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An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.


"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil—he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good—he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

First People - The Legends. Cherokee Legend of Two Wolves. November 16, 2004. [accessed April 7, 2012].

Friday, April 06, 2012

Prince George's County Blows on the Dice



               As my county, Prince George's, works itself up to a frenzy over gambling as a sure bet economic engine for sustainable development and growth, I take this opportunity to lay out a conversation that could have taken place now if only our political elite were not so invested int short term gain for a few. Bright and early this morning, Baltimore's abc2 wrote, "Minority business owners want the Maryland legislature to use its final days pass a measure to develop offshore wind energy."[1] Businesses which will drive high paying jobs are pushing the Maryland Senate to follow the House of Delegates and pass the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2012.

               We could be discussing the enabling of a county of energy initiatives showcasing our strategic plan that would link the State's energy policies to Prince George's County's support of investments that could take advantage of the U.S Department of Energy's grant program which seeks to provide support for regionally-diverse Advanced Technology Demonstration Projects through collaborative partnerships. Instead, of course, we are probably planning the color of the blackjack table cloth concerned as to its impact on the part time competitive minimum wage jobs that we are going to create.

               We could be challenging our best and brightest to make Prince George's County a hi- tech center of alternative energy systems using in part funding, technical assistance, and federal coordination which would accelerate deployment of these demonstration projects. In partnership with DOE and the State of Maryland the county could work to eliminate uncertainties, mitigate risks, and help create a robust U.S. Offshore Wind Energy Industry. We could be reading the county created plan that outlines how it would support businesses and job creation by creating an investment atmosphere in the county  where businesses work to design, build and install innovative offshore wind systems in Maryland and U.S. "waters in the most rapid and responsible manner possible, while expediting the development and deployment of innovative offshore wind energy systems with a credible potential for lowering the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) below 10 cents / kWh or the local hurdle price at which offshore wind can compete with other regional generation sources without subsidies."

               We could be reading such a report but we most likely won't because there is no money to fund such a strategic plan, all of the available funds and energy having gone to casino support and advocacy. The US government knows that "with over 4,000 GW of gross potential that is relatively close to key load centers, offshore wind energy can help the nation reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, diversify its energy supply, provide cost-competitive electricity to key coastal regions, and stimulate economic revitalization of key sectors of the economy." Prince George's County however seems to just know about vigorish.[2]
   


[1] Push today for offshore wind bill Civil and business leaders push for offshore. abc2.com. April 6, 2012 [accessed April 6, 2012] http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/state/push-today-for-offshore-wind-bill#ixzz1rGAPPdXg


[2] Vigorish, or simply the vig, also known as juice or the take, is the amount charged by a bookmaker, or bookie, for his services. In the United States it also means the interest on a shark's loan. The term is Yiddish slang originating from the Russian word for winnings, выигрыш vyigrysh [1]. Bookmakers use this practice to make money on their wagers regardless of the outcome. To minimize their risk, bookmakers do not want to have an interest in either side winning in a given sporting event. They are interested, instead, in getting equal betting on both outcomes of the event. In this way, the bookmaker minimizes his risk and always collects a small commission from the vigorish. The bookmaker will normally adjust the odds or the line, to attract equal action on each side of an event.  Wikipedia: [accessed April 6, 2012] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigorish

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