For the Birds

Another of the Obummer administration's expensive green-energy projects seems destined for the scrap heap. It's a massive solar farm, the Ivanpah Project in the Mojave desert. I have previously written about this misguided monstrosity ... see: Son of Solyndra. Killing thousands of birds, blinding airline pilots, producing less than 3/4 of its promised electricity output, and at a cost six times that of a natural gas power plant, this bone-headed boondoggle will likely cost the American taxpayer another $1.6 billion dollars when it sinks below the desert sand ... all sacrificed on the altar of silly science ... see: Daily Caller Article.

This repetition of government due-diligence lassitude and fire-hose largess is yet another proof that leaving such efforts to the private sector makes eminent sense. When our government takes it upon itself to get in the business of business, it more times than not screws the pooch. Yes, the private sector makes bad investments too, but they learn from these miscues. Our government never seems to go to school on its continued screw-ups.

Boondoggle Glitch

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has been quarantined in China after being exposed to the swine flu. See: Asian Boondoggle. Why do mayors and their entourages (too often including wives) indulge themselves in these obviously fake economic missions? (Boston’s mayor ,“Mumbles” Menino, has also had his share of expense-paid vacations, see Menino Italy Trip and Menino S.A. Trip ). Mayor Nagin will be out of office within the year. See: Last Days. Therefore, I suspect, any possible benefit that he can squeeze from his current boondoggle will be quickly dissipated once he is gone.

Perhaps, if the main-stream media were doing their jobs, they would grill these pols upon their return from such expensive “economic missions” to ascertain exactly what had been accomplished ... and then do follow-up stories.