Governor Of State With Massive Firearms Restrictions Asks “What The Hell Is Wrong With Us?”

By William Teach May 28, 2021 – 10:30 am

There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m not using my firearms to go on a rampage. How about you?

Following San Jose mass shooting, California Gov. Gavin Newsom asks: ‘What the hell is wrong with us?’

In the wake of Wednesday’s deadly shooting at a light-rail yard in San Jose, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) again called for stricter gun control policies, asking, “What the hell is going on in the United States of America? What the hell is wrong with us?”

Authorities say a gunman opened fire at the Valley Transportation Authority building during a shift change on Wednesday morning, killing eight and injuring several others; the shooter died by suicide. This was one of the deadliest gun incidents to ever happen in Northern California, Politico reports.

“When are we going to come to grips with this?” Newsom asked during a news conference. “When are we going to put down our arms, literally and figuratively, our politics, the stale rhetoric, finger-pointing, all the hand-wringing, consternation that produces nothing except more fury and frustration, more scenes like this repeated over and over and over again.” He said it is time to “take a little damn responsibility, all of us,” and “move beyond the platitudes and usual rhetoric” that come after a mass shooting.

I have zero responsibility. I don’t know the shooter, I didn’t see him getting crazy, I didn’t sell him the gun. California has some of the strictest laws on firearms in the country, and has most of everything that the gun grabbers want. The next step is simply taking guns away, the “Australian solution.” What do we know about the gunman?

The gunman has been identified as Samuel James Cassidy, 57, a longtime resident of San Jose. Cassidy had worked for the Valley Transportation Authority for about 20 years, initially as a mechanic and then more recently as a substation maintainer. Before joining the transit agency, he was employed as a mechanic at a San Jose Mazda dealership.

Although the FBI and local authorities continue to dig into his background, his ex-wife, neighbors and court records paint a picture of a man who often exhibited violent and aggressive behavior and had complained about being mistreated at work. In a 2009 court filing, an ex-girlfriend of his accused Cassidy of rape, sexual assault and “enraged” mood swings fueled by alcohol.

Yet, California did not ban him from owning firearms. And “The three guns were legally obtained and registered, FBI San Francisco special agent in charge Craig Fair told CNN.”

The gunman was armed with three semi-automatic handguns and 32 high-capacity magazines, the Sheriff’s Office said Thursday afternoon. The department had initially reported Thursday morning that the gunman had 11 pistol magazines each holding 12 rounds, making them illegal high-capacity magazines in California, which mandates 10-round limits under state law that is being challenged in court.

Wait, a criminal didn’t follow the law? He was questioned in 2016 by Customs and Border Protection upon returning from the Philippines about workplace hatred.” And he had books about terrorism and fear and manifestos. He also apparently had the precursors to bombs, which started a fire at his house. It’s presumed he intended to set a bomb off after going on his murder spree.

So, a lunatic with anger issues, yet, we’re supposed to Blame all gun owners. At least they can’t blame the scary assault rifles, eh?

Read: Governor Of State With Massive Firearms Restrictions Asks “What The Hell Is Wrong With Us?” »

Posted in 2nd Amendment, Current Affairs, Democrats | 17 Comments | Trackback URL

California Is Keeping Apartment Dwellers From Getting World Healing EVs Or Something

By William Teach May 28, 2021 – 7:04 am

Interesting. It’s apparently government causing problems, not that EVs are very expensive and unaffordably to most citizens

How California Is Keeping Electric Vehicles Out Of Reach For Apartment-Dwellers

electric vehicleBlessed with scenic Pacific coast drives and cursed with smothering smog and drought-fueled wildfires, California was primed to lead the transition away from the internal combustion engine. Nearly half of the electric vehicles sold in the United States each year are sold in the Golden State.

But if you’re among the millions of Californians who live in an apartment or condo complex, swapping a gas-powered automobile for an electric one can be a challenge.

That’s because the state requires just 10% of parking spaces in multifamily garages to include the circuitry needed to set up an electric vehicle charger. Only a fraction actually have the outlet and equipment needed to plug a car in, so a renter would need their landlord to hire an electrician to complete the setup if they actually wanted to use it.

Well, they could pay for it, right? Ask the landlord and say “I’ll pay for the equipment and installation.” Why does personal responsibility never come into play?

Now the state agency that sets building codes wants to require 40% of spaces to have at least that basic infrastructure and 5% of those to have the full suite of equipment and wiring needed to service an electric vehicle.

And now already skyhigh housing costs in California (#2 housing costs in nation, which cause apartments to go high. Only Hawaii is higher) will go higher, as the owners pass on the costs.

But electric vehicle advocates say the state’s proposal doesn’t go far enough, as it would leave the vast majority of residents in multifamily units ― the fastest-growing type of residence in a state whose population infamously outstrips available housing ― without access. And, they argue, it risks slowing the adoption of those vehicles in the next five years, which is when state and federal policymakers have said they should dominate new car sales.

Of course they say this: it’s not their money being spent to comply with the requirement. Will this be a requirement for townhomes and multifamily homes where the homeowners are essentially the landlords?

But the building codes designed today won’t come into force until 2023. Given the time it takes to build, inspect and rent new apartment buildings, it won’t affect real lives and car-buying decisions until 2025 at the earliest.

By then, the International Energy Agency projected in a landmark report this month, the world needs to be just 10 years away from ending all sales of gas-powered automobiles ― or else doom the planet to warming past 1.5 degrees Celsius, an average that spells catastrophic changes. Housing that isn’t designed for that electrified future will require costly retrofits down the road.

It’s an equity problem, too. Tenants in multifamily units are disproportionately Black and Latino, groups that struggle to buy homes in a state where single-family houses make up two-thirds of residences, real estate industry data show. And the state has required builders to equip 100% of new single-family housing with charging circuitry for the past six years.

See, it’s also a raaaaacism problem. These people are all nuts. Anyway, I’m going to stop here, it’s a long, long screed.

Read: California Is Keeping Apartment Dwellers From Getting World Healing EVs Or Something »

Posted in AGW Socialism, Energy, Global Warming | 2 Comments | Trackback URL

House To Introduce Bills Investigating Origins Of COVID

By William Teach May 28, 2021 – 6:49 am

The Senate has passed their bill requiring China Joe to declassify and release the results of their COVID origins investigation. Here’s what the House is up to

House bills targeting China would launch coronavirus ‘origins’ probe, allow victims’ families to sue Beijing

U.S. House members plan to introduce two bipartisan bills Friday that address the origins of the coronavirus pandemic and would allow victims’ families to sue China.

The first bill, the “Made in America Emergency Preparedness Act,” would establish a 9/11-style bipartisan commission to investigate how the pandemic started. It is being introduced by five Democrats and five Republicans.

The second bill, dubbed the “Never Again International Outbreak Prevention Act,” calls for allowing families of coronavirus victims to sue China by stripping sovereign immunity from it and any other countries “that have intentionally misled the international community on the outbreak.” It will be introduced by U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Conor Lamb, D-Pa.

“In response to this current crisis, we must never again find ourselves caught off-guard, unable to protect our communities,” a press release announcing the first bill says. “We should never again see nearly 600,000 American lives lost at risk and day to day life turned upside down.”

Along with investigating the origin of the virus, the panel proposed by the first bill would also look into the response by the U.S. government and the private sector and determine precautionary steps to take for the future.

While bipartisan, do either have a shot in getting a vote soon? Will Pelosi allow this? Will other Democrats vote for them? Will Biden try and scuttle them?

Unfortunately, both have the opportunity to end up being bloviating, scapegoating (not against China, of course, but, mostly Orange Man Bad), grandstanding, with little reward on what actually happened.

The commission would recommend to President Biden what personal protective equipment and other goods would be necessary to address a national emergency, requiring the items to be manufactured in the U.S.

Um, how much can be made in the U.S. with all the restrictions and high associated costs? Actually sounds like it could end up being a graft situation, overpaying companies and lawmakers getting some kickback. Being Congress, there’s no chance of this being on the up and up, right? Anyhow, I wonder if the investigation will include Democrats wasting time with a stupid impeachment while COVID was growing, along with so many saying “it’s no big deal, get out to your local Chinese restaurant, get on with your lives”?

“As we have seen from COVID-19, the Chinese Communist Party has been intentionally and maliciously misleading the rest of the world about the scope and spread of the novel coronavirus,” Fitzpatrick said.

He added that other international organizations like the WHO must be held accountable for their “inaction” on the pandemic.

Inaction? How about for protecting China? I’m not expecting either to even make it out of committee.

Read: House To Introduce Bills Investigating Origins Of COVID »

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Bummer: The UK Is Having A Tough Time Forcing People To Switch To Heat Pumps

By William Teach May 27, 2021 – 3:00 pm

It’s not like they are a lot more expensive than natural gas and electricity home and water heating units, right? Why aren’t all the Warmists rushing out to get them?

The UK is sabotaging its own plan to decarbonize heating

Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) are seen as a crucial tool in the fight against climate change; one that the UK has decided to loudly champion. The technology, which can provide hot water and space heating for homes, is far more efficient that the natural gas systems it’s intended to replace. In November 2020, the country announced a target of 600,000 heat pump installations, per year, by 2028. But the way that the UK currently funds its renewable energy projects means that, for many, adopting a heat pump is not financially viable.

Huh.

And these devices, which use electricity rather than gas to run, are significantly more energy efficient than traditional electric heating. “Heating your home is between 60 to-70 percent of your energy bill,” says Matt Clemow, CEO of Igloo Energy. But some heat pumps, including the one that Clemow has in his own home, are significantly more energy-efficient than natural gas.

There are, however, challenges to heat pumps, including the fact that they require a very different operation pattern to traditional gas boilers. Because they output a lower temperature, they need to run continuously. “You generally don’t have that on-off period in the same way,” said Clemow, “it’s more background heat.” This is, broadly, how most air conditioning systems work, something that very few Brits use at home.

What’s providing the electricity?

Because of the different climates and energy mixes, it’s not easy to map the European situation onto the American one. The federal government does, however, offer a $300 tax credit for householders who install Energy Star-certified ASHPs, offering more generous discounts for ground source heat pumps like Alphabet’s Dandelion, which draw and circulate heat from underground. Individual states offer their own incentives, dependent on the system you install and the applicant’s income.

$300, you American folks! $300!

But encouraging householders to make the switch from their natural gas-fired boilers is going to be difficult. The initial cost is far higher than the price of just installing a new gas-fired boiler, which will put off many would-be adopters. Then, there is the way the UK structures its energy levies, with a far greater burden on electricity over natural gas. Charges levied onto the sale of electricity in the UK include paying for the cost of the country’s smart meter rollout, bankrolling renewable energy projects and offering cash incentives for people to adopt home energy efficiency technologies.

Far higher

A new heat pump can cost between $3,875 to $7,625 depending on the size of your home, energy efficient ratings, brand name, and the type of heat pump you install. A mini split ductless heat pump with 4 multi zone indoor air handler units could cost up to $10,000 to install. 

You can get an electric or gas one installed for much less. In pure fairness, a heat pump is vastly more efficient that an electric or gas furnace/water heater. But, you are pretty much having to replace the one already there that you already paid for. Back to original article

The sales pitch for many clean(er) technologies often focuses on the total cost of ownership being dramatically lower, even if the initial outlay is higher. If you’ve ever spoken to a Tesla owner, you’ll likely have heard about how little each vehicle costs to run. Similarly, when speaking with solar panel installers, the talk is often about how much money you stand to make (or at least save) compared to your existing solution. That conversation, says Clemow, is the wrong way to sell people on the future of heat pumps.

Well, yeah, because most people cannot afford Teslas, and most people don’t have $10k or more lying around to put in solar panels that will most likely never repay themselves.

And, on the financial side, Lord says that the UK needs to look at ways to tax the carbon use of natural gas, with rebates available for the poorest. But he added that it’s not just the running costs that need examination, but how these retrofit projects are financed in general. He compared the average price of a mortgage, currently under 3 percent, with consumer bank loans, which are often three times more expensive. “If you could fund your heat pump purchase for one and a half percent, rather than nine, that would change the economics quite significantly.”

If Brits don’t comply, they’ll just be taxed out the ying yang. Which is already happening for electricity. I’m not against them: just like with EVs, it should be a choice, not government Forcing people to comply.

Read: Bummer: The UK Is Having A Tough Time Forcing People To Switch To Heat Pumps »

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If All You See…

By William Teach May 27, 2021 – 1:00 pm

…is a wonderful tropical forest sucking carbon from the air, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The Political Hat, with a post on North Carolina vs. Critical Race Theory.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

Laugh Riot: Democrats Consider AOC Getting Restraining Order Against Marjorie Taylor Green

By William Teach May 27, 2021 – 10:30 am

It’s hilarious when a rhetorical bomb thrower is upset about someone doing the same against her

Democrats consider the possibility of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seeking a restraining order against Marjorie Taylor Greene

Top Democrats in Congress have discussed whether Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could seek a restraining order against GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after the Republican shouted at her colleague in the Capitol earlier this month, Politico reported on Tuesday.

Democratic sources told Politico that Ocasio-Cortez would likely need to seek the restraining order herself.

A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez didn’t immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment on Tuesday.

Greene has repeatedly targeted Ocasio-Cortez over the past few years. In 2019, Greene and several of her associates taunted Ocasio-Cortez’s staffers and vandalized the congresswoman’s guest book outside her Capitol office.

On May 12, the conservative Georgia lawmaker chased Ocasio-Cortez down a hallway as the two left the House chamber and accused her of supporting terrorists and “radical socialism,” according to two Washington Post reporters who witnessed the incident.

“You don’t care about the American people,” Greene shouted at Ocasio-Cortez, according to The Post. “Why do you support terrorists and antifa?”

A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez urged congressional leaders to “take real steps to make Congress a safe, civil place” after the May incident.

We’ve all watched the Moonbattery of AOC (and her Squad) since she took office in 2018. Remember her taking over Nancy Pelosi’s office? She starts things with Republicans, then complains when they respond, even claiming she’s being attacked in a sexist or racist manner. She can dish it out, but not take it. And perhaps Greene does take it too far, but, hey, it’s a legitimate question to ask why AOC has been supporting Hamas and being anti-Jew and anti-Israel, as well as supporting Antifa. Greene should ask AOC why she’s still taking fossil fueled trips when she’s the sponsor of the Green New Deal.

Read: Laugh Riot: Democrats Consider AOC Getting Restraining Order Against Marjorie Taylor Green »

Posted in Democrats, Unhinged Tools | 13 Comments | Trackback URL

Gen Z, Millennials Totally Stand For ‘Climate Change’ Activism Or Something

By William Teach May 27, 2021 – 7:54 am

Can you guess what’s missing from this article? What these GenZ and Millennials are doing in their own lives

Gen Z, Millennials Stand Out for Climate Change Activism, Social Media Engagement With Issue

In the first year of Joe Biden’s presidential term, climate, energy and environmental policy have been the subject of renewed federal attention. In recent months, the United States has rejoined the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Environmental Protection Agency has moved to sharply restrict greenhouse gas emissions, and Biden has outlined a range of policy goals, including getting the U.S. to “net-zero” by 2050.

Even as Americans identify a number of pressing national problems, majorities see an array of actors, from government to business, as doing too little to reduce the effects of climate change and are broadly supportive of a range of policy approaches that would help address climate change, including moving toward renewable energy sources, developing infrastructure for electric vehicles, and increasing taxes and restrictions on carbon emissions.

Notice how most of that is all about punishing Other People, not changing one’s own lives to accord with the beliefs. They’re going to be very surprised when all those things end up boomeranging back in the form of higher consumer prices and governmental restrictions on their lives and choices.

There’s a big difference between that Hotcoldwetdry should be a top priority and being one for individuals. And changing a lightbulb to a CFL doesn’t count as action.

But meaningful generational differences over the need for climate action, and engagement with the issue, stand alongside these partisan divisions. Younger activists are often at the forefront of the climate debate, with voices such as those of Greta Thunberg and the Sunrise Movement – a youth-led political organization urging increased attention to climate change – among the most visible in global conversations advocating climate action.

Younger Americans – Millennials and adults in Generation Z – stand out in a new Pew Research Center survey particularly for their high levels of engagement with the issue of climate change. Compared with older adults, Gen Zers and Millennials are talking more about the need for action on climate change; among social media users, they are seeing more climate change content online; and they are doing more to get involved with the issue through activities such as volunteering and attending rallies and protests.

While many forms of political engagement – such as voting – tend to be higher among older adults, 32% of Gen Zers and 28% of Millennials have taken at least one of four actions (donating money, contacting an elected official, volunteering or attending a rally) to help address climate change in the last year, compared with smaller shares of Gen X (23%) and Baby Boomer and older adults (21%).

See, they’re more engaged, but, they aren’t actually taking personal actions. Surprise? 76% of Gen Z and 81% of Millennials are willing to give up fossil fuels, but, they aren’t actually doing so.

There’s a ton more interesting information in the article separate from the Gen Z/Millennials. But, the poll still fails to ask a relevant question: what are you doing in your own life?

Read: Gen Z, Millennials Totally Stand For ‘Climate Change’ Activism Or Something »

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Senate Passes Bill Requiring Biden To Declassify All Information On Origins Of COVID

By William Teach May 27, 2021 – 7:39 am

What’s the over/under that China Joe will refuse to comply?

China Votes Biden(Fox News) The Senate approved a measure by unanimous consent Wednesday that would require the Biden administration and the director of national intelligence to declassify intelligence on the origins of COVID-19.

“The American people deserve to know about the origins of COVID-19,” Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley said on the Senate floor before the Senate passed the amendment that was part of a broader bill. “They deserve to know how this terrible pandemic that has ravaged the globe and our country, how it got started, and what China’s role was in starting it.”

He said voters deserved to see the evidence and judge for themselves, rather than different speculation from various administration officials on where the virus may have come from.

“Whether it’s weighing in on issues of health care, national security, COVID-19, who disagrees with transparency?” asked Indiana Republican Sen. Mike Braun. “The sunshine reveals everything.”

Joe is big on protecting China, just like Disney and the NBA. And the White House very much wants the COVID-19 origins done with a ‘transparent’ international investigation. Why? Why can’t the U.S. intelligence agencies investigate? An international investigation will run the clock out and may not release the actual information….oh, that’s why, because the US lawmakers and US Citizens wouldn’t be able to demand that the results be shown in full. Let’s not forget

Biden State Department quietly ended team’s work probing COVID origin

The Biden State Department ended an inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic that was investigating whether the virus stemmed from a leak out of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Fox News has confirmed.

The Biden administration terminated the inquiry – which was being led out of the State Department’s arms control and verification bureau and initially launched at the request of former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – after being briefed on the team’s initial findings in February and March.

State Department spokesman Ned Price on Tuesday denied shutting down the inquiry: “There has been incorrect reporting that the Biden-Harris administration shut down an investigation by the State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control and Verification (AVC) into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.” He said the team’s work ended after delivering a report in February and March, adding that “all relevant parts of the Department continue to work with the interagency on this matter.”

“The world continues to have serious questions about the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, including its origins within the Peoples Republic of China,” Price continued. “China’s position that their part in this investigation is complete is disappointing and at odds with the rest of the international community that is working collaboratively across the board to bring an end to this pandemic and improve global health security.”

So, if there was more that needed to be known, then why stop investigating after the report was done? The department that was investigating is one that looks at whether countries are stockpiling bioweapons.

Will Joe declassify the information?

Read: Senate Passes Bill Requiring Biden To Declassify All Information On Origins Of COVID »

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China Joe Looks Outside U.S. For Electric Vehicle Materials

By William Teach May 26, 2021 – 3:00 pm

Why is the U.S. government involved in the manufacture of vehicles to start with? Will we now have the government selling them?

Exclusive-Biden looks abroad for electric vehicle metals, in blow to U.S. miners

Electric vehicleU.S. President Joe Biden will rely on ally countries to supply the bulk of the metals needed to build electric vehicles and focus on processing them domestically into battery parts, part of a strategy designed to placate environmentalists, two administration officials with direct knowledge told Reuters.

The plans will be a blow to U.S. miners who had hoped Biden would rely primarily on domestically sourced metals, as his campaign had signalled last autumn, to help fulfill his ambitions for a less carbon-intensive economy.

Rather than focus on permitting more U.S. mines, Biden’s team is more focused on creating jobs that process minerals domestically into electric vehicle (EV) battery parts, according to the people.

Such a plan would help cut U.S. reliance on industry leader China for EV materials while also enticing unions with manufacturing work and, in theory, reduce pandemic-fueled unemployment.

Right, so where are the materials coming from? And China Joe would be just moving the mining from the U.S., which has much better environmental standards, to nations, especially 3rd world ones, which don’t. That make you happy, environmentalists?

Under the approach, the United States would rely on Canada, Australia and Brazil – among others – to produce most of the critical raw materials needed, while it competes for higher-value jobs turning those minerals into computer chips and batteries, according to the two sources.

And how are they sent to the U.S.? Fossil fueled ships, right? So, more ships.

“President Biden is focused on seizing the electric vehicle (EV) market, sourcing and manufacturing the supply chain here in America, and creating good-paying, union jobs,” said Ali Zaidi, the deputy White House national climate adviser.

“Building American-made EVs and shipping them around the world will include leveraging American-made parts and resources. This includes responsibly pursuing, developing, and mining critical minerals and materials used for EV batteries.”

But, do consumers actually want them? Can they afford them? Remember this?

Read: China Joe Looks Outside U.S. For Electric Vehicle Materials »

Posted in Global Warming, Joe Biden | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach May 26, 2021 – 1:00 pm

…is an area flooded from climate change, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is A View From The Beach, with a post on AOC in therapy from the overzealous 1/6 protest.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 1 Comment | Trackback URL
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