Slow Your Driving Down, Save At the Pump, and Keep Our Streets and Neighborhoods Safe

When visiting in Woodbridge, a nice neighborhood here in Irvine, CA, showing a property with a client two days ago on Saturday, I saw a car zoom by at about 45 MPH in a 25 MPH residential zone.

Wow! I was surprised, because Irvine is known for its safe and peaceful streets.

Then I thought that this young driver must not care about saftey for the kids of the neighborhood ... or about the price of gasoline at the pump.

What's the hurry? Isn't it enough that we have $5 a gallon at the fuel pump? Does this young driver care about the cost of fuel? Or is it necessary that a young child get smacked on the street by a driver who doesn't care? What will it take for this young driver to slow it down?

Let's live life in the slower lane. You get better gas mileage in your car when operating at lower speeds. And we will all get safer streets ... fewer deaths and injuries from auto wrecks.

The State of California has banned the use of cell phones by drivers of motors vehicles. Isn't the same public interest served if we slow down when driving a motor vehicle? Especially in residential neighborhoods?

Let's slow our driving down ... save money at the pump ... and keep out streets and neighborhoods safe.

Posted by Harrison K. Long, Explore Properties Group, July 28, 2008

Needed U.S. Law to Help With Our Energy Challenges

We need U.S. law (from the Congress and Senate) to support energy exploration and the development of known energy resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

The development of our own domestic oil resources is vital for the economy and U.S. national security.

Let's also support new technology and move away from our dependence on oil in the long-term.

Our U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act (H.R. 6) was signed into law on December 19, 2007, which had provisions designed to increase energy efficiency and the availability of renewable energy.

We need law to provide business incentives (tax breaks) to continue clean energy production and improve energy efficiency.

We need law that would extend critical tax incentives (tax breaks) such as, the production tax credit for electricity produced from renewable sources, wind, biomass, hydropower, and geothermal.

We need law that would extend the 30 percent investment credit (tax breaks) for businesses that install solar or fuel cell equipment.

We need law that would extend effective energy efficiency programs that give homeowners tax credits (tas breaks) for installing energy efficient furnaces, windows, and insulation to make homes more energy efficient.

We need law that would give builders a tax deduction (tax breaks) for building more energy efficient new homes.

We need law (tax breaks) that would help businesses make energy efficient improvements to commercial buildings (more tax breaks).

Posted by Harrison K. Long, Explore Properties Group, July 21, 2008
Source: Ken Calvert, U.S. Congressman, California