Cap-and-Tax: The downfall of the Midwest. Must Read!

I received a letter today from my Representative in the House. He told me that despite his displease with the Bill, the Cap-and-Tax Bill was passed in the House of Representatives on June 26. The letter was a good three pages long. Ill spare you some of the mundane stuff and just quote the hard hitting figures and facts that are associated with the Bill that are present in the letter. BTW, I live in 5th District of Ohio and my Congressman is Robert E. Latta.


"...Cap-and-Tax is the largest national energy tax in the history of our nation. This tax will increase the cost of electricity, home heating oil, gasoline, diesel, coal, and natural gas in an effort to force you to use other more expensive forms of energy..."

"...Warren Buffet, considered a close friend to the President, declared this legislation, 'a huge tax and there's no sense in calling it anything else. I mean it's a huge tax and it's a fairly regressive tax. Very poor people are going to pay a lot more money for electricity.' In addition, Obama himself said in a meeting with the Editorial Board at the San Francisco Chronicle in January, 2008 that 'under my plan of a cap and trade system electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket...that will cost money.' Areas that will be hit hardest are the ones the are very energy-intensive. These include manufacturing, farming, construction, plastics, and retail trade. These industries are northwest and north central Ohio's main sources of employment."

"...Cap-and-tax is designed to increase the price of 85% of the new energy we use here in America. Under the new bill electricity rates are projected to rise anywhere from 80-90 percent. The job loss is projected at 2.5 million, while reducing aggregate GDP by $9.6 trillion. Projected personal income loss for the constituents of the Fifth District in Ohio will be $382.39 million by 2012..."

"...with unemployment rates already above ten percent throughout the district and every county in Ohio with an unemployment rate above 15% lying within the Fifth District, this legislation will place even further strains on families..."

"...farm income is expected to drop $8 billion in 2012, $25 billion in 2024, and over $50 billion in 2035. These are decreases of 28, 60, and 94 percent, respectively..."

"The burden of cap-and-tax legislation is not evenly distributed throughout the country. States such as Ohio and the rest of the midwest that rely heavily on manufacturing and coal generation will be hit the hardest with severe job loss and severe GDP losses. Cap-and-tax will be a pure transfer of wealth from agriculture and manufacturing America to the East and West coasts. Manufacturing jobs produce more revenue for a state than any other job. Gasoline and diesel fuel prices alone are projected to rise between 55-75 percent. This legislation looks to assess a heavy penalty on Canadian oil which would make it more expensive than oil in the Middle East. Since the U.S.'s largest importer of oil is Canada, this will continue to be a troubling affect on reducing our dependency on Middle Eastern oil."

"...according to Paul Cicio, the CEO of Industrial Energy Consumers of America, the high price of natural gas has significantly contributed to the loss of more than 3,000,000 manufacturing jobs in the U.S. since 2000. Cap-and-tax will significantly drive up the cost of our natural gas because companies will use it as a substitute of coal for electricity. Meanwhile, Ohio relies on coal for 86% of its energy and is one the the nation's top generators and importers of electricity. Two-fifths of our energy consumption in Ohio comes from the industrial manufacturing sector, so you can see how significantly destructive this legislation will be."

(con't)

I have a little more to go so bear with me. I appreciate those who read the whole thing.


"...Yale University Professor William Nordaus states that former VP Al Gore's 2007 proposal to reduce carbon emissions 90% by 2050 would make the world more than $21 trillion poorer than if there were no controls on CO2..."

"In 2006, China surpassed the United States as the world's largest carbon dioxide emitter. According to data from the Global Carbon Project, from 2000-2007 global greenhouse gas emissions increased 26%. During that same time, China's increased by 98%, India's increased by 36%, and the U.S.'s increased by 3%. If the US completely ceased using fossil fuels, the increase from the rest of the world would replace US emissions in less than eight years."

The letter then goes on to state that the US should follow an "all-of-the-above" strategy that would include increased research into nuclear, clean coal, oil, natural gas, geothermal, hydrogen, solar, wind, ethanol, bio-fuel, and hydrogen power.

I think this is absolutely ridiculous. We must all write to our senators asking, no pleading for them to strike this bill down. Its tough enough to get by in today's tough economic times. The thing is, the MSM has said little to nothing about this. Its all Michael Jackson stuff. I have to get going to class but everyone's thoughts are welcome.

Thank You Democratic controlled Congress! Thanks for thinking of me, the common American!

reply to post by CTMoney


It's a dreadful policy based on questionable, at best, science. Hopefully, they kill this thing dead in the Senate.

Well last winter I put in a wood burning stove that has a cooking top as well and am installing solar panels soon...

But why is this in Aliens and UFO's?

Originally posted by zorgon
Well last winter I put in a wood burning stove that has a cooking top as well and am installing solar panels soon...

But why is this in Aliens and UFO's?

Well, if we had anti-gravity cars, they'd get great gas mileage.

Seriously, how is it our new communications technology, wireless phones/internet, is 21st century and then some, but we're still using 19th century technology to power our vehicles and facilities? Something there just doesn't make sense to me.

Ha I didnt even notice that it was in aliens and UFOs. Mods could you move this to the proper forum?

I am disgusted by this. I am getting sick and tired of a government that claims "to be for the people by the people." It is a government that is "for big business by big business." Congress does not give a damn about the American citizen. Although I will say I was impressed that my congressman had such concern that he sent out letters informing us of it.