Bear with me for a moment. Most of you know I write a lot, and many of my thoughts are published in prominent newspapers. Sometimes, it’s great writing that catches the attention of a newspaper editor.
Today, I have questions; not any impressive piece of writing, just some common sense questions. In other words, just think of this postcard writing like my dog, Bentlee, playing a guitar — very bad guitarist but widely impressive for a dog plucking some strings.
The devastation from Hurricane Ian is stunning. I can’t even begin to imagine what the experience must be like to lose everything, and then process how to rebuild your life. Just the inconvenience and frustrations of getting one’s car repaired from a little fender bender is exasperating enough, let alone the effort needed to recover from a natural disaster.
As I see this immense devastation, I have questions for those politicians who always think they know what’s best for you and me. Like their insistence everyone drive an electric car. Sure, electric cars have a place, and can make lots of sense in many situations. But what about such places like Florida and many other areas that are subject to widespread natural disasters?
- How does one outrun a hurricane for hundreds of miles in an electric car?
- How do you charge these vehicles when the power can be out for days or even weeks?
- How many of those thousands of utility vehicles deployed across Florida to restore services would fare well as electric vehicles?
- What happens to all those electric vehicle batteries when they have been submerged in flood waters?
- Why does California require all cars sold after 2035 to be electric when the state today does not have the infrastructure in place to keep the lights on?
- Why do politicians insist we have electric cars when the raw materials for the batteries are highly concentrated outside the United States? DO WE want to have such a high reliance on others for such a critical aspect of American life?
Finally … Where is the critical thinking? Where is leadership with common sense? I think many of our politicians today just think in terms of the game of politics, pointing fingers, and political pandering. Are we just their toadies who should do what we are told? It all seems more about power and, for some, greed and corruption. It’s certainly not about us regular folks.
Sure would be nice to have a President Lincoln today!