One suggestion: Read the bill first

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2454 last week, also known as the Waxman-Markey or Cap and Trade bill on carbon emissions.

I have a problem with the bill. More than that, I have a problem with how it was passed.

The bill is a $7.6 trillion tax that will raise electricity rates up to 90 percent, raise gas prices 74 percent and natural gas prices by 55 percent. These hikes will cost the average family $1,500 annually. will tax CO2 emissions in an effort to wean the United States off fossil fuels such as coal and oil.

The bill is being driven by two objectives: One is to reduce this country's dependence on foreign oil - more specifically oil from the Middle East and Venezuela. The second is to reduce carbon emissions because of global warming fears.

Whatever your opinion on the motivation, the bill will be costly to Americans. It is a tax on all of us. The increase costs will be passed on to consumers (i.e. taxpayers). Colorado taxpayers stand to lose an estimated $211.9 million in 2012. During his campaign for the presidency, Obama said the Cap and Trade bill would make electricity bills "shoot through the roof." Why? Because most electricity is generated by coal-burning plants that emit considerable CO2.

There are solutions to the problems Ð and they don't need the Cap and Trade bill to correct them. Nuclear energy is clean and efficient. The United States has abundant natural gas reserves. We could easily reduce our dependence on foreign oil and coal through those measures.

As far as global warming goes. The tide is turning against it. The Democrats disinvited Al Gore to speak before voting on the bill. More than 31,000 U.S. scientists signed a petition stating that global warming is not caused by humans.

Whatever you think of global warming or the cost of the bill - and you may disagree with me - I hope you will agree with me on this point. What riles me the most is that House members didn't do their due diligence on the bill. The measure was more than 1,200 pages long, including 300 pages of amendments added at the last minute. The vote was taken before the amendments could be incorporated into the copy of the bill.

That means the vote was taken before our representatives had a chance to read it.

Our own U.S. Rep. John Salazar had the good sense to vote no. But nearly 220 other members of the House opted to vote for the massive tax hike without bothering to read the measure, much less study it.

To me, that's an unconscionable dereliction of duty. Representatives in Congress are paid a good salary to do what's right for their constituents, not vote in lockstep on orders from party bosses.

Mike Spence is editor of The View. He can be reached by e-mail at mspence@pueblowestview.com. 

Email

Print