I have posted extensively about the injurious and dangerous "Cap and Trade" bill that was passed with blinding speed in the House on June 26th and arrived in the Senate today.
I use those adjectives to make a point. I am 100% against this bill - but maybe not for the reasons that you might think.
There may be provisions in the bill that you like. That's fine.
You can support a reduction in the amount of energy use, the implementation of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar, the adoption of stricter energy codes for new construction, and other issues that are included in the bill.
There are other issues that you probably don't know about or wouldn't favor, such as giving people below a certain income threshold a check and allowing the Social Security and Medicare to take money from the funds enabled by this bill if they determined (on their own) that they need money.
Unfortunately, this is an all-or-nothing bill. It all passes or it all fails. I say it needs to go away.
I am a free marketer. This bill is a control bill that hampers, prevents, and stifles competition and free markets on many levels. This bill takes away choice and mandates many of its provisions - whether the funds are there to implement them or not. This bill violates States' rights in some of those mandates.
I heard an interview with a well-known personality, and he supported a few of the environmental issues contained in the bill. When asked about the serious constraints placed upon free markets, he replied, "this bill really isn't my concern."
Then it hit me. This poorly-crafted, stuffed-full-of-pork, onerous tome of a bill that no one in the House was allowed to read before being pressured into passing it may very well become law because not enough people feel that there lives will be impacted by it.
There are direct taxes to us, there are other direct costs to us, there will be jobs lost, productivity will go down, and other unpleasant measures will be enacted just because we liked one or two itty-bitty portions of the bill and chose not to get involved with the bigger picture.
This must be defeated because of its overall complexion - regardless of any good aspects that it might have.
If you own a business, if you sell real estate, if you lend, if you build, if you dislike higher tax bills, if you value freedom of choice - you need to take a stand against this bill.
It's not enough just to be against it. We have to speak out.
Call your Senators and let them know how you feel. Firmly ask them to vote no.
We didn't ask for this, but this is our fight. Apathy can mean living with a very oppressive and destructive piece of legislation.
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