220+ amendments

220 proposed amendments on the cap and trade bill that passed yesterday. The House passed one amendment with virtually no discussion and no chance to bring up any other proposed amendment. If you want to see a list of all the proposed amendents, go here. You’ll find things like a proposal to repeal the act if the average electric bill rises more than $20/month, or one (from Utah’s Jason Chaffetz) to require electric companies to line-item the increase, to one that would suspend the act if gasoline hits $5/gallon. There was even one by Rep. Gingrey from Georgia to allow states the right to opt out if they passed legislation to do so.
But – all those amendments are moot. With 2 days of the Capitol switchboard being overloaded and individual Reps offices flooded with calls, the bill that was supposed to pass easily barely squeaked out a 219-212 win. In the end, 44 Democrats voted against the bill, including Utah’s Jim Matheson, while 8 Republicans voted for it. They are Mary Bono-Mack (CA), Mike Castle (DE), Mark Kirk (IL), John McHugh (NY), Frank LoBiondo (NJ), Leonard Lance (NJ), Chris Smith (NJ) and Dave Reichert (WA). You gotta know the Republicans in those states – especially New Jersey – are gonna be looking for some changes in 2010.

Warren Buffet slams huge, regressive tax

Warren Buffet, long-time Obama supporter does NOT LIKE the Dem’s national energy tax. His solution? Create more American jobs.

Cap and trade vote TODAY

OK, really – let’s call it what it is – cap and tax.

Speaker Pelosi (who stands to rake in the bucks when this bill passes) has scheduled a vote on the Democrats’ National Energy Tax for tomorrow, June 26, or Saturday, June 27. Their so-called cap-and-trade proposal threatens to cost average American families more than $3,000 in new taxes a year, raise energy bills by $1,500 a year, and reduce employment by more than a million jobs annually. President Obama himself has said, “Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.” Furthermore, this National Energy Tax will force many businesses to relocate, outsource jobs overseas, or even close their doors altogether.

The Congressional Budget Office confirms that H.R. 2454 imposes a national energy tax on every household in the U.S. Other independent estimates conclude that the cost of such a tax on families is well into the thousands of dollars. Almost every provision in the bill increases the cost of energy directly.

The Waxman-Markey bill will:
*increase energy costs to families
*increase energy costs to businesses – estimate for ONE Utah elementary school: an extra $10,000 in their annual electric bill
*increase fuel costs – at the pump, for air travel, for shipping and everything else related to fuel usage
*increase food costs (see above on fuel costs)
*cost American jobs by forcing them to India and China (countries with no plans to cap emissions).  According to the independent Charles River Associates International, H.R. 2454 would result in a “net reduction in U.S. employment of 2.3 million to 2.7 million jobs EACH YEAR of the policy through 2030,”
*act as a global bailout, sending $302 billion in taxpayer wealth overseas between 2012 and 2019 for climate change
*unfairly burden rural America, with farm income expected to drop by 94% by 2035
*make Al Gore rich – from a recent Reuters report by David Lawsky:

An environmental start-up backed by Al Gore’s venture capital firm aims to take advantage of coming U.S. climate change legislation by helping companies like Coca Cola and even cities cut pollution.
Hara, a 25-employee company that debuted in 2008, provides online software to help companies reduce their carbon footprint — a $2.5 billion market that will grow 10-fold if the proposed energy bill, which will require companies to get permits for emissions, becomes law, Chief Executive Amit Chatterjee said.

*create 12 new advisory boards, committees and other institutions – in addition to the 19 federal departments that will get increased funding to help manage this monstrosity
*set the stage for another market melt-down
*make virtually no difference on the temperature of the earth – less than 2/10′s of 1% in ONE HUNDRED YEARS

As of this afternoon, all 3 Utah Representatives are planning on voting no on the cap-and-trade bill. Overwhelming public outcry has been received – keep it up.
Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121 and ask for your Representative
Congressman Bishop: 202-225-0453 or 801-625-0107
Congressman Matheson: 202-225-3011 or 801-486-1236
Congressman Chaffetz: 202-225-7751 or 801-851-2500

Keep ACORN away from the census

Congressman Jason Chaffetz is proposing another common-sense idea, this time regarding data collection and the census. Instead of hiring an additional 750,000 ACORN activists, why not utilize the 760,000 post office folks who already know the neighborhoods, are already in place and are not a partisan political group?

From Rep Chaffetz:

“The census is a good example of an inefficient government program with billions of dollars of cost overruns that could immediately become more efficient with this common sense approach using resources already at our disposal,”

FACTS:
760,000+ Postal employees
750,000+ Anticipated new hires needed to conduct the 2010 Census
$11 Billion+ Appropriations to conduct the 2010 Census
$ Billions Projected US Post Office revenue shortfall for FY 2009
April 1, 2010 Census Day (Certainly an appropriate day if ACORN is running the census!)

Rep. Chaffetz’ bill will create a “postal holiday” on the “Census Day” to allow the collection of Census information rather than the delivery of mail.

Chaffetz better be careful though – his out-of-the-box thinking and common sense approach is earning him a reputation. Pretty soon, his name will become a verb and people will talk about “Chaffetzizing” or simply “Chaffetzing” when they mean a politician who actually stands on principle and brings forward workable solutions.

Speaking of tax hikes

The Jordan school district is planning a massive tax hike of 40%, making residents there the most highly taxed in the state. Surrounding school districts will see small tax hikes as well to help pay for the cost of the Jordan district split.

KUTV explained:

The East-Side residents of the Jordan School District voted to divorce the West Side and form the new Canyons School District. The East Side took most of the district revenues, and left the West Side with most of the children. Jordan School District faces a $30 million deficit, and is now laying off 180 employees, in addition to the big tax hike.
In effect, Canyon School District residents left money problems to the Jordan District, and the Legislature said other districts have to help.

Nebo bond update

In the Nebo school district bond issue, the final tally is 3,057-2,930 but the margin was officially too narrow to call. District spokeswoman Lana Hiskey said there has to be more than 200 votes difference before the results can be declared official. The bond fell short of that margin, passing by only 127 votes, while the leeway passed with a 57-vote margin. There are still early and absentee ballots to be counted (anyone wanna guess which way they’ll fall?)

The Deseret News reported:

Kristie Hall, who brought her 5-year-old son with her to the polls, said she was in favor of the election and the bond.
“I think it was great. We got all kinds of things in the mail, all kinds of things sent home from school,” Hall said. “I think it will be good in the long run, especially with the growth.”

In other words, use the schools to target voters more likely to approve the bond while most people never even heard of the election. There was barely a 10% turnout and one has to wonder – how much lower would it have been if the Utah Taxpayer’s Association and the media not been vocal about what was actually going on.

Say What You Need to Say

Images from Iran. I wonder – at what point do you stop talking about election protests and start talking about a revolution? Seems to me we may have passed that point…

. I wond

Dirty politics in Nebo

There’s a saying that sunlight is the best disinfectant and right now, the Nebo School District needs some disinfectant. With almost no notice, on an off-time, the Nebo district is holding a bond election which will raise taxes an average of $300 per household. In a down economy and trying to sneak it in under the radar is under-handed and just plain wrong. To compound the problem, there are only 7 polling places instead of 30+ and half of those are in different locations.

Royce van Tassel of the Utah Taxpayer’s Association says the June election is an underhanded way of trying to pass a bond without the residents’ participation. If Nebo School District was confident in the measure, they should have waited until November, when voter turnout is sure to be higher.   “It seems all too clear”, he said, “that the Nebo School District doesn’t want the taxpayers to weigh in on this.”

So here is a call to action – pick up the phone and call anyone you know in the Nebo district and GET THEM OUT TO VOTE. Then have them get their friends and neighbors to get out and vote.  YOU should have a say in how YOUR money is spent!

*To be fair, the Daily Herald has been reporting on this for over 2 months.  Unfortunately, no one noticed.  I still think Nebo School District is trying to pull a fast one.  Again.  District administrators said if the citizens voted down their bond, they would be forced to “do alternative things” to deal with the growth.  Sounds like a plan to me!

Sunset Caucus clip

Congressman Chaffetz announcing his part in the Sunset Caucus

Novel idea: Let’s shrink government

Congressman Jason Chaffetz ran on a platform that included fiscal discipline, limited government and accountability. He has been back in DC making his mark by thinking outside the box and pushing forward new ideas. The newly formed “Sunset Caucus” is a prime example. Officially listed as a co-sponsor, it is clear to anyone who has been around Chaffetz very long that this group is his baby.  Shrinking government by getting rid of obsolete programs that are no longer necessary?  Shine the light of accountability into corners that haven’t been looked at for years?   Lead out on a new way of doing things and get others to follow?  Quintessential Jason Chaffetz.

The caucus has over 40 members dedicated to disproving Ronald Reagan’s statement: “No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.”  Each member of the caucus has committed to taking at least one federal program that has outlived its usefulness and work towards unfunding it and getting it off the books.

Congressman Chaffetz is starting with three programs: One is a $28 million annual subsidy for mohair, the fabric made from yarn made from Angora goats. Mohair subsidies were originally authorized to hold down the cost of military uniforms, but the military has not used mohair in uniforms since the Korean War.

Then, there is the $30 million spent annually on the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, established in 1963 to help states and local governments acquire new land and make improvements in their parks – not an appropriate role for the federal government.

Finally, Chaffetz will also lead the fight to eliminate $14 million in annual funding for the International Fund for Ireland, established in 1986 by the British and Irish governments to encourage reconciliation between nationalists and unionists throughout Ireland – good cause, but not the role of the US government.

I personally am hopeful that the caucus can also work on preventing new wasteful spending from being authorized – like the $400,000+ the NIH wants to spend to find out why men don’t like to wear condoms.

And speaking of fiscal discipline, first quarter spending reports are out and show Chaffetz office spending well under the amount allotted for expenses. Even after the expenses of setting up 2 new offices, with all new staff, he is on track to return well into 6 figures out of $1.4 million.  He spent some $40K less than his predecessor for the first quarter of last year. Congressman Rob Bishop is close behind Chaffetz and is expected to return hundreds of thousands of dollars to the federal government. Congressman Matheson spent the most of the Utah delegation but is still expected to have a surplus.