Saturday updates

President Obama today announced a plan asking federal workers how to save money.

I like it, as long as (1) they (a big pronoun in this usage) are willing to act decisively and quickly, (2) they are willing to make big changes (there's that word) even if not politically beneficial and (3) they do not create a huge expense in handling and processing the requests.

That third point is key. Government has a tendency to address a problem by creating agencies that merely shift the burden.

In the Republicans' address today, Sen. Lamar Alexander issued a call for real energy independence, saying we need to concentrate on building nuclear power plants instead of spending billions in subsidies for renewable energy (read: solar, wind, etc.).

He's half right but totally wrong. That is, the answer is not in putting all of our eggs in any one basket, least of all the burning of carbon-based fuels in coal and natural gas plants.

Nuclear energy is something we absolutely must make easier to accomplish and allow investors to build plants. The repercussions of Three-Mile Island and Chernobyl have held us back way too long.

As for renewable energy, I'm a big fan and want to see that developed. However, I'm leery of how easily government can waste money on feel-good projects.

Pursue renewable energy. Build nuclear plants. Cut back on burning fossil fuels.