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Thursday, September 02, 2010
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| | Email this article • Print this article | Cap-and-trade will increase energy costs to all Americans
On a 219-212 vote June 26, the U.S. House approved the largest tax increase in American history under the guise of reducing carbon dioxide (greenhouse gases) in our atmosphere. It is called the American Clean Energy and Security Act. This cap-and-trade legislation will impose an onerous energy tax on every American household and business that uses electricity - which is all of us.
Hopefully, the U.S. Senate will put the brakes on this landmark piece of run-away legislation.
As Congressman Rob Bishop, Utah-R, said during the House debate prior to the vote, "controlling carbon is a bureaucrat's dream. If you control carbon, you control life."
He added, "... we are starting to tell them (Americans) how to live their lives, because government is the one that is going to be picking winners and losers."
Instead, Bishop says, government should be "giving people more choices and options rather than making those choices for us."
Another congressman, Rep. Paul Broun of Georgia-R, went even farther, calling the Waxman-Markey bill "a cap-and-tax boondoggle." He estimated the cap-and-trade bill would be a $2 trillion tax increase to American consumers and businesses and cost the average American household another $3,100 a year for energy needs at a time when the economy is in a deep recession.
"... it's going to raise the cost of every single product, every single service in this country, because of this outrageous tax," Broun said.
"This is a time when we should be promoting policies that stimulate our economy and not tear it down," Broun added. He estimated up to 7 million jobs could be lost as small businesses close their doors or transfer operations overseas to remain in business because of the high cost of U.S. energy. That burden will put American business at a disadvantage against countries like China and India, who have no intentions of doing the same.
"Make no mistake that the Democrats' airtight tax-and-cap will suffocate America's small business, and it will strangle America's respiratory system, the free enterprise system," Broun added.
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, Missouri-R, added, the cap-and-trade bill is "nothing less than a national energy tax" and "the right to emit carbon is essentially being auctioned off to generate revenue for more government spending programs," like national health care.
Rep. Broun pointed to the "radical agenda" of congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid that he claims is "their steamroller of socialism that is being shoved down the throats of the American people, and that agenda includes socialized medicine. The tax-and-trade will be one of the largest sources of revenue for their new radical socialistic agenda."
Broun and his fellow Republicans instead support an energy policy that meets the bill's intentions, but includes "American energy produced by American workers to create American jobs."
The sad part about all this is our 7th District Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., voted along party lines for the cap-and-trade legislation after expressing reservations about it prior to the Glencoe Days parade on June 14.
At that time, he expressed grave concerns about the Midwest getting the short end of this bill to the advantage of the East and West Coast representatives, who have more political clout.
Hopefully, Congressman Peterson will explain his change of heart. It was a golden opportunity for Peterson, an avowed fiscal conservative Blue Dog Democrat, to show his independence.
Sadly he did not. And we may all pay for that decision if the U.S. Senate does not slow down this tax-increase juggernaut.
- R.G.
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Reader Comments
Posted: Friday, July 03, 2009
Article comment by:
Scott McCormick
I do think that in theory the cap and trade system is a good one. The only problem I see with it is that other countries don't care about pollution, and rather than innovate, american businesses might ship production overseas to save on energy cost. I think for cap and trade to be successful, government would have to offer some sort of reward to industries for not polluting so they don't go overseas with production at the cost of american jobs. Right now it sounds like they only penalize for pollution rather than reward for clean production. I would have to know whether or not that is in the cap and trade legislation to make an informed decision. By the way, Nick Preston, you are and IDIOT. If you don't know how to spell "hundreds" or know the difference between "Carl Marks" and "Karl Marx", then please don't comment.
Posted: Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Article comment by:
Nick Preston
I think the goverment has been growing way to much. And now they want to tax us more,what is the average or even worse below average family going to do. I think it is about time to clean house and fire everyone in every goverment office and start over including our Socialist President Barrack Hussian Obama whoever voted for him is an idiot. No birth certificate,lived in indosenia quoted his idol Carl Marks (YES WE CAN) Ran of Lies and dirty money. It makes me sick to say this will be the future of America. We have lost our values and our brains if we let this go on. Stand up for your rights that hunreds of thouands of people died for. Speak out because we are the real power the American people.
Posted: Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Article comment by:
Nick Preston
I think the goverment has been growing way to much. And now they want to tax us more,what is the average or even worse below average family going to do. I think it is about time to clean house and fire everyone in every goverment office and start over including our Socialist President Barrack Hussian Obama whoever voted for him is an idiot. No birth certificate,lived in indosenia quoted his idol Carl Marks (YES WE CAN) Ran of Lies and dirty money. It makes me sick to say this will be the future of America. We have lost our values and our brains if we let this go on. Stand up for your rights that hunreds of thouands of people died for. Speak out because we are the real power the American people.
Posted: Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Article comment by:
Nick Preston
I think the goverment has been growing way to much. And now they want to tax us more,what is the average or even worse below average family going to do. I think it is about time to clean house and fire everyone in every goverment office and start over including our Socialist President Barrack Hussian Obama whoever voted for him is an idiot. No birth certificate,lived in indosenia quoted his idol Carl Marks (YES WE CAN) Ran of Lies and dirty money. It makes me sick to say this will be the future of America. We have lost our values and our brains if we let this go on. Stand up for your rights that hunreds of thouands of people died for. Speak out because we are the real power the American people.
Posted: Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Article comment by:
Gordon Toso
While reducing the amount of carbon emissions may be a noble cause it shouldn't be at the expense of the U.S. economy. I agree with Rep. Paul Broun of Georgia-R, "This is a time when we should be promoting policies that stimulate our economy and not tear it down,". It's time for our nations leaders to start using some common sense and stop playing politics with this great countries future. The Senate needs to stop this bill.
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