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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

cap and trade? How about cap growth?

The so-called environmental bill to be voted on in the House this week is known by many as cap and trade. The truth is that it really is an enormous tax bill which will fall squarely on the shoulders of the 95% of the people who Obama promised would not be taxed. How many times during the campaign did we hear about tax reductions for the middle class? How often did Obama promise no tax increases for the 95% or anyone making less than $250,000? These promises were a mantra repeated by Obama at nearly every campaign stop. Now we see that they were just lies.

The cap and trade bill will increase the cost of all energy used in the USA. Particularly hard hit will be home electric utility bills and the cost of gasoline. So, we have now covered essentially every person in the US. An substantial increase in energy prices to pay for the cost of cap and trade will have dire consequences for every family that right now is finding it hard to get by in the current economy. In truth, the anti-stimulus impact of cap and trade will far outweigh any positive impact felt from last February's stimulus package. Can it really be that Congress will first pass the stimulus to keep unemployment under 8% (the promise made by Obama) only to see unemployment go close to 10%, and then follow this with a cap and trade bill that will add 2 or 3% to the unemployment rate just by itself? How many people have to lose their jobs in energy intensive industries made uncompetative by the cap and trade taxes? How many families will be forced from their homes when they can no longer meet the payments when the extra energy costs are added into the equation?

Cap and trade is an abomination. In the current economic environment, the last thing that the government ought do is to take actions that will dampen down economic growth. Yet, that is what the Obamacrats are doing.

Still, one wonders why this is happening. We are supposedly stopping global warming. But, the biggest source of greenhouse gases moving forward is China, followed by India, and these countries are not taking any steps to reduce emission. Indeed, keeping the US working in the industries which will be destroyed by cap and trade would leave relatively clean, low-emission plants in operation rather than dirty, high-emission plants in China and India. Cap and trade makes the problem of greenhouse gases worse. Beyond this, there is nothing certain that there is man-made global warming. Sure, a case can be made for warming, but there is nothing to prove that it is man-made. Propaganda from Al Gore does not answer the need for proof.

It would make a great deal of sense for Congress to establish a scientific commission to determine the actual facts regarding the causes of global warming. The commission could even be given a six month time frame in which to complete its work. At least then, we would have a basis for action. Otherwise, we are just giving in to the true believers who view global warming as their religion. It is, however, a religion that is trying to bring back human sacrifice -- America's middle and working classes are to suffer to fight this battle which may or may not be real.

Mr. Obama, why not demonstrate some actual leadership here and stop this disasterous bill. By 2112, it may be too late to save whole industries in the US.

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