Obama allies push energy bill
A pro-Obama, Democratic grassroots group unveiled a new TV ad today, lauding the House for passing a landmark climate change bill and urging supporters to call their senators to do the same.
The spot, from Americans United for Change, is to air in Washington this week and asserts that the legislation will create millions of clean energy jobs. "It’s a foundation for America’s long-term economic success, making us world leader in clean energy," the announcer says. "The challenge is global. And the solution uniquely American."
After lots of arm-twisting by President Obama and his aides, and quite a bit of horse-trading, the House on Friday narrowly passed the bill on a 219-212 vote. It is designed to lower how much carbon is pumped into the atmosphere through a "cap-and-trade" system in which carbon emissions are capped and permits to pollute are given away or sold by the government.
But the bill faces tough sledding in the Senate, and some observers don't believe it will pass this year, though Obama wants final passage before he attends an international global warming conference in Copenhagen.
Obama and his allies are ramping up their grassroots efforts to put pressure on senators.
“Thanks to the extraordinary leadership in Congress, America has taken a giant leap towards becoming the global standard for clean energy while creating millions of new jobs in the process," Tom McMahon, acting executive director of Americans United for Change, said in a statement. "This historic legislation will help build a solid foundation for long-term economic prosperity by meeting President Obama’s challenge to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and curbing pollution that causes global warming. This ad is designed to encourage Congress to continue standing up to the forces of ‘status quo’ and move this historic clean energy jobs bill to the President’s desk as quickly as possible.”
UPDATE: Organizing for America, the current iteration of Obama's grassroots campaign organization, is sending an email today to thousands of members in Representative Ed Markey's district, urging them to call the Massachusetts congressman with thanks for his leadership on the energy bill.
"We know that historic change is always tough, and enacting clean energy legislation is no exception," wrote Addisu Demissie, the group's political director. "But, with your help, on Friday the House passed a historic energy bill -- a critical first step toward rebuilding our economy with good green jobs, reducing harmful pollution, and breaking our dependence on foreign oil."
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Here comes the biggest tax increase in history! I wonder if Pelosi, Al Gore, Markey and that bunch have any money invested in "green" energy companies???? Humm makes you think, why are they pushing so hard for this in the middle of an economic cotastrophe? How many of us have the option to use solar or wind energy? I know it is not offered in Somerville, so my energy bill is going to skyrocket and I have no alternative.
Where is the sound science to support that this is helping the climate?
Are you kidding me? Al Gore actually going around the country pitching names of the "green" companies he's invested into or have interest in and advising others to invest into the very same companies. In any case most actors at the top of this push are so wealthy that they will not feel any pain if the cost of electricity, food, transportation and other every day need will skyrocket or if the jobs will be lost. Most of them won't even be working anymore by the time full blow of this massive fraudulent extorting legislation will hit. The future generations and us regular folks who'll suffer as a result of their screwed up view of the world and we are the one who'll pay for their pensions and services after they retire. The only hope is to change the balance of power in Washington in 2010 and elect conservative president in 2012. Perhaps combined they’ll be able to roll back or at least slowdown the destruction bestowed upon us by the liberals.
nokoolaid4me - Obviously you haven't read that the ice caps on Mars are also melting. Can't you see it? We are polluting the entire universe with our damned cars! It has nothing to do with cycles of the sun and the planets warming on their own as has been shown in those lying scientific and history books.
The above was sarcasm for anyone that doesn't realize it. Global warming being a man made problem is completely false.
I already know people that have been laid off and friends that own business that have had cut employees and the ones that are left have had to take cuts in pay to be able to keep working now what more taxes so it cost more to live more job loses it seams all they want to do is spend and tax tell me just where this stimulas has helped unemployment at 10.1% to was not suppose above 8%. Just how many lies do we have to hear. We the people have to live with in our means so should the goverment we are not getting a raise we can not print money.
Legislation now a days just pass without real consideration of whom,how and when will him or her benefit from all these many changes.It's like mail delivery in the old days just put your letter in an empty bottle tighten the cap throw it in the water(sea) and let it float hoping someone will find it and take it to its final destination.From riches to rags is the end result of all this political maneuvering by so called legislators,the President and the Administration.Bye,bye,old America welcome your new one ouch.
All of the above comments are obviously from idiots whom believe Jesus Christ is coming down here to wipe your butts.. Guess what we have to clean up this Shite whole... thank GOD that we are seeing the end of, “Old America”, ladened with ignorance, destruction, filthy wealth, arrogance, intolerance and some kind of entitlement mentality that justifies voting in idiots like GW Bush hole to destroy the planet, kill thousands in 911, bankrupt our economy with the trillion dollar war for what A holes????? For Fricken OIL bastards!!! Yeah it takes a college education to figure that out. Now sit back and suck down your Budweiser and eat your GMO taco bell and watch the economy recover in about 12 months, along with recouping some outsourced jobs that GW Bush gave away to the entire world... but you won't be around for long after this pandemic gets you, because idiots like you is what the Power Elite love to feast on.. Yes idiots you soon will be lunch!- to the most predatory group on Planet Earth, the US Military, Security Council, UN and Bilderberg Group… yes these A holes have been bringing you manufacture wars, stock market crashes, disasters and now are bringing you, Chemical Trails, Pandemics and weapons of mass destruction, i.e. HAARP… look that up on the internet numb nuts!!!... also remember our threat isn’t abroad, it’s right here in your back yard, look up at the skies and look at all those white unmarked jets dumping virus, aluminum, barium at toxic levels that are known to kill people and for what?.. so they can sell you Tamiflu and Cheney and Rumsfeld make money Oh heraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay we are all going to die being proud rich Americans!!! Fricken All right!... that is what I voted for!
Looks like to me that emmapeal needs to tighten up that tinfoil helmet. Judging from the spelling, grammar and absence of any logical argument in emmapeal's post, we apparently didn't pay too much attention in class while attaining that college education. Perhaps more attention should have been devoted to basic accounting and economic theory in that educational program. What part of we can't afford all this spending and you can't spend yourself out of indebtedness can you not understand. Let's try this - You have one dollar, and you want something that costs one hundred dollars. What are your chances of acquiring that one hundred dollar item for one dollar? Let me know when you figure that out.
Well I am one of the above and i don't drink and there is no taco bell here i live where the air is clean and i can see the stars at night and deer, elk and wilt turkey are in my frount yard and back I grew up that you worked for what you wanted and the government did not do it for me and yes we have guns but no one is killing anybody we dont have any one driving by to shot at us I live in pure country and I did not vote for Bush and there is no threat in my back yard unless you are afraid of coyoties so you better know just who the above is as you have it wrong. I worked for what i have and so should everyone else. I need the government taking my money and giving it to some lazy sucker who wants someone to take care of them so you better know who you are talking about.
help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Since when is spending too much is the answer to any economic problem.Spending without using common sense results in being broke and thats is happenning right now.And when employers and companies are broke they laid off workers.
emmapeal's comment is hogwash. America is supposed to be a democratic nation. The people have no say in what obama is doing and his decisions have caused our grandchildren and great-grandchildren to be born under great financial debt. Our government is telling us how we must spend our money, even to the point of telling us what kind of light bulbs to buy! The global warming bill MAY cause the temperature to change ( increase OR decrease) one tenth of one degree in one hundred years! As to it producing jobs; it will cost many more people to loose theirs than it will create. Isn't it enough that our government wants us to pay for all the illegals and downright lazies while our states are floundering? Now we have enough money to save other nations trees?! Move over democracy, hello socialism and communism!!!!!
I hope emmapeal is right and things have improved in 12 months but I'm afraid everything will be worse for the average american.
Dear Friends,
I am writing you to urge you to vote NO on the current energy bill. Forcing home owners to upgrade to "green" energy before selling their home will bankrupt the mortgage industry in several small areas in the U.S. and is beyond the foresight of the federal government. I actually think many of the items proposed are a good idea; however, the problems hide in the details.
For example, to tax emissions on coal powered energy plants is wrong. The federal government's lack of oversight on their own projects is the reason we have so many of these gas omitting power producing sources. The federal government passed the Homestead Act in the late 1800's and several other bills that encouraged people to move to the west. A person who could farm 160 acres of land for three years was given ownership of the land. These bills encouraged entrepreneurs to move out west live in harsh conditions and farm in the arid desert. Moreover, the bureau of reclamation received millions of tax dollars to build dams and clean energy hydroelectric sources to provide the farmers with reliable water sources. All of this was done to promote movement into the arid desert of the west.
At the height of its program in 1960's the feds stopped some of the planned damns they were going to produce because it would destroy some of the most beautiful natural features in the west (which there does need to be a balance between growth and protection of environment.) However, the Glen Canyon and Hoover dam were built and provided water and energy for those who moved west.
Why do we have coal power plants in places like Arizona, because the federal government created the Arizona Power Authority and the CRSP to sell and distribute the power produced by these two large energy sources (Hoover and Glen Canyon). The way the legislation was set up under the APA and CRSP, Arizona couldn't get the power it needed to access its share of water in t he Colorado River Compact and was forced to build alternative power sources (coal plants).
The federal legislation for the CRSP provides that power from the Glen Canyon Dam will be sold to entities in the Colorado drainage basin. I recently spoke with managers of the CRSP to find out why the power from the Glen Canyon dam was being sold to half the state of Nebraska and Wyoming. These states are not in the drainage basin and Nebraska isn't even a member of the Colorado River Compact. The CRSP say they stretched the rules a bit.
The Hoover dam and CRSP 30 yr contracts will be renewed in 2017. Instead of taxing the hell out of the Coal plants and increasing individuals power bills by over 30%, why doesn't the legislature change the APA and CRSP power distribution laws to provide the clean energy we have built to the states that use the Coal power plants. That way you’re cutting down on emissions and not bankrupting the citizens of the west who can't afford to pay 30% higher utility bills.
Large bills like this Energy Bill should require a minimum of five years of research, reviewing all the options and implications before passing through the politician’s pen. Please vote NO. I support funding research of the options and implications before making new law