Cap and Trade and the death of the American Dream

I was blessed to have been raised in a wonderful family. We were taught to work hard, to be honest, to have faith in God, to respect our Elders and to never ever quit. We raised and sold corn, fresh milk and eggs. We raised turkeys (wouldn’t recommend that one), and grew every kind of fruit and vegetable you could in a small field in Idaho. Once when I was a kid, my father told me the story of how he and his father used to take the nails out of every piece of scrap wood they came across. My Grandpa Buck survived The Great Depression, and nothing was wasted. I recall the stories about when there was little to eat they would break up bread and pour milk and honey over it and that would be dinner. No complaints, they were glad to have it. I have copies of several of my ancestors’ journals and have poured over them and gotten to know who they were. They walked and pushed handcarts across hundreds of miles to settle in western states. They also buried loved ones along the way. They were pioneers, patriots and they were survivors. They believed in the opportunities afforded by the American Dream. That belief, coupled by hard work, has been passed on and that pioneer spirit runs through my veins.

Last week, our House of Representatives sold off another piece of the American Dream. It didn’t matter how many people stood up to defend her by calling, faxing, emailing. It didn’t matter how loud and how long we said we just can’t afford any more, they sold us out. They continue to day by day, prove that the only interests they represent are their own and whoever is scratching their backs. They have proved that common sense and Congress don’t belong in the same sentence.

Below is an email I recieved from one of my "people" and it is here with permission.


The so called Cap and Trade bill will, in fact, be the largest tax increase in the history of America. It is being sold as a way to make us energy independent and green.

First, wind and solar have been tried in European countries and have been found to be woefully lacking. British Petroleum announced this week they are stopping R&D in wind until further scientific, electronic, and electrical developments can be developed. There are many studies and statistics available so I need not try to parrot these. The fact is this bill, in whatever its final form, will be the most costly piece of legislation ever introduced into any country in the world under any guise.

Beyond that:

1. This bill has the typical cost impact/implementations and graduations built into it that Congress is so fond of. It is the old “put the toad in a pan of cold water and gradually boil him.” Immediate to us these graduations will serve to place a strangle hold on Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, and Kentucky because these states are not only big time coal producers but generate their electric power using coal. Coal, as a hard commodity, generates a huge amount of revenue each year, both for the companies that mine, process, ship it, and use the coal but each of these steps produces state tax revenue. Over time this bill will suffocate each of these processes as well as the resulting state taxes. This will serve to force the states to go to Washington and the Federal Government for operating funds.

Every American has seen the results of this move. It will further indebt the states to the Federal Government thereby deteriorating states rights and placing more and more federal control over all the states.

2. This bill will tax the power producing companies as well as all companies that use fossil fuel in any form. These costs will accelerate over time and the resulting costs will be passed on to consumers. Conservative estimates from governmental accounting sources as well as independent think tanks puts the average cost of at least $800.00 annually for every man woman and child. These costs will come in the form of higher energy prices and the resulting higher costs for all American made products. With all the talk and debate about this bill I have yet to hear any mention of the added costs that will most certainly be levied against diesel powered trains and the trucking industry. These levies alone will dramatically drive up the cost of every consumable that is used by every American. The most notable of these commodities is food.

3. This bill will give the Environmental Protection Agency an unlimited amount of power and authority never before seen in this country. Having just gone through a 24 month battle with the OEPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers I can, with first hand experience, say that these agencies live by their own rules. The width and breadth of their assumed authority is virtually without limits. The U.S. Supreme Court found against these governmental agencies in 2008. The result was that the Senate came out and said the USACE would be granted more, not less power and authority. The USACE then proceeded to completely and totally ignore the high Court ruling. The Cap and Trade Bill open the door to putting Federal EPA agents in your very home. (This is not a scare tactic). During the Clinton administration, the head of the Department of Labor Robert Rousch tried unsuccessfully to bring all household products such as cleaning agents, laundry soap, glass cleaners and the like under control of the Federal OSHA. This action would have allowed, by law, Federal OSHA inspectors to come into your home to inspect what products you might own, to see that Material Safety Data Sheets were posted in your home, that all family members, under federally approved training plans were trained in the use of all these household items and to levy fines in cases of infractions.

4. Prior to the last elections Mr. Obama clearly said that if a coal fired power plant was begun, under his administration it would never be completed. The attitude of his administration is openly against clean coal technology. High grade coal is one of America’s finest and most plentiful natural resources. Under this administration the mining and use of this natural resource will be virtually stopped. In addition further R&D into cleaner coal technology will be stopped.

5. It seems most odd to me that President Obama campaigned hard for votes in the main coal producing and coal using states of Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana; making multitudes of promises related to how he would work to better their economies. In fact he knew all the time that his allegiance was to the Environmentalists and to his Socialist agenda. Why? Because the environmentalists gave so much money to him and do give and support democratic politicians. Another huge piece if this puzzle is that environmentalists thrive in a socialist society and socialism is the dream and goal of this administration.

6. The battle against the cap and trade bill is up a steep hill. We Americans who are informed and are battling against this monstrous power grab will not be fighting only against Washington Liberal Democrats. The reported 300 page amendment to the bill in the House of Representatives contained buy outs and pay off’s. It goes like this. There were congressional hold outs whose votes were needed by the leadership. The leadership also knew the holdouts wanted something for their vote and that it could be bought. So following closed room negotiations the amendment was written and it contained the pay offs. So and So from such and such a state gets 5 billion dollars for such and such. (Remember the Stimulus Bill and the Omnibus Bill and those billions upon billions of taxpayer dollars that are being held in Washington? What do you think the money is going to be used for? A large piece of it will be used to buy representatives votes in order to pass Cap and Trade and for the passage of the Federal medical scheme. In addition there are very powerful entities that want this legislation to become law. General Electric, for example, will develop such items as water timer control valves that will be mandated by law (this is not a scare tactic…it is in the bill to control the use of all energy and that include hot water). The length of time you will be allowed to shower will be controlled. Goldman Sachs and the rest of Wall Street want this bill to become law because the permits controlling carbon dioxide emissions will be traded on wall street! And you can bet the Federal Lawmakers, who are not controlled by the insider trading laws that we the “common folks” are will make tons of money off this legislation. Phillips, the makers of light bulbs loves this bill. It has new products that only the giants can produce written all over it. This bill, if passed, will impact and federally control each state’s building codes. Federally developed and mandated building codes will be injected into each state’s building codes. This will have an immense cost impact on the price of engineering, design and construction of all construction. Michele Bachmen, Representative from Minnesota said the House version that was passed contained a provision that all states would be forced to adopt the California State Building Code. Even the color of vehicle you will be able to buy will be mandated. There will, eventually, be no more black or dark colored automobiles sold in America. So much for freedom of choice.

7. The Obama administration has shown it’s true colors. To say it is a radical left wing organization is, in my opinion, putting it its most mild form. Two hundred and fifty years ago the battle against England was a battle for states rights. A reading of the letter from King George declaring an end to the revolutionary war clearly spells out that fact and that states were considered separate entities; even bordering on separate countries. The United States, a phrase coined by Thomas Paine, meant united countries or separate state entities united for a common cause and for the common good. The internal conflicts that took place during the confirmation of the Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights and the Constitution mostly had to do with states rights.

Every American saw what happened to General Motors. As soon as they asked for federal money they also opened the door to federal control. The same thing has been happening between the states and Washington for years.

Under this administration, however, the pace is quickened and the agenda is to socialize by bringing every state under full control of the federal government. It is being done through such innocent sounding “programs” as the school lunch program, the clean water act, the federal highway improvement programs funded in part by federal gasoline taxes, Medicaid, Medicare, the Department of Agriculture and the soon to be cap and tax act.

Throughout the coarse of history Americans have fought many battles. Every one of them was meaningful and every one was costly. This battle however, the battle against the so called cap and trade legislation is, in the opinion of many THE GREAT PIVOTAL BATTLE OF OUR LIFETIME.

If this legislation can be stopped it will dramatically slow down the ongoing federal grab for states control. If it cannot be stopped the ramifications are mind boggling. It will signal the beginning of the end for American manufacturing, for America;s growth and development and will serve to stagnate our country.

With the simple stroke of a pen the President of the United States of America will open the flood gates and the washing away of all American’s Freedoms will begin.

Who will take a stand to defend the Amerian Dream? Will it become just a memory and something we tell our children's children about that used to exist? My ancestors and the battles they fought for me, is the reason I will continue to fight and stand for the sacrifices of those who have gone before me.

I'll leave you with the words of my father, a talented singer and a gifted songwriter.

I witness George Washington's army
Who fought without shoes on their feet
So many who since fell to battle
Protecting our home from defeat
Protecting our land and our freedoms
Believing they ever would stand
Looked down upon those who destroyed her
Who now had all that blood on their hands.

Join us tomorrow from 4-7 at the Free stamp at Willard park.