Two houses symbolize two Americas

By Ethel C. Fenig

Yes, there apparently are two Americas; one is the lavish lifestyle of the Democrats who are willing to tax others so they too can live the Democratic way while the other is low keyed and unassuming, earlier known as cloth coat Republicans.

As befits the rewards of a former Senator, a former Vice President of the USA, a former presidential candidate, recent Academy Award winner, oh so deeply concerned environmentalist and oh yes, heir, Al Gore lives in

A 20 room mansion ( not including 8 bathrooms ) heated by natural gas.

Add on a pool ( and a pool house ) and a separate guest house, all heated by gas.

In one month this residence consumes more energy than the average American household does in a year.

The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2,400.

In natural gas alone, this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home.

"Approximately four times the size of the average new American home" Gore's Nashville home

consumes electricity at a rate of about 12 times the average for a typical house"

in that Southern city with a relatively mild climate.

Defending his excessive "carbon footprint", Gore purchases "carbon offsets" from someone, some thing with an apparently tiny paw print which justifies the hypocrisy.

Perhaps Gore could have learned from another wealthy, successful individual in the South who quietly, without fanfare, lives in a home incorporating

every "green" feature current home construction can provide.

The house is 4,000 square feet ( 4 bedrooms ) and is nestled on an arid, high prairie in the American southwest.

A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat-pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground. The water ( Usually 67 degrees F. ) heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer.

The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas and it consumes one-quarter electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system.

Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house.

Surrounding flowers and shrubs native to the area enable the property to blend into the surrounding rural landscape.

Located in Crawford, Texas and dubbed the Texas White House by the press, this is the home of President George and Laura Bush.

And that's the truth--inconvenient or otherwise.