Should Texas Go Solar?

Texas needs to mandate solar powered homes and businesses. New construction should conform immediately, and existing homes and businesses need to have a time frame to be retro fitted. This is undoubtedly a difficult task. I feel as though as one of the largest and fastest growing states we have the opportunity to be the flagship for the rest of the country. This technology is out there and has been for some time, it is irresponsible for us not to be using it. Homes that have this system installed are capable of actually acquiring a credit on their electric bill if they don’t consume as much as they produce. Now I’m not saying this should happen overnight, I understand it’s not that easy, but at the same time we need to get the ball rolling. Ten years seems to be a reasonable time frame. If tomorrow Texas law mandated that within ten years all homes would need to be solar equipped, and there would be a substantial tax break for those who comply early I believe Texans would jump on board. In the long run these systems pay for themselves. Now I can already hear the complaints, I can’t afford it, how am I going to come up with the money? Those who qualify as low income could receive government low interest financing with a payment that would likely work out to less than their old electric bill. This is not impossible, it can be done, it might not be easy but it is the right thing to do for the future. Regardless of your stance on climate change or the environment no one can deny that oil is not a renewable resource. So if it’s not renewable, and more homes are being built everyday it only makes sense that if we can build self sufficient homes we do so. I think most will find it hard to argue with the logic of efficiency. When I had my home built 2 years ago I was not offered the option to install solar panels but I was asked to fill out a survey that asked if they had been available to me would I have opted for it. That tells me something, it would probably be happening everywhere already if it was profitable for the builders. So why not make it profitable to the builders with tax breaks and incentives for the first to comply. Any time major changes take place there will always be people who oppose, but in this case, for the good of our children, and our children’s children it needs to be done.

Jason Lundin

Mayor Issues Public Apology;

This blog is in regards to an article out of the Austin American Statesman. It discusses Mayor Will Wynn’s public apology for an incident that took place in March 2006. According to the police report the Mayor was having a party at his downtown condominium when he met an uninvited guest by the name of Luke Johnson. Upon meeting, Johnson questioned the Mayor about whether Will or Wynn was his first name. Wynn believed this individual to be mocking him and asked Johnson to leave. There was apparently an exchange of profanity and the Mayor ended up forcefully escorting the individual off his property. It seems as though both sides of the story vary depending on who’s telling it. In my opinion this is not news. If I had a skirmish at a party in my own home and physically escorted an uninvited guest off my property and told him to f*** off I guarantee it wouldn’t make the front page. In addition I would be willing to bet the cops wouldn’t charge me with assault. This is a college town and I am positive this sort of thing happens every day. I understand as a public figure they are held to higher standard, but I don’t feel as though the Mayor acted any different than most people would. This seems overboard to me. By this standard if someone comes to your home uninvited, you don’t have the right to remove them. That’s funny to me, considering in the Great State of Texas you have the right to protect your property with deadly force if you feel it necessary. Once again the media has blown something out of proportion in order to make news out of a non-news worthy story. I’m sure all the hoopla around this story is taking the Mayor away from much more important duties. As far as I’m concerned the Mayor doesn’t owe anyone an apology.
Jason Lundin
For more information see:
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/03/07/0307wynn.html