Dan Powers

7 Steps Towards Real Free Market Capitalism

Socilaism has NEVER worked over time

Actually it is working in many European countries that have better education and health care, while still having thriving economies.

While I actually agree with many of the op's points, I don't see how any those steps will get us away from crony capitalism and the corruption of government by the wealthy.

Some of the rest of you sound like you just got back from Ayn Rand fantasy camp.

First Solar Earnings: Eight Points About the Solar Industry

Great article. How are you getting 75% of your initial costs covered?

My perception of rooftop vs. powerplant installations is that the cost per watt of rooftop is much higher, and thus less able to compete with traditional fuels.

Obvious Headline Award of the Day Goes to...

Nice post Jerrydd. My only comment is that $100 billion per year world wide is a pretty small fraction of the global economy. Even a trillion is manageable.

A Guide to Investing with Green ETFs

How about a review of the performance of the various ETFs. Now that would be useful.

I bought some GEX last December and it's done reasonably well, but I've noticed that the other ETF I was considering, PBD, has done much better.

The Middle Ground with Global Warming

Finding a middle ground on climate change is right where we should be, but unfortunately it's an issue that seems to be as polarized as can be.

I agree 100% that gas taxes need to be raised, for both the economic and patriotic reasons mentioned above. I'd use the money to reduce payroll taxes and stimulate the economy from the bottom up.

The Cost of Capitalism, by Robert J. Barbera

I always say that about coffee.


On May 30 12:36 PM Danny Newton wrote:

> The problem with genius is that it facilitates coming to the wrong
> conclusion faster.

First Solar: Why I'd Never Go Long

In the time period that you shorted FSLR you could have shorted almost any solar stock and made (real) money. That doesn't mean you're wrong about the future for FSLR, just not a good piece of evidence.

The Obama Fast Track for Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

Making a couple assumptions it's pretty easy to calculate the payback for the costs you've given above. This seems to me the most common sense way for a consumer to look at the value they're getting.

Assuming a base vehicle (ICE) at 20mpg, and 10000 mile per year:

Gas at $2 per gallon, payback is 7, 13, 10 and 20 years for the micro, mild, full and PHEV respectively. Gas doubles, the payback time halves.

Better than I would have guessed. Great points in your last paragraph.

What U.S. Needs Is Long-Term Comprehensive Energy Policy

Obviously we need a comprehensive plan. I don't understand the CAFE standards in the absence of higher fuel prices. Carbon tax will get us to the higher fuel prices we need to drive us to an efficient use of energy. This seems much more straight forward than Cap and Trade, or legislating standards like CAFE. A long term projection of energy costs via a taxing strategy would allow companies to invest wisely, and not be hammered by speculators driving energy prices wildly up and down.

How to Raise a Good Energy Tax

On May 19 08:39 AM Bill James wrote:

> The Economy equals Energy times Efficiency.
>
> Tax energy and you will get less economy.
>
Wrong. Tax energy and you get more efficiency. And then more long term growth by an efficient economy.

Great idea, I hope Obama has the cojones to follow this path. Only thing I would change would be to make the floor higher than current costs. $4 a gallon seemed to be the number where we started to see real change.

Solar 2009: Investment Opportunities in Solar Stocks- Part I

Peter Lynch says that the 72% recent gain in unsustainable. In light of the 80% drop solar stocks took up until March, I'd argue that they're just correcting an over correction. Still down 69% off the bubble high.

Can We Please Do Something About Rising Oil Prices?

Remarkable idea. Announcing a future tax increase will stimulate short term spending. The only way we'll become an energy efficient economy able to compete in future energy constrained markets is to put a floor under energy costs. $4 a gallon gas didn't constrain the economy, it just spurred people to start making the changes we need to make.