Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Senator: Pope’s Words Will Be Used To Justify ‘Largest’ Tax Increase In History
The Daily Caller ^ | June 18, 2015 | Michael Bastasch

Posted on 06/19/2015 12:42:02 PM PDT by ebb tide

While the Obama administration and environmentalists celebrate Pope Francis’ encyclical on global warming, Sen. Jim Inhofe is warning the pope’s views on the subject could be used by the left to enact the biggest tax increase in U.S. history.

“I disagree with the pope’s philosophy on global warming,” the Oklahoma Republican said in a statement. “I am concerned that his encyclical will be used by global warming alarmists to advocate for policies that will equate to the largest, most regressive tax increase in our nation’s history.”

Francis’s encyclical, called “Laudato Si,” calls for reducing fossil fuel use and increasing green energy production. Francis also calls for a global agreement to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to fight global warming.

“Global regulatory norms are needed to impose obligations and prevent unacceptable actions, for example, when powerful companies dump contaminated waste or offshore polluting industries in other countries,” Francis wrote in his encyclical.

The pope’s message was celebrated by environmental activists and even Obama administration officials. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz said the pope’s encyclical “should inspire all countries to redouble the deployment of clean energy technologies and energy efficiencies and find the international will to significantly cut global emissions of heat-trapping pollution.”

Environmental groups are already using the pope’s message to try and build support for regulations to reduce fossil fuel use. Democratic lawmakers have already introduced bills imposing taxes on CO2 emissions and the EPA is in the process of finalizing emissions limits for power plants.

Inhofe worries activists and left-wing politicians will use the pope’s encyclical as justification for policies that will raise energy prices — effectively imposing a massively regressive tax on Americans.

“It’s the poor that spend the largest portion of their expendable income to heat their homes, and they will be the ones to carry the heaviest burden of such onerous policies,” Inhofe said.

While Inhofe agrees mankind should protect the environment from traditional pollutants, he disagrees with calls to get rid of fossil fuels to fight global warming. Inhofe has made a name for himself opposing such regulations and for calling global warming “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.”

“As Dr. Thomas Burke, EPA’s science advisor, told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee last week, science is never settled,” Inhofe said. “Climate science isn’t settled.”

“We have been innovative with our energy supply, and for generations the United States has lifted people out of poverty through the development of our God-given natural resources, most prominently from fossil fuels,” he added. “We have worked to make these resources cleaner and more efficient, and natural gas is a perfect example.”

Like many conservatives, Inhofe argues that fossil fuels and industrialization have made the world much richer, and a richer world is a cleaner world — contrary to what the pope claims in his encyclical. The senator argues that ditching fossil fuels will drive more people into poverty and cause more harm to the environment.

“To unravel this fabric of economic opportunity would create more poverty, not less,” Inhofe said. “Energy is a lifeblood of the modern world, and we cannot ignore that efficient, cost-effective electricity is a means to sufficient healthcare, employment opportunities, agriculture production, and vitality of life.”


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Oklahoma
KEYWORDS: francis; globalwarminghoax; hoax; jiminhofe; oklahoma; popefrancis; romancatholicism; taxation
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last
“Energy is a lifeblood of the modern world, and we cannot ignore that efficient, cost-effective electricity is a means to sufficient healthcare, employment opportunities, agriculture production, and vitality of life.”
1 posted on 06/19/2015 12:42:02 PM PDT by ebb tide
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

Good well meaning people are capable of doing incredibly bad things through ignorance.


2 posted on 06/19/2015 12:44:02 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Conservatism: Now home to liars too. And we'll support them. Yea... GOPe)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

Maybe we can afford the increase if the Church starts paying taxes...


3 posted on 06/19/2015 12:46:39 PM PDT by WayneS (Trying to save myself from those who want to save me from myself...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

U.S liberal politicians in bed with the pope!

Didnt see that one coming, did ya.


4 posted on 06/19/2015 12:46:44 PM PDT by Delta 21 (Patiently waiting for the jack booted kick at my door.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide
The middle class in the US is rapidly disappearing and the poor get poorer.

The political control freaks agenda is working.

5 posted on 06/19/2015 12:46:45 PM PDT by TYVets
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoughtyOne

Just send my tax increase bill to the Vatican in care of His Holiness.


6 posted on 06/19/2015 12:48:39 PM PDT by Mouton (The insurrection laws perpetuate what we have for a government now.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

Sounds more like tithing.


7 posted on 06/19/2015 12:49:55 PM PDT by Tzimisce
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mouton

It will never occur to these people that the most dangerous global warming aspect is that which emanates from their vocal cords because they are dead wrong?

I wish you luck with that.


8 posted on 06/19/2015 12:50:55 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Conservatism: Now home to liars too. And we'll support them. Yea... GOPe)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

—...effectively imposing a massively regressive tax on Americans.—

You see, Senator, unjust regressive taxation is a-ok when it satisfies a liberal agenda.

No msm outlet will dare point this our or make it an issue. And no one will ever think about it.


9 posted on 06/19/2015 12:52:17 PM PDT by Paulie (America without Christianity is like a Chemistry book without the periodic table.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoughtyOne
Good well meaning people are capable of doing incredibly bad things through ignorance.

While true, there is no evidence that this is the case here.

10 posted on 06/19/2015 12:56:18 PM PDT by xone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

This pope “give to Ceasar what is Ceasar’s” ....and that is all.


11 posted on 06/19/2015 1:02:45 PM PDT by broken_arrow1 (I regret that I have but one life to give for my country - Nathan Hale "Patriot")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

Our Pope needs to go save SOULS...PRONTO!! The world is falling apart and he’s on this!!! And they say Jesuits are SMART..HA!


12 posted on 06/19/2015 1:04:24 PM PDT by Ann Archy (ABORTION....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

This Pope is an antiChrist.


13 posted on 06/19/2015 1:05:10 PM PDT by A CA Guy ( God Bless America, God Bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

As if he can change GOD’S PLAN for EARTH! ARROGANCE!


14 posted on 06/19/2015 1:05:43 PM PDT by Ann Archy (ABORTION....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xone

There isn’t?

Wait until the massive carbon taxes are implemented on U. S. companies.

Watch what happens as they are destroyed and more people are out of work.

The Pope will have contributed to that mindset.

What more evidence do you need?


15 posted on 06/19/2015 1:06:36 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Conservatism: Now home to liars too. And we'll support them. Yea... GOPe)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide
There is no mystery about the Catholic vote in America, and why the democrats want to import them by the millions.

Here is the Catholic send-off for Ted Kennedy.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

16 posted on 06/19/2015 1:12:48 PM PDT by ansel12 (Trump- I identify as Democrat-- favorite president?-Clinton-- your veep? "Oprah my first choice".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoughtyOne
The Pope will have contributed to that mindset.

You said "Good well meaning people are capable of doing incredibly bad things through ignorance." Do you have any evidence that the Pope falls into this definition? The proposed outcomes of yours are in line with his views expressed on economics.

I don't think he published this out of ignorance. As for him being 'good' or 'well meaning' I don't see that either, but you'd likely get a negative response judging from the comments on this site from Catholic freepers, apart from the 'Pope can do nothing wrong' 'was mistranslated' crowd.

17 posted on 06/19/2015 1:14:34 PM PDT by xone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide; All
Thank you for referencing that article ebb tide. Please bear in mind that the following critique is directed at the article and not at you.

”… Sen. Jim Inhofe is warning the pope’s views on the subject could be used by the left to enact the biggest tax increase in U.S. history."

FR: Never Accept the Premise of Your Opponent’s Argument

While Sen. Inhofe’s intentions are probably good, his warning completely ignores that the states have never delegated to the feds, expressly via the Constitution, the power to tax and spend in the name of climate issues.

In fact, the Supreme Court has clarified in broad terms that Congress is prohibited from appropriating taxes in the name of state power issues, essentially any issue, climate issues a good example, which Congress cannot justify under its constitutional Article I, Section 8-limited powers.

“Congress is not empowered to tax for those purposes which are within the exclusive province of the States.” —Justice John Marshall, Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824.

18 posted on 06/19/2015 1:16:58 PM PDT by Amendment10
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoughtyOne
I'll believe global warming is a real problem once the emphasis is shifted from carbon credit trading schemes and Marxist economic theories to cope with it to civil engineering projects, which would actually do something.

If it were real, civil engineering projects such as building and raising seawalls near inhabited coastal areas would do a lot more good. So would moving water to below sea level areas which are wholly or nearly uninhabited. Egypt's Qatarra Depression, just as one example, would require construction of a 30 mile channel to the Mediterranean Sea and produce a reservoir with the surface area of Lake Ontario and roughly 2.4 times the water holding capacity.

19 posted on 06/19/2015 1:19:19 PM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

Gee. I thought we were supposed to keep religion out of the government - separation of Church and State, and all that.
Not to mention that the Pope is also the leader of a Sovereign nation.


20 posted on 06/19/2015 1:20:03 PM PDT by Little Ray (How did I end up in this hand-basket, and why is it getting so hot?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson