Let’s never forget, when anthropogenic climate change is polled with other issues that Americans are concerned about, it typically comes in last or next to last. This even happens with international issues polls, as well. But, you know, according to some squishes who are aping Leftist talking points, if the GOP doesn’t jump on the bandwagon, they’re doomed
A constructive GOP platform on climate change
Donald Trump says he’s not certain about the validity of climate change. While he mulls that question, scores of Republicans are running for the House and Senate and need sensible guidance from their party.
Addressing the realities of climate change can be a plus for those candidates if they pursue a thoughtful, conservative platform. By grounding the platform in good science and economics, the GOP will appeal to environmentally minded swing voter groups including independents, young people, those who are college educated, Hispanics, and suburban women. Those same voters will be turned off if GOP candidates align with climate skeptics who deny basic findings of the National Academies of Science.
OK, so we’re just supposed to climb(ate) on the Warmist train for convenience, rather than for reality. Second, what are those thoughtful, conservative policies?
Adopt a tax on greenhouse gas emissions throughout the economy that would rise over time so businesses and consumers have time to convert to sustainable activities. The tax could replace numerous, intrusive regulations on personal and corporate behavior. It would be a “revenue neutral†tax on emissions but the revenue wouldn’t stay in the government or pay to enlarge it. Instead, the money would go back to U.S. citizens either as a tax break or, preferably, in a quarterly dividend check.
So, a new tax that would supposedly replace regulations? Good luck with that. Revenue neutral? It’ll never happen. This is strictly a Progressive idea, with nothing Republican about it, much less American Conservative.
Establish a tax at the border on products imported to the U.S. from countries with weak environmental standards. Trump advocates a 35% tariff on items from Mexico. His number may be too high but the thinking behind it is worth considering. There shouldn’t be a price advantage for imports from big-time polluters.
Climate change has nothing to do with the environment, and while well intentioned to go after real environmental polluters, this will simply vastly increase the cost of living to American consumers.
Reconsider intrusive regulations such as the Clean Power Rule, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program, the renewable energy mandates, and the California electric-car mandate. These are well-intentioned efforts to reduce climate change but they’re adding layers of costly regulation to business operations. Sometimes the regulations are outmoded and not even linked to environmental results. Those rules should be scrapped. Sometimes businesses have better solutions to environmental problems than a regulation permits. Toyota’s Prius remains a more cost-effective investment than a plug-in electric car. Those kinds of solutions should be approved by regulators, thereby giving increased flexibility for cost-effective innovations that protect for the environment.
They originally weren’t meant to deal with ‘climate change’, they were simply hijacked by Warmists. Interestingly, once we’ve supposedly gotten rid of them, we are right back to government regulators regulating.
Repeal subsidies and tax breaks for fossil fuel development and renewable energy. Politicians love to hand out corporate welfare but, as the Solyndra debacle illustrated, the risk of corruption is high. The GOP can say they’re getting the federal government out of the energy business. The amount of money involved isn’t huge but the symbolism is significant.
Most of the tax breaks for fossil fuels and renewables are the same tax breaks that most other companies get. So, all companies should have those tax breaks taken away, otherwise it would be unconstitutional.
In sum, this platform should reassure swing voters that a conservative Republican environmental policy is appealing. All GOP candidates down the ballot can offer a coherent policy to address climate change, sustainability and over-regulation – all at the same time.
Why not just change the name of the party to the Democratic Party Lite party? Besides, when stacked with real issues, no one cares. When their wages are stuck, the economy is lackluster, jobs are poor, and Islamists are killing people, no one cares about a minuscule rise in temperature over 160+ years.
They are suggesting that Republican candidates recognize the reality of global warming rather than denying the obvious. That’s what “grounding the platform in good science and economics” implies. The alternative approach is the current anti-science, anti-economic one pursued by the GOP.
That’s just untrue. Up to the 2008 campaign, cap and trade was the conservative/GOP position.
The Tea Potty disappeared rational discussion of global warming by the GOP.
But by god stick to your guns! Being slavishly consistent is more important than being right.
— Nobel Laureate Paul Samuelson (1970)
Events have changed. The Earth is warming from the CO2 we keep pumping into the atmosphere. But you should continue to deny the obvious and true.
Or the Caucasian Ignorant Rich Christian (CIRC) Party.
What exactly do you find so objectionable about being white, Christian or rich, Jeffery? It was good enough for the founding fathers. Are poor, black atheists somehow better people? Or are you just an anti white racist, Christianophobe full of envy?
white Christian and rich ???
I love limousine liberals just like you Hogan
I think it’s great that so many liberal billionaires have promised to give away 90% of their wealth to charity when they die
The richest Ameticans Buffet and Gates have both promised to do that
The richest American conservatives have not
No Teach the oil companies can keep only the same tax breaks as other companies
Nothing special like the oil depletion allowance
Well Teach actually people do care including Republicans
Please also note that Congress should be doing more to lessen the problems you mention
But they are not doing that instead wasting all their time in investigations that fail and also they keep trying to repeal Obamacare
This is why the Approval ratings of the GOP Congress are in the mid teens less than 1/3 that of the POTUS
A POTUS can only work with what Congress gives him
Looks like someone loaded a pipe bomb with contrived commie bullshit & touched it off in the comments section.
First off, the name’s Hoagie,, Joan. Secondly, you obviously don’t know what a “limousine liberal” is.
You are a moron. How do you know what anyone intends to “give away” liberal or conservative? People who actually do give to charity don’t announce it, they just do it. But I’m glad to see you agree that Jeffery is an anti white, nvious Christianophobe. I can detect yu are too. Why do you hate whites, Christians and the rich?
BTW, exactly how much must one earn in a year to be “rich”? How much must their net worth be? Should their net worth be taxed or just their income?
Hoagie
John is referring to the Giving Pledge. It’s a non-binding voluntary non-legally binding pledge to give away the majority of the signers net worth. It’s nothing more than a PR ploy for the liberal rich.
It should also be noted that “In 2014, the Chronicle of Philanthropy reported that nine of the top 50 givers on the list had written their biggest checks to their own family charities, which can be seen as vanity projects with poor oversight.
So typical liberal charity. A scam.
I’m still trying to figure out why they won’t give their money away now, when it counts? Oh, I know, personal greed.
No matter how the tax breaks down….In the end it will be the middle class paying for it all and the rebates will go to the poor who most likely will pay nothing to start with.
Thats how all taxes in this country work.
The poor PAYS NOTHING.
THE RICH PAY VERY LITTLE.
The MIDDLE CLASS GETS POUNDED.
Hoagie,
Not hating, and even supporting Muslims, Blacks, gays, women and Mexicans is not the same has hating white christian men, it just feels that way to you because of your white privilege.
When white privilege is pointed out it always feels like oppression to the privileged.
For centuries being white, straight, christian and male was normative for power and prestige in America, in Western culture.
So no, liberals do not think Muslims, Blacks, gays, women and Mexicans are better than white christian men, but we do think they are just as good.
Do you think caucasian christian men are somehow better than or entitled to more than all others?
Jeff,
With my accomplishments and the effort that I put into making them happen, I would say that I am proud and that I am better than the average individual, certainly better than you. That is the same as if I were the top basketball player or football player and made the same boast. As to separation by race, from the numerous individuals of various segments that I have seen, I am far better than any of them. Let me make it clear that you are the one dividing up the populous and making an issue of the situation with a complete lack of knowledge. As to Muslims, I don’t think you have any idea as to what you are talking about there. Islam is a combined religion/cult/political action society. It is more political than religion. It is desiring to kill you and the rest of us and they don’t really care. That comes from very close association with these folks. On the other hand there is Buddhism and it is the polar opposite and a true delight to be around. You of course will find some fault with it but as I am superior to you, that is irrelevant. I do consider most Asians and some Jews to be better than me in some respects, but few white, only 20% of blacks and I have not had enough experience with Latins. But, again, this is your hang up and not mine. I consider wet backs to be illegal and need out of our country, so they don’t count. What I do know is that you are consumed with hate and prejudice far in excess of the worst white bigot I have ever met and that includes David Duke. So, get your own house clean before complaining about us. Oh, and the reason I know this much about myself is years of introspection and experience and the fact that my job requires a very objective analysis of these issues to be better at what I do.
Jeff,
One more thing, you support Hillary. Thus, you are a hypocrite in the white privilege area. She has been given more privilege than any individual. Then there is the concept of affirmative action that you support which is nothing more than giving privilege to blacks to gain political favor.
dave,
You’ve bragged repeatedly about how wonderful you are. Congratulations!
Concerning race, do you think that the average white caucasian is somehow superior to the average African-American?
Jeff,
Read The Bell Curve, conclusive proof. I would say that your experiences with the black race are very limited, even with your supposed hanging with a few bad guys. You have not seen the violence and sheer ignorance. You have not witnessed the animal behavior. So, your life experiences and knowledge are very circumspect.
Covian commenters,
Any rebuttal of dave’s position or do you agree with him? Teach?
dave,
Do you agree with this recommendation from The Bell Curve: …make it easy for women to make good on their prior decision not to get pregnant by making available birth control mechanisms that are increasingly flexible, foolproof, inexpensive, and safe (p546).
Jeff,
I am bored with your stupidity.
End of discussion.
dave,
You’re not bored, you’re frustrated at being revealed as a virulent racist asswipe.
But you’re not alone. You just have the courage to speak your mind, although cryptically at times. Your confederates and your political movement believe as you do, but are cautious and keep it hidden.
It should please you that the new GOP is giving up all pretense of representing Blacks, Hispanics, gays, and non-christians. They are all in as the party of white christians.
is not the same has hating white christian men, it just feels that way to you because of your white privilege.
Right out of Lenin’s playbook. Almost word for word.
In capitalist society we have a democracy that is curtailed, wretched, false, a democracy only for the rich, for the minority. The dictatorship of the proletariat, the period of transition to communism, will for the first time create democracy for the people, for the majority, along with the necessary suppression of the exploiters, of the minority.
VLADIMIR LENIN, The State and Revolution
AS I suspected you are a communist. You are every bit as racist as the people you rail against. You hate White people. You hate rich people, you hate that which oppresses.
In all the world class structures exist…..travel it sometime and experience its heirarchies. In the African Subcontinent their are hundreds of very wealthy explotative Black men.
It is not a “White Thing” It is a human thing.
Yes Black lives matter….Yes all lives matter….but to you…only non white, non democratic lives matter…..if you could there is no doubt in my mind that the hatred you feel for White Christian MEN and the wealthy would boil over into the streets.
Its as Lenin said…. Democracy for an insignificant minority, democracy for the rich — that is the democracy of capitalist society.
VLADIMIR LENIN, The State and Revolution
Welcome to the world of agitators Mr. Jefferson…..you too will be “movin on up” when you are in charge and you can instill you own brand of Heirarchy in which the minority rule the majority.
It is after all what Communism is all about…..In America we vote on who gets to lord if over us….even though that has become somewhat of a joke as both parties have power brokers in place to make sure the right guy/gal is put in the right office.
John wrote:
So, why don’t they do that before they die? After all, Messrs Gates and Buffet could live very well on just 10% of what they have now, something that the left keep saying when they point out the confiscatory income tax rates of the 1950s.
Laim,
You are right about one thing – I hate that that oppresses.
You should too.
The US has been, and still is, a plutocracy. Our governments are controlled by and answer to a wealthy super-minority. Our policymakers support and enact laws that enrich the wealthy, necessarily at the expense of the working classes. Our economic system is blended capitalism/socialism but rigged to favor the wealthy and conventional Democrats and Republicans both are responsible.
The US working classes have had enough, hence the rise of populist-like candidates Sanders and Trump.
The US will continue its slow slow downward spiral unless we remove the suppression of our working classes.