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Ned Potter is the science correspondent for ABC's "World News with Charles Gibson." He has reported on such topics as space exploration, the human genome and climate change.
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Carbon Tax: 'Off the Table'
April 16, 2008 8:07 AM
Rep. John Dingell, the veteran Michigan Democrat who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has put out a statement:
Dingell Takes Carbon & Gas Tax Proposals Off the Table
Congressman Declares Policies Too Burdensome on Working Families During Economic Downturn"
The statement reads in part, "Economists and other experts continue to inform us that a carbon tax is the most effective and efficient way at getting at the problem of global warming. A few months back I put forward for conversation the idea of a carbon fee, a gas tax and a reduction in the mortgage interest deduction for very large McMansions -- policies intended to reduce our carbon emissions and combat global warming. When I initially began looking at this proposal, the price of a gallon of gas was significantly lower than it is today and the economy was not in recession. Times have changed; our economy has taken a hard downward turn and now is not the time for us to put any additional financial burden on the working families of Michigan or this nation.
"The reality is that this proposal is off the table for now." The full statement is not online at the moment, but a lot about Rep. Dingell's stand on global climate can be found HERE.
So a carbon tax is off the table -- but in reality, it had never really been on the table either. As the Wall St. Journal opined last July, "His point is to force his colleagues--and the voters--to be more honest about the cost of their global-warming posturing." (See the full piece HERE.)
"I sincerely doubt that the American people are willing to pay what this is really going to cost them," Dingell said last July in an interview on C-SPAN. He and his staff later insisted his proposals for a carbon tax and a 50-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax were not acts of cynicism; take a look at David Leonhart's New York Times column last September.
But enough of that. President Bush presents his own climate-change proposals Wednesday afternoon, and Washington is already bracing.
April 16, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (3)
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Sure, we Americans don't want to pay it. But when has Washington ever taken into account what the American people want? They spew out all kinds of rhetoric just to get votes and keep their jobs. All the while they're laughing all the way to the bank. I do have to hand it to them, though. They've found an excellent way to use American's stupidity, our entitlement syndrome, and general lack of education and lack of wanting to know the truth even when it stares us in the face, to their own benefit. Truly remarkable, and I applaud them for their minds for doing so. But untill the American people get our heads out of are collective butts, and stand up against all the taxation, we'll end up paying this tax eventually. And this tax will just go to paying for some pet project and all the entitlements we pay for that are honestly, not needed.
Posted by: Lawrence | Apr 16, 2008 8:45:14 AM
Score one for sanity; Thank you Mr. Dingell!!!
Posted by: Ned | Apr 16, 2008 9:37:57 AM
Dingleberry will just call it a revenue "enhancement" thing and push it thru anyway. Remember Pelosi and Reid in 2006? Vote for the Dems and we will lower gas prices and get high paying jobs. Reality, After over a year in control , Gas prices higher, taxes going higher, over 210,000 jobs lost. Sex, Drugs, money laundering scandals, thank you Democrats, You are just like the republicians.. ALL LIARS
Posted by: Airmanc5 | Apr 16, 2008 10:02:06 AM
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