In the Pipeline: 8/1/12

Since the President thinks he creates all businesses and jobs, it is a small matter to kill them as well. OhioAmerican (7/31/12) reports: “OhioAmerican Energy, Inc. (“OhioAmerican”), a Subsidiary of Murray Energy Corporation (“Murray Energy”), today announced the closure of its coal mining operations near Brilliant, Jefferson County, Ohio… Regulatory actions by President Barack Obama and his appointees and followers were cited as the entire reason.”

I wonder if Chairman Jon knows that the wind tax credit has been going on for 20 years.  For just as long, people have been talking about phasing it out. The Hill (7/31/12) reports: “Letting the wind production tax credit (PTC) expire at the end of this year “could have a devastating effect” on the wind energy industry, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said Tuesday.”

Boxer.  Mankiw.  Hassett.  Arthur Brooks.  The AFP crew in Arizona.  Jeff Flake.  Probably Boyden Gray.  Probably Jim Connaughton.  That is a pretty impressive list of people who are digging an energy tax.  When do you figure people are going to start to take it seriously? E&ENews (7/31/12) reports: “A carbon tax could be part of a larger deal on tax and budget, two Senate Democrats who support action on climate change said today.”

The problem is the drought is “proof” that global warming is bad, and the “solution” to global warming is putting corn in our cars. NYTimes (7/30/12) reports: “An act of God, right? Well, the drought itself may be, but a human remedy for some of the fallout is at hand — if only the federal authorities would act. By suspending renewable-fuel standards that were unwise from the start, the Environmental Protection Agency could divert vast amounts of corn from inefficient ethanol production back into the food chain, where market forces and common sense dictate it should go.”

You have to think that the RFS is living on borrowed time.  The tricky part is what comes next. National Pork Producers Council (7/30/12) reports: “On behalf of the National Pork Producers Council (“NPPC”) and the other undersigned national and regional livestock, poultry, and feed organizations, we hereby request that you utilize your authority under the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) to waive the applicable  volume of renewable fuel, in whole or in substantial part, for the period of one year…”
 
This issue is dead because Jim Inhofe, Mike Catanzaro, Andy Wheeler, and George Sugiyama killed it. Environment & Public Works (7/31/12) reports: “The planet may be getting hotter, but Washington’s debate on climate change isn’t heating up.”

Do you think this “man” has ever seen the inside of a paper mill that makes cardboard?  Probably not, but that is not going to keep him from an internship in Henry Waxman’s office.

 Admiral Watkins was a great man, and he did what he could to stop Bob Grady and Bill Reilly from passing the very bad, very damaging Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. LA Times (7/29/12) reports: “Watkins, 85, who was secretary of Energy under President George H.W. Bush, died Thursday at his home in Alexandria, Va. He had been in declining health in recent years, said his brother, John.”