Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.
Posted on 12/27/2010 12:41:21 PM PST by SeekAndFind
And so it begins, and on the most fertile red-state territory in the nation. Texas, which got four more seats in the House through the 2010 Census reapportionment, has had its air-quality rules superceded by the EPA as part of its aggressive new action on carbon emissions. Governor Rick Perry promises a fight:
The federal Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday effectively declared Texas unfit to regulate its owngreenhouse gas emissions and took over carbon dioxide permitting of any new or expanding industrial facilities starting Jan. 2.
The EPA also set up a framework for regulating greenhouse gas emissions in seven other states: Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Oregon and Wyoming. In addition, the agency set a timetable on establishing regulated levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
The action will give the EPA permitting authority over refineries, power plants and cement facilities in Texas, the agency said, but will not affect small pollution source facilities, such as restaurants and farms.
Well, perhaps not directly, but the increase in energy prices and shortages created by the EPA imposition of what will essentially be carbon taxes will impact businesses throughout the Texas economy, as well as consumers who ultimately pay the costs of the regulatory regime. Rick Perry has signaled a court fight to stop the EPA and the Obama administration:
Texas is the only state that has refused to implement the new rules. President Barack Obama is pressing ahead with the regulations after Congress failed to pass legislation capping carbon emissions. Perry, a Republican, calls the rules overreaching by the federal government that will cripple his state’s economy.
“The EPA’s misguided plan paints a huge target on the backs of Texas agriculture and energy producers by implementing unnecessary, burdensome mandates on our state’s energy sector, threatening hundreds of thousands of Texas jobs and imposing increased living costs on Texas families,” Katherine Cesinger, a Perry spokeswoman, said in an e-mailed statement.
The timing is certainly interesting. The EPA made this move two days before Christmas, when most people had stopped paying attention to political news. The EPA’s move thus got missed by most of the national media, even though it demonstrates well the Obama strategy in 2011 to win through regulation what it could not win through legislation. And by focusing on Texas, where Republicans have a chance to redistrict with practically no interference from Democrats, the move will certainly incentivize the GOP to limit as much as possible the representation of Democrats in their Congressional delegation as the Republican-controlled House attempts to stymie the EPA’s regulatory innovation.
This also will vault Rick Perry to the highest level of national politics, even as he continues to insist that he won’t run for President. With a third term as governor in hand and a perfect political battle opening in front of him, though, the opportunity may be too much to resist for a man who could possibly unite conservatives and the GOP for a big run against a stumbling Obama in 2012.
Yep, but there would be little need to "over-rule" if the various branches simply stuck to their job descriptions.
Right, well, weening yourself off these toxic dependency programs and "entitlements" is hard at first because they're designed to do just that - keep you in political babyhood depending on Big Brother Government. Just like laying off junk food or some kind of addiction, you're a lot healthier and have much more freedom after you've done it.
Maybe the greatest threat would be military, but again, people must believe freedom is worth dying for if necessary.
Quick question “three coequal branches of government” do you believe this was the intent or where do you find it? I think your “balance of power” is a bit more accurate of a statement because the powers of each branch are defined, but not equal.
I know its a common statement “three coequal branches of government” and I have used it myself, but in reality it is not so, for it really matters on what the subject is IE are we making Law then Congress has all the power and the Judiciary can at best say its Unconstitutional and the Executive can just not enforce. So Check on the power, but not equal.
Secede.................
I don’t know what’ll happen if they lose in court. I think the only thing the fed can do is withhold money that it gives to the state. I’m wondering if there is anyway to just do that? Just tell the feds to stuff it and not take any federal money. If you don’t take money from them, can they really force you to do anything other then uphold the constitution?
Texas should immediatly raid all the EPA offices, arrest the top officials, take them to the nearest state line covered in tar and feathers (or equivalent) and put a boot in their butts on the way out!
It is and bizaare as well. I researched this quite extensively at lunch time and the upshot of this is that 27 of 27 Texas refineries which supply 26% of the nation’s fuel are essentially operating without any permits whatsoever and the EPA has said that’s “O.K.” for now. What actually happened, as I understood it from several news sources, is they upended the TNRCC (Texas Resource Commision) authority to grant permits and “killed” the permits previously granted by the TNRCC. Now.....here’s the kicker.........all of these refineries will have to do the Spring Turnaround where they essentially shut the refinery down for routine maintenance and to tweak the process to turn out the “summer” gasoline blend. But.....once they’re down; can they or will they be allowed to come back on without a permit?
I dunno, but gas is $3.00 a gallon now.......we could be facing far higher prices in the Spring and Summer of 2011.
I’m not up on the current count, but I do know Perry has been turning down federal money. Especially the funds with strings attached.
Here is a pretty decent article, replete with quotes from founders:
http://community.adn.com/adn/node/152944
Good for him. I wish Michigan would turn around...sheesh. We have some good people going into congress from this state. I pray to God they help turn this ship around. Michigan is a total wreck.
As I said last week: this would be a perfect place to start the attack on ALL the over-reaching that the Commerce Clause bullshit interpretation has caused. Bring States’ Rights to the forefront, and confront the “As Written” limitations on Federal Government power. We have DECADES of takeovers to un-do.
That’s what I’m afraid of. He needs to be as tough as he talks.
No better time than the present to start this.
The 2010 election turned control over most of the legislatures to conservatives.
Um, actually, in Texas, we have another way of putting the last point.
“When a government has ceased to protect the lives, liberty and property of the people, from whom its legitimate powers are derived, and for the advancement of whose happiness it was instituted, and so far from being a guarantee for the enjoyment of those inestimable and inalienable rights, becomes an instrument in the hands of evil rulers for their oppression.
When the Federal Republican Constitution of their country, which they have sworn to support, no longer has a substantial existence, and the whole nature of their government has been forcibly changed, without their consent, from a restricted federative republic, composed of sovereign states, to a consolidated central military despotism, in which every interest is disregarded but that of the army and the priesthood, both the eternal enemies of civil liberty, the everready minions of power, and the usual instruments of tyrants.
When, long after the spirit of the constitution has departed, moderation is at length so far lost by those in power, that even the semblance of freedom is removed, and the forms themselves of the constitution discontinued, and so far from their petitions and remonstrances being regarded, the agents who bear them are thrown into dungeons, and mercenary armies sent forth to force a new government upon them at the point of the bayonet.
When, in consequence of such acts of malfeasance and abdication on the part of the government, anarchy prevails, and civil society is dissolved into its original elements. In such a crisis, the first law of nature, the right of self-preservation, the inherent and inalienable rights of the people to appeal to first principles, and take their political affairs into their own hands in extreme cases, enjoins it as a right towards themselves, and a sacred obligation to their posterity, to abolish such government, and create another in its stead, calculated to rescue them from impending dangers, and to secure their future welfare and happiness.
Nations, as well as individuals, are amenable for their acts to the public opinion of mankind.”
The EPA, these days, is the priesthood of Global Warming.
We just ignore the EPA and its decrees. When the Federal Government cuts off federal funds, Texas cuts off the flow of
petroleum products from the the refineries that line the Houston Ship channel.
There are several big pipelines that run from those refineries up to the East Coast. You just turn off the flow. We find out REAL quick who needs who more.
Actually, some local pundit sat down and figured out that if we didn’t have to pay any Federal fees, etc., etc., we’d more than make up for any loss of Federal dollars.
Texas is already a net contributor to the Federal treasury. We pay more in than we get back.
The governing body of Texas better wake up. Could just be that the Texans will kick some as@ right at home if the governing body doesn’t tell the Feds to go to hell. Maybe the majority of Texans will clean out the liberals in their State.
Better idea. Wait until April, then seize all the Federal income tax money that’s been sent to Austin.
They’re desperately counting on our income taxes to keep going. :D
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