Thoughts from Warrior’s Path State Park

HUD moving? In-state tuition for illegals? New York’s new nuke?

Thoughts from Warrior’s Path State Park

I have long said that the DC based agencies should relocate to move closer to the people that they serve. Well moving across the river to northern Virginia was not exactly what I had in mind. A recent headline reads “HUD becomes first major cabinet agency to exit DC, citing ‘failing’ HQ — which DOGE wants to sell.”

Well and good but moving to Northern Virginia? None of the employees will have to relocate. HUD is currently located in L’Enfant Plaza in southwest DC. L’Enfant Plaza was the home of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency when I worked there in the early 1970s. The Comptroller relocated to another site within DC. Moving across the river mirrors what the National Credit Union Administration -another one of my agencies – did. It went from close to the White House to across the river to Northern Virginia. I think getting out of DC brings a different perspective to those in the agencies but it is more helpful to leave the area entirely. Living next to people with real jobs rather than next to those who exist only to sponge off the government affects ones view on life. Instead of having your neighbor asking if a certain regulation is likely to include subsidies to big banks, your neighbor is more likely interested in how your children’s soccer team is faring. All of a sudden you are no longer the center of the universe. If HUD really wants to be closer to the people it needs to relocate to Detroit.

The Justice Department is suing the state of Minnesota for giving in-state tuition and financial aid to illegals. The lawsuit says that Minnesota is violating a federal statute that prohibits higher education institutions from offering benefits to illegal immigrants that aren’t available to U.S. citizens. DOJ has also sued Texas and Kentucky who have similar laws. Texas stopped enforcing its law. Texas? Now that’s a shocker. What about state’s rights? Seems to me if a state wants to do this, why not (unless they are using federal funds)? Texas was doing this? Seems to me that this is a local issue that should be decided at the state level and that the federal government should butt out.

New York is going to build a new nuclear power plant. New York? Let me see, Texas was giving in-state tuition to illegals and now New York is building a nuclear powerplant. What in the wide world of sports is going on? Are socialists now in favor of nukes? The new 1-gigawatt facility will be enough to power 1 million homes. I wonder how many acres of solar panels and how many hundreds of mega windmills would be required to do the same? Of course the governor is couching the new nuke in terms of meeting the state’s green energy climate goals. Isn’t this a tacit admission that solar and wind suck – to use a technical term? When then governor Cuomo – the disgraced one who could not even beat a rabid socialist for mayor of New York – shut down the Indian Point nuclear plant in 2021, the result was an increased use of fossil fuels to replace the lost capacity. Greenhouse emissions rose! Naturally, the greenie weenies are throwing a temper tantrum. One of them says “Governor Hochul’s nuclear gamble is a reckless distraction from the clean, affordable energy New Yorkers actually need. Nuclear power is dirty, dangerous, and wildly expensive — and this project will leave New Yorkers footing the bill while delaying urgently needed progress on renewables. Hochul needs to stop chasing false solutions and start delivering real climate action.” Wow! “Dirty, dangerous and wildly expensive”? Do tell. Obviously, this guy is living in the past and knows nothing about the new generation of smaller cleaner more efficient nuclear reactors. But then again, the nuclear industry is not paying this guy’s bills. By the way, did you know that Microsoft is bringing the notorious Three Mile Island back on line to power its AI and cloud services? Also the new nuke in New York will employ 1,600 to build and 1,200 to operate. The plant is slated for upstate New York. It’s a shame because I would like to see the incoming socialist mayor of New York City try to ban the transmission of electricity from nuclear power plants into the city (just speculating).

Warriors’ Path State Park is in Kingsport and is a great place to camp, fish, boat, picnic, hike and just get away – but not too far away. Highly recommended.