Energy Policy Reform: The New Civil Rights Frontier (Will the real racists please stand up?)

Townhall.com ^ | 1/26/09 | Harry R. Jackson, Jr.

[bestintxas]

On Wednesday, January 14, over a dozen nationally-known, civil rights and religious leaders from around the country descended on Salt Lake City, Utah to voice a public complaint against Hollywood icon, Robert Redford. The protestors included Niger Innis of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), Dr. Cal Beisner of the Cornwall Alliance, Bishop Philip Porter (former chairman of Promise Keepers), and a host of other bishops and ministers. I joined the group because I believe that no one is currently speaking to the needs of the poor with regard to America’s evolving energy policies.

Radical environmental groups believe the country should produce less energy, driving prices up in order to force energy conservation. While higher energy costs will not bankrupt the average or median income family because they devote only a nickel of every dollar of their income to energy costs, the average low-income family spends 20 - 50% of their dollar for energy.

We are convinced that higher energy prices discriminate against the poor. Some answer by saying we should give the poor handouts. The poor people we talk to don’t want handouts - they want a hand-up. They don’t want an energy welfare system; they want to be able to afford the necessities of life, like everyone else. Therefore, the key to affordable energy is making sure we produce enough energy to meet the needs of all Americans. This means developing safer nuclear energy and more clean natural gas, domestic oil, wind power, and clean coal.

[bestintxas]

Jackson when he wrote this did not realize that Pelosi has already come out with an answer to worrying about poor people's needs - ABORT them as a stimulus to the economy.