Obama to let electricity rates skyrocket
By jonesy123
@jonesy123 (3948)
United States
November 2, 2008 9:11pm CST
Is this what Obama and Biden meant when they stated that Obama may make some unpopular decisions that will be in the end very good for us? Apparently he wants to bankrupt the coal mines and sent electricity rates through the roof. Is this a way to make us energy independent?
Obama, in the San Francisco Chronicle,Jan. 2008:
"The problem is not technical, uh, and the problem is not mastery of the legislative intricacies of Washington. The problem is, uh, can you get the American people to say, “This is really important,” and force their representatives to do the right thing? That requires mobilizing a citizenry. That requires them understanding what is at stake. Uh, and climate change is a great example.
You know, when I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, uh, you know — Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it — whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.
They — you — you can already see what the arguments will be during the general election. People will say, “Ah, Obama and Al Gore, these folks, they’re going to destroy the economy, this is going to cost us eight trillion dollars,” or whatever their number is. Um, if you can’t persuade the American people that yes, there is going to be some increase in electricity rates on the front end, but that over the long term, because of combinations of more efficient energy usage, changing lightbulbs and more efficient appliance, but also technology improving how we can produce clean energy, the economy would benefit.
If we can’t make that argument persuasively enough, you — you, uh, can be Lyndon Johnson, you can be the master of Washington. You’re not going to get that done."
1 response
@ClarusVisum (2163)
• United States
3 Nov 08
"Obama isn't proposing any new tax on electricity or "dirty energy" as part of his platform, and he never has.
It's true that a coal/gas tax would raise electric rates, but so would a cap-and-trade program to restrict carbon emissions. Cap-and-trade is an idea that both McCain and Obama support, in different forms. Neither candidate characterizes cap-and-trade as a "tax."" -- http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/obamas_celebrity_cred.html
Nice try, but this was debunked at least as early as July.
1 person likes this
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
3 Nov 08
Sorry, I have to disagree. Deny it as you want, swallow the party line, but those were his exact words. "electricity rates will skyrocket"
http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/video.aspx?v=e46U2Gnzpr
1 person likes this
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
3 Nov 08
This not about a tax btw but about forcing coal power plants to clean up now or else. This will send prices through the roof. You could of course force them to shut down, which would put the coal industry in a crisis and cost a lot of jobs.
1 person likes this
@ClarusVisum (2163)
• United States
3 Nov 08
There's a reason this didn't take off as an effective attack back in January, when he said that.
Think about it.