Libertarianism is what your mom taught you: behave yourself and don't hit your sister.
Dr. Kenneth Bisson

Obama: I’ll make energy prices “skyrocket”

By: Pam On: Nov/2/08 - 9 Comments

A continuation from this post:

The problem is not technical, uh, and the problem is not mastery of the legislative intricacies of Washington. The problem is, uh, can you get the American people to say, “This is really important,” and force their representatives to do the right thing? That requires mobilizing a citizenry. That requires them understanding what is at stake. Uh, and climate change is a great example.

You know, when I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, uh, you know ” Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it ” whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.

They ” you ” you can already see what the arguments will be during the general election. People will say, “Ah, Obama and Al Gore, these folks, they’re going to destroy the economy, this is going to cost us eight trillion dollars,” or whatever their number is. Um, if you can’t persuade the American people that yes, there is going to be some increase in electricity rates on the front end, but that over the long term, because of combinations of more efficient energy usage, changing lightbulbs and more efficient appliance, but also technology improving how we can produce clean energy, the economy would benefit.

If we can’t make that argument persuasively enough, you ” you, uh, can be Lyndon Johnson, you can be the master of Washington. You’re not going to get that done.

See Ed’s commentary here and here on the subject

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Posted on: November 2, 2008 |

Posted in: Barack Obama, Economy, Energy Prices, John McCain, National News, Presidential Election '08, Taxes

9 Responses to “Obama: I’ll make energy prices “skyrocket””

  1. snowy egret
    November 30, 1999 - 12:00 AM on November 30th, 1999

    Just like your typical demacreep hike taxes on everyone and everything and start your morning fires with your OBAMA stickers:-j

  2. John McCain On Best Political Blogs » Blog Archive » Obama: I'll make energy prices “skyrocket”
    November 2, 2008 - 07:59 PM on November 2nd, 2008

    [...] Obama: I’ll make energy prices “skyrocket” A continuation from this post: The problem is not technical, uh, and the problem is not mastery of the legislative intricacies of Washington. The problem is, uh, can you get the American people to say, “This is really important,”and force their representatives to do the right thing? That requires mobilizing a citizenry. That requires them understanding what is at stake. Uh, and climate change is a great example. You know, when I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, uh, you know ” Und [...]

  3. Ted
    November 2, 2008 - 11:56 PM on November 2nd, 2008

    PUMA + COALGATE = OBAMA RIP

  4. Robert
    November 3, 2008 - 01:33 AM on November 3rd, 2008

    This issue (energy) ALONE is enough reason not to vote for Obama! He offers NOTHING to solve our energy problems; he only refuses to do what must be done (nuclear + develop our own resources) and with Democrats in control of the Gov’t they will bankrupt our Nation, empower our enemies, and you will be paying $6/gallon for gas in a few years. That is, if we ever get out of an Obama tax depression.

  5. Veteran Patriot Small Business Owner
    November 3, 2008 - 08:20 AM on November 3rd, 2008

    Micheal Steele said last night on FOX, “Wake up America, pull the Kool-aid IV out of your arm. He is telling you in his own words what he wants to do!”

    Not only does Barrack want to spread Joe the Plumbers wealth around he wants to spread Americas Wealth around the World.

    Cap and Trade is not about energy “CREDITS”it is about income redistribution of wealth, taxing “ALL AMERICANS”to send it over seas to buy carbon credits from third world countries.

    This will help third world country just like Lyndon Johnson’s welfare eliminated poverty in American.

    MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON US.
    VOTE FOR CAPITALISM! THE HOPE OF THE WORLD!
    MCCAIN/PALIN

  6. Dennis
    November 3, 2008 - 10:00 AM on November 3rd, 2008

    I am not expecting you to publish this, as your website probably does not allow open, balanced discussion of issues, as is typical of the far-right wing’s tendency to censure.

    However, by allowing electrical utilities to build coal plants, and charge their construction costs to us, the consumer, the right-wing is doing the same thing: we are robbing the consumers and funneling the funds to energy oligopolies who know darn well that the high-energy content, clean cheap coal has been all but used up, and all we have left is moisture-rich junk whose extraction costs are rising every year, further causing our electricity costs to skyrocket.

    We are in the economic mess we are in today, not because of over-regulation, but because of short-sighted laissez-faire capitalism.

    For example, if Bush did not force the EPA to knock down higher gas mileage requirements for automobile manufacturers, maybe Detroit would actually be able to compete today with their foreign counterparts, who were manufacturing efficient vehicles for years. Now, Detroit needs a bailout at the taxpayers’ expense, and you say that Obama will cause our expenses to increase? Compared to Bush? Hmmm…

    Let’s look at the record: 8 years of deregulation and unsustainable economic policies have caused widespread unemployment and business bankruptcies. These are the small businesses that Republicans are supposed to support!

    In the end, which is closed to Socialism: A policy which supports the small business owner, or a policy which supports giant multinationals?

    Think about it: The more a corporation grows and dilutes its ownership over a population base, the more it is owned by the “people” communally. It becomes a faceless, public giant. THAT sounds like Communism to me!

    Let’s get back to sustainable economics, where small mom and pop stores serve us with respect, and the small family farm grows healthy food without Chinese melamine and protects the environment.

    That doesn’t sound like the country run by the Bush Administration with which McCain agreed for the first 7 years!

    I am not necessarily pro-Obama. I will probably vote for a third party candidate like Nader. It would be great if a thinking public could also vote for a third party, even for Ron Paul, as long as the failing status quo is shunned.

  7. snowy egret
    November 4, 2008 - 03:13 PM on November 4th, 2008

    Just like your typical demacreep hike taxes on everyone and everything and start your morning fires with your OBAMA stickers!!

  8. FrmrArtyOffcr
    November 4, 2008 - 04:33 PM on November 4th, 2008

    Well I just have to ask why this information wasn’t put out there before tens of millions of idiots sent in their mail in ballots? I wonder how many Seniors living on Social Security are going to like having their electric bills “necessarily skyrocket”? How many of them voted for Obama would like to take their votes back? Personally I would like to see them completely do away with mail in ballots for anyone but the military and military spouses serving overseas. TOO MUCH FRAUD.

    As for power companies passing on the costs of contructing power plants being the same as a cap and trade snake oil sales scheme that’s just bovine excrement. Cap and trade will NEVER produce anything. A new coal fired power plant will produce electricity at affordable prices. Hmmm let’s see, pay for BS carbon credits from a lying snake oil salesman or pay for a plant that will actually produce the electricity we need now and into the future at an affordable rate?

    Sorry Dennis, your economic model stopped being viable when the population of this country topped 200,000,000. Now if you want to get over 100,000,000 of them to commit suicide or go back across the border to the country they came from, you MIGHT be able to return to a 1950s economic model. If we simply stopped allowing people to live on welfare and made them work, they’d not have 5 out of wedlock kids by different baby daddies by the time they’re 25.

    BTW GM has more models with higher gas mileage ratings than anyone. Chevy actually made a diesel subcompact Chevette in the 80s that got great fuel mileage. They’re collectors item now. Too bad diesel cars just don’t sell well here. My goal is to buy one of the old diesel Chevy Blazers surplus.

  9. Dennis
    November 5, 2008 - 05:59 AM on November 5th, 2008

    FRMRARTYOFFCR,

    I don’t understand which part of my writing is based on a 1950’s economic model: The small family farms, or the fuel economy vehicles? Or are both of these ideas anathema to you?

    It’s not that the model won’t work – a small family farm can produce more per acre because the soil is not raped in the name of expedient fertilizing and harvesting; a mom and pop hardware store can serve its customers faster on a per square foot of retail space basis than a Home Depot can because there are employees available to give their customers attention.

    If you were happy with your Republican President Bush’s Administration handing out money to AIG (sure, corporate welfare is ok with you, but human welfare is not!) with which AIG executives threw parties, wasting our tax dollars in the name of a “bailout” out of which we will see nothing, then you keep your candidates, and I will thank God your party was not elected. Otherwise, the point is now moot.

    Nevertheless, I do agree that the welfare system has to be fixed. As a former landlord, I noticed that every time my single mom tenants had another baby, their entitlements increased, which encouraged them to have more babies in turn.

    I also agree that the Detroit automaker built diesel vehicles sold in Europe can kick the butts of the Japanese gas hybrids over here, and for a long time have been frustrated at being unable to buy a 40+ mpg diesel from Ford.

    If there’s one thing we should all agree on, it is that corporate subsidies should end – it should be something that the right wing naturally fights against.

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