Published: August 26, 2008 10:29 am         

Go slow on climate control

State group says economic costs will be too high

Americans For Prosperity is an organization that says it is non-partisan and non-political but admits to having a conservative message.

That message was on display Monday when the group held a forum called “Beating Climate Alarmism: Cost is the Key” at the Stillwater Community Center.

The group was represented by Stuart Jolly and Pam Pollard, the state director and associate state director.

Also speaking was U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas, a Republican who represents Oklahoma’s Third District.

The forum was about what AFP calls the “dangerous” Warner-Lieberman Climate Security Act. The Senate bill introduced by Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and John Warner, R-Va., is designed to reduce carbon emissions through a cap-and-trade system that would set a limit on the emissions of a company with businesses that are going to exceed their limit able to buy more credits on Wall Street.

Pollard said the point of the forum was to explain the issue in a way people could understand.

Her first complaint was with the name of the act.

“Anything that has to do with security we immediately think about national security, 9/11, oh my goodness, that’s something we have to do!” Pollard said. “I personally take offense to that and think they are trying to deceive the average voter who doesn’t have the ability — may not be connected into all the blogs, all the networks to get this information.”

Jolly called it a hidden tax as increased costs will be passed on to consumers.

The presentation showed estimates for how the law would affect Oklahoma by 2020 if it were passed. It estimated 21,000 job losses, disposable incomes dropping $2,625, energy prices rising 147 percent, etc.

“Climate hysteria is the biggest threat to freedom and prosperity in the United States right now,” Jolly said. “Legislators around the country are passing laws based on global warming and it is getting worse.”

He said he would not debate the science of global warming but added, “They are increasing taxes based on data that may not be true.”

Lucas took a similar position.

“The bottom line remains, before you embark on something as aggressive as cap and trade, you need to make sure the facts are accurate, you need to know the goals you intend to achieve actually will do something positive and then you’ve got to do one other little thing,” Lucas said. “You’ve got to make sure the whole world plays by the same rules. Right now, that’s not the case. That’s absolutely not the case.”

He added, “Pretend for a moment that the global warming advocates are completely right. Pretend for a moment that the concept of cap-and-trade is right. It should frighten you that the bureaucratic federal government would set down and allocate among the various industries, various sections of the country, who got to use energy and who did not and that the federal government would decide who would pay for the privilege of using more energy and how the money would be transferred between various parts of the country.”

Lucas advocates using a variety of energy sources, including domestic drilling, ethanol, wind energy, natural gas, etc.

He argues for boosting the economy by keeping money sent overseas for foreign oil in the U.S. and also create jobs by increasing domestic production of energy.

Toward the end of the hour-long event, Lucas added he believed Lieberman and Warner are sincere in their goals, but they have not thought through the consequences.

Lucas is opposed by Democrat Frankie Robbins of Medford and independent Forrest Michael of Cherokee in the Nov. 4 election.

     

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