An Energy Shortage Made in Washington
Last week, while the media was focused on the Michael Jackson drama in Los Angeles, the House of Representatives in Washington passed, by seven votes, President Obama’s gargantuan global warming bill, 1090 pages of new taxes, fees, regulations and artificially imposed energy shortages. A 300 page collection of fine-print amendments miraculously appeared at three AM, and was part of the bill even though none – not one – of the Congressmen who voted yes could possibly have read it, or begun to understood the effects of the amendments.
This week we celebrate the 233d anniversary of Independence day, when the founders voted to adopt the final wording of The Declaration of Independence. The Declaration includes a list of grievances against King George that motivated the Americans to declare their independence from Great Britain and form a new nation. One of those grievances was:
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
Over the past 80 years, a second wave of bureaucratic offices has overtaken the American people, adding financial burdens and restricting liberty. But this time the origin isn’t an absentee King an ocean away. This time it’s the United States Congress led or abetted by a succession of Presidents. The latest outrage is the monstrosity passed by the House Friday under the absurdly dishonest title: American Clean Energy And Security Act (ACESA). Below, copied directly from ACESA, is a partial list of the “multitude of new offices” that will spring to life under this law, funded by your tax dollars, to “eat out your substance:”
Sec. 171 Clean Energy Innovation Centers.
Sec. 172. Building Assessment Centers.
Sec. 173. Centers for Energy and Environmental Knowledge and Outreach
Sec. 186. Clean Energy Deployment Administration.
Sec. 188. Federal credit authority.
Sec. 191. Study of ocean renewable energy and transmission planning and siting.
Sec. 192. Clean technology business competition grant program.
Sec. 193. National Bioenergy Partnership.
Sec. 194. Office of Consumer Advocacy.
Sec. 204. Building energy performance labeling program
Sec. 217. Water efficient product rebate program
Sec. 218. Certified stoves program
Sec. 219. Energy Star standards authority
Sec. 223. SmartWay transportation efficiency program
Sec. 264. Low income community energy efficiency program
Sec. 273. Affiliated island energy independence team
Sec. 274. Product carbon disclosure program
Sec. 713. Greenhouse gas registry
‘Sec. 731. Offsets Integrity Advisory Board
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Sec. 451. National Climate Change Adaptation Program
Sec. 453. State programs to build resilience to climate change impacts
Sec. 463. National strategic action plan Advisory Board
Sec. 472. Natural resources climate change adaptation policy board
Sec. 474. Council on Environmental Quality
Sec. 475. Natural Resources Climate Change Adaptation Panel
Sec. 481. National Wildlife Habitat and Corridors Information Program
Sec. 493. International Climate Change Adaptation Program
Today’s federal government with thousands of agencies, offices, bureaus, departments and commissions is a disgraceful mockery of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the founders’ vision of a streamline, efficient government performing a few necessary services without dominating the citizenry.
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An Opportunity
This monstrous energy/global warming bill is so corrupt, and would be so expensive and so destructive to the economy and to liberty, it could serve as the ultimate outrage, finally motivating The People to stand in opposition to the growth of governmental power and cost. Over the coming weeks Liberty Works will publish section by section analyses, exposing the lurid details. We’ll do what your elected representatives didn’t: we’ll read the bill. Together we and you will learn what’s in it, and what the consequences will be.
If this bill, or a modified version passes the Senate and becomes law, any candidate running for election or reelection to Congress next year must be forced by the voters to make a solemn promise to repeal it.
So much of what is posted hear at LibertyWorks revolves around the nexus of economics and social issues.
On that note, here is an interesting read, an interview with my B-School econ professor:
http://www.minneapolisfed.org/publications_papers/pub_display.cfm?id=4208
[…] New Theocracy, with its "faith-based" spending spree and Washington Created Energy Shortage, includes a “multitude of new offices,” which Boomerjeff points out: The Declaration includes a […]