In the Pipeline: 4/26/13

I guess we have to give the Virginia Economic Development Partnership some props for “[having] grave doubts about the business model”. It doesn’t sound like things are working too well in Mississippi. NYTimes (4/25/13) reports: “When Terry McAuliffe appeared with his good friend Bill Clinton at the ribbon-cutting for Mr. McAuliffe’s electric car company in July 2012, the campaign-style event, complete with “Born in the U.S.A.” blaring, was meant to supply the top line of his résumé as he positioned himself to run for governor of Virginia… But less than a year later, the company, GreenTech Automotive, has become a potential embarrassment as Mr. McAuliffe campaigns on the slogan “Putting Jobs First” and seeks to keep the spotlight on the conservative social views of his Republican opponent, Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, the state attorney general.”

Well now . . . who could have seen this coming? The Hill (4/25/13) reports: “A Senate Finance Committee white paper on possible federal tax code changes for energy suggested establishing a carbon tax in place of most or all energy tax incentives… The paper offered the carbon tax with a range of other policy options to help chip away at a Congressional Budget Office-estimated $16 billion of foregone energy-related tax expenditures in fiscal 2013… The paper, released Thursday, came with the disclaimer that the policy suggestions “do not necessarily have the endorsement” of committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) or ranking member Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).”

Were there any non-communists in the George Bush (41) Administration? The Hill (4/25/13) reports: “The wind industry’s main trade association has snagged Tom Kiernan, the longtime president of the National Parks Conservation Association, to be the energy group’s next CEO… The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) is bringing him on board as the growing industry faces major political battles, including the looming expiration of a key tax credit that received a short-term extension in January’s fiscal cliff agreement.”

Here’s what the bad guys don’t seem to understand: the science can either be settled or it can be subject to discussion. By talking about the science all the time, they encourage the idea that it is a subject still open for discussion.  Which, of course, it is. But they really have no choice, because no one – and we mean no one – wants their solutions. The Guardian (4/25/13) reports: “The campaign group formed to support Barack Obama’s political agenda has launched an initiative to shame members of Congress who deny the science behind climate change… In an email to supporters on Thursday, Organizing for Action said it was time to call out members of Congress who deny the existence of climate change, saying they had blocked efforts to avoid its most catastrophic consequences.”

In one way or another, this probably bothers just about everyone in the country. The Globe and Mail (4/25/13) reports:  “The problem is that no politician gets elected by being an expert in infrastructure. And politicians, you can’t educate them. I’m not suggesting that they’re dumb. President Obama is smart, and so is Bill Clinton. But let’s remember that Bill Clinton didn’t do shit when he was president. He talks a good game now, but he didn’t lead. Al Gore could have led when he was vice-president. He didn’t lead… The people who did lead were George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, and they don’t get enough credit for it. They actually wrote a plan in 2001 that included solar and wind, and then in 2005 they passed the tax credit act that actually spurred wind and solar. Last year, the U.S. did 13,400 megawatts of wind, which is more than China did.”

The following think tank chiefs are opposed to a carbon tax. Please contact us at [email protected] if you wish to join our growing ranks.

Tom Pyle, American Energy Alliance / Institute for Energy Research
Myron Ebell, Freedom Action
Phil Kerpen, American Commitment
William O’Keefe, George C. Marshall Institute
Lawson Bader, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Andrew Quinlan, Center for Freedom and Prosperity
Tim Phillips, Americans for Prosperity
Joe Bast, Heartland Institute
David Ridenour, National Center for Public Policy Research
Michael Needham, Heritage Action for America
Tom Schatz, Citizens Against Government Waste
Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform
Sabrina Schaeffer, Independent Women’s Forum
Barrett E. Kidner, Caesar Rodney Institute
George Landrith, Frontiers of Freedom
Thomas A. Schatz, Citizens Against Government Waste
Bill Wilson, Americans for Limited Government
Wayne Brough, FreedomWorks
Rich Collins, Positive Growth Alliance