Wednesday – Morning Read

• Obama Reaches Out to Faith Community – Associated Press in the Dispatch

Part of the program appears to be continued government funding of faith-based human service initiatives.  Although there are credible church based social service providers (Lutheran Social Services, Catholic Social Services, etc.) once the government opens up the coffers, how do you keep out groups like We Care America?

These folks were ridden out of Ohio on a rail in 2007.  Dayton Daily News’ Laura Bischoff uncovered questionable spending and political ties to this group who had control of $22 million in state administered human services funding.  One of her stories is here. 

• Jack Welch said to read this on global warming on Morning Joe today – Wall Street Journal

It’s undeniable that humans are affecting the climate and atmosphere here on Mother Earth.  If someone proved to me today that global warming is not the the problem Al Gore believes it is, I would still recycle, use my push mower, etc.  The global warming debate is one stop along humanity’s environmental awareness continuum.  I think folks like Jack Welch are too caught up in the fact growing consumption means more profit potential.  Concern about global warming, peak oil, environmental degradation could also prove to start new economic engines.  I’m rambling …

• Energy Experts Puzzled Over Oil Prices – Newsweek

From the story, quotes by International Energy Agency head Nobuko Tanaka:

“We are clearly in the third oil price shock,” declared Tanaka, comparing the effects to periods of soaring prices in the 1970s and 1980s.

But he suggested there is less of a likelihood of a quick fix this time.

“Those price peaks forced consumers into saving oil” and oil companies to look for new wells, said Tanaka, but now “the biggest energy savings have been made (and) … the easy oil outside (of) a few countries has been found.”