Toward becoming a cranky old man

One advantage of getting old is seeing how the opinions, world views and values you held as an idealistic youth may have been dead wrong. Because of that, my thoughts on energy and the environment have changed quite a bit in the past two years.

I feel for caribou, but it’s time to drill for oil in ANWR.

It’s time to build more nuclear power plants. Before, I would have been against such an idea because of how nasty the waste is. Now I see it more as potent waste concentrated in a small area or a lot of waste dispersed over a wide area.

Wind power needs more research and development, but we can’t halt it over concerns about bats and birds. How many oppossums, snakes and salamanders are killed when a shopping center is built, or a subdivision? Compare how many shopping centers and subdivisions have been built compared to the number of wind farms that have been proposed. And don’t complain to me about how windmills are ugly. Have you ever tried to take a picture of a beautiful valley view or of an old barn and had to position the camera to keep a cell phone tower out of view?

We need smaller cars. I like SUVs for some people, such as those of us who live on the ridges where snow removal is third or fourth on the state’s priority list. But a family of three doesn’t have an automatic need for one, just as a family of three doesn’t “need” a minivan.

I don’t want to pay more taxes unless there is a direct connection to something. If the state wants to increase the gasoline tax to pay for road maintenance, I wouldn’t oppose it if I could be sure the money would really go to maintenance and not to make up for money diverted elsewhere.

I want less government in my life. Meanwhile, I want more government in some areas, such as pensions. The closer I get to my projected retirement age of 75, the more I think we need to strengthen Social Security, even if it means some higher taxes. I see too many people who are simply unable to save enough for retirement. That group includes many of my own relatives.

I have come to admire public school teachers who do a good job and how have a true interest in the children they teach. As for the rest, every year I more and more want them out of the building. I have seen for myself what a good teacher could mean to a child and what harm a bad teacher can do, I want the pay for good teachers doubled, but as long as they won’t stand up for getting rid of bad teachers, I can’t be enthusiastic about large pay increases.

Those are only a few things where my views have changed in the past couple of years. There are probably more. I just haven’t thought of them yet.