It’s time we stopped the rhetoric

I sent a letter to Congressman LoBiondo, expressing my disappointment on his choice to vote for H.R. 2454, the Atlantic County Republicans sent me this:

 
"American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009"

U.S. Congressman Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02) today voted in favor of H.R. 2454, the “American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009” – comprehensive legislation that seeks to make the United States energy independent by focusing the nation’s energy policy toward clean, renewable sources such as wind, solar and nuclear.

Well there is a little problem with this first statement, no where within that bill was "NUCLEAR" power addressed. That bill does however manipulate almost every agency within the United States Government, giving those Agencies more control over all of your lives(see the chart), and according to a Heritage Foundation Analysis will increase your taxes, cause the United States as a whole to lose jobs.

• Reduce aggregate gross domestic product (GDP) by $7.4 trillion,
• Destroy 844,000 jobs on average, with peak years seeing unemployment rise by over 1,900,000 jobs,
• Raise electricity rates 90 percent after adjusting for inflation,
• Raise inflation-adjusted gasoline prices by 74 percent,
• Raise residential natural gas prices by 55 percent,
• Raise an average family's annual energy bill by $1,500, and
• Increase inflation-adjusted federal debt by 29 percent, or $33,400 additional federal debt per person, again after adjusting for inflation.

The statement goes on to say:

For South Jersey residents who lived through the energy crisis of the 1970s, the nation witnessed the rationing of gas, stations sold-out of fuel, and our country’s absolute reliance on foreign nations to save us from our increasing consumption. Jobs were lost. The economy sank further into recession. And the nation did not take action.

Where were these people during the 70’s? Oil Shortages and rationing of gasoline was caused by several things, our governments tariff on imported oil, keeping a ceiling on domestic oil prices, and the fact that we as a nation supported Israel in the Yom Kippur war, OPEC “punished” us for our support by imposing an embargo.
What isn’t mentioned here is that in the 1980’s President Carter imposed a windfall profit tax on domestically generated oil, which in effect reduced the amount of oil production in the United States and increased our dependency on foreign oil.

Congressional Research Service also found the windfall profits tax had the effect of decreasing domestic production by 3 percent to 6 percent, thereby increasing American dependence on foreign oil sources by 8 percent to 16 percent. A side effect was declining, not increasing, tax collections. Figure 1 clearly shows that while the tax raised considerable revenue in the initial years following its enactment, those revenues declined to almost nothing as the domestic industry collapsed.

It then goes on to say:

Then, in the 1990s, there was a bitter debate over increasing fuel efficiency standards in automobiles, yet minimal action was taken despite the technological capabilities to go further. I have long said that if Congress had passed higher standards in the 1990s – standards I supported - then our consumption and annual fuel costs now would be half. However, the oil corporations and automobile makers were against such standards and now lose billions of dollars to foreign competitors who were forward-thinking, developed fuel efficient technologies and sell hybrid vehicles that get 40 to 50 miles per gallon.

But you also have to remember that during that time period, while Congress was “debating” over the standards, they were also voting to stop any drilling in Alaska, From 1990 to 2003, Congress annually voted to prohibit oil and natural gas drilling in the region 

The ‘American Clean Energy and Security Act’ is the opportunity to break the cycle of inaction and finally move our nation towards real energy independence.

Energy Independence can only be achieved when we drill domestically, produce nuclear energy, start developing “Shale Oil” refineries, and stop relying on outside sources for our oil. 

moderate estimate of 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil from oil shale in the Green River Formation is three times greater than the proven oil reserves of Saudi Arabia

This bill doesn’t make us independent, it puts us right were the Chinese, Russians, an Indians want us, at a disadvantage; because folks, those countries don’t care about the silly junk science driving our politicians. Who by the way will make fortunes if this bill is signed into law (but that a subject for another day). So in order for United States companies to be competitive and make a profit more of these companies will move offshore, and we will pay the price.

This is by no means a perfect bill but, for New Jersey businesses and families, many of the federal standards that will be created are mirroring state standards long on the books. For the past decade, New Jersey has been forward-looking in its energy policy and sought to establish diverse, renewable alternative sources of energy to meet the state’s needs. From the development of biofuels based on crop waste and planning for additional nuclear reactors, to building small and large-scale wind farms and countless solar panel projects, individuals and municipalities recognized opportunities and took action.

“many of the federal standards that will be created are mirroring state standards long on the books” I had to pull that statement out of the comment, and he is right here, New Jersey has decided to follow the “California” standard which is bankrupting our state, killing jobs, and continuing to push business’ out of state. And for that reason alone he should have voted against this bill. We as voting “taxpayers” need to take back our state, stop these silly campaigns to mimic California’s failed policies. I remember my father telling me when I wanted to do something stupid, “Just because your friends want to jump off a bridge doesn’t mean you have to”; So I’m saying here just because Californians want to screw up their economy and bankrupt their state doesn’t mean we have to. Remember this bill IMPOSES California regulations on the rest of the country.

In the process, new local businesses were founded and jobs were created in the emerging ‘green industry’ here in New Jersey. What must happen next is the growth of domestic manufacturing of the materials needed for alternative energy production, such as solar cells, wind turbines and environmentally-friendly buildings. This legislation rightly focuses on growing that manufacturing base, creating green jobs and finally establishing our energy independence. The positive effects will be felt nationally and here in South Jersey. These are objectives I have long believed and advocated for as part of a national energy policy.

Consider this, President Obama used Spain as an example of the “Green Industry” a report by the Institute for Energy Research:

The following represent some of the study’s key findings:

• The U.S. can expect 2.2 jobs to be destroyed for every 1 renewable job financed by the government.
• Only 1 in 10 of the jobs actually created through green investment is permanent.
• Since 2000, Spain has spent €571,138 ($753,778) to create each “green job,” including subsidies of more than €1 million ($1,319,783) per wind industry job.
• Those programs resulted in the destruction of nearly 113,000 jobs elsewhere in the economy.
• Each “green” megawatt installed destroyed 5.39 jobs in non-energy sectors of the Spanish economy.
• The total over-cost—the amount paid over the cost that would result from buying the electricity generated by the renewable power plants at market prices—between 2000 and 2008 amounts to 7,918.54 million Euros ($10 billion).
• The total subsidy spent and committed to these three renewable sources amounts to €28,671 million ($36 billion).
• Consumer energy costs in Spain would have to be increased 31 percent to repay the debt generated by the green jobs subsidies.

Do we really want to do this to both our Country and our State?

The economic crisis has affected every resident and every small business in South Jersey. Families and employers are making difficult decisions each day and they are looking to Congress for assistance and leadership. In working through this comprehensive bill, I heard from South Jersey business owners, manufacturers and energy producers, consumer and environmental groups and local residents about the real impact specific provisions of the bill would have. I also reviewed emails and phone opinions that came into my offices, which numbered in the hundreds.

Yep, and the solution to our economic crisis doesn’t have to involve increasing our taxes, increasing the cost of “everything” (remember our food gets to market via trucks and items need to be manufactured), increasing our dependency on oil, hog tying the states ability to make their own laws.

I don’t know who called, or E-Mailed Congressmen LoBiondo asking for more taxes and more restrictions on their lives. No one I talked to wanted this mess, not liberals, not independents or conservatives;

Today’s vote was by no means an easy vote. As the legislation continues to work through the Senate and be presented to Congress for final consideration, I will re-evaluate any changes that are made to ensure our state’s interests, as well as the interests of South Jersey businesses and families, are promoted and protected.

The only way to protect the South Jersey businesses and families from total destruction was to vote against, and defeat this bill.

I plan on writing to Both Senator Lautenberg and Senator Menendez but don’t expect too much; they follow the “Party Line”.

But if enough of you write to them maybe they will wake up, fear for their jobs and stop this nonsense before its too late.