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3'*’t jportlanò (Phserlirr
HOUSING
special edition
April 6, 2011
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New Prices
Effective
May 1 ,2 0 1 0
Martin
Cleaning
Service
Carpet & Upholstery
Cleaning
Residential &
Commercial Services
Minimum Service CHG.
$45.00
A small distance/travel charge
may be applied
CARPET CLEANING
PWTivay PREPARlhfr FOR. W
2 Cleaning Areas or
more $30.00 Each Area
f HEW (SENERATÍ p MS x ,, J
Pre-Spray Traffic Areas
(Includes: 1 small Hallway)
1 Cleaning Area (only)
$40.00
Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area
(Hallway Extra)
Stairs (12-16 stairs - With
O ther Services): $25.00
Area/Oriental Rugs.
$25.(X) Minimum
Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool):
$40.00 Minimum
Heavily Soiled Area:
Additional $10.00 each area
(Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying)
UPHOLSTERY
CLEANING
Sofa: $69.00
Loveseat: $49.00
Sectional: $ 109 - $ 139
Chair or Recliner:
$25 - $49
z /,%
Throw Pillows (WM
Other Services): $5.00
ADDITIONAL
SERVICES
• Area & Oriental Rug
Cleaning
• Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning
• Deodorizing & Pet
Odor Treatment
• Spot & Stain
Removal Service
• Scotchguard Protection
• Minor Water Damage
Services
SEE CURRENT FLYER
FOR ADDITIONAL
PRICES & SERVICES
Call for Appointment
(503) 281-3949
Nuclear Power Rips off Taxpayers
Profits are
private, but
risks are borne
by public
by
R yan A lexander
We
have
all
watched the nuclear
em ergency that fol
lowed Japan's tragic
earthquake and tsu
nami with fear and
sym pathy for those in the sur
rounding com m unity and adm ira
tion for the brave crew s working
to reduce the harm and risks of
radiation exposure.
M eanw hile, the evidence of
partial nuclear m eltdown at the
Dai-ichi nuclear pow er station in
Fukushim a has created a flurry of
activity on Capitol Hill. Lobbyists
for the nuclear industry are w alk
ing the halls and hosting closed-
door sessions with lawmakers and
their staff to squelch any con
cerns that a sim ilar disaster could
happen at any of the 23 U.S. reac
tors o f the same design.
N aturally, one o f the first ques
tions we are all asking ourselves
is: could this happen here? If noth
ing else, this tragedy has re
minded us how dangerous
nuclear pow er can be, and
how difficult it is to re
spond in the event o f an
unforeseen disaster.
N uclear power in the
United States has always
operated with a strange di
chotom y: the profits are
private, but the risks and liability
are borne by the public. The
nuclear industry is one o f the most
heavily subsidized energy sectors
and has been since its develop
ment in the 1940s.
One practically incalculable
subsidy com es from the 1957
Price-A nderson Act, which pro
vides for the federal (read: tax
payer) assum ption o f liability in
the event o f a catastrophic acci
dent.
Like offshore oil drilling compa
nies, the nuclear industry has a cap
on what it has to pay in the event of
a major accident. And as we saw
with the BPoil disaster, the true cost
of restoring the surrounding envi
ronment after an accident can cost
far more than what the company is
required to pay.
Taxpayers share the industry's
costs o f going through the pro
cess of getting a license to oper
ate. We subsidize the industry by
assuming the financial risk if com
panies endure delays or go bank
rupt while trying to build a nuclear
reactor. And, if there's a delay
because regulators raise a safety,
security, or financial concern, tax
payers pick up the tab.
Those are just a few of the many
ways taxpayers pay to prop up the
nuclear industry. We also pony
up billions more through feder
ally backed loan guarantees.
Taxpayers are already on the
hook for more than $ 18 billion in
guarantees for loans financing the
first new U.S. nuclear reactors
slated for construction in a gen
eration. President Barack O bam a’s
proposed 2012 budget would add
$36 billion more.
Last year, the Energy Depart
ment awarded its first guarantee
to Southern Com pany in Georgia.
Next in line is a project in Texas
that is to be partially financed by
Japan-based Toshiba.
For years, the nuclear industry
has lobbied Congress to maintain
friends in the right places. In addi
tion to keeping the regulatory wheels
greased, this helps them increase
and maintain their subsidies.
At the end o f the day, w hether
you support nuclear power or not,
subsidizing and thereby a rtifi
cially lessening the nuclear power
industry's financial risks is just
plain fiscally irresponsible.
If nuclear power can com pete
on the open m arket, then it should
foot its own bills. But if private
lenders find the risks too great,
then the industry will rightfully
stall. Taxpayers shouldn't shoul
der this burden any longer.
Ryan Alexander is president o f
Taxpayers fo r Common Sense, a
nonpartisan fe d e r a l budget
watchdog.