Shameless Cap-and-Trade Bill political action request

If you support CO2 cap-and-trade or other climate change oriented regulatory bills, please move along. Nothing to see here. Thank you.

For the rest of you:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124579482359843937.html

For the good of the country, please call your congressional representative and senators. Respectfully voice your opposition and ask them to vote against this.

If you're a supporter and didn't follow my explicit instructions above... Please, reconsider your position. At the very least, consider asking your congress critters to postpone action on this bill until we've sorted out our other economic issues first. All evidence is that these kinds of policies are little more than stealth, highly regressive energy taxation schemes. In the places they've been tried they have yet to deliver on their key promises. They haven't reduced CO2 output. At best they slow down rate of growth in output by clamping the economy, increasing cost of living and inflation, and forcing citizens to pay artificially high prices for their direct energy use. And they do not generate new jobs, much the opposite, as Richard has pointed out in other threads on this topic.

If for no other reason, oppose this scheme because it puts US industry and labor at yet another structural disadvantage compared to China, India, Mexico and other developing nations. The deck has already been heavily stacked against the future economic well being of this country by the last several administrations and congresses (and the advent of nationless business and consumer ethics). Why is congress and our new President so eager to self-impose another, and why would you support them in doing it?


Disclaimer: I don't normally feel the need to do this, but given the strident political advocacy in this post I think it is necessary in this case. These are my own opinions on this matter, not necessarily those of Automation Correct LLC. Also, we stand to be impacted by this bill in some way (benefited or hurt isn't clear), so attach whatever size grain of "self-interest" salt you wish to my comments.

pvolcko wrote: Also, we stand to be impacted by this bill in some way (benefited or hurt isn't clear), so attach whatever size grain of "self-interest" salt you wish to my comments.

Actually this should be boon for the anthracite industry as ironic as it is. When all forms of other energy go through the roof especially electric people are going to be looking for alternatives.

They often cite the jobs it will create but they never mention the jobs it will destroy. A recent study from Spain indicates that for every green job created 2.2 jobs were lost elsewhere.

page 38 - http://www.juandemariana.org/pdf/090327 ... ewable.pdf

This is to say that for every renewable energy job that the State manages to finance,
we can be confident that on average 2.2 jobs will be destroyed, to which we have to
add those jobs that the non-subsidized investment would have created.

The overall cost estimates vary widely, a CBO estimate put it somewhere in the $700 million range. An Obama official was quoted as saying 1.3 to 1.9 trillion over a seven year period for starters. Lastly there is MIT study often cited by Republicans that puts it above $3K per year per household. That study is often cited by the Republicans and the author himself has criticized them saying they are misrepresenting his work. His explanation is that money will be redistributed elsewhere which brings us to who will be paying this bill. I say tell that to the guy paying $3K per year and not getting anything back.

Ultimately the middle class will pay it, this bill will distribute this tax over everything we purchase from electricity to goods. Other things like the cement industry who is number two on the list of CO2 emitters will be hard hit as well as they use a huge amount of coal in production. The very substance that makes up the building blocks of society from foundations houses are built on, sidewalks, and the floors in skyscrapers will now cost more. Take a long look around you, in one way or another everything you see in some shape or form was made possible with cheap energy produced from coal. All of these costs will be passed onto the consumer.

The wealthy who usually pay the most taxes will not be footing this bill as they make up a very small percentage of the population. Low income families will need to be subsidized or face being cut off and pur at an even greater disadvantage. That leaves the middle class to pick up the entire tab.

I am trying to understand this cap and trade issue a bit better.What really lite me up was a radio show yesterday where the guest was a 25 year Washington reporter.He said something that stuck with me. He claimed that after reporting on D.C.activities for so long ,he knows that when they try to "rush thru" a bill,it is usually because they do not want to allow the public time to have full understanding or any discussion of that piece of legislation.It seems that the guy in the middle will get it with both barrels if this goes thru.Looks like everything we touch that ever had anything in any way related to energy will be Federally taxed .He mentioned that Washington will decide how many miles I can drive tax free based on my address.When I go over the limit ,I get zapped with an add on tax. I say this appears to be the next step in the de-industrializing of America.Add up the fact that the big banks are piling up giant amounts of dollars and the middle man is continually squeezed,and the representatives in government seem to not even listen to the citizens anymore,it looks grim indeed.i am raising my voice to our elected people in hopes that I can make a difference,but I am doubtful.Washington seems to be following a different srript these days.

Yes there's a lot in it and it goes well beyond just cap and trade. For example it's also going to institute a national building code. I'm not sure if it only covers just energy efficiency .

I anyone is interested in reading this monster (1200+ pages, 190,000+ words!):

http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090623/hr2454_rulesfiled.pdf

For additional info:

http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1633&catid=155&Itemid=55

Note the conspicuous presence of list of supporters for this legislation and of letters in support of it, but the absence of those against it. And the big rush to get this through the House (in time for Nancy to go on vacation, no doubt). This is what we refer to as "transparency".

I heard someone refer to this bill as a perfect storm of corruption.

The House is planning to vote on this Friday (June 26). Please, call your congressman/woman.

House switchboard - (202) 224-3121

Ed...

Jesus... They added a 300 page amendment just this morning. And they're supposed to vote on this thing *today*.

Call, email, fax, whatever your House representative's office and get on their case to vote this thing down.

Contact info: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

pvolcko wrote:Jesus... They added a 300 page amendment just this morning. And they're supposed to vote on this thing *today*.

LOL, there going round and round now because there is no copy of this 300 pages on the house floor.

Boehner has the floor and it looks like he'll be talkinga for a while:

Waxeman "Is there any limita and may I inquire if their will be historical records broken"... bwhahahaha...

Never really watched c-span much, this is better than Seinfeld.

Yep, he's going through all the highlights of the whole amendment.

I heard on the radio late this afternoon the bill passed the House 217 yes/205 no. Pelosi claims it will be accomplished before they cut out for the summer. As an item of interest,it was mentioned should this pass it will be the single largest Tax ever placed on the American public.It will cost on average between $1650-$1800/year.Ya know sometimes I think we deserve what we get,not one word on the major news about Cap & Trade,almost the whole time spent on the death of a celebrity.My voice didn't mean much again.

"Never have so few stolen so much from so many to achieve so little."

http://twitter.com/VodkaPundit/statuses/2351850959

They say the phones lines were absolutely tied up friday and they voted to pass it anyway. Does this tell you something ? the repulicrats still say they need to lean towards the middle left and the conservative side will not work for their merit. I think all the middle left repulicrats need to do a arlen spector and get it over with and come out of the closet and get behind barney frank