CAP AND TRADE

Most people have heard of the Cap and Trade Bill currently in Congress (HR 2454), also known as, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. If not, then let me give you a quick outline. The Government has decided to put forth a bill to legislation that would place mandatory limits on the emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Hmmm, I bet your thinking this can’t be all that bad. We are having climate change and we need to control the amount of pollution emitted into the environment. This bill will also reach out and touch every part of your life. It will give the Federal Government enormous powers.
Well, let’s dig deeper. Global warming is the biggest scam in recent history. Recently, 700 credible scientist have switched sides and come out against this theory. The Global Warming debate is a separate issue and can be reviewed with a simple Google search. The Liberal Democrats in Congress believe by passing this bill they can control the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere. This bill is simply a massive attempt at controlling the masses and giving perks to cronies by an out of control Government. The use of climate change is just an excuse to muddy the waters. Cap-and-trade is a simple concept: To slow climate change, the government would set a cap on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. To comply, companies such as electric utilities must either upgrade to cleaner technologies or buy credits — also known as allowances — to continue polluting. The goal is to lower carbon pollution by 17 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050. Under their plan, most pollution permits initially would be given out for free. But eventually, companies would have to buy those permits from the government.

What is in the bill?

According to the American Thinker, there are several issues inside the bill right off the top.
1) The "Monthly Energy Refund." If a person’s gross income "does not exceed 150 percent of the poverty line...a direct deposit," of an undisclosed amount of money, will be sent "into the eligible household's designated bank account..."
2) The "Low Income Community Energy Efficiency Program," whereby grants will be issued "to increase the flow of capital and benefits to low income communities, minority-owned and woman-owned businesses and entrepreneurs..."
3) Workers who lose their manufacturing jobs because the caps on their companies are too repressive, and their employer either has to shut down, or move operations to the Third World to avoid regulation, the "adversely affected worker" shall receive 70 percent of their prior weekly wage, "payable for a period not longer than 156 weeks."
4) Federally mandated building codes will supersede local rules and regulations. The new codes will be enforced by a green goon squad. On pages 319-324 we read the Secretary of Energy "shall enhance compliance by conducting training and education of builders and other professionals in the jurisdiction concerning the national energy efficiency building code. Rebates only to the lower income residing in mobile homes.
(http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/07/capandtrade_means_regulate_and.html)

That means to sell your house you must meet the green requirements. The above four examples are just the tip of the iceberg. There are no way members of Congress read this 1,200 page monstrosity. Oh but there is more.
5) A new Climate Service Office will be created at the NOAA, to “…ensure a continuous level of high-quality data collected through a national observation and monitoring infrastructure..." Can you say Government Weather Censorship?
6) The "Summer Institutes Program and the Regional Climate Center” to encourage educational pursuits in Climate and weather sciences.
7) Carbon Storage Research Corporation to collect assessments from distribution utilities of fossil fuel-based electricity delivered directly to consumers
8) New standards for Coal Plants.
9) New Nationwide Vehicle Emission Standards
10) Creation of an Electrical Smart Grid to control the energy in every household and business.
11) Strictly prohibits the manufacturing or usage of fluorine gases in interstate commerce over a specified quantity. This means strict rules on transportation byproducts, i.e. emissions.
12) Creation and Development of Carbon offset Market. This will be run by the Wall Street. Some of the very people that helped get us in this mess.
13) New codes for the IRS to allow energy credits for certain low income households.
There is a whole lot more in this bill that would require much more time. Read for yourself at: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-2454.

What will this cost me?
The reporting requirements alone could cost American Companies $50 million per year, according to the Congressional Budget Office. This does not include the mandated control upgrades and requirements, which do not have tax breaks. So who do you think is actually going to pay for this? Businesses will pass down all costs to the consumer leading to inflation. Annual assessments will be placed on all utilities public and private. The assessments will be based on customer usage. About $1 billion from households and businesses, that will be passed onto the consumer. The entire bill breaks down into several estimates.
1. According to the EPA, each household will pay $61 a year until 2050 then $125 to $174.
2. The CBO, above, expects $200 per household per year, but that will fluctuate depending upon income level.
3. The Heritage Foundation predicts that by 2035 every household will pay $1,241 per year. This number takes into account the scale back of the current usage of fossil fuels due to increased costs in production.
4. MIT estimates push the amount up to $3,900 per household.

The bottom line is this bill will cost you more money. Everyday products and service will increase due to the added costs. Electricity, Gas, and Food will be the most affected. Long term affects are almost impossible to predict. One thing is for certain, jobs will be lost due to a continued decrease in the economy and the exodus of businesses overseas.
If we reduce our emissions and affect on the environment, will it really help when other countries like China, India, and Russia do not. Our output is just a drop in the bucket. The current estimates of effectiveness on the environment are non-existent. The EPA just hid a report that shows the average temperature of the earth has declined since 2001. Why would they hide something like that?
Therefore, the bottom-line, this Bill is a massive tax increase disguised as a climate bill. It is over 1,200 pages long and there is no way the members of Congress had time to read it. Rep. Waxman, who wrote the bill, said "How can you expect me to know everything in it?" We Do! It is your bill and you wrote it.

Do you want Bigger Government? Do you want the Federal Government to have access to unprecedented areas of your life? Then you must act. The Bill has already passed the House and is now in the Senate. Call your Senators and demand a stop to this insanity!!!!!!