less wasteful.

His plan, he said, ''harnesses new technology to squeeze as much out of a barrel of oil as we have learned to squeeze out of a computer chip. We can raise our standard of living wisely and in harmony with our environment.''

Congressional unrest over the president's conservation efforts surfaced this week as both Republicans and Democrats hammered the administration for deep cuts in energy efficiency programs in the Energy Department's proposed budget.

''Energy efficiency has to be part of a balanced energy strategy,'' Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., told Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham at a Senate hearing.

A few days earlier at a similar hearing in the House, Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., said the type of efficiency programs the administration wants to cut have been ''extraordinarily successful'' and paid for themselves. He cited one study showing $7 million in efficiency investments produced $51 million in energy savings.

The issue of conservation vs. production is expected to be a focus of debate as Congress crafts energy legislation in the coming months.

The Bush budget would cut about $150 million, or more than 40 percent, from research programs to develop more energy efficient buildings, energy conservation programs for industry, and development of more fuel efficient automobile. It cuts in half a program to help the government reduce its energy costs.

Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., chairman of the Budget Committee, also expressed concern about the cuts, but said he was confident money would be increased and that the Bush energy proposals will include ''a sizable conservation component.''

''We need a balanced approach. We need conservation and we need production,'' agreed Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska., seeking to blunt a barrage of criticism from Democrats.

Although Bush's energy plan has yet to be announced, environmentalists have already attacked it as focusing too heavily on boosting coal and nuclear programs and drilling for oil and natural gas in off-limits federal acres including an Arctic wildlife refuge.

Vice President Dick Cheney provided fuel to the environmentalists when in a major energy speech he dismissed conservation as ''a sign of personal virtue'' and not a way to solve long-term energy problems.

Within days the White House maneuvered to back away from the remark.

The administration also has received strong signals from the business community that conservation shouldn't be ignored.

AP-NY-05-12-01 1010EDT< 

-- (in@energy.news), May 12, 2001

Answers

the type of efficiency programs the administration wants to cut have been ''extraordinarily successful'' and paid for themselves. He cited one study showing $7 million in efficiency investments produced $51 million in energy savings. Conservation has become a way of life so most people. The Bush budget would cut about $150 million, or more than 40 percent, from research programs to develop more energy efficient buildings, energy conservation programs for industry, and development of more fuel efficient automobile. It cuts in half a program to help the government reduce its energy costs.

Can the Bush group be more blatant in showing that they want to put money into the pockets of big oil? The hell with conserving, that doesn't line the pockets of Bush's buddies in the oil business. They want to get rid of conservation, they don't give a damn about the people of this country. There is one goal and one goal only, oil is king. Clinton supposedly let people sleep in the Lincoln bedroom for campaign contributions. For campaign contributions Bush is blatantly legislating profits for big business, oil and gas interests. it is illegal as hell and no one seems to care. Bush is not following the wishes of the majority of the American public, he is ruling the country strictly for the wishes of those who bought and paid for his residing in the office of president. This whole administration is so blatantly corrupt that I think people are believing the king is wearing a new set of clothes, because everyone else believes it.

Why does the administration want to dump conservation that works? Why are they attempting to dump the research in that area? Why did it take an outcry by people and even republicans to make them pretend that they want to include conservation.

The only energy crises is that that has been orchestrated by the energy industry. It will take decades to bring all of the players to justice. Bush seems to think that if he makes a statement about something then we should accept it as fact. He got pretty irritated today during a news conference when he was asked point blank questions and he gave the same little non answers which say absolutely nothing. These non answers were ignored and the questions were asked again. He didn't like it and got a little hot under the collar. Guess what little georgie boy, you ain't in Texas any more. You can't run the country with the same strong arm tactics you used in Texas. When push comes to shove, making caring, concerned Americans out to be the bad guys is a pretty stupid thing to do.

How is all this corruption bringing "honor and dignity" back to the White house? Where's the dignity in being bought and paid for in a way that goes against everything this country was based on? The founding fathers went to great lengths to prevent a situation like this, where one party would dominate all three arms of the government.

Bush has an agenda that does not include the choices of most of the American people. His campaign was based on lies.

He ran a dishonest campaign, promising what he thought the public wanted to hear, with absolutely no intention of following through with most of his campaign promises.

He appears to be little more than an automaton, George Bush Mark II, groomed by dark interests, a mouthpiece who sometimes fudges his lines.

-- Cherri (jessam5@home.com), May 14, 2001.

Don't forget the idolatrous press coverage from the right-wing media.

-- dumbya's little helper (helping@him.out), May 14, 2001.

Wonder if this NWO turd Bush did his radio address in Spanish again. Pandering sellout that he is. Freaking speak ENGLISH, our national language.

Nice we have a guy who thinks it OK to promote Spanish as acceptable. Course being the Facist/Capitalist that he most certainly is, makes bidness sense. His moron supporters are way too stupid to get the OBVIOUS. "Oh no, GW is all for traditional American Values and apple pie", my butthole he is.

-- (where@isalltheoutrageover.this), May 14, 2001.

Yes, we just need to kick all non-English speakers out of the country.

-- xenophobic democrat (Nannygranny@dumotrahata.com), May 14, 2001.

If non-citizens will not follow the LAWS, they should be shown the exit. One of the Laws to becoming a US Citizen is a basic ability to communicate in the language of English, a LAW.

For Bush to pander to folks not speaking the language is ridiculous, and criminal, IMHO. It is a slap in the face of all American Citizens. It is done because Bush is a Capitalist first, American maybe second. His ilk LIKE and NEED poor illiterate suckers to make their crap for wages a dog could barely survive on. Clean their homes, and restaurants, and toilets. Illegals create social tension which demands more governmental control, raises taxes and generally destroys everything like a cancer.

I grew up in California and have witnessed the mess firsthand for 3 decades. Want to know what fucked Cali? Illegals, completely. Want to know why we have HOODS in many major cities? Gangs? Displaced Americans who have lost their livelihood to illegals. Many factors of course, but NONE come close, at least in LA, to this factor I assure you.

Do not misunderstand please. I have nothing personally against these folks. But America was not built with encouraging third world lifestyles.

These NWO Capitalist Whores could careless if the rest of us folks are not able to live in Palm Springs, Kennebunk Maine or the French Rivera. Bush has never had a single at-will job in his freaking spoon fed existence. He has not seen neighborhoods destroyed by floods of thirdworlders who like him, could give a flying hoot what becomes of the neighborhood. He has never lost sleep worrying about his job.

You put doors, windows and locks on your home. America has been stripped bare of all doors, windows, and locks. These treasonist NWO Free Trade scumballs need to go. So bad now we are prisoners to many outside sources and forces. We wage war to protect what we should not need. We are weak because these vermin have stolen our defenses for nothing more than flashy trinkets and cheap thrills.

Fix the borders, fix the election process, end the Corporate/Governmental marriage and you solve 99% of what ails this great nation.

Course nothing will happen and the situation will get far worse. But there are the solutions for any wanting to know. Rest is just BS from lying pigs.

-- (complyor@getfreaking.lost), May 15, 2001.