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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > July > 05 > Entry
Editorial: Ohio can’t be against capping carbon
When the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a historic anti-global warming bill at the end of June, Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, made a splash.
He took to the House floor for an hour — almost unheard of in a body that limits floor time because it has so many members — to read portions of the bill, highlighting their length and complexity. He said he didn’t understand some portions, and he suggested that maybe legislators should know what they are voting for. He complained that much had been added at the last minute.
When asked later why he had read from the bill for so long, he said he thought that the people should know what’s in “this pile of … ” — let’s say, garbage.
To be sure, he had a legitimate complaint.
But much of the bill’s complexity resulted from efforts to get support from lawmakers in places like Ohio.
When the Obama administration’s proposal to reduce greenhouse gases came out, a justified cry went up that it would be too hard on Ohioans.
Under that proposal, the government would have auctioned permits to release certain amounts of the carbon dioxide associated with coal, which Ohio utilities are particularly dependent on. The auction process — the proceeds of which would have been used to reduce taxes elsewhere — died.
Now the House bill would have the government give away most of the permits. Beyond that, coal companies would get billions in incentives to pursue “clean coal,” which some environmentalists say isn’t realistic. And they’d get incentives to “capture” their carbon-dioxide emissions.
Added, too, were ways to protect the poorest consumers of electricity from price hikes. According to the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office, the poorest 20 percent of the population would not be harmed by the bill, but would actually come out a little better.
The average family, meanwhile, would pay about $175 more a year by 2020.
Farming interests also won concessions. (The Ohio Farm Bureau, which has 234,000 members, still opposes the bill.) So did a legislator from Chicago, who wanted green jobs for inner-city residents. And Florida got a $50 million hurricane research center.
The process of adding things to buy votes wasn’t pretty. It angered a lot of people. Some liberal Democrats, including Cleveland’s Dennis Kucinich, voted against the bill, seeing it as not nearly strong enough. Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth also decided to oppose the supposedly environmentalist bill.
But the main result of all the politics-as-usual activity was legislation that’s historic. It is projected to reduce greenhouse emissions by 17 percent by 2020 and 85 percent by 2020. It would do this primarily by setting a national limit on emissions and allowing emitters to trade “credits” that allow them to emit a certain amount. If you emit less than your targets, you can make money. If you fail, you aren’t shut down, but you have to pay.
The hard core of opposition is the Republican Party, which rejects the official projections about the bill’s cost.
The hyperpartisan nature of the times is at work. A vocal part of the Republican base still listens to political warriors who are convinced that man-made global warning is not a problem, no matter what the vast majority of scientific opinion says.
The virtually solid Republican opposition — even after the auction (decried as a tax) was eliminated — required the sponsors to scratch for all the Democrats they could get. Some Democrats were leery. U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson, from an Ohio swing district on the West Virginia border, in coal country, voted no.
Rep. Zack Space, from just west of the Wilson district, voted for the bill because of the late changes. Freshman Rep. John Boccieri, representing Canton, also voted yes. Both Democrats hold districts that were long held by Republicans. They have now been targeted by Republican ad campaigns because of their votes.
And yet something must be done about global warming. Democrats, being in control of the government, must take responsibility for designing the basic approach. House Democrats have done that.
Now the Senate needs to take a close look, especially at those provisions added in a hurry. But its focus, too, has to be on making historic change.
Permalink | Comments (20) | Post your comment | Categories: Editorials, Energy, Martin Gottlieb
Comments
By christian
July 5, 2009 6:29 AM | Link to this
This legislation will be the largest tax in American history. In addition, it will be the final nail in the coffin for US manufacturing jobs as companies move production to India and China. Why are some people sold that man made pollutants are the root cause of this warming period. The earth has gone through warming and cooling cycles before the industrial revolution. Unfortunately, government wants more control over our lives and are using real and imagined crisis to take away our freedom and mandate socialism. Jimmy Carter gave us Ronald Reagan…President Obama will give us? God save America!!!!By christian
July 5, 2009 6:30 AM | Link to this
This legislation will be the largest tax in American history. In addition, it will be the final nail in the coffin for US manufacturing jobs as companies move production to India and China. Why are some people sold that man made pollutants are the root cause of this warming period. The earth has gone through warming and cooling cycles before the industrial revolution. Unfortunately, government wants more control over our lives and are using real and imagined crisis to take away our freedom and mandate socialism. Jimmy Carter gave us Ronald Reagan…President Obama will give us? God save America!!!!By Philman
July 5, 2009 7:00 AM | Link to this
Two Ammendments were put forth by Republicans to this over 1000 page bill, if unemployement reached 15%, cap & trade would be Suspended. REJECTED> then another ammendment was added, if Gasoline went over $5.00 a Gallon cap & tax would be suspended.REJECTED> Just what are these crazy Democrats after? the DESTRUCTION OF AMERICA AS WE KNOW IT ?they sure have alot of buddies in the Communist nations, just listen to them Praise Hugo Chavez, and Fidel Castro.that alone should SCARE THE HELL OUT OF AMERICANS.By Leslie
July 5, 2009 8:05 AM | Link to this
44 dems voted against the bill, opposition to the bill is obviously bipartisan and the author is obviously a dem. The stimulus bill was mostly junk rather than stimulus. Same with this bill, it will NOT make a difference in the climate. This bill will hurt the average citizen, but will make Al Gore, GE, and Goldman Sachs billions. Let’s also not forget the people in Congress that have invested in this to make billions as well. Obama even said that electricity will skyrocket. He campaigned on it and now we will get it. The author of this article obviously has money and can afford this sham, maybe the author is also invested and will make millions.By Leslie
July 5, 2009 8:20 AM | Link to this
The bill includes a new fed agency. If you want to sell your home, you will have to have this agency do an energy efficiency evaluation. You will then have to put more money into your home to upgrade it to all of their energy standards before you can sell your home. Down to the appliances you leave in the home. All of this in a time when it is hard to sell your home and values have decreased. Just as many scientist saying global warming there are saying no global warming. There is NOT a scientific consensus. The administration also hid the EPA report that disputed this bill. They hid it because it contradicted the bill. The bill is a lie!By tom vogel
July 5, 2009 8:42 AM | Link to this
The cap and trade legislation, if approved by the Senate, will be a crushing blow to the economy during a period of recession. As pointed out by other comments, the bill is nothing more than a major tax increase. Anything that is produced, manufactured, or transported will go up in price. The $175 number cited is far off-base in terms of total impact. The British are experiencing an impact of approximately ten times that level. You can kiss good-bye any manufacturing that is left…it will move to nations like China and India which will not be subject to these production and transportation taxes. Folks, 15% unemployment rates would be the new “norm” here in Ohio and other states as well.By Darrin
July 5, 2009 9:06 AM | Link to this
So you’re still calling it global warming?…and still trying to tie any warming trend that appears (and then recedes) to being man made? I don’t believe one has to think too hard to at least come to the conclusion that the Earth’s climates changes over periods of time. Given the fact that the Earth has been around for a little while now - don’t you think it just might possibly be a bit of a long shot to think you could develop accurate patterns over decades or even hundreds of years? Oh that’s right, we haven’t even come close to having that much information - so we’ll take the little bit we do have and use it anyway. Fortunately over the past decade, scientists and the public alike have begun to see the “global warming” battle cry for what it is…a tool for making a lot of money for some, a way to enact anti-capitalistic laws and over-regulation, and power grabs for way too many politicians. You are right.. “the main result of all the politics-as-usual activity was legislation that’s historic”…it sure will be. Last minute add ons to bills that can’t possibly be reviewed before they are voted on really need to be stopped. In the meantime, maybe try to think outside the ill-fated assumptions for change and try painting a clear picture. I promise it’s not that painful and you don’t even have to give up your intellect to do it…best wishes!By a voice
July 5, 2009 11:11 AM | Link to this
Hyperpartisan? You just don’t get it. We’re trying to hang onto our country while it’s being loaned out to the Chinese and others. There’s no real science behind the green movement except political science. The global trend is cooling for about ten years. The Democratic party sent buses to homeless shelters to get votes. (I work at one, I know this for a fact) The Democrats are real scumbags to take advantage of a bunch of drug and alcohol addicts that are trying to clear their mind in a safe environment.By Cincinnati Preacher
July 5, 2009 11:25 AM | Link to this
Why is it we have nor heard of the potential experiment of CO2 sequestering in Darke County? Thisw “experiment” will affect the futures of people in a 1,000 mile area. See “stopexperimentalCO2projects@yahoo.comBy Truthdoctor
July 5, 2009 11:33 AM | Link to this
If my facts are correct it only takes $9 per barrel to extract oil from the deserts in arabia. I don’t think these shieks are going to give up their standard of living so we can become independent of them. After we invest billions to develop alternate energy sources we will find that oil and coal to be the best bargain for the dollar. Still want to invest in solar or wind power?By Travis
July 5, 2009 11:38 AM | Link to this
This climate bill is just another theft of personal freedom by our over-reaching, ever-growing government. This “tax” will just be another example of politicians pushing legislation on the people of America that they don’t want. Poll after poll shows that all the recent government actions (Stimulus, auto industry bailout, Banking industry bailout, Climate bill) directly contradict what the American people want. Look at all the comments on this article, every single person disagrees with us needing this bill, not one in favor of it. We are now in an age when politicians are elected by lobbyists who fund their campaigns and then expect return favors once in office. Politicians seek re-election based on campaign contributions, not the people they represent.By Ed
July 5, 2009 1:00 PM | Link to this
Global Warming has become the ” holy grail” of the looney left. They wrap themselves in it’s cloak and pontificate how we must reduce our carbon footprint to save the planet. What hubris! This bill, if encated, will further hasten the economic demise of this country. It will send more jobs overseas as manufacturers move to avoid this tax increase on their business. We can only hope that this bill will die in the Senate. But now that Stuart Smalley has been seated in the Senate, the odds of passage just increased dramatically.By really
July 5, 2009 9:07 PM | Link to this
Hold the presses, the DDN editorial staff saying something is “hyperpartisan”? Is this the pot calling the kettle black?By Joe
July 6, 2009 2:31 PM | Link to this
It’s good to see that the ddn remains consistant in their view that any new tax is wonderful. This tax is based on the lying scam of “globel warming” but it’s still wonderful.By Joe
July 6, 2009 2:32 PM | Link to this
It’s good to see that the ddn remains consistant in their view that any new tax is wonderful. This tax is based on the lying scam of “globel warming” but it’s still wonderful.By Cella
July 7, 2009 12:23 AM | Link to this
call or email your Senators ASAP remind them their job is to lookout for Ohioians best interest and to be mineful that “taxation without representation” already caused one revolution.By J.R. Edwards
July 7, 2009 11:36 AM | Link to this
The whole global warming is a farce. The left uses computer models to scare the American public. They can’t even use computers to get our weather forcasts right. This cape and trade bill is another Obama disaster. I guess the ddn is going to keep with the left and push this bill. news to ddn my bird died over the weekend. I guess I don’t need the paper anymore.By fleabyte
July 7, 2009 11:52 AM | Link to this
Failure to read the Bills IS taxation without representation in addition to being slackers. We are sick to death of all this panic, sky is falling, must pass now legislation. And this hoax based on pure junk science! Beginning with TARP, our reps refuse to hear their people. It’s time to clean HOUSE. Where oh where are candidates of principle and integrity?By Mike
July 7, 2009 11:58 PM | Link to this
Let’s be honest. The government and scientist know the facts are in the open and ‘global warming’ is nothing more than a ‘tax scheme’. So then they come up with ‘climate change’ and now the President calls it a ‘jobs bill’. Cap and trade have tried by many countries and always failed. Most have abandon the “tax” because of the economic damage it has caused them. “We the People” need to wake our government reps up.By Campaign For Liberty
July 8, 2009 8:19 AM | Link to this
“Legislation without representation” when they don’t read or completely understand the bills. The fix is easy..Go to www.downsizedc.org and petition your rep. to sponsor 1.”Read the Bills Act” and 2.”Enumerated Powers Act.” And 3.”One Subject at a Time Act. Lastly, join true grassroots liberty groups such as The Campaign For Liberty, The Ohio Freedom Alliance, The John Birch Society and get ready for the “Continental Congress 2009” http://www.givemeliberty.org/cc2009TEMP.htm. Silly Amerikans, I’m from the govt. and I’m here to help…yeah right! The govt. Ron Paul is the “champion of the constitution,” join us for the 2nd American Revolution and read about it at www.republicmagazine.com. You can download a free copy.