EPA Agenda vs Job Creation
by Mark Wohlschlegel
You can’t have your proverbial “cake and eat it too.” The EPA is out of control and must be controlled! The liberal agenda of Lisa Jackson, EPA Administrator supported by our current administration will continue to drive US companies abroad thereby exacerbating the unemployment situation in our country. There are mutliple initiatives now being promulgated by the EPA that could have significant negative effect on costs to industry and consumers. For example, the utility MACT is the most immediate threat. The rules would affect power plants responsible for nearly half of the power generation in the nation!
Don’t listen to the EPA “BS” that claims this legislation will provide employment for thousands by supporting 31,000 short-term construction jobs! By the way, since when is the EPA’s charter to create jobs! The very fact that they mention this should give rise to big concerns!
The truth is that all these restrictions and costs associated with the initiatives do not produce one single kilowatt hour of electricity. For instance, a retrofitted scrubber will consume about 8% of the output of the plant during the life of the plant. This means the plant will generate less revenue and the electricity produced will be even more expensive for consumers and other industries. With production costs moving higher, industries will lose their competitive edge and begin to move offshore, More Americans will lose their jobs while the cost of living will get higher. The EPA claims the impact of the MACT is $10.9BB but how many times has a federal government agency ever had their budgeted cost numbers right? In fact, most of the times, they end up costing 10x more than their estimates. Industry sources estimate the cost to the utilities to retrofit their plants at closer to $100BB. The cost to ratepayers is expected to be 25% higher electricity rates.
The MACT initiative is moving fast. The EPA has requested comments during the month of July but a court decree allows for a chance of a schedule delay. The regulations include a 171 page proposal, 19 technical support documents
These are some of the most significant and costly rules the EPA has ever proposed—but I guess we would not expect the EPA to be concerned about cost!
The EPA is moving ahead with these costly initiatives despite the fact that our air quality in the US is better than it has been in 40 years—and that power plants account for less than a half percent of mercury emissions. In fact, this is not a US issue, it is a global issue. Particulate matter emissions are also included. Fact: Since 1970, coal-fired electricity which now produces 50% of our nations power at low costs have increased 57 percent—at the same time, emissions from these plants are down 93.1 percent. Sulfur emissions are down 56.8% according to government and industry sources. Oxides of nitrogen are down 38.7%. Utilities have cut mercury emissions by 40 percent. Today, the nation’s power plants are responsible for less than 50 tons of mercury emissions per year—the lowest ever while Chinese power plants alone emit 400 tons/year and get this—natural sources produce up to 10,000 tons/year.
You can see, the EPA is out of control, impervious to cost and impact on our country, jobs, etc. Burdensome, costly regulations are not the way to encourage competition, investment, or job creation. Our country is struggling from a severe economic downturn. With unchecked and irresponsible federal agencies like the EPA promulgating ridiculous regulations how are we to get back on track to enjoy an affordable life and a thriving job market. The proposed EPA regulations are counterproductive in a big way, and in most cases, we are at the point of diminishing return—where a small, very small incremental improvement in air or water quality results in a huge investment!
Krauthammer- “Call his bluff”
This guy is right far more times than he is wrong! Love reading and listening to him–he is on point!
Enjoy—Mark W
Upcoming August Chapter Meetings
Monday, August 8th, Col. (Ret) Mike McCallister will talk with our Boca Raton Chapter. While he is in the area, Col.(Ret) McCallister will also be the keynote speaker at the first Wellington Chapter meeting on Tuesday, August 9th. Meanwhile, Congressman Allen West will launch the first meeting of the Palm Beach County Tea Party, Jupiter/PBG Chapter on Monday, August 15th. Joyce Kaufman will also be our Guest Speaker. (note that the Jupiter/PBG meeting was rescheduled from August 1st)
All of our chapter meetings will follow the same format: Doors open at 5:30 pm, Buffet served at 6:00 pm, and the speaker meeting starts promptly at 7:00 pm. Please click on these links for the specifics for each upcoming meeting.
Aug 8th Boca Raton Monthly Meeting
Aug 9th Wellington Monthly Meeting
Aug 15th Jupiter/PBG Monthly Meeting
Lastly, mark you calendar for the Palm Beach County Tea Party BBQ on Labor Day, September 5th. Our keynote speaker will be Congressman Tom Rooney. Click here for details: BBQ
Congressman Tom Rooney Speaking at PBCTP Labor Day BBQ
MEETING NOTICE – PBCTP Labor Day Family BBQ – Save the Date!
Join us for the Monday, September 5th BBQ in lieu of the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Palm Beach County Tea Party’s Jupiter / Palm Beach Gardens Chapter. Our special guests will be U S Congressman Tom Rooney , CD # 16, and State Representative Pat Rooney, CD # 83. Beautiful tent-covered dining area with grassy areas for bocce ball and other fun games. Food will be excellent! Children 10 and under are half price-children 3 and under are free.
DATE: Monday, September 5, 2011
TIME: BBQ 5:30 PM, ($15 includes tax & tips, Cash Bar); Speaker at 7:00 PM
PLACE: DoubleTree Hotel, Palm Beach Gardens
Keynote Speaker: Florida State Representative CD # 83, Pat Rooney will speak at 7:00 PM Q & A to follow.US Congressman Tom Rooney, Florida District 16, will attend the entire evening’s event and speak at 7:30, Q & A to follow.
Click here to RSVP with name and number of buffet attendees: RSVP
For More Information
Email
Call: 561.463.2174
Palm Beach County Tea Party
Aug 8th Boca Raton Monthly Meeting
MEETING NOTICE – Boca Raton Chapter
Join us for the Monday, August 8th meeting of the Palm Beach County Tea Party’s Boca Raton Chapter, with keynote speaker, Mike McCallister.
DATE: Monday, August 8, 2011
TIME: Doors open at 5:30 PM, Buffet at 6:00 PM ($15, Cash Bar); Meeting at 7:00 PM
PLACE: Boca Greens Country Club, 19642 Trophy Drive, Boca Raton, FL 33498-4633
Keynote Speaker: Keynote Speaker: Ret. Col. Mike McCallister, candidate for US Senate. Question and Answer session to follow his talk.
Boca Greens CC is a gated community. Click here to RSVP with name of each attendee: RSVP
For More Information
Email
Call: 561.302-1479
Palm Beach County Tea Party
Aug 9th Wellington Monthly Meeting
MEETING NOTICE – Wellington Chapter
Join us for the August 9th meeting of the Palm Beach County Tea Party’s Wellington Chapter, with keynote speaker Mike McCallister.
DATE: Tuesday, August 9, 2011
TIME: Doors open at 5:30 PM, Buffet at 6:00 PM ($15, Cash Bar); Meeting at 7:00 PM
PLACE: Binks Forest Golf Club, 400 Binks Forest Drive, Wellington, FL 33414
Keynote Speaker: Ret. Col. Mike McCallister, candidate for US Senate. Question and Answer session to follow his talk.
Click here to RSVP with name and number of buffet attendees: RSVP
For More Information
Call: (561) 921-5298
Leadership (or lack thereof)
The dictionary defines a leader as “a person who has commanding authority or influence”. Amusingly, another definition is “a blank section at the beginning or end of a reel of film or recorded tape”. Which is President Obama?
Studies have shown that of the five most important traits of leadership, honesty is number one. When the population detects discrepancies between what the President says and does they lose trust in him and his ability to lead is diminished.
There has been absolutely no leadership from the White house on the country’s spending problem. It seems like the White house has an anti-leadership posture preventing anyone else from exerting leadership as well.
What is the President’s problem? Is it an inability or unwillingness to lead us away from the abyss? Maybe the problem is he has never had any leadership experience.
The President tells the members of congress of all political persuasions to get together and solve the problem but contributes nothing to a solution. And when someone stands up to his inadequacy he storms out of the room in a fit. Then it seems all he knows how to do is call another meeting. If the consequences were not so serious, it would be a joke.
And it is not the first time the President has been exposed to a problem and has walked away without marshaling the country’s resources to address the problem.
The President’s lack of leadership results in the country’s march straight to Armageddon.
Where will he be then?
Why not defund Obamacare?
With all the problems of the debt, the debt ceiling and the need to reduce spending, why do the Republicans not move to defund Obamacare?
It is one of the most popular things they can do.
Fiscal Brinkmanship
The President should have seen the mood of the electorate after the 2010 election and prioritized expenditures to rein in spending and get the budget (nonexistent as it is) under control.
Even now, with opposition mounting to his desire to increase the National Debt, he continues his wanton spending, ignores the need to prioritize expenses and takes us to the brink.
He continues to produce long lists of programs that are untouchable and that consume the majority of the spending so there is nothing left to cut as we head to the brink.
His continuing to spend money he does not have pushes the country to the edge of a cliff, and the longer he waits to adjust the messier the solution (if there will be one) will be.
It is almost as if he wants the country to go down in the hope (is that the hope and change he promised in his campaign) that he and his progressive cohorts can take us into full-fledged socialism when the country collapses.
Obama Campaign on the Move!
If this doesn’t motivate Tea Party members, I don’t know what will! Losing in 2012 is not an option! We need to work as hard and be as organized as the opposition!
