Pennsylvania: Pay Attention! // Obama: “Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.”
Monday, November 3rd, 2008The catalyst for our Industrial Revolution began with coal mining in Pennsylvania. Even today coal plays an integral part in our means of energy production. The keystone states’ economy is considerably dependent on the coal industry. If you do not think a President Barrack Obama would be a threat to your pockets and living, you are sadly mistaken.
“Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it — whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.”
Full Transcript
“The problem is not technical, uh, and the problem is not mastery of the legislative intricacies of Washington. The problem is, uh, can you get the American people to say, “This is really important,” and force their representatives to do the right thing? That requires mobilizing a citizenry. That requires them understanding what is at stake. Uh, and climate change is a great example.
You know, when I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, uh, you know — ) Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it — whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.
They — you — you can already see what the arguments will be during the general election. People will say, “Ah, Obama and Al Gore, these folks, they’re going to destroy the economy, this is going to cost us eight trillion dollars,” or whatever their number is. Um, if you can’t persuade the American people that yes, there is going to be some increase in electricity rates on the front end, but that over the long term, because of combinations of more efficient energy usage, changing lightbulbs and more efficient appliance, but also technology improving how we can produce clean energy, the economy would benefit.
If we can’t make that argument persuasively enough, you — you, uh, can be Lyndon Johnson, you can be the master of Washington. You’re not going to get that done.”
If Senator Obama can foresee skyrocketing energy costs being passed onto the American consumer due to his cap and trade plan, why can’t he foresee the damage his tax plan will do to the American economy? His tax plan instantly increases the tax burden on corporations and small businesses. No amount of money he can redistribute will be able to offset the rising costs of goods and services that will be passed on to the American consumer. This is basic economics. Corporations do not pay taxes! They are passed on to the consumer. To take all this free capital and funnel it through an even greater Washington bureaucracy would prove catastrophic to this economy!
How about Biden’s Stance on Clean Coal:
From Fox:
In the coal country of Castlewood, VA on Saturday, Biden said that instead of John McCain’s tax breaks for oil companies, the United States should be investing billions in clean coal technology. “We have enough coal to meet our needs domestically for the better part of the next 100 200 years,” Biden said. “That can free us from being dependent on foreign oil countries and at the same time not ruin the environment.”
But on the rope line after an event in Maumee, OH last week, Biden told an environmental activist who questioned why coal is necessary given clean, effective alternatives like wind and solar, “we’re not supporting clean coal.”
