Obama banks on pollution reductions

The Washington Times ^ | Thursday, February 26, 2009 | Tom LoBianco

[topfile]

President Barack Obama's first budget includes $15 billion a year for renewable energy programs and an ambitious plan to raise $646 billion from a carbon reduction proposal.

"Because our future depends on our ability to break free from oil that's controlled by foreign dictators, we need to make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy," Mr. Obama said Thursday morning. "That's why we'll be working with Congress on legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy."

The plan uses money from a cap-and-trade program — which would allow companies to emit carbon dioxide up to a certain level, and then charge them $20 per ton of gasses emitted above that cap — would pay for Mr. Obama's middle-class tax cuts and investments in renewable energy.

Republican leaders were broadly critical of the president's plans, saying the national economy is in no shape to handle the burden of new taxes.

[GBA]

I exhale, therefore I pollute?

[Hoodat]

Now the government will have a vested financial interest in ensuring that industry continues to emit CO2.

[Jacob Morgan]

The middle class won't need tax cuts when they no longer have jobs.

This doesn't discourage foreign oil as much as it discourages domestic oil, coal, and natural gas. It also makes so many manufacturing facilities worth more dead than alive—watch for corporate raiders to buy up manufacturing plants just so they can trade off the carbon emissions. Hey, GM may be worth something after all.

Maybe the Secret Service will arrest Obama next time he snorts a line. The dude is either on drugs or listening to Biden.

[headstamp 2]

If ethanol couldn’t compete with oil when it was 140 bucks a barrel it’s time to let it wither on the vine and stop subsidizing it.

The federal requirement for it to be mixed with gasoline amounts to nothing but an extra tax on fuel.

[headstamp 2]

“Because our future depends on our ability to break free from oil that’s controlled by foreign dictators, we need to make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy,” Mr. Obama said”

Liberals really are retards.

[Glenn]

Reparations on deck.

Expect it to be hit out of the park.

[AmericanVictory]

One would thing that the way to break free from oil produced by foreign dictators is to produce oil here. Duhh!

[crazyhorse691]

Thinking is beneath his pay grade...and keep talking like that will get you an expedited trip to a re-education camp.