"Make no mistake. This is a jobs bill."

Those are the words of Pres. Obama on the Waxman-Markey climate change bill. I think then, it is only fair to analyze this bill with that perspective. Especially since this bill will do absolutely nothing for the climate. In this current recession it makes sense to pass something called a "jobs bill". Of course we need jobs! So we have to pass this, right? If this is indeed a jobs bill, it is the worst jobs bill ever created. Here is the quickest summary I can give of the bill. Carbon Dioxide, that evil molecule, is now going to be taxed. Producers of CO2 will now be taxed based on their output. Producers can do a mixture of two things--pass the costs of the tax on to the consumers OR retrofit their operations to not produce as much CO2... and pass those costs on to the consumers. Hmm, kind of a pattern there. But never fear! Low income families will receive tax credits to offset these increased energy and production costs. Unfortunately, people under $250,000 a year WILL receive a tax increase despite the campaign promise stating otherwise.

To actually institute a cap and trade system, many things need to be put in place. We need an exchange (like the Chicago Mercantile Exchange) where these credits can be traded. And of course every time a trade is made, there will be a fee to pay for this brand new exchange. Good news though, GE (owner of NBC) has such a trading system ready to go. Companies will also need to implement processes and monitoring systems to determine their CO2 output. Going over this output could lead to huge fines. These activities add no value to our economy. These are costs, in addition to the cost of the credits, will also be passed along to the consumer. This is wealth that is being destroyed.

Listen, if this was actually a "green jobs bill", here is what would be in it. Tax increases for the middle class and rich and government spending and subsidies to build the infrastructure and renewable energy sources which the Waxman bill tries to do. A bill of that nature would be just as good for the environment. We would end up more energy efficient and less dependent on non-renewable energy sources (by the way, why is it assumed that Republicans are opposed to that?). Here is the problem. No lawmaker would consider passing a straightforward law that taxes the rich and middle class so transparently. Especially in a recession! Instead it has to be cloaked in a "climate bill" with a cap and trade system that most cannot understand. When asked about it, they downplay the increases in prices consumers will pay. They demonize big business and create fear around climate change. They lump this in with the stimulus bill as a job creator, to get us back on track (because the last stimulus bill is working so well).

This bill isn’t about jobs, it isn’t about climate. It is about government once again sticking their hands into the pockets of Americans taking their money and their freedoms. It is about putting the hands around the neck of the US economy in order to control it.