The More Americans Know About Cap-and-Tax, The More They Oppose It

In Newspapers Coast-to-Coast, Energy Rationing Bill Continues to Get Exposed for What it is: A Job Killer

• “Will result in increased energy costs for all sectors of our economy”
• “It is a massive energy tax in disguise. … This bill will kill millions of jobs”
• “This nasty little bill promises to wreak havoc on Virginia’s businesses and consumers alike while threatening thousands of jobs … It is a job killer”
• “The end result is the diminution of our standard of living and more government power over our lives”
• “Small businesses will be the hardest hit and many will close, increasing unemployment”

Kansas City Star: “Cap and trade too costly … Mandatory cap-and-trade will result in increased energy costs for all sectors of our economy — including agriculture — which will be among the hardest hit. … If this legislation passes in the Senate, American farmers would face at least a $5 billion a year loss in net farm income due to increased cost for fuel, fertilizer and other inputs. … We must reduce our dependence on foreign oil and develop cleaner sources of energy, but our senators cannot turn their backs on those of us who depend upon affordable and reliable energy inputs.” (Platte Co. Farm Bureau President, 7/28/09)

McLeod County (MN) Chronicle: “Urge senators to vote against ‘Cap andTrade’ bill … It is commonly known as the “Cap and Trade” bill, but Iprefer to call it the “Cap and Tax” bill, because that’s what it is, amassive energy tax in disguise. … This bill will kill millions of jobs.It will sharply raise energy prices; electricity 90 percent, gasoline58 percent, and natural gas 55 percent by 2035. Companies will beforced to outsource manufacturing jobs; free trade will be hurt by thisbill. It will cost the American family nearly $3,000 a year in addedenergy costs. This bill will rewrite the American standard of living.This bill is a massive power grab by the federal government.”(Letter-to-the-Editor, 7/29/09)

The Free Lance-Star: “This nasty little bill promises to wreak havoc onVirginia’s businesses and consumers alike while threatening thousandsof jobs in southwest Virginia. In the face of the worst recession sincethe Great Depression, this bill would levy the largest energy tax inhistory, raising the price of electricity and consumer goods across theboard. … It is a job killer in a state where even Gov. Kaine has statedthat Virginia is too dependent on coal for energy to imagine anear-term future without it. … This bill threatens considerable harm tothe U.S. and the Virginia economy while doing little or nothing tomitigate global warming.” (Letter-to-the-Editor, 7/29/09)

The Advocate: “Tell Landrieu to reject cap-trade … The proposedcap-and-trade legislation will gut well-paying oil and gas jobs inLouisiana. The jobs will be in our refineries, fabrication shops,oilfield-service companies, oil companies, ports and relatedindustries. This bill will surely bankrupt the state and its people. …Cap-and-trade is not the answer. … The cap-and-trade bill will stymiethe oil-and-gas industry and raise the price of gasoline, natural gasand heating oil. Every household in Louisiana will see an increase inenergy cost. Lots of Louisiana households will have to deal with pinkslips.” (Randolph Blackburn, geologist; 7/29/09)

Duluth News Tribune: “Cap and trade punishes economy with littlebenefit … Cap and trade will severely punish our economy and notaccomplish any meaningful global carbon dioxide reduction. Chinaalready exceeds our emissions and is building a new coal-fired powerplant every 10 days. India and Brazil will surpass us soon, also. About70 percent of our electricity is generated at low cost by coal. Newerplants with electronic precipitators are very clean. There’s alsoresearch on clean coal; reserves of coal are good for severalcenturies. Why dump this great energy source? Natural gas reserves aregood if we drill off-shore. Gas is more valuable for home heating orauto fuel rather than for power plants. Oil is most valuable for manypurposes. The U.S. has an estimated 75 billions barrels of oil and 1.2trillion to 1.8 trillion barrels in oil shale. … Canada is nowrecovering oil from oil sands; we should be able to recover oil fromour plentiful shale.” (Letter-to-the-Editor, 7/29/09)

Lexington News: “[The cap-and-trade] makes no sense even if you believethe temperature is going to average 110 degrees. China and India willnot hogtie themselves with silly taxes and useless regulations the wayChandler wants to hogtie the United States. The end result is thediminution of our standard of living and more government power over ourlives.” (Letter-to-the-Editor, 7/29/09)

News-Leader: “Cap and trade will hike costs, drive jobs away from U.S. … Another provision provides unemployment benefits for three years to anyone laid off by this “job creation” bill. … Refineries will close and companies will import gas too. And just as a sidebar, we import most of our oil from Canada and Mexico, not the Middle East. … In short, having to pay a fictitious “carbon credit” will motivate companies to close their plants in the U.S., and move to countries that aren’t trying to kill themselves. The cap and trade bill rations energy. When we produce less of it, the price goes up.” (Op-Ed, 7/21/09)

The San Luis Obispo Tribune: “No cap and trade … We know enough of the highlights of this 1,201-page travesty to know it is an out-and-out power grab. … Please, fellow citizens, call write, fax or e-mail senators Boxer and Feinstein and tell them no on this legislation that will curtail many of your liberties and could literally strangle the U.S. economy. Human society flourishes when government protects individual rights and allows free markets to work. … The passage of this legislation will rope and tie you in the pursuit of your American dream.” (Letter-to-the-Editor, 7/29/09)

Muskegon Chronicle: “The reasons why we need to contact our senators to stop the “cap and trade” energy bill are clear. Energy prices will skyrocket, driving up prices on American made goods. This will decrease American exports resulting in lost jobs. Small businesses will be the hardest hit and many will close, increasing unemployment. While campaigning, Obama said “Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.” Economists agree and say energy costs will skyrocket, almost doubling electricity rates, increasing gasoline and natural gas prices by 50 percent. The Wall Street Journal called it the largest tax increase in American history.” (Letter-to-the-Editor, 7/28/09)

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