The following editorial first appeared in the Kansas City Star:
Shining a bright light on the Solyndra solar panel company debacle illuminates two facts:
• The Obama administration’s deeply flawed handling of loan guarantees for the California-based (and now bankrupt) solar panel maker could saddle U.S. taxpayers with a loss of $535 million.
• Solar power isn’t dying in this country and doesn’t deserve to, either.
Early on, President Barack Obama helped make Solyndra a poster child for his green jobs initiative, visiting the company and saying, “The true engine of economic growth will always be companies like Solyndra.”
But evidence is mounting that the administration cut corners to funnel money to the manufacturer.
That’s a depressingly familiar story for Americans appropriately upset at how loosely federal funds too often are spent.
However, harsh questioning of the very future of solar panel production in America — such as what Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican, engaged in recently — is off the mark.
In the first half of 2011, photovoltaic installations were 69 percent higher than a comparable period in 2010. And the amount of solar power consumed in the country has more than doubled in the last six years, although it’s still a tiny part of the total electric grid.
Acting more prudently in the future, Congress should continue to promote private sector investment in solar power, even after the one horrifically bad bet on Solyndra.
Comments (3)
Add commentThis is nothing more than pay
This is nothing more than pay to play politics. Just like what BO was used to in Chicago.
And Solyndra isn't the only company. Pelosi has one tied to her brother-in-law and there's the California representative that funneled money to a company that his son lobbies for. And by the way, Kenny Salazar is up to his neck in that one.
Pure corruption and kuddos to Rep. Issa for his diligence.
The article states, "In the first half of 2011, photovoltaic installations were 69 percent higher than a comparable period in 2010."
Yeah, of course there are more installations because the federal government is highly subsidizing them. It's all funny money - solar, on a large scale is not cost effective. But, but, it only takes 100+ years to realize the initial investment!
Drill, baby, drill!!
Were does the Federal
Were does the Federal government get the authority to use the threat of force to confiscate the income of, a previously free peoples, & then gamble (pass on to a campaign contributor) that stolen money ($535 MILLION) away?
If a person wants to gamble their pay check away, they should be FREE to do so. But neither you, nor the government has any right to gamble away another persons pay check with out their consent.
If this is allowed to stand, we are no longer a free people.
The right?
From the Constitution, dickwad. 16th Amendment. Try reading it sometime.
Solyndra...Haliburton...same diff. They're the .001%. You're not. Hand it over.
I (heart) Latitude58
Latitude58.....1
Madison.........0 (and still losing).
That was funny.
As for $535 million, that is pennies compared to the spending of the "wars" in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those wars combined spend that much money in four days "fighting" the "war to make us safer" from the goat herding Taliban hiding under your bed.
I applaud any attempt by our President to promote renewable energy resources to wean us off Saudi oil. Seems solar power is a great start.
I mean, it's not like he started two wars we can't finish which are bankrupting our nation like his predecessor did.
Is that the best y'all can do, hmmmm?
We are the 99%.
The Sixteenth Amendment
The Sixteenth Amendment (Amendment XVI) to the United States Constitution allows the Congress to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states or basing it on Census results. This amendment exempted income taxes from the constitutional requirements regarding direct taxes, after income taxes on rents, dividends, and interest were ruled to be direct taxes in Pollock v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co. (1895). It was ratified on February 3, 1913.