Roland Chlapowski JK: Can you explain how that works? I thought that we paid the world commodity price for oil.

RC: First of all, if you are seriously trying to imply that oil is traded on some sort of free global market, then I have little hope of walking you through it all. Have you ever heard of OPEC or oil oligarchies?
JK: Better re-read what I said: “the world commodity price for oil”. Let me translate for you: we pay the same price as everyone else who buys on the world market. That statement carries no implications as to whether or not price fixing, manipulations, etc. are occurring.

Roland Chlapowski Secondly, take a look at the most recent energy bill in Congress and all of the "incentives" they give for drilling. Like allowing private companies to drill and sell oil from PUBLIC lands for basically nothing - in more places than just ANWR....
JK: Just business as usual - you pay for your influence and you get your favors. You know, like the SoWhat, only on a national scale. (I have the C&Es at my fingertips, if you want to go that route)

Roland Chlapowski And while I know you don't believe in global warming,
JK: You are mis representing me. I think it is probable that we have become warmer in the last 400 years (since the “little ice age”). I think the claim that it is man caused is not proven. Please read and understand the conclusions section of the recent National Academy of Science report on warming. Get the full report from:
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11676.html
(Click on “sign in to download free PDFS) The conclusions start on page 111 (sheet 126)

Since you seem to be well informed, tell me what you think of these papers:

Living with a Variable Sun, Judith Lean, Physics Today, June 05

Solar Irradaince since 1874 Revisited, Solanki & Fligge, Geophysical Review Letter, Feb 1, 1998
(that one has a chart of the sun’s variations over a century and compares it with the temperature record.)

The Sun’s Role in Climate Variation, Science, Vol 296, Apr 2002

Solar Activity and terrestrial climate: An analysis of some purported correlations., Laut, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics (in prepeint as of Feb 2003)

Long-Term Variations in Solar Activity and their Apparent Effect on the Earth’s Climate., Lassen, Danish Meteorological Institute.

Hockey sticks, principal components and spurious significance, McIntyre, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol 32, LXXXXX (This one pretty much breaks the famous “hockey stick” temperature chart touted by Gore, Burkholder etal.. See the NAS report on climate change for verification of all of the major points in this paper) A second NAS report attacks the statistical methods used to produce the “hockey stick”:
http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/home/07142006_Wegman_Report.pdf

Roland Chlapowski all actual climate scientists with any respectability DO
JK: Can you cite a source for this, beyond AlGore and his crowd?
Do you think the climate scientists that wrote the above papers agree with you?

Roland Chlapowski JK: What does Terry Schiavo or boys kissing have to do with transportation? Why should either even be mentioned on a government policy blog?

RC: Hey- it is people on YOUR side of the aisle that brought these items up in Congress, not us.
JK: My side did not bring up gay or other sex issues. It appears that you have made another unfounded assumption. In this case about my political party.

Roland Chlapowski So don't tell ME that they shouldn't be brought up in a political debate.
JK: Let me be perfectly clear: Personal behavior that does not harm others is none of anyone else’s business, including government. I am really sorry that Portland (and likely you) think other wise, when one gets beyond the popular Democrat party positions.

Roland Chlapowski And how does it relate to transportation? It relates in as much as transportation is a policy issue and because you guys
JK: There you go again. I am not part “you guys”.

Roland Chlapowski are all too willing to use policy to intervein into the "sovereign choices" of other people while trumpeting your "right to (insert something harmful society at large here)."
JK: And I’ll bet you are advocating regulating personal behavior based on as shaky facts as the R’s social policy.

Roland Chlapowski It is hypocritical and I am tired of it.
JK: And I am tired of people assuming that I am of some particular political party because I am against waste, illogic and taking positions without evidence.

Thanks
JK