Posts about Stop Cap and Trade as of September 10, 2009

An emissions-trading system based on “benefit-sharing” would offer enormous opportunities to developing countries and provide the key to a new low-carbon global order. These are excerpts from a quite technical and complex essay and proposal, but relevant to commons-oriented policy-making. The essay: Claus Leggewie. From carbon insolvency to climate dividends. How observing the 2° target may lead to a new global order (in Eurozine ) The original report: WBGU “Kassensturz für den Weltklimavertrag: Der Budgetansatz”, published 1 September 2009.

Leader of None Obama’s global warming policies have few US followers – and fewer on the global stage A Commentary by Paul Driessen ************************************ “Few challenges facing America – and the world – are more urgent than combating climate change,” President Obama has asserted. “We will make it clear that America is ready to lead.” The President and Al Gore are certainly ready to lead. But how many will follow? Even in America, and certainly on the world stage, the two increasingly look like Don Quixote and his faithful squire, Sancho Panza.

If Obama leaves a bad taste in your mouth (See 1 below.) then you might want to visit Sweet-Tammys.com This is what Tammy has to say: Believe in the power of sweets. We’ve always believed in the power of sweets: the immediate gratification, the way they engage the senses, the sheer pleasure of biting into something rich and delicious. They’re indulgence, reward and escape, all at the same time.

New York Times archives on health care ; Reuters Healthcare Reform ; Wednesday Night #1426 ; More on Wednesday-Night.com The Unlikely Writer (Harvard Magazine September/October 2009) Atul Gawande, “slightly bewildered” surgeon and health-policy scholar—and a literary voice of medicine Text of Obama’s address to joint session of Congress (NYT Editorial ) On Wednesday night, reeling from the angry if ill-informed outbursts at town hall meetings and concerned about his slipping poll numbers, the president finally found his voice.

In my last post about Camille Paglia I promised to post examples of columns that dont’ make sense.  I didn’t have to look far.  Russ Roberts of Cafe Hayek and George Mason University posted a link to this Thomas Friedman column. The fact is, on both the energy/climate legislation and health care legislation, only the Democrats are really playing. With a few notable exceptions, the Republican Party is standing, arms folded and saying “no.” Many of them just want President Obama to fail.

 ”There is simply no other choice than this: either to abstain from interference in the free play of the market, or to delegate the entire management of production and distribution to the government. Either capitalism or socialism: there exists no middle way.” ~Ludwig von Mises, Liberalism, page 79   “The real “haves” are they who can acquire freedom, self-confidence, and even riches without depriving others of them. They acquire all of these by developing and applying their potentialities.

How about the likelihood that it will add a couple of points to the structural unemployment. Workers and families in Delaware may be wondering how cap-and-trade legislation would affect their income, their jobs, and the cost of energy. Implementing Waxman-Markey would put a chokehold on Delaware’s economic potential, reducing gross state product by $2.32 billion in 2035 As the economy adjusts to shrinking gross domestic product (GDP) and rising energy prices, employment will take a big hit in Delaware.

CHICAGO-The Illinois chapter of the free-market grassroots group Americans for Prosperity (AFP-IL) today applauded U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Hughes for signing the group’s “No Climate Tax Pledge.” By doing so, Hughes joins over 250 lawmakers and candidates on the federal, state and local levels pledging to “oppose legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in government revenue.”  Hughes is running in the Republican primary against Rep.

Sep 8: As Congress returns and prepares to take on climate change legislation, Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and staunch opponent of such legislation, applauded the board of the National Wheat Growers Association (NWGA), which, on September 4, by a vote of 26 to 2, approved a new resolution on climate legislation and regulation.

September 9th, 2009 Fred Barbash: Click WATCH NOW to join the discussion Rick Hasen: SCOTUS arguments in Citizens United Fred Barbash: Rick Hasen, who will be with us for a live chat at 3 p.m. on the oral arguments in Citizens United v. FEC just sent the attached cross post from his Election Law Blog. Join us at 3 to find out how the arguments in this case went. It is possibly the most important campaign finance case in recent memory, with the ban on corporate financing of federal elections at stake as well as a determination about the First Amendment status of  commercial or “corporate” speech.

I would argue that the Post Office must deliver to areas that are unprofitable for any company even an efficient one. The ‘clunker’ program sold cars at least produced by Americans if not by American companies. That said, it is not a prideful record but then Government was never designed to run at a profit. However, it also should not be allowed to destroy the very nation it is supposed to serve. I will be unable to listen to Obama tonight due to a prior community meeting.