Partisan Pollution

Wall Street Journal ^ | Sept 15, 2003 | editorial

[The Raven]

Today President Bush visits Michigan, where he'll promote his energy policy and in particular defend his modest revision of the nation's clean air rules. It's a good opportunity for the rest of us to revisit the distortions that have surrounded this subject.

[The Raven]

And a little understood part of the NSR is that it had zero effect on pollution. Why? Because utilities have allowances to pollute. EPA under Browner sued the utilities to surrender their allowances as part of their "punishment."

[Mind-numbed Robot]

What is your opinion of allowances and of the EPA's rules in general?

[The Raven]

Allowances ?? - Good idea. Stemmed from the "pollution tax" ideas of Milton Friedman, I think.

It allows a bit of free market instead of central planning.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

You and I are in agreement. Although allowances were a compromise to prevent the Democrats from being too draconian, it was the best we could do. The same is true now with changes in Medicaid, new prescription drug benefits, and was true in the education bill. The republicans were not able to get what they wanted, for political and strategic reasons, but they were able to introduce free enterprise into the equation. Of course, the Medicad and drug bill haven't made it out of the Conference Committee yet and may not.