Aug 11
Johnson backs cap-and-trade bill
By Denise Ross
From my e-mail box, this column by Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., says that the cap-and-trade bill would mean more jobs in South Dakota. This after the Argus Leader reported a week or more ago that our electric bills would go up. (Read his entire column on the jump.)
Writes Johnson:
Soon the Senate will consider climate change legislation that could finally help South Dakota to live up to its wind generating potential and capture the benefits of a cash crop that is just blowing across our landscape.
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South Dakota’s growing clean energy economy has added good-paying jobs at an annual job growth rate of 7.9 percent over the past decade.
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The question is: are we sending more of our hard earned money to Big Oil and oil rich countries or are we investing in our own backyards?
He goes on to predict the effort to kill the bill will reach the fevered pitch of an anti-health-care crowd at a town hall meeting. And he says doing nothing would be counterproductive.
These scare tactics just present a status quo approach that leaves us all vulnerable to oil spikes in a global market and high gas prices that crush family budgets like we saw last summer.
So, if we thought the season of discontent would end with the fate of health care reform, I suspect more likely we’ll look back on this summer like we look back on the much maligned predictions that war in Iraq could cost $50B.
To read Johnson’s column, click “CLICK HERE” below.
Climate Change Bill Could Bring Jobs, Prosperity and Clean Air
By U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD)
How many times have you heard experts cite the fact that South Dakota is the fourth windiest state, but only ranks 20th in actual installed wind energy generation? Soon the Senate will consider climate change legislation that could finally help South Dakota to live up to its wind generating potential and capture the benefits of a cash crop that is just blowing across our landscape.
In fact, the wind energy potential in South Dakota can put us in a leading position to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of fossil fuels and get America running on clean energy.
This is a chance to invest in American ingenuity and help our country become a global leader on clean energy that can jumpstart our economy. We can grow our economy and reduce the demand for oil, much of which is imported and drives up our trade deficit while enriching hostile foreign governments.
South Dakota’s growing clean energy economy has added good-paying jobs at an annual job growth rate of 7.9 percent over the past decade. A new federal policy that drives demand for wind power will sustain these jobs and create more of them.
As a consequence of the forward-looking 2007 Energy Bill that boosted renewable fuels production and reformed fuel efficiency rules for cars and trucks, our consumption of petroleum-based gasoline is predicted to decline by over 1 million barrels per day below the country’s daily total in 2007. In addition, it helps pick up the pace on ethanol and looks at next generation biofuels, such as switchgrass, wood waste and other non-grain feedstocks, which helps both East and West River, South Dakota. It also included a tax credit that, in our neck of the woods, can help build wind turbines and start harnessing that energy potential.
Simply put, that means we already have a plan in place that moves us toward consuming less oil and more homegrown biofuels while making our cars and trucks more energy efficient. But that is just one step. When it comes to energy, we should be open to new ideas that help our economy and invest in America.
Now some will throw their hands up and say we just can’t do this now or they will try to cite worst case scenarios and cost projections far beyond what the non-partisan groups have told us clean energy incentives will actually cost. These scare tactics just present a status quo approach that leaves us all vulnerable to oil spikes in a global market and high gas prices that crush family budgets like we saw last summer.
Energy prices are going up with or without any comprehensive policy changes from Congress. The question is: are we sending more of our hard earned money to Big Oil and oil rich countries or are we investing in our own backyards?
Technology and alternative ways to produce energy need long-term planning. For South Dakota in particular, with so much untapped potential for wind energy generation and renewable fuels production, a more progressive national energy policy could be just the step that will finally transform that economic potential into actual jobs, economic development, and opportunity for people and communities across our state.
This fall, the Senate is likely going to take a fresh look at a comprehensive energy bill focused on clean energy incentives. I am optimistic we can turn energy potential into reality and help create new job opportunities at home by producing more clean energy in the United States.
2 Comments so far
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Yeah, right, no wonder Johnson won’t hold town hall meetings on this or health care. He is a shill for Reid, Pelosi, and Obama.
Who was that rich guy building all those windmills in Texas, oh J. Boone Pickens. How come he quit? Because there was no way to get the wind to the end users, and he couldn’t find financing to build such a system. But he hoped to find new homes for the windmills he had promised to buy. Are those the windmills Johnson wants us to purchase.
Johnson states, “South Dakota’s growing clean energy economy has added good-paying jobs at an annual job growth rate of 7.9 percent over the past decade,” Where does he get those statistics?
Johnson doesn’t mention all the other (pardon my French) crap that is in the climate change bill that mandates how to build houses, how to sell houses, purchase of energy efficient green stuff before being able to sell a home, which will cost us all.
Follow the money is a favorite phrase. Follow it in this case, and it leads directly back to Gore, Pelosi, and all the other promoters who are invested heavily financially in seeing that this thing passes.
One of the reasons for cash for clunkers was to get more energy efifcient vehicles on the road. Baloney, if all you are doing is raising 1 or 2 MPG. And until Gore, Pelosi, et al are willing to practice what they preach, they have no right to force me to spend more of my hard-earned money on a program that will simply generate more revenue for them and the gov’t through back channel taxes.
….but don’t you think their hearts are in the right places? I mean obviously they’re just doing this to help us and our environment, right? Think of how beautiful thousands of giant windmills would look! Plus shouldn’t it be their place to tell us how much energy we can or can’t use? Just think if Cap and Trade makes all energy costs go up and all food prices, etc go up too, won’t everyone cut back on how much they’re using? Maybe people will stop having so many kids if they can’t afford them. You can see how that would help the urban sprawl issue. It will also help to reduce our carbon foot prints! (if you believe in global warming like Pelosi, Gore, etc.) Sure, they’re doing nothing to reduce their carbon foot prints but we must remember that they are a lot more important than we are ….right? Pay no attention to their attempts to purchase private jets for themselves while ridiculing private businesses who do the same. Don’t worry, our Government representatives are using their jets wisely since it is our tax money paying for them. Obama’s date to NY was very important. So was the AF1 flight (with the fighter jet escort) around the statue of liberty for the photo shoot.
Not Tim Johnson though, he’s doing everything he can …at least now he is. After all, the reason his staffer gave us for why he’s not back in SD yet is because he was flying coach back from DC. Apparently he’s never made a reservation ahead of time as it relates to his schedule and this was the soonest he could get out…? So what has he been doing in DC during this Aug recess on our tax money? Supposedly committee meetings. No doubt they were far more important than meeting/hearing from his constituents. Also, no one in his Sioux Falls Office knows anything about his schedule. ….but I’m sure that’s normal. I mean why would they keep track of such things? When asked if he was hiding from his constituents they replied certainly not! Though they didn’t know of any town hall meetings to tell me about. Even though THEY KNEW WHERE I WAS CALLING FROM, they said “well let me take down some of your thoughts on health care to pass along to the Senator in case he doesn’t have any meetings in your area” I said I live quite close to Sioux Falls along with the majority of people in SD. “SO HOW WOULD HE NOT BE HOLDING A MEETING IN MY AREA!?!” I went on to say that if he does not in fact hold at least several town hall meetings, one could only conclude that he is hiding from his constituents. I also demanded that we be made aware of any town hall meetings several weeks in advance and that their be no pre- conditions. It seems they have forgotten that they work for us! Not the other way around. If he was my employee, he would have been fired a long time ago!! …and so would his incompetent staff!
Also, I wonder how much the vote for ANTI -second amendment Sotomayor will affect his NRA approval rating. If you think it should, contact John Goodwin at 202-651-2560. I think since the Supreme court rulings are the most important factor as far as interpreting what is or isn’t constitutional, his support of Sotomayor should undo ALL of his NRA support! His pro-gun support means nothing if he’s willing to vote in favor of someone like Sotomayor!
I also haven’t heard any talk of Senator Tim Johnson agreeing to forego his current health care plan for the proposed Govt. option. I also haven’t heard Mr. Johnson speaking out against the 30 plus czars! that Obama has appointed! Despite the fact that they are extreme radicals! If you don’t know what I’m talking about just look up the Science, Regulatory, and Green Czars! I also haven’t heard Mr. Johnson speaking out against the outrageous things that Ezekiel J. Emanuel has said as it relates to the value of human life! Ezekial Emanuel is a Health advisor to the Obama administration and is the older brother of Rahm Emanuel (Obama’s Chief of Staff)
If Mr. Johnson does now it is TOO LATE! It will be obvious that it is only because people are calling him out about these things! I certainly hope he decides to have a real town hall meeting so that we can confront him face to face about these and other issues! Though I’m expecting he’ll avoid us the same way he did Joel Dykstra. It is obvious that he is incompetent and I think he knows a town hall meeting or any form of debate would prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt.
If that is wrong than WHERE ARE YOU MR. JOHNSON!?