Cap and Tax Still Alive No Matter What You Say

From the Energy Front 102709

Hey folks,

Just got back from my trip to Jacksonville. It was a GREAT Weekend. Fun was had by all. The Weekend even included a stop over at St Augustine, were moods were dashed just a bit do to the lack of time to spend more there. We will be making St Augustine a Weekend trip all in itself coming up in the near future.

Happy Tuesday to you. Since it IS Tuesday, it's time to check in on the Energy Front. Before I even started to scan for all things Energy in the News, I went over to check with our friend Jane at API. She Posted a question on Friday on the Energy Tomorrow Blog. Well, the sad this is, the answer is NO.

Is Anyone Listening?
By Jane Van Ryan Friday 23 October 2009

More voices are speaking out against the climate legislation being considered on Capitol Hill. Here's a sampling of some of the statements and studies that have been in the news during the past couple of days.

Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Kit Bond released a report showing that the Waxman-Markey climate bill amounts to a $3.6 trillion energy tax on transportation fuels. The study shows that from 2010 to 2050 motorists, workers and businesses would pay $2.0 trillion more for gasoline; truckers, farmers and businesses would pay $1.3 trillion more for diesel fuel; and airline passengers would be charged $330 billion more to pay for jet fuel.

Reacting to the Hutchinson/Bond study, the American Trucking Association (ATA) issued a news release to remind elected officials that diesel fuel is used to deliver nearly 70 percent of U.S. freight and virtually all consumer goods, including food, clothing and medicine. "Any substantial fuel cost increase imposed directly or indirectly on the trucking industry will cause the cost of all these essential products to rise," ATA said.

Deneen Borelli of Project 21, an African-American leadership network, said that 76 percent of black Americans want Congress to make economic recovery its top priority, not climate legislation. In a Baltimore Sun op-ed, he referenced a new poll showing that inner city, low-income workers believe they could feel the brunt of climate legislation costs. The survey shows that 65 percent of blacks believe lawmakers don't consider their economic and quality of life concerns when formulating climate policies. And more than 70 percent aren't willing to pay above 50 cents a gallon more for gasoline and $50 more per year for electricity.

Additionally, the Business Roundtable called on Congress and the administration to address climate change without hampering the U.S. economy. The Roundtable suggested that the United States enhance energy efficiency, maintain coal's long-term viability, encourage the expansion of nuclear power, expand and modernize the electric grid, and provide access for oil and natural gas exploration and production. "We need to put all energy sources on the table and commit to the development and deployment of advanced energy technologies," said Michael G. Morris, chair of the Business Roundtable's Sustainable Growth Initiative.

Add these voices to the thousands of Energy Citizens who rallied against the House climate bill during the summer congressional recess, and it's clear that many Americans are questioning the wisdom of the Waxman-Markey and Kerry-Boxer proposals. But the question is: are Congress and the administration listening?

Folks, the answer is NO. Obama and Crew have an agenda and they are sticking to it. Publicly at least. From Obamacare to Cap and Tax. They can not NOT hear you. They KNOW what you are telling them. They understand that you do not want any of this. They understand that Cap and Tax has NOTHING to do with "Saving the Planet" just like Obamacare has NOTHING to do with Healthcare. That is NOT the real reasons what they are pushing either. They are both nothing more than POWER GRABS. Power, control, and of course, MONEY. They understand that the people that will be hurt most are the ones that can not afford to pay. The poor and down trodden will be hurt the most with these insane and unnecessary SCHEMES. Those that have to chose what to cut out when gas and Energy Costs Skyrocket, just to be able to go to work. But the sad thing is, they really do not seem to care.

Truth is though, they DO care about the Voting Both. The only thing they care more about than acquiring MORE power, is staying IN Power. So even if it seems that they do not care, or that they are not listening, privately, they are. Privately they are scared to death of pushing YOU to far. The question is, how far will they follow the Leadership down this path that they KNOW you want no part in going. Keep letting them know, YOU will not allow them to lead, if they continue.
Peter

NOTE: Jane Van Ryan is senior communications manager and new media advisor at the American Petroleum Institute (API). In layman’s terms, she is a jack-of-all-trades who writes blog posts, produces podcasts and videos, and has been in the energy industry long enough to answer most of your questions. Before coming to API, Jane managed communications for a large science and engineering corporation, and for a top-tier research and engineering university. A few years ago, you might have seen her in your living room when she delivered the news on television. These days when she’s not working at API, she’s working on something else—her garden or her next book. Jane is the author of The Seduction of Miss Evelyn Hazen, a biography.