Boucher's Big Plans

9th District Congressman-for-life Rick Boucher outlined his priorities for the upcoming session of Congress in a recent interview with The Coalfield Progress. (link requires paid subscription).

Jobs. Jobs, Jobs.

That sums up ... what he doesn't care about.

Now, what does he have planned for those of us who are going to have to pay for his fanciful notions?

Boucher charts 2007 action plan

By Bonnie Shortt, Staff Writer

In an interview Tuesday, Boucher said during 2007 he will work on promoting ...

● Coal technology. In the coming year, Boucher hopes to promote the use of technology for converting coal to liquid transportation fuels.

If he'd left it at that, I'd be singing his praises. But he had to throw in this bit of idiocy:

Coal-to-liquid fuels are feasible to use when petroleum costs $40 a barrel or more, Boucher said. He added he would like to set a price floor on petroleum to ensure more people would use coal-to-liquid fuels. Many countries we buy petroleum from are the most politically unstable, he said. As a result, we have our hands tied in regions where we shouldn't even be involved, he said.

A price floor. What that means is Boucher doesn't ever want that gallon of gasoline you pay for to get too cheap. What's with that? And, if he's willing to set prices on gasoline at the pump, is he willing to set prices on milk? Aspirin? Diapers? PlayStation3's? Water? Didn't Richard Nixon try this only to manage to completely screw up the economy?

● Diesel. Boucher also plans to promote greater use of diesel fuel ...

Don't ask me. I can only guess he drives an Audi diesel around his upscale neighborhood in Washington D.C. and wants easier access to his favorite fuel for himself and his tea-sipping pals.

● Higher education. Boucher hopes to make college more affordable. Many students are forced to not finish college because of the high prices, he said, and those who finish often face large amounts of debt. He would like to see Congress make more education grant funds available to reduce the amount of loans that students take, he said.

"He would like to see Congress make more education grant funds available ..." Let's hope he also intends to have his fabulously wealthy friends in Congress pay for them. Is this a typically boneheaded Democratic solution to a problem or what?

Boucher wants to confiscate a portion of your paycheck so as to make it easier for your kid to go to college. How 'bout we keep our money and we send our kids to college without your intereference, Rick? What the hell do we need you for?

● Health care. Boucher said he hopes to help authorize the government to negotiate with drug manufacturers to ensure lower drug prices for those who receive Medicare. Also, he noted, he would like to help close a gap in Medicare coverage that he called harmful to senior citizens. Currently, Medicare covers 75 percent of the first $2,260 spent on medication, Boucher said. After that, Medicare stops paying until the recipient pays a certain amount of out-of-pocket money, he said.

See my response to his last nanny initiative above. Pharmaceutical companies will be more than willing to charge less for medications going to seniors on Medicare (if Boucher's gun is pointed at their heads) and will then make up the shortfall by charging the living hell out of the rest of us.

● Press freedom. Boucher plans to introduce a bill geared toward reporters next month, he said. The bill would protect reporters from being jailed for contempt because they refuse to reveal off-the-record sources in federal court, he said. The only way for the public to know things is through what news reporters obtain from inside sources, Boucher said. No one will tip reporters to news if they face having their identities exposed in court, he said.

This is so unimportant, it's hardly worth a comment except for me to suggest that Boucher has to throw some kind of bone to the people who work so hard to get him reelected every two years. Consider this the media's bone.

● FEMA. Boucher hopes to help restore the Federal Emergency Management Agency to an independent agency, he said.Boucher said Bush degraded the agency, took its funding, buried it within the Department of Homeland Security and redirected its mission to helping fight the war on terror. FEMA needs to be restored to its previous status as a first-class responder to natural disasters, Boucher said.

Whatever.

● Water, sewer. Boucher added he hopes to continue obtaining money to help fund public water and sewer projects. The region has already benefited and he is determined to continue until all homes have clean water, he said.

This should have been his most important priority over the last two decades (along with the promotion of Southwest Virginia's economy) instead of wasting his time and our money (tens of millions) on those worthless hiking trails and bike paths that now criss cross the area. This is the kind of thing government was created to handle. Not taking our money and giving some of it back.

● Telecommunications. Boucher said he would like to see broadband use become more widespread. The United States is where the Internet was created, yet we are 16th in the world in the use of broadband, he said.

He'll never grasp the concept that a vibrant economy brings about such technological advancements. Not the other way around. In fact a booming economy will demand such infrastructure improvements. But we need to turn the economy around first, Rick. Broadband is going to do those 1,000 employees who are about to be laid off at Volvo in coming days a lot of good.

Then there is the obligatory ...

● Forests. Bush wants to put thousands of acres of national forest land into private ownership. Boucher said he will strongly oppose that proposal, he said.

Thank God. I was worried we were going to run out of forests around here.

Somebody shake me. This has to be an ongoing never-ending nightmare.

Rick Boucher's plan for the future: Jobs, jobs, jo ... er ... More forests, more redistribution of wealth, more hard times for Southwest Virginia.