Swickard: Energy industry under attack as is our economy

© 2016 Michael Swickard, Ph.D.  “In general, presidents and congressmen have very limited power to do good for the economy and awesome power to do bad. The best good thing that politicians can do for the economy is to stop doing bad. In part, this can be achieved through reducing taxes and economic regulation, and staying out of our lives.” Walter Williams

            Despite claims otherwise, many elected leaders are the very reason our economy is faltering. They campaign promising to improve our economy yet they support the very government actions which cause critical harm to the economy. These politicians campaign to solve the problems which were caused by them.

            Currently there is a political controversy about flaring (burning) some of the gas from New Mexico oil producing wells. The talking points are that petroleum producers should sell that gas rather than just burn it.

            Activists claim petroleum producers intentionally throw money away. But people in business do not throw money away and stay in business. Some people understand the oil and gas industry while others do not.

            Former New Mexico Land Commissioner Ray Powell wrote in a recent Op-Ed: “The San Juan Basin is one of the most heavily developed energy fields in the Intermountain West. While the downturn in oil and natural gas prices has hit hard, there is a simple way we can boost energy and tax revenue – cut natural gas waste at existing oil and gas well sites.”

            Ray Powell’s statement has nothing to do with petroleum engineering. If there was money to be made, the petroleum producers would, especially now when prices have dropped.

            Why are these wells flared? Simply, there is no economical way to bring those products to market. There isn’t the infrastructure nor is it economical.

            The activists know this. It’s really an attempt to cripple the petroleum industry in New Mexico. Consider: this push follows a long list of industry killing events. The introduction of wolves in cattle country is strangling the New Mexico cattle industry in those areas. That is along with the Jumping Mouse rules which are designed to keep cattle from water.

            If new rules require the gas to be captured and sold or the well must be capped, all but the most productive wells will be capped. There is not the infrastructure to capture that low volume gas which also has Hydrogen Sulfide, (H2S) in it. This colorless gas with a rotten eggs smell is poisonous, corrosive, flammable, and explosive. No one is buying this substance so it is flared for safety.

            What is the political value in making New Mexico producers cap their wells? The progressive push is to end oil, gas and coal so that the economy goes on the wind and solar standard. The federal government has targeted coal which is used in about half of the national electricity generation. The coal industry is dying.

            The problem is wind and solar are not a good source for power generation other than for off-grid homes. For traditional energy uses solar and wind must be backed up by traditional generating stations. So we pay for the generation twice. The price is prohibitive, especially if the energy is used in manufacturing where competing products are produced with low-cost energy-dense power.

            In New Mexico curtailing oil and gas production will send the state budget into a financial abyss of epic proportions. The state of New Mexico is already reeling from the drop in oil and gas revenue. The current recession in New Mexico would turn into a never ending depression without oil and gas revenue.

            When you see elected leaders talk about reigning in the lost money in flaring, know that the intention is to end the oil and gas industry and replace it with wind and solar. They gain political power in this way but the citizens lose an incredible amount of money for their schools and lots of jobs.

            As Walter Williams wrote, “In general, presidents and congressmen have very limited power to do good for the economy and awesome power to do bad. The best good thing that politicians can do for the economy is to stop doing bad.”

            But we keep electing people who spend their time harming our economy.

 Email: drswickard@comcast.net - Swickard’s new novel, Hideaway Hills, is availableat Amazon.com

Swickard: Energy industry under attack as is our economy

Swickard: Minimum wage laws destroy free markets

© 2016 Michael Swickard, Ph.D.  “Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself.” Milton Friedman

            America’s “free markets” are more free than markets in some other countries. However, our markets are not really free because our government controls so much of them. Know this: markets cannot be controlled and free simultaneously.

            Let’s use two terms interchangeably: free markets and voluntary exchange. Voluntary exchange is when people are free to trade with each other without government interference. When the government prevents voluntary exchange between citizens through rules and regulations, there cannot be free markets.

            In Venezuela there are daily riots because the Socialist Government meddled in their markets until those markets collapsed. Venezuela has gone from being one of the richest countries in the world to one of the poorest in just a few years of mismanagement. They have almost limitless natural resources. Without free markets their citizens get no benefit from those resources.

            The term, “profit” is seen by some Americans as being bad. Much of our political dialog is about businesses making too much profit so the government must intervene. Consider: if there is no profit, then what’s there to tax? Importantly, without profits, what’s there to continue the business?

            In free markets if there are high profits it inspires competitors who undercut prices to gain market share. So where do “obscene profits” come from? They come when our government protects one business over others so that competitors cannot compete. The “obscene profits” problem is too much government control in the markets.

            In Venezuela, with government control of the markets, the shelves are empty. In our country they are full but our government is moving towards the Venezuelan controls.

            One destroyer of free markets is the minimum wage. There should never be a minimum wage in a free market. Each person should trade their labor for an employer’s money as they see fit. How did we get the minimum wage?

            According to economist Dr. Walter E. Williams (and others) the minimum wage was created to further racism. (http://townhall.com/columnists/walterewilliams/2016/01/13/minimum-wage-dishonesty-n2102804)

            In the 1920s, Blacks would work for less money than Whites. Racist employers had a price to pay for being racists. If they only hired Whites, it cost them more money. Political leaders passed the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act to thwart Blacks undercutting Whites. It created the minimum wage so both Blacks and Whites had to be paid the same. Then there was no penalty for racism.

            For Americans, the ability to negotiate our own wages should be our right. But the government doesn’t allow me to work for what I think is right to get a job even though I am a free emancipated citizen. Many people caught up with progressivism do not believe in freedom. Also, with the rising minimum wage comes rising unemployment. How is being unemployed ever better than employed?

            If the government doesn’t like what someone is paid then reinstitute the 1973 Comprehensive Employment and Training Act where the government paid part of an unskilled person’s wages to get them job experience.

            Requiring employers to pay more than they think is justified, based on the return on investment in those employees, results in unskilled labor not getting hired. Those potential employees then do not get experience to get the next job. It causes discrimination against unskilled labor, mostly young people.

            The most ridiculous thing said is that some people are not making a living wage. If people can live and continue then it is a living wage. I have worked for very little money at times. I learned as much as I could and then stepped up to a better paying job.

            The government mandated minimum wage is neither compassionate nor kind. It leaves the most vulnerable Americans in perpetual bondage because they don’t get job experience. They need job experience to prosper.

            The government lives to control people and markets regardless of the damage it does to our people and the economy. For true prosperity Americans must have free markets. Otherwise our economy will descend into a Venezuela. To start we must abolish the minimum wage so young people get needed job experience.

            To believe in free markets, we must first believe in freedom.

 Email: drswickard@comcast.net - Swickard’s new novel, Hideaway Hills, is availableat Amazon.com

Swickard: Minimum wage laws destroy free markets

Swickard column: Real safety versus political safety

© 2016 Michael Swickard, Ph.D.  “As journalists, because you don’t carry a gun, you sort of become this observer.” Tim Hetherington

            Over the years as a journalist I have been around gun violence without being armed myself. Two observations: crap happens quickly and when you least expect it. No, I was not injured.

            In those journalism years I was involved in one way or another in five shooting with me somewhat in the middle. It was frightening though I agree with Winston Churchill, “Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result.”

            Americans are having some bad gun moments at this time because of recent attacks upon defenseless citizens both in the United States and in Europe resulting in many deaths and injuries. It is very much in our national consciousness. People really want to find a way to be safer.

            So we want to talk about these violence issues but we cannot really. Unfortunately, the political people on both sides no longer listen to understand, they only listen to reply. So nothing I say in this column will be heard by the partisans of either side. Sad. Political programs are just people shouting and not listening.

            The topic should be “Gun Free Zones.” That is where these extreme assault problems seem to occur because perpetrators know they will be the only ones with guns until the police arrive. So it is relatively easy for them to kill many people. Those victims have no way to fight back.

            It is not rocket science that when people are defenseless and other people are evil, bad things will always happen to the defenseless people. The rule makers who created Gun Free Zones had to know what would happen. It cannot be a surprise to them.

            You don’t see these same people making Gun Free Zones in Congress. Congress and others in Washington are well protected by people armed and ready to counter evil.

            George Orwell noted, “We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.” Exactly. The force of evil is balance by the force of good. Guns can be a force of evil or good depending on who uses the guns and why.

            Would we sleep safe in our beds if we could not be protected? No, an evil part of our society would take advantage of our helplessness. The forces of evil must be countered. There is no other way for normal citizens to remain safe. The problem is that citizens may have seconds to live while the police are minutes away.

            Some people even think that the Gun Free Zone sign will make a crazy person say, “Oh, it’s a Gun Free Zone. I have a gun so I can’t go there.” It would seem no one could be that stupid to think that ever could be the result of declaring Gun Free Zones. More likely the evil ones say, “Good, they can’t shoot back.”

            Many of our legislators both nationally and locally live to pass more rules, regulations and laws. So there is a constant push to “Solve” the scourge of gun violence simply by passing the right laws. Top of the list for many politicians is to ban all weapons assuming that with all weapons banned everyone would be safe.

            In reality there seems little connection between reality and these thoughts. The media tries to ignore when guns are used to make a victim safer. Yet that is what happens often when criminals try to pick on more fragile people. The gun gives the smaller and more frail person a fighting chance.

            It is very apparent at public schools that a sign is all that protects them when evil attacks. Better would be a few well trained people in schools, shopping malls, theatres and other public places who could instantly counter an attack.

            It would be lovely if everyone would play nicely and there was no more violence in our world. But it isn’t going to happen. So we must protect ourselves and our loved ones and not let politicians take that protection away while they, themselves are protected by people with guns.

 Email: drswickard@comcast.net - Swickard’s new novel, Hideaway Hills, is availableat Amazon.com

Swickard column: Real safety versus political safety

Swickard column: My time to talk writing

© 2016 Michael Swickard, Ph.D.  “Storytelling was the first human occupation beyond finding food, shelter and a mate.” Michael Swickard

             I’ve written weekly newspaper columns much of my adult life. A couple of months ago I published my first novel, Hideaway Hills. This Saturday, June 11th I will be signing my novel at the Coas Bookstore in the Downtown Mall in Las Cruces from ten to noon.

            I am a writer because I love storytelling. Luckily for me over the years I’ve been around many good storytellers. Some were just normal folks with an entertaining way around a story while others are professional storytellers.

            Americans are big on stories as is evident by Hollywood. The best part of being a writer is that whatever is happening to you, it might end up in a story. Example: lightning hit a couple of houses away and went through the cable lines burning out my computer and television.

            I took the dead cable boxes to the local Comcast office. The representative told me they were not going to replace my computer and television. I never even considered it. They said it was an “Act of God.” I said, “So I can quote you.” They nodded. Then I added, “Major corporation Comcast affirms there is a God.”

            Until now it hadn’t made it into a column. As a writer I have lots of scraps of paper with those kinds of oddball thoughts waiting for the right moment. The novel came about because over the last decade I daily took care of my uncle to keep him out of a nursing home. One year ago at age 89 he passed away.

            So from 24/7 care of a relative, especially every night, I suddenly had lots of time. Therefore, I started Hideaway Hills from story ideas I had while living in Lincoln County in the early 1980s. Every day I would write. Then came the happy day a couple of months ago when I typed THE END and set about to publish it which in today’s world is relatively easy.

            Hideaway Hills is the first book in a trilogy about New Mexico. It is set in 1985 in the Sierra Blanca area. People have told me stories all of my adult life. I have used some of them in columns and kept the rest in a box. This book let me use some of those stories.

            For instance: one day in a Lincoln County coffee shop one of the old men who told great stories was asked about the nearby Native Americans. He said, “They’re fine folks though when I was just a button on the Bonita me and three friends were attacked while we were camping. They were shooting at us and we were shooting at them. Then we realized we were running out of bullets.”

            The old man paused and sipped his coffee. One of the youngsters at the table impatiently asked, “What happened?” This old man smiled and said, “Son, the Indians killed us all.” He got up and left to our applause.

            Writing is interesting since once it is published it may last for generations or not. I like that I have captured a time in a small community. None of the characters are real but after a year of writing they seem real to me. I laugh with them and cry with them and in the silence of my head I listen to what they have to say.

            I have been asked how to become a novelist. The answer is easy and the work is difficult. You sit and write every day. Many people have told me of their desire to be a writer. They say they have a story but often they have a vision but sadly do not write it down.

            Augusten Burroughs wrote, “The secret of being a writer is that you have to write. It’s not enough to think about writing or to study literature or plan a future life as an author. You really have to lock yourself away, alone, and get to work.” Amen.

            If you are in Las Cruces Saturday, I’ll be at Coas Bookstore in the Las Cruces Downtown Mall ten to noon. Hope to see you there.

 Email: drswickard@comcast.net - Swickard’s new novel, Hideaway Hills, is availableat Amazon.com

Swickard column: My time to talk writing