With something for everyone, climate bill passed

The energy bill that passed in the House was loaded with hundreds of special-interest favors, as environmentalists lamented that its aims had been diminished.
(From The New York Times)

The story "With something for everyone, climate bill passed" published July 1, 2009 at 4:27 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[donsms]

These people throw money figures around like their throwing pennies,where are we gonna come up with all this money these politicians keep talking about? Oh,I get it, tax increases begin during Obama`s second term! Now that answers my question doesn`t it?

[directorblue]

What is most objectionable about this bill is that no one had a chance to read it.. A 300-page "Manager's Amendment", consisting of billions in payoffs to various "on-the-fence" legislators, was dropped in at 3:00am on the day of the vote.<br /><br />The bill is one of the most intrusive pieces of legislation in American history. You can get an inventory of what was dropped in at 3am here:<br /><br />http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2009/06/green-gestapo.html<br /><br />You won't believe what it includes.

[troppp]

Diabolical.

[j_keene]

How are these things bad?<br /><br />? It controls construction of all buildings, residential and non-residential alike, ensuring that every structure "complies with... energy efficiency requirements, standards, checklists or ratings systems..."<br /><br />Most of this stuff we should have implemented in the '90s. Is the person who made that blog post saying that every building should suck down as much energy as possible? Wasting energy as a political statement isn't going to make the situation any better.<br /><br />People need to stop being afraid of change and deal with it. If the US decides to shift where it's energy comes from people are going to have to adjust. Jobs will be lost and jobs will be made. Using renewable resources for energy insures that there will be jobs in the future, fossil fuels are guaranteed to run out. If we're still dependent upon them when they run out the economy will fall in a worse way than it already is. Obama's trying to take advantage of the already fallen economy and rebuild it in a way that will be better for the country, the tax payers, and the rest of the world. Sure the way this amendment was introduced was poorly done, but it has the best of intentions by adding more regulation to a corrupt economy.

[amadensor]

To quote Padme Amidala:<br /><br />So this is how liberty dies: with thunderous applause.

[Endbringer]

This bill is supposed to reduce greenhouse gasses and limit our dependence on foreign oil. Guess what? It does neither of those things. It's supposed to reduce the global temperature by hundredths of a degree by 2050. As for foreign oil, since this bill is to destroy the coal industry, where else are we to get our energy from? The liberals do not want us drilling for more oil. Now coal, which provides ~50% of our energy needs, is going to be diminished. Reduce the supply, increase the demand and voila! Prices for energy sky rocket, hurt the economy, reduce the standard of living of Americans, and for what? To try to achieve a "normal" global temperature, even though the science isn't proven. And who are we to determine what the "normal" global temperature ought to be? It was a LOT colder and a LOT warmer before humans ever came around, so which one is considered correct?<br /><br />President Obama promised not to tax 95% of Americans. Guess what? This bill will increase the cost to a family by $436 in just the first year it goes into effect (2012), not the CBO's estimate of $175 a year in 2020. The CBO didn't even calculate the decrease to the GDP and the increase in unemployment it will cause. Since unemployment will increase, that will increase the tax burden on businesses that have to pay unemployment insurance. That's another tax increase.<br /><br />Dropping a 341 page amendment to a bill at 3am and then voting on legislation that they haven't even read is treasonous. If "ignorance of the law is no excuse", then what about the people making the laws? They don't even know what they're passing! How are we mere citizens supposed to know the law if the people making the laws don't even know? <br /><br />We have lost control of our republic. It is no longer of the people, by the people, or for the people. It is for the political class and their friends. The Constitution is just a piece of paper in a pretty glass case that is at best ignored, at worst spit upon by our current federal government.

[weegg]

Okay, so what about India and China?<br /><br />All congress did was raise our energy costs.

[j-scar]

liberal bs

[codynews]

"With something for everyone"... That "Something" is a huge tax increase and a huge decrease in standard of living.<br /><br />How people voted for Obama amazes me.<br /><br />Cody

[amadensor]

Like McCain was any better... We need better candidates. Both parties are broken.