House Dems may not be “doubling down on do-nothingness”; economic uncertainties may be causing voter rebellion against “green” mandates and taxes overseas; and presidential candidate Barack Obama may be backpedaling on his green promises in the face of same, but chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee Sen. Barbara Boxer hasn’t changed course. She’s hitting the gas, committed to “doing something”: We’re going to tax and mandate our way to green greatness!
Let’s quickly recap what’s been revealed over recent weeks and months in this space as regards the economic impact of the Kyoto agenda: Europe’s feckless efforts to reduce GHGs are not actually working to cut carbon emissions — but they are killing continental economies. And despite the strictly enforced speech codes against speaking truthfully about the extreme damage that Kyoto-type legislation will cause, business and political leaders are increasingly ignoring the pressure to keep quiet.
Entirely deaf and blind to these realities, Boxer is now doubling down on Kyoto folly.
Per today’s E&E Daily, she “wants to push global warming legislation in 2009 as an antidote to one of the worst financial crises in U.S. history. ‘When it comes to approaching greenhouse gas emissions, I believe it’s a boom to the economy,’ [she] said yesterday. ‘In my opinion, I think it’s a plus for the economy, especially an ailing economy.’ ” A boom indeed.
She may think that, but no one can claim to have actually experienced this outcome. Of course, it was Boxer’s political tin ear and mismanagement of Lieberman-Warner earlier this summer which prompted Harry Reid’s rapid retreat on the measure. Her failure also led to many committee chairs claiming a stake in the bill next time around. Much to my joy, this includes the Finance Committee — implicitly acknowledging that cap-and-trade is a tax. All of that time we would otherwise spend citing economists making the case will now be split on examining economic impacts, as well.
Heck, maybe we can even address Coal-Bucket Joe’s plan to grow the economy by blocking coal plants here.
As lone-wolf Europe continues to bleed jobs and growth, it should be worth watching next year just how desperately members of Congress like Boxer will deflect, deny, or ignore the real world in order to push this fantasy as the vehicle for achieving a long-sought ideological agenda.