David Bronner may well be the smartest turd alive

Bronner may be a turd. At least some of my Republican buddies in the State Legislature seem to think so, but I'll give you this. David Bronner is one special candy coated turd. I feel compelled to go on record and say that teachers and state employees cannot allow the future of the retirement system to fall into the hands of elected politicians. True enough Bronner is a politician. But Bronner has weathered the winds of change and maintained a true independent status between the yellow and blue dogs that dominate Goat Hill.

More importantly though, David has invested in Alabama. Invested in our home amid criticism that could have been his undoing. Succeeded beyond all expectations with the Robert Trent Golf Trail, led the renovations of Mobile and Montgomery and tried swimming against the current of old guard money at the bend of the river in the Quad Cities. His Golf and Mariott projects are a success in progress, and if the city fathers had been willing to stand down and let him bring in BassMasters then Florence and the surrounding areas would still be dragging in the hundreds of millions in tourist dollars that the National Bass Tournaments have the potential to produce.

Sometimes the little turd just gives up, hands in air muttering "You can't save them that won't save themselves!". That is unfortunate because North Alabama and The Shoals area is unique amid the surrounding lands in that the local history pre-dates the United States by 200 years as evidenced by maps of the Tennessee River dating to the early 1500's.

The more or less recent history is no less interesting, yet our leaders lack the vision, or perhaps truly have the understanding, of the changes that progressive investment in the area would bring. I am ever amused that Chattanooga has a replica of the Tuscumbia Railway station and they charge $8 A head just to see it. Amused, because the real one sits in Tuscumbia unpromoted.

Bronner is a turd because he knew from the beginning that National Steel Car would be too small a player to pull off a two thousand employee rail car manufacturing facility in west podunk. Likely he knew that they would use the project to negotiate a threatened settlement with their own Canadian workforce. Likely he knew every step of the events exactly as they have played out.

Now it appears Navistar, a company that literally has its roots in American soil with the McCormick Reaper - The machine that made the US the breadbasket of the world, will head up a development that will by contract put 1800 workers into the facility.

Likely Bronner knew that if you build it they will come. And he knew the locals wouldn't have the vision to invest in a project of this size without an attractive lure. That is and was all the Canadian company ever was. I wouldn't be surprised to know that the little turd had kept the phone number of Navistar in his custom vest pocket from the first day of negotiations with National Steel Car.

Now, as the less experienced politicians have girded their loins to in an attempt to make Bronner the poster child for failure with the billion dollar rail car plant.

Failure?

He snatches victory from the jaws of,,, well - JAWS, and comes smelling like .... like ... A sugar coated treat.

Hooray Navistar, Hooray Bronner.

Let's just not look to deeply into it.

A Civics Lesson for the Times Daily

Some time ago this space offered a a simple piece suggesting that newspapers should engage in something I like to call "responsible" journalism. Sometimes the editors seem have an unseen agenda. Sometimes they are just ignorant of the facts. Sometimes they don't seem to respect either.

The pretense tirade of that particular day was about the Times Daily editorializing (making fun of) on the city of Russellville questioning fluoride expense in the drinking water. The question on the table was "Is this the highest and best use of the city tax dollars in today's world". (And yes, your utility bill is a tax). But the story was never about water. It was about misuse of a powerful force. The misuse of editorial space. The Times Daily bullied the local council into making an expensive, if not outright mistaken, decision.

This column was offended most recently when the local paper wasted forty-four column inches suggesting that the city should make sure they get the highest dollar amount for some old country club land in a penny wise and pound foolish manner. Further suggesting that the city was being irresponsible by offering the land at lower than the appraisal price to, of all things, to the University of North Alabama.

But in the considered opinion of this author, Florence should give the land outright to UNA. After all without Florence Teachers College, the City would have been Leighton-West a hundred and thirty nine years ago. With the same economic impact today that Leighton has today. {No offense intended to my loyal reader and epicurean friend in Leighton}

But to bring my gentle reader back to the point of this short essay. "With great power comes great responsibility". At least that is what Peter Parker espouses. Sometimes I think maybe the powers of the pulp don't realize the impact of putting a few words on paper. Whack out a few lines on the old Underwood and go back to pleasant slumbers. In the Russellville case the Times Daily actually caused well meaning city fathers, who were reporting facts and giving solid budgetary advice, to be laughed out of the room. In the country club case the paper took a position against the source blood for all Lauderdale County, much to the detriment of the people just for what? To sell papers? Yellow journalism at it's best?

The City of Florence should follow the lead of Muscle Shoals who has no problem with spending money to make money.

As they did on the Zaxby's deal.

But that is another story.

A regressive education policy

Education is a luxury.

Always has been.

A few years ago I convinced myself that we had moved beyond the idea that education was only for the well bred and comfortably situated. That we had gone from the basis of public education of a specialty item to education for the masses. I had convinced myself that education had gone from a privilege in the 1800's to a right in the 20th century and to a responsibility in the modern age. Unfortunately, as a popular radio host points out weekly, no matter what we do, half the people are still below average.

Unfortunately as well truth exists independently of my opinion.

Education, it seems, has always been a luxury. In the days of the cave man education was only available after the escape from the ever present predator and after the stomach was full. Then stories could be told, paintings could be made, songs could be sung.

A luxury.

Presently in Alabama we have a shortfall of cash. And as usual in my home town where there were three businesses the shortfall is made up by increasing taxes. Now there are two.

Statewide the Republican Legislature (albeit with a pay raise amid a COLA freeze for all the rest of the State employees.) are doing things to cut spending instead of raising taxes. As one of my friends said "How do you like your Republican buddies now?" Well actually I like them pretty well. I know the cuts are hard and many of them like arrows in the dark, fall much wide of the mark, but at least they are not succumbing to the knee jerk of turning the constituency upside down and shaking out his pants as has been done by the Democratic legislature for the past 100 years.

Teachers are looking at a $1000 pay cut. Again unfortunate, but in my business - the business of teaching early thirtysomethings how to get a job and keep a job - I see workers who once expected to start at $800 a week with a two year degree settling for six or even four. We ain't in Kansas any more Dorothy.

Education is a luxury. Our spring break has its roots in the roots of last years crop that had to be turned under in preparation for the planting. A time when kids just couldn't be spared for school. Most old folks remember when fall break was called cotton pickin and summer was out for work not play.

Somehow we have turned our economy on its head educating kids with a mandatory school age on both ends. Actually passing laws that keep kids from learning how to work until they are 16. The result is 47% of our population on the dole one way or another because our education policy doesn't include teaching kids how to work.

Don't get me wrong, I am in the business of stomping out ignorance day by day. It is just that like swords or plowshares in an economic downturn we have to decide if we want our paper mills geared to turn out books or toilet paper.

Which is more important to you?

On tearing a page from the Ipad

Book:
" An item of personal property, Usually made of two boards bound in leather containing within them several groups of four or eight leaves of watermarked paper called "signatures", hand laced together with cotton twine and impressed with inked lead characters upon each leaf. Occasionally the repository of some information or idea important to the owner."

I have the misfortune to examine the latest in the bane upon civilization that technology has wrought, the "Electronic Book ." The "Kindle" the "Aluratek", the "Sony" the "Ectaco" and the pretender to the throne... The " Ipad". Like life's first kiss they are all and forever will be found wanting.

By my bedside and within these leather confines lie my friends Ishmael, Ahab, and the Great White Fish that belched Jonah on the West Bank of Palestine. The brothers Karamazov, and as I fall into the abyss, straight into it, head down and heels up, The feel of the impressed letters under my fingers or an occasional penciled note in the margins left by a previous reader, my book leaves the knowledge that like Frost's reaper, a worker gone before me has left a tuft of flowers for an unseen future friend or some winged creation of the almighty.

Somehow, even as I turn the pages of the Ipad to the simulated roll of the leaf from upper right to bottom left and wonder at how many programmer hours was dedicated to making it look like the real thing but never able to simulate the anticipation of the finger lifting the corner and sliding down the dangerous razor edge of real paper to end its travels at the exact moment that the eye transcribes the last word of the page onto whatever bits of binary brain data my internal computer requires. Somehow the backlighted LCD screen is too garish and rude for any comfort on the final minute of the day.

Some would suggest that electronic book is progress. That somehow it saves trees from the agony of being born. That the information within it and the idea behind is the crux of it... As artificial insemination is to sex - so is the electronic book to the bound leather volumes by my bed.

Yes, I have examined these volumes and found them wanting. Not just in color and texture. Not just in the comfort of holding my grandmothers bible or the tufts of flowers in the corners of some ancient volume, but in physical utility as well. Who will ever leave a bad e-volume in the outhouse, or kindle a flame in a snowbank with a Kindle.

Who indeed?

Well here is the solar project #7

Some pretty random photos of the Andalay Solar panels.

Our calculations are that in winter we will get 97% of the power at a 10 degree angle that we would at 34 degrees and don't have the "where are my solar panels?" problem after the occasional 200 mph winds we get in Muscle Shoals Alabama.
The above photos show the ballast trays and the windshields along the back. I don't guess it would stand a 200 MPH wind but 60 should be a piece of cake. Especially if it comes from the North or South.

Notice the electrical connections are being made up as we go along, panel to panel. Remember this system is not anchored to the rooftop by anything except the steel weights we stole, I mean borrowed, from the machine shop.. (don't tell anyone)


Each 230 Watt panel has its own inverter which collects data and transmits power back onto the grid. The power not only flows backward up the line, it transmits coded digital data on the line as well.

I know we should have the panels covered in full sun until they are connected. But too late is too late.

I am convinced that when I get ready to do my rooftop this is exactly the system I will use. A slanted roof could be used without the mounts and wind shields but using it makes installation a breeze and corrects for the off angle condition that occurs in a 5-12 roof system which has a roof pitch of 22.5 degrees.

Solar Project #6

Sorry, the weather and my bad attitude have stopped work on the solar system for a while. (Can a woman give you PTSD?) I have long had a dream of designing a home that can live on a half acre lot and be completely selfsustaining. Only in Alabama is that possible because you need just the right combination of wind, sun, and water to make it happen.

New developments in Grid Tie Inverters and the price of energy make it more feasible every day.

I could however give you a little background into they what and why of including Photovoltaic Systems to our electricity lineup.

1. There is much interest in zero energy homes. Less than there should be but still, if not much, at least some. I recall the last Habitat home that I was involved in they said "sure we would like it to be zero energy, but it would add $20,000 to the cost." So we are at a place where it is cheaper in the short run and easier to install than making the choice that in the long run is better for everybody. In short it is cost effective to be stupid.

Habitat did build the next home as zero energy.

2. Every part of PV installation can be done by the homeowner except the electrical tie in to the grid. That should be, in fact if one is to obey codes, must be done by a licensed electrician.

3. There is a lot of information out there that is just wrong. Since my job is to stomp out ignorance then it falls to me to make sure we don't graduate ignorant students. At least no more of them than absolutely necessary.

Solar is part of Zero Energy. It is unfortunately the most costly component. Wind is cheaper but it sometimes blows hard enough here to blow down the best of windmills. Conservation helps and must be part of a comprehensive system but a house so tight that cold can't get into is a house so tight that radon can't get out of.


Wind, sun and water fall and fall abundantly on all Alabama homes. We don't have to operate wisely to take advantage of it. We merely need to stop being stupid.

Solar Project #5

Today is the third day of construction on the solar system, And by the way why is it when a woman brings kids into a relationship it is part of the package and when a man has them it is "baggage"?


It is a hard sell to make people believe that something that is going to cost $20,0000 and pay back $86 a month is worthwhile. The greenies believe they are saving the world, and the Dec 21 2012ers think that in the Apocalypse we will need to be self sufficient. But for the rest of us we have to figure how to make a $20,000 investment pay on $86 a month. Even with government incentives we have to figure how to make a $14,000 investment pay on $232 a month. And you know, when a woman says she is leaving on Tuesday, why is she still here on Wednesday?


With 21 cent buybacks for green energy and a fifty year life expectancy $232 dollars times 12 months time 50 years That comes to a hundred and thirty eight thousand dollars for a $20,000 investment. Of course that doesn't include the fact that in fifty years that solar array on the house will be worth $138,000 and power will be at least three times what it is now.
But, silicon solar PV arrays are made of sand. The most durable and long lasting stuff on earth {except possibly the scars of a broken heart}

Of course finding the $20,000 lying around is a problem for all but the top 2% of us. I personally fall somewhere between the greenies and the 2012ers but I believe that investing in energy, both personal and electrical is always a good bet. {Isn't there something in the bible about the roof and a quarrelsome woman?}

As things progress I shall post more.