FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2009
CONTACT:
Laura Henderson, 202.621.2951
Patrick Creighton, 202.621.2947
IER: New National Poll Reaffirms Mainstream America’s Opposition to Cap-and-Tax
Job-Killing Waxman-Markey Bill At Odds With Working-Class, Middle America
WASHINGTON – Thomas J. Pyle, president of the Institute for Energy Research (IER), issued the following statement on Rasmussen’s newly released poll that demonstrates a clear majority of Americans oppose higher energy taxes and are more interested in job creation than subsidizing politically popular, but otherwise expensive and uncompetitive forms of energy:
“These poll results send a clear message to Washington: cap-and-trade proponents are wildly out-of-touch with mainstream America. While some policymakers are focused on creating enough government mandates and taxes to make unreliable, intermittent, and more expensive energy sources our only options, working-class families are worried about climbing unemployment numbers and rising energy costs that may push them over the financial brink.
“To bring down costs and make energy more affordable, we cannot turn our backs on any form of energy. Cap-and-trade, however, allows government – not individuals – to pick winners and losers. This economically devastating energy tax will kill jobs. The American people understand this. And they understand that we must get the government out of the energy rationing business if we are to bring down energy costs and make America more competitive.”
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NOTE: Newspapers nationwide, top lawmakers, and financial experts have illustrated how the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill is tantamount to a massive, job-killing national energy tax on every single American consumer.
KEY RASMUSSEN POLL FINDINGS
- 71% of mainstream Americans believe job creation is more important then taking steps to stop global warming
- 67% of mainstream Americans say they are not willing to pay higher taxes and utility costs to generate cleaner energy and fight global warming
- 56% of Americans say they are not willing to pay more in taxes and utility costs to generate cleaner energy and fight global warming
NEWSPAPER EDITORIALS
- The Wall Street Journal: “The whole point of cap and trade is to hike the price of electricity and gas. … These higher prices will show up not just in electricity bills or at the gas station but in every manufactured good, from food to cars. … Americans should know that those Members who vote for this climate bill are voting for what is likely to be the biggest tax in American history.”
- Las Vegas Journal Review: “Meantime, as the president cheerfully assured the public Monday that all we need to do is “screw it in,” he seemed oblivious to the number of American employers busily figuring out the costs of moving their operations overseas — where they would be free to produce all the CO2 they want, though without employing any American workers — should his absurd “carbon dioxide tax” become law.”
- The Detroit News: “This [cap-and-tax] bill will break the budget of U.S. households. Electricity costs could rise more than 100 percent in the Midwest. … Gasoline and diesel fuel prices could go up nearly an estimated $1 per gallon just from the effects of this bill. … Families will bear the price of this legislation.”
- Orange County Register: “Cap-and trade is a huge energy tax increase unlikely to have any effect on global climate. … The Waxman-Markey legislation is a huge energy tax in a thin disguise, designed to force Americans to switch to more expensive renewable energy sources.”
- San Francisco Examiner: “The bill will sock it to every American who drives a car, has a monthly utility bill or buys essentials like food and clothing. Experts estimate the annual costs will approach $3,000 for every family within a few years.”
- Investor’s Business Daily: “‘It is in fact a tax on energy everywhere it is consumed on everything it is used to make or provide. It is the largest tax increase in American history… Consumers would pay through the nose as electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.”
- The San Diego Union Tribune: “At a time when the economy is in shambles, with 14.5 million people unemployed, the president is seeking quick approval of a bill that would take a wrecking ball to U.S. industry. … The public would throw a fit over a big new tax. Instead, the gigantic cost which the public inevitably would bear should be hidden via ‘cap and trade.’… If they get their way, here’s the grim likely result: a continuation of global warming and a crippled U.S. economy.”
- The North Andover Eagle Tribune: “Cap-and-trade bill is an economy-killer. … The folly of this scheme is plain. One cannot add a huge new cost (for the permits) without producing an increase in prices for products made here or the flight of manufacturers to countries where no cap-and-trade costs apply.”
REP. JOHN DINGELL (D-MI), Chairman Emeritus of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- “Nobody, nobody in this country realizes that cap-and-trade is a tax and it’s a great big one.” Click HERE to view.
WARREN BUFFETT, Obama economic advisor
- “It’s a tax like anything else.” Click HERE to view.
The Institute for Energy Research (IER) is a not-for-profit organization that conducts intensive research and analysis on the functions, operations, and government regulation of global energy markets. IER maintains that freely-functioning energy markets provide the most efficient and effective solutions to today’s global energy and environmental challenges and, as such, are critical to the well-being of individuals and society.
