Cap-and-Trade Bait and Switch - Jobs Killer in the U.S. - $$$ to Brazil

[WhiskeyGirl]

By DAVID SCHOENBROD
AND RICHARD B. STEWART

As a candidate for president in April 2008, Barack Obama told Fox News that “a cap-and-trade system is a smarter way of controlling pollution” than “top-down” regulation. He was right. With cap and trade the market decides where and how to cut emissions. With top-down regulation, as Mr. Obama explained, regulators dictate “every single rule that a company has to abide by, which creates a lot of bureaucracy and red tape and often-times is less efficient.”

It's no wonder that the House advertises its American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (also known as the Waxman-Markey bill) as "cap and trade." And last Thursday a coalition of environmental groups and unions launched a "Made in America Jobs Tour" to sell it as a ticket to "long-term economic prosperity." But the House bill would, if passed by the Senate this autumn, fail the environment and fail the test of economic efficiency.

Waxman-Markey is largely top-down regulation dressed in cap-and-trade clothing.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970203609204574314312524495276.html

A healthcare bandwagon...now another cap and trade bandwagon...

Why isn't there a right to cheap energy?  Jobs?

[WhiskeyGirl]

Why is all the talk about cap and trade related to profits?   Is this a sign that it really isn't about cleaning up the environment?

Vilsack says this is because the House bill as passed creates an offset market that creates opportunities for domestic offsets and the agriculture sector will benefit most directly from the offset market. USDA's analysis is that in the first several years of operation the climate change legislation will result in an annual net income of about $1 billion. Vilsack says over the course of time that number could reach $15 to $20 billion.

Obama just gave BILLIONS to Brazil's national oil company for off shore drilling.  Why aren't we drilling in the U.S.?

It seems like any money to be made has already been 'flushed' from Main Street to Brazil.

"This is an opportunity for us to move away from our addiction of foreign oil, to create new energy sources here in America and create new income opportunities for farmers and ranchers," Vilsack said. "We should be embracing this. We should not be fearful of this. Fear has never ever moved the United States in the right direction. It has always been our willingness to embrace risk, embrace innovation, embrace change and be an international leader. Now is not the time for us to become fearful, now is the time for America to continue its leadership."

How can we be an international leader when it seems all our money is sent/spent to benefit foreign companies, workers, and nations?  Big business?  Wall Street?

http://ohiofarmer.com/story.aspx?s=31042&c=8

[WhiskeyGirl]

In India, it's a $15 billion market -

Govt unveils cap and trade market worth $15 bln
Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:15pm
By Krittivas Mukherjee

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India has approved in principle new trading plans centred on energy efficiency as part of efforts to shift to a greener economy to fight climate change, opening up a potential market worth more than $15 billion by 2015.

http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-41967420090825

Will that benefit all the little people in India?  Lift them out of poverty?

[WhiskeyGirl]

Energy Citizens Elkhart Rally Brings Together Cap and Trade Opponents
08/25/2009
Andy Eubank

 The newly formed Energy Citizens held a Rally for Jobs and Affordable Energy at the RV Hall of Fame in Elkhart Tuesday to rally against the cap and trade bill. The group is promoting affordable energy and a healthy economic environment, both of which they consider at risk if some form of climate change legislation makes it through the U.S. Senate.

The rally came just a day after U.S Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said, “The key here is for people to understand the opportunity side and not necessarily be fearful of the cost side.”

But Energy Citizens says those costs will mean hundreds of thousands, and maybe millions of lost jobs. CountryMark is one Indiana company that supported the rally. CountryMark CEO, Charlie Smith, told HAT the rally is just a starting point for stopping cap and trade. “If all we do is get hundreds of people to go to rallies like this one here today, we will not accomplish anything. What we have to do is get people mobilized and excited about making sure their voices are heard. We live in a democracy where people are allowed to say what they think and have people hear them out, and I think when it comes to this legislation, that’s extremely important for this nation, and especially for the economic development and well-being of our country.”

http://www.hoosieragtoday.com/wire/news/00725_elkhartrally_223430.php

Who profits from all these markets?  Who's bank account increases, while Main Street pays more for everything?  Who pays for the retooling of the energy industry?

Why is profit more important than clean energy?

Isn't this the failed logic that created the financial collapse?  Profit from real estate gone wild and Freddie and Fannie?

jmho