trippin' jan. 7

sunny day

samanth and i recently viewed an inconvenient truth. former vice president al gore presents a blunt review of climate change science and explains the dire consequence of current global warming trends. our building recently started to research installing solar panels on the roof to defray common electricity costs. while first costs are significant, users gain credit for energy sold back to the power grid. over time, users see significant decreases on their energy supply bills. our discussion reflects a growing interest in renewable energy by individual homeowners, small businesses, and larger corporations.

the article explains that rising energy costs led to limited subsidies for solar energy providers and substantial tax credits for consumers. increased demand have also sharpened production cycles and decreased the cost of production, installation, and maintenance. in turn, solar energy is an increasingly valuable investment. the article explains that homeowners can expect to "zero-out" individual electric bills.

Excess credits are lost at the end of the year, so homeowners, at least for now, cannot make a profit from their solar systems. Even so, the savings can be substantial: in 2005 Mr. Felton paid Pacific Gas and Electric about $2,500 a month for electricity. . . [Today] he seldom sees an electric bill. Borrego Solar estimated the system could save Mr. Felton almost $2 million over 30 years — far more than the $255,000 the system cost him after a $134,000 rebate.

clean wages

jared bernstein explains that the new democratic congress will present a minimum wage increase soon. however, president bush and the republican opposition have coupled their support for the bill to further tax cuts. in short, bernstein argues that the bill should be clean of earmarks and party politics. while the minimum wage increase will be dulled by inflation, the proposed tax breaks will remain sharp.

In 2000, the GOP leadership added these bright ideas to a proposed minimum wage increase: a reduction in the estate tax, increased write-offs for business meals and for business investments, tax breaks for timber companies and for tax-exempt bonds, a higher self-employment health deduction, and expanded enterprise zones. Whatever their merits, neither the legislated tax cuts in 1996 nor the proposed tax cuts in 2000 were "targeted offsets" for businesses paying the minimum wage.

former secretary of labor robert reich also argues for a clean bill. he explains:

In fact, a minimum wage hike may actually help small businesses. Evidence from states that have already increased their own minimum wages suggests that a modest increase convinces more people to enter the labor market -- people like retirees, spouses, or teenagers who wouldn't bother working at a lower minimum wage. With more people willing to work, small businesses have more choice of whom to hire. That means they can find more reliable employees, and reduce costs associated with turnover.

speak easy

a recent article profiles the controversy caused by "breaking the silence", a traveling speaking tour that features former IDF soldiers. the soldiers contest "excessive force" and "unethical military behavior" against palestinians in the occupied territories. the speaking tour sparked controversy against the union of progressive zionists, a campus outreach group. the zionist organizations of america (ZOA) demanded their exclusion from the ICC, an umbrella organization for israel advocacy groups.

the soldiers' testimonials are strong and credible. however, they complicate and threaten the traditional narrative presented by israel advocacy groups: israel, the advocacy groups explain, is always correct, always justified, and always humane. political discussion in israel proper is decidedly more complex and more honest.

"American Zionist organizations. . . are becoming increasingly intolerant and bullying," explains Juan Cole, a professor of Middle Eastern history at the University of Michigan. . . "[T]he UPZ is just being treated as everyone else is that does not toe the ZOA party line, which is: no criticism of Israel is allowed by anyone, ever, and where someone dares engage in it, they should be relentlessly marginalized and punished."