"The installation will cost about $500,000 [what a tremendous waste of taxpayers' and
ratepayers' money], Ms. Levy said. That includes construction [no doubt by the Mafia, who
"60 Minutes" found building New York's Federal Courthouse], two round-the-clock guards and a
technician who will extinguish the lights if requested by the Federal Aviation Administration or the
New York City Audubon Society, which worries that migrating birds like the American woodcock
might die as a result of being drawn to the beacons. [This boondoggle will disrupt bird migration
to a much greater extent than the individual dead birds that happen to be found.]
The financing is coming from individuals, [tax exempt] foundations and corporations [and, of
course, taxpayers and ratepayers, who will have to make up for the corporations' and wealthy
individuals' deductions. As Leona Helmsley once said, "We don't pay taxes. Only the little
people pay taxes."], led by Deutsche Bank [which finances environmentally disastrous
megaprojects around the world, such as the Three Gorges Dam in China], [media and ISP
monopolist] AOL-Time Warner and General Electric [Pollution is our most important product],
which has given both money and 100 xenon bulbs valued at $1,200 each [money that might
better have been spent cleaning up GE's PCB mess in the Hudson River], Ms. Levy said.
Consolidated Edison is donating the power. [In fact, Con Edison's captive ratepayers are forcibly
paying for the power, since as a regulated utility, Con Edison is guaranteed a profit. Meanwhile,
the obsolete Indian Point nuclear reactor is known to be leaking radioactive coolant while
generating incremental amounts of additional power.] The Alliance for Downtown New York [a
big business lobby] is also making a contribution."
A rant indeed, but I basically agree. After all, last I heard we were suffering from another "energy crisis" We're paying higher rates, threatend by "rolling blackouts" etc...
I for one miss seeing the less popular stars and constellations.
|
ratepayers' money], Ms. Levy said. That includes construction [no doubt by the Mafia, who
"60 Minutes" found building New York's Federal Courthouse], two round-the-clock guards and a
technician who will extinguish the lights if requested by the Federal Aviation Administration or the
New York City Audubon Society, which worries that migrating birds like the American woodcock
might die as a result of being drawn to the beacons. [This boondoggle will disrupt bird migration
to a much greater extent than the individual dead birds that happen to be found.]
The financing is coming from individuals, [tax exempt] foundations and corporations [and, of
course, taxpayers and ratepayers, who will have to make up for the corporations' and wealthy
individuals' deductions. As Leona Helmsley once said, "We don't pay taxes. Only the little
people pay taxes."], led by Deutsche Bank [which finances environmentally disastrous
megaprojects around the world, such as the Three Gorges Dam in China], [media and ISP
monopolist] AOL-Time Warner and General Electric [Pollution is our most important product],
which has given both money and 100 xenon bulbs valued at $1,200 each [money that might
better have been spent cleaning up GE's PCB mess in the Hudson River], Ms. Levy said.
Consolidated Edison is donating the power. [In fact, Con Edison's captive ratepayers are forcibly
paying for the power, since as a regulated utility, Con Edison is guaranteed a profit. Meanwhile,
the obsolete Indian Point nuclear reactor is known to be leaking radioactive coolant while
generating incremental amounts of additional power.] The Alliance for Downtown New York [a
big business lobby] is also making a contribution."
A rant indeed, but I basically agree. After all, last I heard we were suffering from another "energy crisis" We're paying higher rates, threatend by "rolling blackouts" etc... I for one miss seeing the less popular stars and constellations.
- steve 3-07-2002 12:44 am