Government “shutdown” a boon for Americans, the war on energy has a lull

From the emotional headlines, you would think America is in dire straights from a government “shutdown.” In reality only 18% of the government is “shutdown” and the rest of it is humming along as usual, getting automatic funding by rules in place to safeguard our system. Entitlement checks are on schedule, our armed forces are funded, coasts are guarded and all other critical services essential to running our government are functioning, including the White House chef and dog walker. Most of the high profile government layoffs are for employees deemed “non essential,” yet even these employees will suffer no long term ill effects, as they will get full pay and benefits for staying home when government "reopens."…Basically these non essential employees are getting paid vacations. If American citizens thought there would be some sort of savings from having a government shutdown, on the surface it appears there is none. But if you look at just one government agency that has a profound effect on the cost of living for all Americans, you can see there is a silver lining. The Environmental Protection Agency has deemed that over 93% of its employees are “non essential” and have sent them home. The EPA has been the surrogate bludgeon President Obama has used to wage war on the fossil energy sector, particularly America’s main source of fuel for its electrical energy: coal. After President Obama was thwarted by members of his own party to impose a crippling carbon tax on the energy industry, he declared a backdoor war of regulations with the end goal of punishing all forms of fossil energy…..All being waged under the guise of his “climate action plan,” which particularly singles out the coal industry. “Among those furloughed at the EPA would be most workers at the Office of Air and Radiation, which is in charge of writing and implementing most of the EPA's major air pollution rules. Also facing furloughs is the unit of the EPA that enforces regulations by taking legal action against an air or water polluter. Just 182 of the enforcement unit's 804 employees are exempted from furloughs.” This brief respite might prove a welcome relief for the blanket of regulations and litigation that add untold expense every time you switch on a light bulb, or start your car to go to work...more