Global Warming Legislation vs. Largest Government Projects in History

Posted April 2nd, 2009 at 4.19pm in Energy and Environment.

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Add together NASA since its inception, the cost of Hurricane Katrina and spending on the New Deal. Adjust for inflation. What do you get? Not quite the amount of money a cap and trade program would generate in energy taxes on consumers. The $1.9 trillion generated over eight years from a cap-and-trade bill would still be larger than the $1.5 trillion from NASA, the New Deal, and Hurricane Katrina.

Granted, this is comparing apples to oranges to lemons as NASA and the New Deal are government spending projects, Hurricane Katrina was general economic damage and “climate revenue” from a cap and trade is a tax, but it gives you an idea of how big this program really is. In fact, CNBC has a slide show of the biggest spending items in the federal government’s history and, after adjusting for inflation, only World War II ($3.6 trillion) is greater than the tax collection from capping carbon dioxide.

Keep in mind, this is an enormous energy tax for absolutely nothing in return, unless you consider lots of economic pain (higher prices, hundreds of thousands of jobs lost per year) with no environmental benefit a good investment of taxpayer money.

Author: Nick Loris
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13 Comments

April 2, 2009 gary, freeland mi writes:

Hey, since we are just printing the money, and no one seems to care about the national debt (kind of like the idiots who bought houses they new they couldn’t afford) why stop with a few measly trillion? Seems everyone thinks everything is free, so lets go for it? Hey, we can all get free houses, and cars and who knows what else! This is so cool!! We can live the life we always dreamed of!! I can’t wait!!

We have to pay it back? Oooops.

April 2, 2009 Loy Buff Oak Island,NC writes:

Cap and Trade is just another ploy to tax people for the excuse of “Global Warming”. We need such liberal legislation like we need a hole in the head. This leading to loss of our individuality, sovereignty,and freedom. Thereby relieving us of our right to decide what is best for ourselves.

April 2, 2009 Wayne Hatch writes:

To date, Cap and Trade in Europe has been a disaster. Significant costs with little or no return and emissions that are higher today then at the time of their becoming a signatory to the Kyoto treaty. One would think the European experience would give pause to our elected representatives to think their actions through. The Waxman bill introduced today, April 2, should scare the life out of every American. “Socialism is a great form of government until it runs out of money.” Margaret T. had it right. There are many in our Congress that don’t. The European experience leads one to believe that Mother Nature has more to do with our climate than man.
We can’t control her, but then again there are people from California who think they can.

Hopefully reason and common sense will prevail.

April 2, 2009 Wayne Hatch, Murphy, NC writes:

Wayne Hatch wrote the above comment from the mountains located in Murphy, NC.

April 2, 2009 Jamey, Central California writes:

I want a federal grand to be the first National Carbon Credit Bank House. Talk about something for nothing. Lets create a non existing problem, and then charge people for a by product of the thing they most use, that supposedly causes the non-problem, for REAL money! WOW! Al Gore is EVIL genius if nothing else.

April 2, 2009 ra,ohio writes:

And now we have obama bowing to the king of saudi arabia on the world stage.

Really people, do you think this country is in competent hands ???
2010….vote them OUT !!!

April 3, 2009 John Lohnes Las Vegas, NV. writes:

Cap and Trade, something only the leftists, marxists could come up with. They have an organised agenda, to punish success, profit, wealth in small bussiness and in the “Evil Corporations”, and all for what? Global warming? Where was government intrusion on global warming when the great pyramids were being built? It is’nt going to stop here, it will get worse. Free enterprise,private property,liberty,freedom and our Constitution is at risk of being lost.

April 3, 2009 Arnold L. Morin,The Real World writes:

Tea Party, How about Impeachment Party if this bunch of fools have not violated the Constitution and our own children they should be in jail with the rest of the criminals.

April 3, 2009 Dr. Richard Odgaard, Iowa writes:

Over the years we have apparently elected many leaders that have proven NOT to be smarter than a 5th grader. If they were, they would have already recognized that man-made global warming (and the results thereof) can be categorically repudiated by axioms taught in 5th grade science.

April 4, 2009 DANA (New Mexico) writes:

I REMEMBER READING ABOUT THE NEW ICE AGE IN THE 1970′S. NOW IT’S GLOBAL WARMING…ANYTHING TO TAX US TO DEATH. HOW ABOUT VOLCANOES? CAN WE TAX THE ISLAND OR AREA IT ERUPTS ON? AL GORE FOLLOWERS ARE LIKE SHEEP TO THE SLAUGHTER. LET THEM BUY CARBON CREDITS IF IT MAKES THEM FEEL LESS “GUILTY” AND LINE AL’S POCKETS, SINCE HE INVENTED THEM AND OWNS A BUSINESS OF SELLING THEM.

April 6, 2009 Barb -mn writes:

PRIORITY #1 -GET RID OF THE GOVERNMENT-FRAUD MADE-GLOBAL WARMING LEGISLATION. IMMEDIATE ENORMOUS INCREASE IN BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT!!!!! EVERYTHING WILL TRICKLE (UP OR) DOWN, WHICH EVER THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO CALL IT. THOSE IN GOVERNMENT ARE FRAUDS WITH OBAMA’S LEADERSHIP AND BLESSING.

April 6, 2009 Micayla, Minnesota writes:

I couldn’t agree more. Global Warming is obviously a natural cycle of the earth and that has been proven throughout the course of the history of the world. Sure, we may be speeding up a little but with Gore’s self destruction threats i guess the government feels the need to further extend this huge debt and constantly burn through cash. Maybe if we just keep throwing money at our problems it will all go away.

July 10, 2009 Allen, TX writes:

Looks like we all agree Cap and Trade is not a great idea. Let’s pull together, I encourage everyone to write their representatives in the House and the Senate and let them know your opinion. This is our right as Americans; it’s not too late for our voice to be heard.

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