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Plan gives Washington control of all energy

Thursday, July 2, 2009

(Updated 3:00 am)

Is anyone staying abreast of what is in the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (HR 2454) passed June 26 by the U.S. House of Representatives? The bill passed by a 219-212 vote with 44 Democrats voting against it.

The bill is so massive, however, it says to me the federal government will control every aspect of energy used in the United States. Forget states’ rights. State laws will be superseded by federal law. It is another step toward socialism.

What really galls me is what it does to homeowners. Not only will energy costs rise significantly, the bill establishes standards that must be met when a house is sold and when a new house is built. When you sell your house, it must meet a federal energy standard before it can be sold. And when a new house is built, one of the federal energy requirements is that an electrical outlet must be provided and accessible for recharging a hybrid vehicle.

The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate, and I hope it will vote this monstrosity down.

Herbert Smith
Greensboro

What do you think?

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rahrah

July 2, 2009 - 3:34 am EDT

I'd much rather it get streamlined. If indeed the bill requires that homeowners have accessible outlets for charging hybrids, the provision and other similar should be removed. The bill should deal with emissions directly and singularly. Really, it should be no more than 50 pages, not 900 or 1200 or whatever it is.

J D R

July 2, 2009 - 5:38 am EDT

"Really, it should be no more than 50 pages, not 900 or 1200 or whatever it is."

TOTALLY agree .. of course then each congressman would not be able to insert special benefits for the local business' and special interests including political donors with-in his district ..

catfish

July 2, 2009 - 4:03 am EDT

Call me a wingnut but I believe the energy bill is ACTUALLY another step toward Islamo-fascsim!

zeus80

July 2, 2009 - 5:39 am EDT

Catfish, you just may be a wingnut!

Left Wing Troll

July 2, 2009 - 10:41 am EDT

How about bigot? That seems to be more on point.

catfish

July 3, 2009 - 12:40 am EDT

Whoa! Sorry folks, it may seem that my sarcastic intent doesn't come across in print media! If anything I am sick of the right blaming EVERYTHING they don't like on 'socialism.' These people have been doing it since before my grandpa was born. If anything it will end up attracting people to the idea. Then came the phony 'Islamo-fascism' canard, maybe because 'Islamo-commie' doesn't have the same ring to it. Although I think Pat Robertson once said that Chavez would provide a conduit for radical Islamists (who by the way, hate leftism). Sorry for any misunderstandings. -humble catfish

Doug Johnson

July 2, 2009 - 5:56 am EDT

Obama, no one making under $250,000 dollars, in no way shape are form, will see a tax increase when I am president!
If you smoke you have already seen a tax increase.
If the Crap and Tax bill passes, everybody will see a tax increase. BIG TIME!
I would like to thank Doug Clark, for reporting that one congress lady, got 3.5 billion dollars for selling their vote.
He is the only newspaper person, I have seen with guts enough to print this.

J D R

July 2, 2009 - 12:20 pm EDT

"If you smoke you have already seen a tax increase."

... then it's a user fee.

"If the Crap and Tax bill passes, everybody will see a tax increase. BIG TIME!"

Might be true .. I hate Cap and Trade.

" ... Doug Clark .. the only newspaper person, I have seen with guts enough to print [one congress lady got $3.5 billion dollars for selling their vote". I guess you don't read much, Doug .. lot's of reporting on that .. and btw that is her JOB - to bring pork back to her district. Happens all the time ..

mamaboilermaker

July 2, 2009 - 6:25 am EDT

I'm sure Al Franken will fix everything now that he's "won." Maybe he will miraculously find clean, affordable energy just like ballots for him magically appeared for days after the election.

miktay

July 2, 2009 - 8:31 am EDT

Too bad we cannot harness all the energy the right wing bloviators spend pumping up outrage in people like you. I bet we could power half a dozen good size cities! Unfortunately, it would probably create more pollution than burning coal.

mamaboilermaker

July 2, 2009 - 9:22 am EDT

I'm beyond "outrage" and have reached "acceptance"..acceptance that the socialist juggernaut is unstoppable until at least 2010. I'm stockpiling food and preparing for a long, cold winter, courtesy of the war on affordable energy. I have to try to stay one step ahead of the war on health care as well--trying to get everybody a checkup and any needed treatments before it's too late.

rbennet

July 2, 2009 - 12:54 pm EDT

I'm glad Franken makes them filibuster-proof. People knew the two branches were going to be controlled by the same party when they voted for Obama, and this just cements their historic choice. The glorious energy and amnesty and healthcare and Constitutional "solutions" will be theirs, just like the (R) technique they claimed to dislike. Shame it's government and the new programs will be impossible to get rid of.

Oh, and you thought they weren't reading the bills up to now. You ain't seen nothing yet.

PS- mamab, Iran gets nuclear power (that *actually could* power aforementioned large cities), while we get butterfly poots and unicorn fur. Neat.

J D R

July 2, 2009 - 5:23 pm EDT

"People knew the two branches were going to be controlled by the same party when they voted for Obama, and this just cements their historic choice."

... which is Exactly why I was not going vote for him .. damm Powell made me do it.

danagain

July 2, 2009 - 7:07 am EDT

Micheal Jackson picked a lousy time to die. We will have 6 months of Jackson coverage by the media, meanwhile the Bamster & Congress can ram through massive control of our lives and finances such as this bill. I hope the Senate says no. If they don't I hope the American public realize the costs of this current congress and will kick these idiots out in 2010.

That's one reason I believe Obama is pushing everything including the kitchen sink through the pipeline this year, he knows 2010 is around the corner so best to get er done now before many of these clowns in congress lose their jobs courtesy of enraged taxpayers.

oh good grief

July 2, 2009 - 11:38 am EDT

"6 months of Jackson coverage by the media" -- tout au contraire, Dan.

I'm picturing MJ being "preserved," maybe even "stuffed" a little bit, and housed in a large plexiglass rectangle complete with automaton features so that he can "moonwalk," grab his crotch, and "croon" at the flip of a switch, and then traveling throughout the USA (heck, make that the world), even getting permission from the current powers that be to travel with his (un)usual entourage on a military transport plane. MJ always was sooooo cute in that military-type jacket with big brass buttons and epaulets. Hopefully travel on a military transport wouldn't require MJ getting a GI haircut. Even given his present state he'd probably have to be held down for that.

oh good grief

July 2, 2009 - 11:46 am EDT

The "tout au contraire" was in response to Dan's thinking that there would be [only] 6 months of media coverage. I think MJ will be with us in perpetuity if the world and all its inhabitants don't explode first.

danagain

July 2, 2009 - 5:25 pm EDT

As a French speaker I like your use of the language good grief. You may be correct in that Jackson coverage will last more than 6 months.

rahrah

July 2, 2009 - 10:27 pm EDT

they found a vault full pf previously unreleased recordings. we'll get to hear it all over the next 10 to 25 years.

neocon

July 2, 2009 - 12:19 pm EDT

Better late than never:
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=50445

busdoc

July 2, 2009 - 5:21 pm EDT

Why do we need Cap and Trade legislation to reduce CO2? Shouldn't that be the function of the EPA?

rbennet

July 3, 2009 - 5:49 am EDT

Your premise is flawed, but you're right on target. This isn't about "reducing." The same pollution will be produced, but now there will be money attached. And guess who gets money for not doing anything? Yep, the feds. But you're onto something with the EPA, and here is where you see Team Obama's smarts coming out. More cunning than smart really. Or wily. Maybe even conniving. But let's go with the more pleasant "smart" characteristic.

He has the EPA set up to establish the rule even if his Congress (you know, our representatives) were to fail him.

http://www.policyintegrity.org/publications/documents/TheRoadAhead.pdf

Or, in other words, even if We the People contact our representatives and tell them to not support this hugely expensive and transparent money grab, he'll just go around us as the Executive and pass it with a handy regulatory agency end-run. The legislator whose name is on the House cap and trade bill (that passed) admits it here:

http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE53C4EG20090413

"Now you have a choice ... Do you want the EPA to make the decision or would you like your congressman or senator to be in the room and drafting legislation? So we think this is a very helpful development that focuses the mind,"
- Rep. E. Markey, April of this year.

"Focuses the mind." Or, to put it another way:

"Nice business you've got there. Shame if something were to happen to it..."

Read the link. I love the last paragraph. "Industries across the country will just have to gauge... how lucky they feel."

Anyway, back to the feds:

"CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimate that over the 2010-2019 period enacting this legislation would:

* Increase federal revenues by about $846 billion; and
* Increase direct spending by about $821 billion."

http://cboblog.cbo.gov/?p=286

Taxes? But I thought it was about carbon dioxide? And wait, I thought "no family making less than $250,000 will see their taxes increase." How confusing.

Obama is not concerned about you or your voice or any of those old-fashioned "taxation without representation" excuses. You know, pesky stuff like worrying about being "lucky" with regulators. He's a community organizer, and he's organizing his community. California, here we come. Enjoy. And congratulations.