OBAMA CRAP (SPELLING INTENTIONAL) AND TRADE NOTHING MORE THAN AN ENERGY TAX FOR CONSUMERS - THE SUNDAY COMMENTARY

On Friday three people in The United States were actually grateful for the tragic death of Michael Jackson. One was Mark Sanford because the all Jackson all the time news coverage took the affair scandaled South Carolina Governor from headline to side note. The other two were Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi.

Friday saw the House of Representatives barely pass the Henry Waxman ,"Cap and Trade," bill which for a time was in danger of being pulled from the House floor because Democrats could not find enough votes to pass this huge debacle which will cost every consumer who uses energy whether at home on in their cars.

Jackson's death consumed the news cycles so much that the embarrassment of the Democrats in having to strong arm many of their own into voting for this disaster was not covered as it would have been had Jackson not died. Also the very fact that this bill was being debated and passed fell under the usual scrutiny of news coverage as the Democrats pushed this through without allowing the 1200 plus page bill to be read. A practice that seems to run rampant with Obama legislation.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R Ohio), in a move to at least try to get this piece of crap legislation read by members and before the public, actually used his privilege as a House leader to hold the floor for an indefinite period of time and read from the 1200 plus page nightmare for one full hour. But again because the news outlets were so invested in the Michael Jackson coverage even this fell under the usual news radar and became another side note.

The "Crap" and Trade legislation passed the House by a vote of 219 - 212. 40 Democrats voted against it and many who voted for it did so only after Speaker Pelosi used her usual strong arm tactics against Democrats to force passage. 12 Republicans jumped ship and also voted for the bill. Thankfully the Senate does not seem to be as ,"enthusiastic," about Cap and Trade as the House is and many are predicting that this ridiculous bill will stall and ultimately fail in the Senate. We can only hope and contact our Senators now to vote against it.

What Cap and Trade boils down to is this. The government under liberal control who claim that Global Warming which they now call Climate Change is a proven fact, (in their own minds only), will set a "cap" on the carbon emissions emitted. Those emitting carbon emission will be required to purchase permits equal to the number of allowances allowed under the cap. Those who fall under the cap will then be allowed to sell excess permits to those who are over the cap. Another form of redistribution, one of Obama's favorite activities.

This is supposed to encourage business to cut back on emissions and consumers to cut back on energy usage since energy prices will go up as a result. Of course we all know that just as consumer usage did not slow as gas prices went up consumer usage of energy will not slow because business will be required to pay for permits under the cap who will in turn pass the energy cost increases on to we the people causing our electric bills and gas prices to rise accordingly.

This whole idea being pushed by Democrats follows the usual liberal thought that raising taxes on business does not hurt consumers but punishes corporations and rich business owners who unfairly make more then, "average," Americans. Conservatives understands that businesses do not actually pay taxes.

Sure they receive the tax bill and it is their corporate or business check that is sent to the IRS for the tax payment put ultimately it is the consumer who pays for business tax which are embedded in the cost of goods. Any increase in that tax is passed on to consumers through higher prices on the goods that a given business produces or sells. Energy is not an exception to this standard business practice. As businesses are forced to pay more to meet the ,"cap," by purchasing permits or are forced to rebuild facilities in order to decrease the purchase of permits, the cost will be passed onto consumers.

Those that choose to not continually participate in the purchase of permits or rebuild facilities to meet new cap requirements will instead move their operations to countries whose requirements and costs are not as high as those which would be forced on business in America due to cap and trade. This will have the effect of increasing unemployment as jobs are lost and the additional cost of getting products to The United States for consumers will still be passed on in the form of higher prices.

So no matter how you look at it, if cap and trade is passed as Obama and the Democrats are hoping, we the people will be paying through the nose for energy cost increases which will effect our pocket books more than any of the other massive spending programs already passed by Obama and liberals. Then these same idelogs who claim to care for the common person are trying to force the cost of government controlled health care down our throats as well. But that is another story for another post.

Liberals are claiming that the Congressional Budget Office, (CBO), has proven that cap and trade is not as damaging to tax payers as has been stated by the opposition. The CBO states in their study that it will cost every American only $ 175.00 more in higher energy cost during the course of one year. But in looking at the CBO's study and by their admission the the figure is based on only a ONE YEAR, the first year, snapshot of taxes based also on ONLY the first level of the cap. The cap under the Waxman program will be dropped on a continual basis which forces the costs higher with each drop in the cap.

So the CBO's study does not take in the full picture but only the first level of caps only. Using another example as to the flaw in the CBO study, it would be like looking at gas prices based on a one year price of $ 1.75 per gallon while five years, (or as we have seen five months), later the actual gas price is $3.25 per gallon. A big difference to business and the consumer for covering the increased expense.

Another aspect of this ,"climate change," legislation which is flawed is the fact that it virtually does nothing to, "protect," the environment. In Europe cap and trade did not cause a reduction of emissions but only a rise on the cost of energy as usage did not decrease and companies continued to operate as they did before cap and trade took effect.

In Los Angeles a cap and trade program designed to reduce ground level ozone instead just issued permits for more emissions than were being emitted. In five years the LA program finally reached a cap below emissions levels but permit costs skyrocketed threatening rolling blackouts by utility companies. These are just two examples of cap and trade that failed.

Now liberals at the behest of Barack Obama are attempting to legislate this type of problem on a federal level from a government who constantly fails at every turn in handing programs that effect and cost tax payers.

Cap and Trade is nothing more than another liberal program designed to control business and tax consumers through increased energy costs and dictate to all Americans how we live. This Nation under liberal control is quickly becoming a country where government control is the norm and freedom is a dream of the past. But this is Obama's and the liberal ideal of Utopia. Where everyone marches to the beat of their drum and Americans become mind numb followers who open their wallets when asked and say here take what you want because only you know what is best for me.

Ken Taylor