Support Gov Palin At SarahPAC

Monday, August 10, 2009

Gov Palin & Heritage Foundation: The Economic Consequences of Waxman-Markey

Conclusion


The Waxman-Markey bill proposes a new national tax of historic proportions. Though levied directly on carbon-based energy, the tax's impact spreads through the economy, increasing prices, reducing income, destroying jobs, and significantly expanding the national debt.


As with many policies coming from Washington these days, the Waxman-Markey bill seeks to "level the playing field" by making a more competitive player weaker, in this case hamstringing carbon-based energy sources, rather than ensuring an environment where less competitive players can become stronger. This policy hurts everyone, including alternative-energy investors, because it uses resources less efficiently, which creates deadweight losses. This means there will be underused resources leading to fewer opportunities in the future as slower growth reduces the resources available to help power the research and development investments that will create the technologies of the future.


As President Obama said about his cap-and-trade program during the presidential election campaign, "electricity prices would necessarily skyrocket."[12] The same applies to many other prices as the Waxman-Markey energy tax spreads through the economy. Businesses and consumers will adapt as well as possible to these higher prices. They will spend more for less energy. They will build smaller houses and buildings. They will drive smaller, less safe vehicles. They will turn thermostats up in the summer and down in the winter. They will divert income to more expensive energy-saving appliances. But these activities and more will not be enough to offset the higher energy costs. The net effect is lower income, higher prices, and fewer jobs.


In particular, the Heritage analysis projects that by 2035:


* Gasoline prices will rise 58 percent (or $1.38) above the baseline forecast, which already contains price increases;

* Natural gas prices will rise 55 percent;

* Heating oil prices will rise 56 percent;

* Electricity prices will rise 90 percent;

* A family of four can expect to pay $1,241 more for energy costs per year;

* Including taxes, a family of four will pay $4,609 more per year;

* A family of four will reduce its consumption of goods and services by up to $3,000 per year, as its income and savings fall;

* Aggregate GDP losses will be $9.4 trillion;

* Job losses will be nearly 2.5 million; and

* The national debt will rise an additional $12,803 per person.


(All figures are in constant 2009 dollars.)


All of these costs will be paid for no more than a 0.2 degree (Celsius) moderation in world temperature increases by 2100, and no more than a 0.05 degree reduction by 2050. Saddling the next generation with higher prices, higher debt, less income, fewer jobs, and more taxes does not seem like a worthy legacy--especially when the purported environmental benefits are so small they can barely be measured.


Full Report:

http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/cda0904.cfm


My op-ed on "cap and trade":

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=103080543434


- Sarah Palin

Gov Palin On Obama Stimulus Funds & The Health Care Town Halls

Tomorrow begins an important week for Alaskans.

On Monday, state lawmakers will meet to override my veto of stimulus funds. As Governor, I did my utmost to warn our legislators that accepting stimulus funds will further tie Alaska to the federal government and chip away at Alaska’s right to chart its own course. Enforcing the federal building code requirements, which Governor Parnell and future governors will be forced to adopt in order to accept these energy funds, will eventually cost the state more than it receives. There are clear ropes attached, and Alaskans will soon find themselves tied down by codes which will dictate how we build and renovate homes and businesses. The state has hundreds of millions of dollars already budgeted for conservation, weatherization and renewable energy development. Legislators don’t need to play politics as usual and accept these funds and the ropes that come with them.

Also this week, Alaskans will join Senators Murkowski and Begich in town hall meetings to discuss the current health care legislation. There are many disturbing details in the current bill that Washington is trying to rush through Congress, but we must stick to a discussion of the issues and not get sidetracked by tactics that can be accused of leading to intimidation or harassment. Such tactics diminish our nation’s civil discourse which we need now more than ever because the fine print in this outrageous health care proposal must be understood clearly and not get lost in conscientious voters’ passion to want to make elected officials hear what we are saying. Let’s not give the proponents of nationalized health care any reason to criticize us.

- Sarah Palin

Politico Poll: Gov Palin 49%, Gov Romney 23%, Speaker Gingrich 6% & Gov Huckabee 5%


Politico Poll Bottom Right Of Home Page (19,300 votes already cast):
http://www.politico.com/

Amazon Deals

Followers

Citizen Palin 4 President FACEBOOK:

Palin For President T-Shirt

Get Your 1 or 2-Sided Palin Apparel

GET INVOLVED ==> Organize 4 Palin

Sarah Palin's Facebook Notes

International Visitors

free counters

Blog Archive

Bloggers 4 Citizen Palin

FEEDJIT Live Traffic Feed

Visits To Citizen Palin 4 President


About Me

My photo
Washington, DC, United States
I live in DC and a I can be reached at sarah2012gop@yahoo.com