Ninth District politics

While Delegate Morgan Griffith will pick up the Ninth District GOP nod to run against Rick Boucher and has extensive experience within the House of Delegates, I submit that politics as usual will not cut it in the Ninth this year. Need an example? This year is the first in recent memory that a true independent candidate is running. Jeremiah Heaton has already been on the stump in significant ways.

Traditionally, the Ninth has reelected Boucher on the strength of his efforts in the coalfield counties such as Buchanan, Wise and Dickenson. Why does Boucher perform well in coal country? He’s in the pocket of Cecil Roberts and the UMWA. Boucher will spend most of his time in District in Abingdon or in the coal counties. I can understand that, one has to keep his bread buttered. I submit that this year may present a different outcome.

Current dissatisfaction with Congress is not necessarily limited to just Democrats. Anger with incumbents reach across party lines. Mr. Morgan, Mr. Heaton and Mr. Boucher would all be well advised to remember this. The American people and the people of the Ninth District want real solutions. They want real, good paying jobs in the manufacturing sector. They want our coal jobs to remain where they are, in the Ninth District. The people of the Ninth District do not want politics as usual.

Washington County is in dire need of good manufacturing jobs to bolster a sagging economy. The new Lowe’s has provided much needed jobs, but we have several industrial parks sitting empty with infrastructure available to companies who would be willing to invest in the site and in the community. Companies rumored to have been interested are TRW, Toyota among others. Why is the Glade Highlands Industrial Park sitting empty? Where are the good paying jobs Mr. Boucher assured us would come.

Perhaps the most indicative indicator is Mr. Boucher’s support of the so-called Cap and Trade legislation. According to the Heritage Foundation, Virginia will lose 26,604 jobs while raising electricity prices by $532.18 per household. These numbers are for the timeframe 2012 – 2035, or 23 years.On average, Virginia will lose almost 1,200 jobs a year. Why did Boucher vote for Cap and Tax?

Last year, Crystal Clear Conservative asked if Boucher could kiss his seat goodbye. At the time, I was skeptical. Now, not so much.

Boucher: Champion of coal or demagogue?

Considering his recent vote for Waxman-Markey, I’d say most clear thinking Americans would lean toward the latter, but that’s just my opinion, or is it? Here’s a brief round up of my blog brothers and sisters in the ODBA and their take on Rick’s betrayal of the industry that puts him in office.

Kilo (who has strong ties to coal) has this series of posts about Boucher’s betrayal: here, here and here

Jerry, at From on High blog, has this post that opens the salvo against Rick Boucher’s betrayal of coal miners in the Ninth and this revealing an example of the distrust and unhappiness that Boucher’s action is beginning to bring about.

Alton, at Eschew Obfuscation, has this  truthful look at the realities of 21st century strip mining. With very few exceptions any more, coal companies leave the sites better than when they found them.

And, at the risk of being egotistical, please take a look at my post concerning Waxman Markey and the Ninth District. The numbers are staggering.

Delusional?

Does Barack Obama really think that throwing away billions of American taxpayers’ hard earned dollars has done anything constructive? I suppose so according to this snippet. Coupled with the fact that the Waxman-Markey cap and tax regime that just passed the House, the question now becomes, does Barack Obama really know what he’s doing or is he just following George Soros’ instructions? (By the way, Move On believes the Waxman Markey bill does not go far enough.)

Waxman-Markey and the Ninth District

I am thankful for an organization like the Heritage Foundation that works tirelessly to inform the American citizenry about the need for conservative solutions to problems in America today. An example is this Web Memo from Heritage that crunches the estimated job loss numbers by Congressional district. It is not surprising that in our Commonwealth, Waxman-Markey will have the greatest negative impact on the Fightin’ Ninth District. I’ll outline the findings for the Ninth District:

 

1.) GSP Losses in 2012 = $646.53 million This is a staggering loss of the economy in an already struggling CD.  If the devastation to the Ninth’s economy were isolated, it might not be as bad, but the losses continue to pile up for the next twenty years or so.

2.) GSP Losses in 2012-2035 = $1.3 billion, yes billion. This is a tragic and devastating loss to a district that largely depends on coal as a source of income for the economy. Think this is bad? You ain’t seen nothing yet.

3.)  Personal Income Loss in 2012 - $592 million and this is in just 2012. It does not get better.

4.) Average Personal Income Loss 2012 –2035 = $342.9 million The good news just keeps on coming doesn’t it?

5.) Non-Farm Job Loss in 2012 – 5,483 I’m sorry but this district cannot afford job losses on this scale. Rick Boucher should be thrown out on his can for voting for this.

6.) Non-Farm Job Loss 2012-2035 – 3,439 per year.

 

This bill of goods that recently passed the house will drastically affect the quality of life in the Ninth District. As before, it is no surprise that Waxman-Markey has the greatest negative impact on the Ninth District. And for what? A very negligible decrease in carbon emissions over the life of this legislation. Rick Boucher, shame on you.

An addendum to the previous post

JR, at Bearing drift, has this about cap and trade. Go check it out.

Coal – It’s what’s for US

At least that’s what one would think Rick Boucher and Cecil “I Own Rick Boucher” Roberts would believe. After all, a vast portion of the Ninth District is “Coal Country.” Apparently not, according to this release by Roberts’ UMWA. I’ll restate the question I previously asked: How does cap and tax protect good paying coal jobs? Answer: It doesn’t. Capping carbon emissions and then allowing trade allowances for these credits will do nothing but enact a National Energy Tax and thus seriously threaten the coal industry. That’s the whole point behind the Waxman-Markey bill. They want to tax coal out of usage in the United States. What does that leave? Hundreds of miners out of work with no prospects for jobs that pay equally as well.

What benefits would the United States gain environmentally under a cap and trade system? Little to none according to the Heritage Foundation:

 

Waxman-Markey Bill: Dumb and Dumber

• Waxman-Markey Global Warming Tax: The cap-and-trade tax proposed by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Edward Markey (D-MA) is disguised as environmental legislation when it would have little impact on global temperatures. In fact, it is a massive energy tax that promises soaring household energy bills, major job losses, income cuts, and a sharp left turn toward big government.
  • And It Keeps Getting Worse: The original draft of Waxman-Markey was so bad for the economy that moderate Democrats demanded it be changed. The new version, believe it or not, is much worse. Compared to no cap and trade, real GDP losses increase an additional $2 trillion, from $7.4 trillion to $9.6 trillion
  • And Why Is It Getting Worse? Attempts to reduce costs to consumers in the current bill do ease some near-term economic pains, but because "pollution permits" are handed out as subsidies, debt is driven up, interest rates increase, and businesses significantly reduce the investments that drive the overall economy, resulting in a more costly bill.
  • Green Jobs Are a Myth; Real Job Losses Are Not: For every "green job" created, others are wiped out. Compared to no cap and trade, average unemployment increases in the new bill an additional 261,000 jobs, from 844,000 lost jobs to 1,105,000 lost jobs in the current version
• Your Family Will Pay: Waxman-Markey will raise electricity rates 90% after adjusting for inflation, gas prices 74%, natural gas prices 55%, and an average family's annual energy bill by at least $1,500.

And What Do We Get After We Tax the Weather?

• The Ultimate Outsourcing: India and China have repeatedly said they would not match U.S. environmental goals in order to protect their economies. Cap and trade will merely move manufacturing jobs to China and India.
• Environmental Status Quo: All of the outrageous costs associated with this bill may at best result in 0.2 degree drop in temperature by the end of the century, and most likely even less.
• Massive Corruption: The New York Times reports that cap and trade "is almost perfectly designed for the buying and selling of political support through the granting of valuable emissions permits to favor specific industries and even specific congressional districts" (May 20, 2009).
• An Alternative That Supports American Taxpayers: Instead of appeasing a radical environmental agenda, President Obama should give us access to all energy sources, including domestic oil production, nuclear energy, coal, and new renewable fuels. Instead of new taxes, the President should aim to lower gas and electricity prices. When government impediments are lifted, America's energy entrepreneurs can develop innovative and market-driven solutions to our energy needs.

The problem is that Cecil Roberts and the UMWA are sweeping Boucher's support of Waxman-Markey under the rug. I posted about this, but no seems to be paying attention, I know you all read stuff, but the complicity here is staggering considering Roberts' rhetoric. The question we ought to be asking Roberts, Boucher and the UMWA, is how does cap and tax protect good paying coal jobs? Boucher's song and dance routine about being middle of the road is getting him nowhere. We've all seen the protest at his DC office and the arrests that followed. Being middle of the road does nothing but get you hit by a tractor and trailer.He should stick with being liberal, he's better at it.

Cecil Roberts - Clueless

In this press release, Cecil “I Own Rick Boucher” Roberts comes to the Feckless One’s defense citing “protections” in the Waxman bill. How does cap and tax protect coal jobs Mr. Roberts?

 

“Coal is America’s most abundant energy resource. We have more coal than any nation on earth. As the debate over climate change has evolved over the past two decades, we have not only insisted on the preservation of coal mining jobs, but argued as well for the essential part that coal plays in sustaining our national economy and ensuring our independence from foreign oil.

“While we still have concerns about this legislation, it contains many items that Rep. Boucher and others worked hard to attain and which we support, including over $100 billion to advance and deploy carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.

The fact of the matter remains that cap and tax will create a huge bureaucracy to handle the trade of “allowance” in carbon emissions and will effectively create a National Energy Tax which will discourage the use of coal and other sources of energy which are readily available to us now. This cap and tax system, by Obama’s own admission, will cause electricity rates to “skyrocket.” Don’t believe me? Hear now the Spender-in-Chief:

This is simply about partisan politics and the fact that Rick Boucher is owned and funded by Roberts and the UMWA.  I suggest that Mr. Roberts read HR 2300, the American Energy Innovation Act to see the right approach to energy solutions for the United States. Until he does, he remains clueless as to what Americans really want.

Boucher is protested

H/T to Article XI:

 

Looks like the Feckless One is getting hammered from both sides. I have no sympathy for these idiots who disrupt public business, but I find it amusing that our Congressman is protested by environmental groups when he supports Waxman’s horrible legislation.

As to the protesters, come to Buchanan or Dickenson Counties and try that. You’d be run out and tarred and feathered. These idiots don’t realize that coal drives the electricity they use to blog by, it drives the electricity that heats their water when they shower. Idiots!!!

These type of protests accomplish nothing but a criminal record and bad press for your cause. You want to protest? Fine. Find a place where no public proceedings will be interrupted. As to Congressman Boucher, I hope he realizes that coal UMWA is what is keeping him in office. He sells out again, he may be out of a job come 2010.

American Energy Innovation Act

The House Republican Study Committee introduced the American Energy Innovation Act in conjunction with the Congressional Western Caucus on Thursday. This comprehensive energy package offers solutions in three key areas of energy policy: Innovation, Conservation, and Production. This approach is commonly known as “all-you-can-create.” Some of the key points in this legislation include:

 

Innovation

• Repeals ban on unconventional fuels
• Incentives for renewable technologies
• Permitting and tort reform
• Renewable facility tax preference
• Natural gas as a viable commercial fuel

 

Conservation

• Energy efficient buildings deduction
• Credit for energy efficient homes
• Credit for low rise and commercial buildings
• Incentives for carbon sequestration

 

Production

• Outer Continental Shelf leasing plan
• Development of the Arctic Coastal Plain
• Attainable nuclear energy production
• Develop alternative sources of fuel
• Energy impact statement required
• Creates Deficit Reduction Trust Fund

 

According to the RSC and the Western Caucus, the savings this legislation will bring forward will be dedicated to deficit reduction. This piece of legislation is fairly comprehensive and should merit a closer look by both Republicans AND Democrats. Long term growth of the United States is closely linked to our energy output and consumption. I’m not expert, but it seems as if this involves a more focused approach than the cap and trade approach espoused by the Spender-in-Chief.