Obama wants to bankrupt coal companies

He is dead right

You cant go around turning a blind eye to the environmental damage that is caused by burning coal so you can get cheap power.

Its about time someone in a powerful position in the US put forward these proposals that the rest of the rest of the developed world already have to follow.

The coalers don't have to lose their jobs, the cost of the electricity will just go up. If your government spent some of its war money on renewable energy sources, the cost of power would go back down and the coal workers would only have to find other jobs over the space of a decade.

reply to post by beforetime



Don't worry, this news will have a huge impact in the key swing states. Workers in these states don't care about pollution, they care about their jobs like any normal human would. This news in that region is going to be even bigger than Joe the Plumber in turning around poll numbers.

This comment from Obama being used in this robo call was taken out of context as stated in the article.

From the article.

“The line they pulled out is in the context of cap and trade program,” says an Obama spokesperson. “The point Obama is making is that we need to transition from coal burning power plants built with old technology to plants built with advanced technologies -- and that is exactly the action that will be incentivized under a cap and trade program.”

The cap and trade policy is also being promoted by McCain as well.

From his own website.

John McCain Proposes A Cap-And-Trade System That Would Set Limits On Greenhouse Gas Emissions While Encouraging The Development Of Low-Cost Compliance Options. A climate cap-and-trade mechanism would set a limit on greenhouse gas emissions and allow entities to buy and sell rights to emit, similar to the successful acid rain trading program of the early 1990s. The key feature of this mechanism is that it allows the market to decide and encourage the lowest-cost compliance options.

John McCain's Strategy For Confronting Global Climate Change

So I guess that means John McCain also wants to bankrupt coal companies?

This is nothing more than a desperate political attack. Both candidates actually have decent environmental programs.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere

I think you're confused as to encouragement and punishment. If you want to encourage cleaner energy you'd be best to offer incentives and tax breaks.

They've already been offered tax incentives/breaks!

Statement of Kurt Waltzer, Clean Air Task Force, on Carbon Storage Tax Credits

These incentives are an important first step in promoting carbon capture and storage as a tool to fight global warming.

The incentives are designed to drive early commercial CCS projects forward. Possible projects that could benefit include coal gasification and power production CCS projects in the Midwest as well as a pipeline from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast for enhanced oil recovery.

'Dirty fuels' profit by bailout bill's tax breaks for renewable energy

The renewable-energy tax incentives tucked into the financial bailout package passed by the House on Friday include billions of dollars in breaks for old-fashioned fossil-fuel processes such as liquefying coal and squeezing petroleum out of sand and rock.

The incentives/tax breaks are already there for the taking if they want them!

How much more incentives can Americans afford to give to these big companies?

If they build a new plant that just belches out green house gases like the old plants do, they will have to pay dearly!

It's up to them which plant they want to build, it seems to me like Obama is just trying to nudge them a little harder in the right direction!

Seems like a pretty good idea to me! Encourage them to do the right thing, (build more environmentally safe plants), and punish them if they build new plants that just belch out greenhouse gases.

[edit on 11/3/2008 by Keyhole]

reply to post by Harlequin

so maybe your brother needs to be asking `why is this company wanting max $$$ and not trying to save taxes?` - the tax breaks are allready there for CO2 reduction but as an industry coal companies use them the least as they cant be assed.

Most companies try to make as much money as possible, so that they can expand, give more jobs and raise the pay of their workers. Thats how it works here in the US. We are capitalists, not socialists.

If Obama wants to force his global warming religion on companies thats fine, but don't sit here and pretend that its not his fault. Its his words and his policy! This blind devotion you people have towards Obama is down right scary. Its as if you take anything he says as the baseline for all truth. Even when the words come right out of his mouth, you attack US as mud singers!

reply to post by Marcus Calpurnius


Actually they want more money to buy more republicans. As proven by Halliburton and Oil Companies. No new jobs, no new businesses, just more money in Swiss bank accounts and more mansions and more illegal alien maids cleaning them. Also, Obama AND MCCAIN support the same thing. So when you say that Obama hates America and wants to bankrupt coal companies because of this you are saying MCCAIN wants to bakrupt coal companies and hates America. Before you throw mud wash your hands first. Actually this is just like www.abovetopsecret.com... where you and your cohorts hate black people so much you'll do any thing to smear Obama, even though McCain did the same thing or worse.

[edit on 3-11-2008 by GamerGal]

reply to post by GamerGal


I was wondering when you would show up and start throwing the racist cop out around. You guys are so predictable, the way you ALWAYS fall back on calling anyone who disagrees a racist. You are the real racists.


[edit on 3-11-2008 by Marcus Calpurnius]

reply to post by Marcus Calpurnius


And once again you ignore that MCCAIN supports the same thing. The only difference is Obama's black. WHen McCain pals around with a terrorist, gives him half a million dollars, you say no problem. When Obama goes to a public dinner with LOTS of people and one of them turns out to be the same guy McCain gave money too he's a terrorist. The only difference is McCain's white and Obama's black. When McCain proposes this it's ok. When Obama proposes the same thing he hates America and wants to bankrupt coal companies. Again the only difference is McCain is white and Obama is black. Or are you going to really claim that when two people do the same thing and you only hate one of them for doing it, and the only difference between the two, the one you hate, is black that has nothing to do with it? And you ignored that McCain DID THE SAME THING! So how can you say Obama is evil and hates America and wants to bankrupt America when McCain did the same thing, but the only difference is Obama is black and McCain is white, that that isn't the only reason you're against Obama? When McCain does the exact same thing! And even better you think I support Obama because you're so partisan and hate Obama so much. That's what my topic about McCain supporting a terrorist is all about. McCain sends tons of money to Rashid, he's a God. When Obama meets him at a dinner he's a terrorist. It's all BS. Either McCain AND Obama want to bankrupt coal companies and hate America or neither one does and you just hate Obama.

reply to post by Marcus Calpurnius


No it doesn't.
That is how it used to be, you worked for a company, they took care of you. You retired in that company 35 years later.

Now, you work for that company, they outsource your job. Or the money goes to the board of directors, or they expand. And they let you go before you retire so they don't have to pay your retirement, that is if they don't outsource.

Or they bring in cheap labor to replace you.

I grew up in coal areas, people are left poor, the area is dirty, and people lose their homes to subsidence.

The rivers and streams are contaminated. It is so much fun living near so much water that you can't even touch.

There is not a single town around a mine that looks like Malibu.

I know of several people that actually have a limited time in their homes before the houses are lost to subsidence.

reply to post by GamerGal

How many times can you repeat yourself in a single post?

Why do you have to turn every thread into a race issue?

Why is anyone that disagrees with your expert opinion a racist?

How is all of this related to a threat against our Coal companies?

reply to post by jibeho


MCCAIN DID THE SAME THING! That's how it all ties together. OBAMA AND MCCAIN BOTH SUPPORT THIS! So if Obama wants to bankrupt coal machines then so does McCain. And if you only attack Obama and not McCain there has to be a reason. The only difference between them is their race so... Also, how come only people like David9176 and Sublime know I am not voting for Obama? Could it be they're the only ones who actually read what I post? You just read an attack on McCain even though you're the one attacking him because you're attacking Obama for supporting the same thing McCain does.

I say go for it too. Lets force the system to change insted of hoping for one.

reply to post by GamerGal


I've said plenty of times that I don't trust McCain either and that hes simply the lesser of two evils. We were able to guide McCain back on to the right path with immigration reform, so there is hope we can keep him from turning us in to a bunch of socialists. The chances of overtiring that with Obama are next to zero.

Originally posted by Harlequin

so maybe your brother needs to be asking `why is this company wanting max $$$ and not trying to save taxes?` - the tax breaks are allready there for CO2 reduction but as an industry coal companies use them the least as they cant be assed.

Did you understand from the other posts that coal production IS the industry where this person lives. His only other choice would likely be to join millions of other Obama supporters on the welfare roles.

And are you able to seriously challenge what the place you work for does? I really doubt it. So, quit making it sound "so easy" for someone else to do it.

reply to post by centurion1211


And so you claim McCain wants to Bankrupt Coal Companies? After all he supports the same thing. If you say Obama wants to bankrupt coal companies then so does McCain since they support the same thing. You can't say Obama wants to do X and that makes him bad for America when McCain also supports X. McCain supports Rashid, Obama supports Rashid. McCain supports this, Obama supports this. If Obama is bad for supporting both then so is McCain!

BHO's point of view is that is does-not-matter if energy prices skyrocket, and businesses are forced into bankruptcy. I have not heard anything remotely related to this rhetoric from McC. YES he supports caps and so do I - but NOT so far as to bankrupt companies and cause "energy prices to skyrocket". That is a recipe for disaster and should not be an accepted consequence.

Gradually phasing out coal is the solution - not excessive, abrupt, over-taxation.

[edit on 3-11-2008 by ACEMANN]

i think this would be a good thing. get rid of the dependancy on it and force them to bring out this new, more efficient stuff.

im not so sure about the phasing out thing because they would onlly manipulate the system to keep it up and in use. if it is forced out then they would have no choice but to use an alternative source

[edit on 11/3/2008 by Bean328]

You nay sayers do realise that coal is THE main source of energy and that any and all expenses forced on thesecompanies are going to be passed on to YOU. Thats including taxes and incentives. Without coal, theres no steel, roads, concrete, Or electricity. Also just what CLEAN sources of energy are you folks going to use??? Solar?? not for another 10 years minimum. natural gas??? Greenies are not allowing any way to get from where it is to where it needs to be. GOD FORBID anyone mentions Nuclear!!!!. Pricing anything that causes americans to foot an already large portion of their everyday expenses will only drive us into mediocrity and the streets!

Zindo

reply to post by ZindoDoone


There is clean coal technology. China is starting to adopt it. Why aren't we? MCCAIN's plan would force them to accept this technology or face fines. I support MCCAIN's plan for this. Get the coal companies to use clean coal technology or be spanked.

Originally posted by ZindoDoone
You nay sayers do realise that coal is THE main source of energy and that any and all expenses forced on thesecompanies are going to be passed on to YOU. Thats including taxes and incentives. Without coal, theres no steel, roads, concrete, Or electricity. Also just what CLEAN sources of energy are you folks going to use??? Solar?? not for another 10 years minimum. natural gas??? Greenies are not allowing any way to get from where it is to where it needs to be. GOD FORBID anyone mentions Nuclear!!!!. Pricing anything that causes americans to foot an already large portion of their everyday expenses will only drive us into mediocrity and the streets!

Zindo

Sadly, no, they cannot know or understand what you just said in order to take the positions against the use of coal that they have. Granted, cleaner sources of energy would be great, but having enviro-nazis simply wish for it does not make it so. And on top of the current economic crisis, bankrupting a major source of what powers what is left of the economy is national suicide.

Or is that really what these people want?

[edit on 11/3/2008 by centurion1211]