Texas on the Potomac welcomes guest opinions from across the political spectrum. Today, we offer you a post from the blog of Houston Rep. John Culberson. It is republished with the congressman’s permission.
Although millions of Americans have expressed their strong opposition to the cap and trade bill passed by the House in July, we have seen no slowdown in the effort to get a cap and trade bill to the president’s desk. Last week, Senators Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and John Kerry, D-Mass., introduced a cap and trade bill entitled “The Clean Jobs and America Power Act.”
The Boxer-Kerry Bill is based on the premise that taxing polluters is an effective way to reduce carbon emissions, but studies have shown the staggering costs of a cap and trade program will stifle our domestic energy and manufacturing sectors and raise electricity rates on consumers. The cap and trade plan should really be called “the light switch tax,” because if this bill becomes law, you will pay a tax every time you flip your light switch.
Recently, President Obama’s own Treasury Department admitted that this policy will result in major rate increases for consumers. Treasury’s analysis, obtained by CBS News through the Freedom of Information Act, shows cap and trade would result in $100 billion to $200 billion a year in new taxes. Treasury also estimates the cost per household would be $1,761 a year, while American families are struggling to make ends meet.
As the epicenter of America’s oil and gas industry, Houston’s economy is particularly vulnerable to these dangerous bills. A study from the Texas Comptroller’s office estimates that within the first year of their enactment, 2012, there could be 135,000 to 277,000 fewer jobs for hard-working Texans.
The federal government has already intruded in our lives far beyond what our Founding Fathers envisioned when they laid the foundation for this republic with the adoption of our Constitution. The government’s steady advance into our lives continues with the Boxer-Kerry Bill, which makes the government the official arbiter of our energy options.
Americans deserve a well-balanced approach to energy production, which is why I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 2828, the American Energy Innovation Act. This fiscally responsible approach encourages innovation by investing in renewable energy technology, promotes conservation by providing incentives for reducing energy demand, and increases production of American energy by utilizing available resources and streamlining burdensome regulations. These steps will make America energy self-sufficient and improve our environment in the process.
Posted by Richard Dunham at October 5, 2009 12:00 PM
blogs.chron.com
I am totally against letting wall street get involved in the cap and trade. I do support efforts to reduce carbon release into our atmosphere. And, a tax that penalizes polluters is good and necessary. And, “yes”, most of us contribute in one way or another to this carbon release and we should all pay to clean it up and to reduce it. No one should expect this to be free.
I agree that there needs to be Health Care industry reform. I do not want my right of choice taken away though. There are many areas that need to be “fixed” such as health care for people who are not citizens. When we pay for maturnity and labor and delivery for foreigners we condone and encourage this to continue. Why can we not charge that expense back to the native country? I also think the being charge an extra $150. p/mo for an existing condition is a way for the insurance company to take advantage of the misfortune of others. I agree we should be able to get a reasonable deductable, mine is $5,000 and unless I am most unfortunate in a year I will not satisfy that big amount. I feel like I am being taken advantage of by the insurance company and I have shopped around for the best “deal”. There aren’t any “best deals”. If you want to change companies they put you though the wringer with documentation red tape that makes your head spin.
I am a 58 year old single working woman who pays $452 p/mo for my medical insurance. I make around $40k p/yr. I am willing to do this because I believe it is my responsiblity. It is not my responsiblity to pay for other people who do not pay into our system. If we stop trying to take care of people who are citizens of other countries we would be taking a big step toward making our health care system better for the citizens of the U.S.A.
Do your best to make this better for the American people. Follow your constituients direction and listen to the people. We “people” what a system that is reasonable and afordable for the majority. The majority of the citizens that is, not the choice of the politians.
There is 2 cents worth. Sherrilee Withington
Dear Congressman:
Carbon Credits are not now required in order to produce, manufacturer, or service any product. Thus, requiring a carbon credit in order to engage in business is nothing more than a PSUEDO COMMODITY, and a direct tax. Two things will evolve from this; first, I will have to pay more for any product that I buy. Secondly, the Lehmanns etc will all engage in the trading of these credits, and they will be shorted, longed, swapped, etc there on Wall Street, and soon it will be just like the oil contracts — about 10 times the carbon credits being traded than what is being used, when the idea was to reduce the carbon. And I will add a third item that will evolve — MORE CORRUPTION. Add an amendment that carbon credits can only be bought and sold between “end users” and the bill will disappear.
glenn miller