<div dir="ltr">
<p class="MsoNormal">As I have pointed out before, our oil import from Iraq has varied
from 3.5% to 5% since 2002 <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_impcus_a2_nus_ep00_im0_mbbl_m.htm">(http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_impcus_a2_nus_ep00_im0_mbbl_m.htm</a>).<span style=""></span></span> <span style=""> </span>With the IraqAt a cost of
almost $600 billion, I find it hard to believe anyone could continue to believe
that this war is over less than 5% of our oil imports.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Using a rather loose number of around 1200 million barrels
of oil imported from Iran
and $600 billion for the cost of the war, we can calculate what the amount of
an 'oil excise tax" would be to help defray the costs of this war. <span style=""> </span>This comes out to be around $500 a
barrel.<span style=""> </span>Over a 20 year period this
amounts to an excise tax of $25 per barrel (assuming oil imports remain
constant). <span style=""> </span>A tax of $20 per barrel for
20 years just to keep a "cheap" supply of oil coming from Iraq? <span style=""> </span>Do you really subscribe to this nonsense??</p>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 12:29 PM, Sunil Ramalingam <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:sunilramalingam@hotmail.com">sunilramalingam@hotmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div>
Jeff,<br><br>I'm no more interested in Palin's senior thesis than I am in the Obamas'. I don't think any of them are relevant.<br><br>I do think how one governs is relevant. I think if Palin disagreed with the position of the police chief she hired, she would have said so, so I think that's relevant. I do think attempting to ban books in the public library is relevant. After the abuses of power we've seen in the Justice Dept. under Bush, I am concerned about her treatment of subordinates who don't do what she wants. And if someone has a problem with how Obama has wielded authority, I'd find that relevant too. If I were appalled enough, it might make me change my vote, though it wouldn't steer me towards McCain.<br>
<br>Since I think the Iraq war is all about trying to control Iraq's oil and using that country as a permanent base for our troops, I find her hope that our presence there be part of God's plan naive at best, and appalling in someone who might be president. <br>
<br>That's two for the day.<br><br>Sunil<br><br><hr>Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:14:24 -0700<div class="Ih2E3d"><br>To: <a href="mailto:sunilramalingam@hotmail.com" target="_blank">sunilramalingam@hotmail.com</a><br>From: <a href="mailto:jeffh@moscow.com" target="_blank">jeffh@moscow.com</a><br>
</div>Subject: Re: [spam] Re: [Vision2020] [spam] Re: Palin and library books<div><div></div><div class="Wj3C7c"><br>CC: <a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com" target="_blank">vision2020@moscow.com</a><br><br>
Sunil, <br><br>
Thanks for response. An American ideal is that one is presumed
innocent until "proven" guilty by a jury of peers.<br><br>
Of course, one is free to say whatever they want (subject to the crying
"fire" in a crowded theatre dictum).<br><br>
Investigations of the improper reimbursement issue are quite structured,
generally conducted by relatively independent parties - state auditor,
independent CPA, special commissions, attorney general, comptroller,
treasurer, General Accounting Office and the like.<br><br>
Since the record of an investigation is likely to be reviewed by a higher
authority, it is relatively unlikely that the initial investigations
would be tainted, biased or intentionally misstated - especially with
issues that are receiving so much "air time". <br><br>
One item does seem relevant - why would digging up Obama's thesis be
"irrelevant" while Palin's early years be relevant? Is
that a double standard?<br><br>
I agree that our lists will have overlap; in fact, they may be remarkably
similar. That said, our expectations for dealing with or resolving
the issues may be remarkably dissimilar. But how would we know
unless we talked about it?<br><br>
Again, thanks for response.<br><br>
At 11:21 AM 9/12/2008, you wrote:<br>
<blockquote>Jeff,<br><br>
I see your point re. reimbursement. I just don't agree with
it. I don't think there's any obligation to remain silent while
awaiting the results of these investigations. I would be quite
surprised if any of the investigations go forward without attempts by
McCain/Palin to either delay or derail or change the investigation
staff. If they succeed then there may not be any reports before the
election.<br><br>
I also don't necessarily believe that the reports will be the absolute
truth.<br>
<br>
Now I do think that the press plays a game of 'Gotcha' to the detriment
of our political discourse, and they do this to a lot of
politicians. Witness the attempts to dig up the Obamas' senior
theses. I don't think that was particularly relevant to the
election.<br><br>
I think that issues that should be focused on are ignored, as you seem to
as well. I also think while our lists of relevant issues may have
some overlap, we would have different topics on our respective
lists.<br><br>
Obviously anyone can simply delete any posts on subjects they find
irrelevant.<br><br>
I'm not going to comment on Tom's posting habits; for myself I try to
limit myself to three posts a day, though I know I've posted more often
than that from time to time.<br><br>
Sunil<br><br>
<hr>
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:03:02 -0700<br>
To: <a href="mailto:sunilramalingam@hotmail.com" target="_blank">sunilramalingam@hotmail.com</a><br>
From: <a href="mailto:jeffh@moscow.com" target="_blank">jeffh@moscow.com</a><br>
Subject: Re: [spam] Re: [Vision2020] Palin and library books<br>
CC: <a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com" target="_blank">vision2020@moscow.com</a><br><br>
No Sunil, you rather miss my point, but I do appreciate your
comments.<br><br>
Hansen posts so frequently on this site that it should really be renamed
his blog. He sends reams of links and articles to all the list
members. In effect, he has become a filter for the list.<br><br>
Most of what he posts can be found in online news sites and he simply
picks and chooses that which he finds interesting.<br><br>
If a list member has an issue, they can post a query to the list and all
responses are welcomed. The folks on this list are savvy on web
searches and can usually find information to satisfy their
demands.<br><br>
Those who find Hansen's posts useful and/or interesting would be better
served by a Hansen blog site - easily allowing a quick search reflecting
Hansen's biases. <br><br>
You are missing my point on Tom's posting links to articles on Palin's
per diem claim. There is an official inquiry going on and the
"truth" or facts will be more clear as the investigation
continues. Posting links to supposition isn't at all helpful in
getting to the core of the matter. For the case in point, AK
officials have already stated that her requests are within the boundaries
for reimbursable expenses. He did not reference that line of
articles.<br><br>
Also, go back and follow the threads on the book banning issue - lots of
rhetoric and supposition.<br><br>
It has been my understanding that the viz was intended to be a community
forum. It would be nice to return to that venue.<br><br>
<br><br>
At 05:20 PM 9/9/2008, you wrote:<br>
<dl>
<dd>It's always difficult to set standards for discourse on a list like
this. Jeff doesn't think that Tom should post links to articles on
Palin's per diem claims. many others might find the information
helpful or interesting. <br><br>
</dd><dd>I think Jeff made incorrect statements in his recent post on 9/11,
but I wouldn't say he shouldn't have posted his thoughts. I would
be interested in his defense of them, but despite my personal views it's
certainly not my place to say that they were so far below the bar they
shouldn't have been posted. I think that claims that we were
attacked because our attackers hate freedom are nonsense, and serve only
to head off discussion of the real issues at hand, but people are free to
post such stuff. I just think they should be prepared to defend
their statements once they've been offered.<br><br>
</dd><dd>Sunil<br>
<hr>
</dd><dd>Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2008 10:07:40 -0700<br>
</dd><dd>To: <a href="mailto:sslund_2007@verizon.net" target="_blank">sslund_2007@verizon.net</a><br>
</dd><dd>From: <a href="mailto:jeffh@moscow.com" target="_blank">jeffh@moscow.com</a><br>
</dd><dd>CC: <a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com" target="_blank">vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>
</dd><dd>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Palin and library books<br><br>
</dd><dd>Of course, you have overlooked the fact that it has been reported
that a constituent (or group of constituents) had asked her what the
procedure was for challenging the book inventory. As a proper role
for an elected official, she researched the issue (with the librarian, as
I am to understand) and informed the constituent of the procedure and
protocol for challenging the book inventory.<br><br>
</dd><dd>What is a bit murky, the librarian - reportedly a democrat - chose to
use the incident in a political move.<br><br>
</dd><dd>Perhaps we will learn more about this.<br><br>
</dd><dd>From a cynical perspective, I do hope that the pundits, the
democrats, the liberals, the far left and others continue to attack Gov
Sarah Palin on family and personal issues. These petty attacks on
her character, her religion, her children go a long way to raising her
visibility with the voting public. <br><br>
</dd><dd>Even the demo candidate Sen Obama has asked for the personal attacks
to stop. That hasn't seemed to stop the tenor and vitriol of the
attacks. Obama doesn't seem to have much control over those
elements.<br><br>
</dd><dd>Are the issues not relevant? Maybe we could talk about Biden's
3 sector plan for Iraq. How does Palin feel about that? Perhaps we
could explore the VPs' positions on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What about education - both candidates have a record of positions on
education.<br><br>
</dd><dd>Raise the bar, please. A recent post (by Hansen) insinuating
that Palin was inappropriately using state funds for travel and overnight
stays, and using her home for overnight reimbursement. This kind of
penmanship terror should stop - Hansen should know better - his tactics
are an insult to our locals . You folks are all better than this -
and smart enough to ask penetrating and relevant questions.<br><br>
</dd><dd>There are numerous articles and newsreports, fully researched, that
would reveal the "real story" about Palin's expense
reimbursements. Cut to the chase - contact Kim Garnero, Alaska
State Finance Director, whose responsibilities include expense
reimbursement for state employees.<br>
</dd><dd> <br>
</dd><dd>Thanks.<br><br>
</dd><dd>t 04:16 PM 9/7/2008, you wrote:
<dl>
<dd>Content-type: multipart/alternative;
</dd><dd>
boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0515_01C91105.069D71A0"
</dd><dd>Content-language: en-us<br>
</dd><dd>While there's no doubt that Palin discussed (a discussion she's
subsequently labeled "rhetorical") banning books with the City's
librarian, the book list below canNOT be attributed to Palin. Its
origins seems to be this:
</dd><dd><a href="http://www.adlerbooks.com/banned.html" target="_blank">
http://www.adlerbooks.com/banned.html</a>
</dd><dd>
</dd><dd>The specific titles of books Palin was interested in banning is of no
interest to me; of great interest and concern to me is that banning books
was a topic in which Palin had any interest and tells me a great deal
about her.
</dd><dd>
</dd><dd>
</dd><dd>Saundra Lund
</dd><dd>Moscow, ID
</dd><dd>
</dd><dd>The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people
to do nothing.
</dd><dd>~ Edmund Burke
</dd><dd>
</dd><dd>***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2008 through
life plus 70 years, Saundra Lund. Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or
reproduce outside the Vision 2020 forum without the express written
permission of the author.*****
</dd><dd>
</dd><dd>From: <a href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com" target="_blank">vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</a> [
<a href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com" target="_blank">
mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</a>] On Behalf Of keely emerinemix
</dd><dd>Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2008 2:36 PM
</dd><dd>To: <a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com" target="_blank">vision2020@moscow.com</a>
</dd><dd>Subject: [Vision2020] Palin and library books
</dd><dd> <br>
</dd><dd>>From Jeff's cousin -- interesting information about Sarah Palin
and her attempts to get books banned from the Wasilla, Alaska, library
when she was mayor.<br>
</dd><dd>Flicka????!!!!!! Webster's Ninth Collegiate
Dictionary?????!!!!<br>
</dd><dd>OK, I guess "Our Bodies, Ourselves" isn't a surprise . . .
<br>
<br>
</dd><dd>Keely
</dd><dd><a href="http://keely-prevailingwinds.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">
http://keely-prevailingwinds.blogspot.com/</a><br><br>
<hr>
</dd><dd>From: <a href="mailto:RGPsme@aol.com" target="_blank">RGPsme@aol.com</a>
</dd><dd>Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2008 16:38:09 -0400
</dd><dd>Subject: (no subject)
</dd><dd>To: <a href="mailto:r.clearwater.arch@comcast.net" target="_blank">r.clearwater.arch@comcast.net</a>; <a href="mailto:cleedesign@yahoo.com" target="_blank">cleedesign@yahoo.com</a>;
<a href="mailto:samscat99@netscape.net" target="_blank">samscat99@netscape.net</a>; <a href="mailto:betterthanchocolate@hotmail.com" target="_blank">betterthanchocolate@hotmail.com</a>;
<a href="mailto:kjajmix1@email.msn.com" target="_blank">kjajmix1@email.msn.com</a>; <a href="mailto:johnmetc@verizon.net" target="_blank">johnmetc@verizon.net</a>; <a href="mailto:pnixon18@hotmail.com" target="_blank">pnixon18@hotmail.com</a>;
<a href="mailto:rstockwell@applied-e-s.com" target="_blank">rstockwell@applied-e-s.com</a>; <a href="mailto:maryginger@yahoo.com" target="_blank">maryginger@yahoo.com</a><br>
<br>
</dd><dd>
</dd><dd>Let's spend a few moments browsing the list of books Mayor Sarah
Palin tried to get town librarian Mary Ellen Baker to ban in the lovely,
all-American town of Wasilla, Alaska. When Baker refused to remove
the books from the shelves, Palin threatened to fire her. The story
was reported in Time Magazine and the list comes from the <a href="http://librarian.net" target="_blank">librarian.net</a>
website.<br>
</dd><dd>I'm sure you'll find your own personal favorites among the classics
Palin wanted to protect the good people of Wasilla from, but the ones
that jumped out at me were the four Stephen King novels (way to go
Stephen, John Steinbeck only got three titles on the list), that
notorious piece of communist pornography "My Friend
Flicka," the usual assortment of Harry Potter books, works by
Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, Kurt Vonnegut, Mark Twain (always fun to see
those two names together), Arthur Miller, and Aristophanes, as well as
"Our Bodies, Ourselves" (insert your own Bristol Palin joke
here), and the infamous one-two punch of depravity: "To Kill a
Mockingbird" and "Little Red Riding Hood." But the
cherry on the sundae, the topper, is Sarah Palin's passionate, religious
mission to clear the shelves of the Wasilia Public Library of that
ultimate evil tome: "Webster's Ninth New Collegiate
Dictionary." That's the one with " equality,"
"free speech" and "justice " in it.<br>
</dd><dd>Go over to your book case and take down one of the books you'll find
on the list (I know you've got a couple) and give it a read in honor of
the founding fathers. Then tell me I'm not the only voter who
doesn't want this woman within thirty feet of the United States
Constitution. <br><br>
</dd><dd> Sarah Palin's Book Club
</dd><dd>
</dd><dd>A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
</dd><dd>A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
</dd><dd>Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
</dd><dd>As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
</dd><dd>Blubber by Judy Blume
</dd><dd>Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
</dd><dd>Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
</dd><dd>Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
</dd><dd>Carrie by Stephen King
</dd><dd>Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
</dd><dd>Christine by Stephen King
</dd><dd>Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
</dd><dd>Cujo by Stephen King
</dd><dd>Curses, Hexes, and Spells by Daniel Cohen
</dd><dd>Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
</dd><dd>Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck
</dd><dd>Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
</dd><dd>Decameron by Boccaccio
</dd><dd>East of Eden by John Steinbeck
</dd><dd>Fallen Angels by Walter Myers
</dd><dd>Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure) by John Cleland
</dd><dd>Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
</dd><dd>Forever by Judy Blume
</dd><dd>Grendel by John Champlin Gardner
</dd><dd>Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
</dd><dd>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
</dd><dd>Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
</dd><dd>Harry Potter20and the Prizoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
</dd><dd>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
</dd><dd>Have to G o by Robert Munsch
</dd><dd>Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
</dd><dd>How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
</dd><dd>Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
</dd><dd>I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
</dd><dd>Impressions edited by Jack Booth
</dd><dd>In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
</dd><dd>It's Okay if You Don't Love Me by Norma Klein
</dd><dd>James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
</dd><dd>Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
</dd><dd>Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
</dd><dd>Little Red Riding Hood by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
</dd><dd>Lord of the Flies by William Golding
</dd><dd>Love is One of the Choices by Norma Klein
</dd><dd>Lysistrata by Aristophanes
</dd><dd>More Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
</dd><dd>My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher
Collier
</dd><dd>My House by Nikki Giovanni
</dd><dd>M y Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara
</dd><dd>Night Chills by Dean Koontz
</dd><dd>Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
</dd><dd>On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
</dd><dd>One Day in The Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
</dd><dd>One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
</dd><dd>One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
</dd><dd>Ordinary People by Judith Guest
</dd><dd>Our Bodies, Ourselves by Boston Women's Health Collective
</dd><dd>Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
</dd><dd>Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
</dd><dd>Scary Stories 3: More Tales to=2 0Chill Your Bones by Alvin Schwartz
</dd><dd>Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
</dd><dd>Separate Peace by John Knowles
</dd><dd>Silas Marner by George Eliot
</dd><dd>Slaughte rhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.< br> Tarzan of the
Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
</dd><dd>The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
</dd><dd>The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
</dd><dd>The Bastard by John Jakes
</dd><dd>The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
</dd><dd>The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
</dd><dd>The Color Purple by Alice Walker
</dd><dd>The Devil's Alternative by Frederick Forsyth
</dd><dd>The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs
</dd><dd>The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
</dd><dd>The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
</dd><dd>The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
</dd><dd>The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Snyder
</dd><dd>The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks
</dd><dd>The Living Bible by William C. Bower
</dd><dd>The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
</dd><dd>The New Teenage Body Book by Kathy McCoy and Charles Wibbelsman
</dd><dd>The Pigman by Paul Zindel
</dd><dd>The Seduction of Peter S. by Lawrence Sanders
</dd><dd>The Shining by Stephen King
</dd><dd>The Witches by Roald Dahl
</dd><dd>The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Snyder
</dd><dd>Then Again, Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume
</dd><dd>To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
</dd><dd>Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
</dd><dd>Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary--Merriam-Webster Editorial
Staff
</dd><dd>Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of the Halloween
Symbols by Edna Barth
</dd><dd>
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