Simmons opposes cap and trade

Instead of turning to a complex system of cap and trade credits to combat global warming, the country should consider a straightforward carbon tax that is “more simple and straightforward” for businesses and consumers, a Republican U.S. Senate candidate said Monday.
“I’m not fooled by cap and trade,” said Rob Simmons, who is angling to unseat U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd in next year’s election.
“It’s really a cap and tax” system that marks “a dangerous way to govern,” said Simmons, who never said whether he favored or opposed a carbon tax. [His campaign manager, Jim Barnett, said Tuesday that Simmons opposes a carbon tax and believes it would be a disaster for the economy.].
The U.S. House approved the American Clean Energy and Security Act in June -- which would allow the government to gradually lower carbon emissions that are responsible for global warming -- but the measure remains stalled in the Senate.
Under the proposed cap and trade system, companies that emit CO2 could reduce emissions to met lower targets or buy the right to use emission credits from other firms that have managed to cut carbon releases more sharply than mandated.
While some economists argue it is a good way to engage the free market, Simmons said it would create “a serious problem” for America’s energy markets and add a useless layer of complexity.
State Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican whose 78th District includes Bristol, said the cap and trade plan was developed by Wall Street investment firms that aim “to make a ton of money” gaming a system only they will truly understand.
Simmons, a former congressman who faces several potential challengers from within the GOP for the right to be the party’s standard bearer against Dodd, said there are a number of “no-brainer kinds of things” that have to be done to tackle global warming.
He said the country needs a wider mix of energy sources that include renewables, more nuclear power, more domestic drilling for natural gas, more reliance on fuel cells and more vehicles that can run on electricity and other sources of energy other than gasoline.
Simmons said that the cap and trade idea that has enthralled so many in Washington would merely create a market for speculators to drive up costs and make a mint for themselves.
He said the government ought to “call it what it is” -- a carbon tax -- and take on the issue directly.
Generally, most of those pushing for a carbon tax instead argue that its simplicity would prevent the need for more bureaucratic oversight, drive out speculators and offer the chance to return any taxes collected through payroll or income tax reductions.
A carbon tax would tax each fossil fuel based on the carbon it emits, making coal more costly and natural gas less, at least in comparison.
During his failed 2008 presidential race, Dodd was the only serious Democratic candidate to tout a carbon tax over cap and trade. Dodd said other candidates dodged it because their pollsters and handlers warned them that favoring a carbon tax could bring trouble.
Simmons, Hamzy and Simmons’ campaign manager, Jim Barnett, spoke during a meeting Monday at The Bristol Press office.

Hamzy backs Simmons
Veteran state Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican, added his voice to a growing chorus of endorsements for Rob Simmons’ U.S. Senate bid.
Simmons, a former congressman from Stonington, is “a proven vote-getter” with a solid background that shows he can defeat U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd in next year’s election, Hamzy said.
Hamzy, whose 78th District includes northwestern Bristol, said Dodd “has lost touch with what reality is” after so many years in Washington and could easily lose the support he’s always had from the “realistic Democrats” who live in Bristol.
Dodd “has done Washington,” Simmons said, and lost the trust of Connecticut voters.
Simmons said that Hamzy’s support sends a strong message to Republicans in the region who trust the 15-year veteran lawmaker’s judgment about the best candidate to knock Dodd out of the Senate...
A former state party chairman, Hamzy’s support may help Simmons break from a pack of potential candidates that includes state Sen. Sam Caliguri of Waterbury and former U.S. Ambassador Tom Foley.
“I take his support very seriously,” said Simmons, who lost his 2nd District congressional seat during the 2006 blowout. He served as the state’s business advocate for the next two years.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Larson seeks carbon tax

Press release from U.S. Rep. John Larson, the East Hartford Democrat whose 1st District includes Bristol:

CONGRESSMAN LARSON INTRODUCES CARBON TAX LEGISLATION

Washington, DC -- Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, introduced legislation today that would tackle our climate change crisis while protecting hard working Americans from rising energy costs.  The carbon tax legislation will put a tax on the producer of carbon emissions and pass the revenue on to working Americans as a payroll tax rebate.

 “I believe that the best way to address climate change is the way that is simplest and most transparent,” said Larson.  “Unlike a cap and trade system, my carbon tax would create no complex new bureaucracies or complicated auction schemes. Rescuing our environment should not be an excuse to create a new market for investors to exploit.  We’ve seen the impact of rampant speculation and out of control derivative trading on our energy market, our housing market, and our stock market.  Our planet is too precious to put in the hands of Wall Street executives looking to make a profit.” 

Instead of creating a market that would be a boon for Wall Street, Larson’s legislation would create a tax cut that would be a boon for working Americans.  A recent study found that the auction a cap and trade system would create would lead to the world’s largest derivative market. Warren Buffet wrote in his letter to shareholders this week that derivatives are dangerous and impossible to regulate.  In fact, some companies are already trading carbon credit derivatives in anticipation of a cap and trade system.  

Larson said, “if we haven’t been able to properly regulate derivatives so far, what makes us think we would be able to regulate carbon credit derivatives?  We are suffering the effects of one speculative bubble bursting now.  The American people simply do not want another system they might have to bailout.”

The American people want their government to level with them.  They understand that any climate change policy we enact will increase energy costs.  So, rather than hide those costs in a complicated auction system, Larson’s legislation is simple and straightforward.  It would put a $15 per metric ton tax on carbon at the source – the mine mouth, refinery or point of importation - in the first year, increasing $10 per year after that.  The revenue would be distributed right away to hard working Americans and alternative energy investment.

“I have yet to meet one person who can explain a cap and trade auction  in a way that someone at Augie and Ray’s, my local diner, could understand,” said Larson. “But, a carbon tax is a simple solution that people can wrap their arms around.”

A carbon tax also offers the benefit of price certainty to American families and small businesses. A cap and trade system could lead to wild fluctuations in energy prices, making it hard for families and businesses to plan and budget.  By regularly monitoring emissions and adjusting the rate of taxation, as this legislation does, it can also provide some certainty in emissions reduction.

Congressman Larson’s carbon tax legislation fits within the broad framework the Obama Administration laid out in its budget outline.  It would use the revenue of a new climate change policy to pass tax savings on to the consumer and help impacted industries.

“We agree on the goal, the debate is over the mechanism,” said Larson.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Repeal global warming, Piscopo urges

Thanks to Hartford Courant columnist Rick Green's blog, I see that the state representative whose district includes Burlington, Republican John Piscopo, has introduced a measure "to repeal global warming legislation that was passed based on the assumption that global warming is caused by human action."
I have a call in to Piscopo to find out why he's seeking the legislation.
But here is something from a 2006 transcript of the House proceedings that provides a revealing glimpse:

Mr. Speaker, I didn't want to make this into a big global warming debate, but I guess it's been introduced, and I just kind of want to summarize.
Yes, there is some warming on the planet in the last few years. A lot of it can be measured by the activity on the sun. The sun is just more active. We go through periods of warming. We'll go through periods of cooling.
Mark my words, in ten years, we're all going to be worried about late spring frosts, and early fall frosts, and crops dying and we're going to be in some huge climate cooling hysteria. That's just the way it is with this globe. It warms and it cools.
There is nothing the little State of Connecticut, in rolling back its economy to 1990 standards, or over-regulating its manufacturing industry or anything like that, is going to do to stop this huge planet from having fluctuations in its climate.
And I can introduce a lot of different science to this. A lot of it gets squashed by our mainstream media, but I hope that you will all keep an open mind on this debate, in the future, and I will keep trying.
And here is a press release he put out about it awhile back that I wish I'd seen before today.
Here's what state Rep. Bill Hamzy, the Plymouth Republican whose district includes northwestern Bristol had to say during the same 2006 floor debate where Piscopo spoke:

I also rise to speak on the issue of global warming, which was introduced by one of my fellow Representatives, and also state that I believe you can have, in this Chamber, a difference of opinion without resorting to code words like right-wing think tank, or left-wing think tank, or liberal or conservative.
And you can have an honest difference of opinion in a conversation about issues that we take up in this Chamber. And because of differences of opinion, I'm not sure that it's credible to be throwing out those types of words.
If you go back over the course of the history of this world, more than just 15 or 20 years, but go back 1,000 years, you'll see the pattern of global warming and global cooling and recognize that while, I also believe that it's incumbent upon us to reduce emissions.
But I do not believe that the emissions that are released in the State of Connecticut affect the global warming as an entire universe.
And last February, with this measure, Hamzy and Piscopo sought to use money allocated to combat global warming to reduce electrical rates instead.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City forms new energy task force

A new energy task force aims to find ways for the city to save money and reduce its reliance on power sources that contribute to global warming.

The panel, slated to meet for the first time next month, will analyze the city’s “different energy expenditures” and seek ways to cut back where possible, said city Councilor Craig Minor, who pushed for its creation.

The chairman of the panel, city Councilor Mike Rimcoski, said Tuesday that he’s still “waiting to see what we can do.”

Minor said he hopes that by taking a citywide look at energy, the panel may be able to find new sources of power, including solar panels and other methods that don’t contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

The council approved the concept of creating the committee last summer at Minor’s urging.

It said the new task force should include “citizens from a wide range of viewpoints, including the business sector and municipal land use boards.
It was told by councilors to look into suggested steps as part of the U.S. Mayors’l Climate Protection Agreement to see which might be adopted by Bristol successfully.

Minor said “a lot of other towns” have found alternative energy sources that have helped them cut down on their use of electricity and petroleum products that add to global warming.

Since “global warming is the sum of all the smaller individual sources of greenhouse gases,” Minor said, Bristol’s success in scaling back its emissions will help the overall effort to prevent catastrophic climate change in the decades ahead.

In addition to Rimcoski, city Councilors Cliff Block and Ken Cockayne are going to serve on the panel.

Minor said he didn’t mind being left off.

“I have enough to do,” Minor said, adding that there are many qualified people in the community who can contribute more than he can.

“We have some real talent in Bristol,” Minor said, pointing to attorney Jennifer Janelle as one example of someone with genuine expertise who should have a role.

Minor said he hopes that residents such as Janelle, who already serves on the Bristol Downtown Development Corp., will have the opportunity to lend a hand.

The resolution passed by the council said there is “no longer any debate in the scientific community that climate disruption is a reality and that human activities are largely responsible for increasing concentrations of global warming pollution.”

It also said that “because the skyrocketing cost of fuel” the city has “no choice but to look for alternatives to spending more and more money for less and less energy.”

“The creation of this Task Force should not be taken to mean that the City Council believes that any of the City’s major cost centers – the Public Works Department, the Board of Education, and the Police and Fire Departments – are fiscally or operationally mismanaged,” the council motion said.

“On the contrary, the council believes that all of these cost centers have been creative in finding ways to manage in difficult financial times.  However, the impact of global warming and the fiscal situation facing Bristol and other cities around the country force us to take action to reduce both energy spending and the production of global warming pollutants,” it continued. 

The new task force is supposed to consider a fairly wide-ranging agenda that includes reviewing patterns of land use and community development to see if their regulations or practices that are not sustainable.

A report is supposed to be made to the council and funding for the effort is to come from the Board of Finance.

Here's an outline of the issue, provided by Minor:

Mayor's Task Force on Energy Consumption

CITY OF BRISTOL

(Voted to establish on July 8, 2008 by the Bristol City Council)

Background

On July 8, 2008, following up on its May 13, 2008 endorsement of the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement, the Bristol City Council voted to direct Mayor Arthur Ward to establish the Mayor's Task Force on Energy Consumption. The motion was as follows:

On motion of Council Member Minor and seconded, it was unanimously voted: To establish the Mayor's Task Force on Energy Consumption to consist of citizens from a wide range of viewpoints, including the business sector and municipal land use boards, and with legal or technical expertise in energy consumption. The Task Force will review the entire list of suggested actions contained in the Climate Protection Agreement, and any others as they may see fit, and identify those actions which the Task Force determines to have the best potential to reduce the cost of energy spending by the City, and reduce the amount of global warming pollution produced by the City.

The purpose of the Task Force is to find ways for the City to reduce energy spending and global warming pollution without impacting the City's ability to provide essential services and a high quality of life to Bristol residents.

The City Council directed the creation of this Task Force for two reasons:

1. Because there is no longer any debate in the scientific community that climate disruption is a reality and that human activities are largely responsible for increasing concentrations of global warming pollution, and

2. Because the sky-rocketing cost of fuel leaves the City with no choice but to look for alternatives to spending more and more money for less and less energy.

The creation of this Task Force should not be taken to mean that the City Council believes that any of the City’s major cost centers – the Public Works Department, the Board of Education, and the Police and Fire Departments – are fiscally or operationally mismanaged. On the contrary, the Council believes that all of these cost centers have been creative in finding ways to manage in difficult financial times. However, the impact of global warming and the fiscal situation facing Bristol and other cities around the country force us to take action to reduce both energy spending and the production of global warming pollutants.

Mission Statement

To review the suggested actions contained in the “U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement” and other actions with the goal of identifying steps which the City might take to reduce both energy spending and global warming pollution.

Responsibilities and Tasks

The Task Force is charged with reviewing the suggested actions contained in the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement, and any others as they may see fit, and identifying what steps the City can take to better manage this situation. The Task Force shall prepare a Final Report containing its recommendations. 

In preparing its Final Report, the Task Force shall be responsible for all of the steps listed below, and any other related tasks that might later be added by the City Council:

1. Review the suggested actions contained in the “U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement” and other actions with the goal of identifying steps which the City might take to reduce both energy spending and global warming pollution.

2. Review, document and evaluate energy spending and consumption by the City. This includes motor vehicle use, maintenance and construction equipment, heating and air conditioning, street lighting and building lighting. The Task Force shall obtain this information from relevant department heads and other town officials as necessary.

3. Identify possible methods of renewable energy production by the City and related funding sources. This includes photovoltaic panels, wind power, and fuel cells. The Task Force shall obtain this information from individuals, agencies, organizations, and businesses that are in this field including its own members.

4. Review current patterns of land use and community development to identify regulations and practices that are not “sustainable”. The Task Force shall consult with town staff as well as conservation organizations and planning agencies.

5. Determine up to five promising areas of possible spending and consumption reduction and energy production that should be implemented, based on their potential to produce significant results. 
   
   

6. Identify the appropriate department or staff person to be responsible for the implement each of the five recommendations, if approved by the City Council.

7. Develop a Preliminary Report for submission to the City Council for the Council’s review and comment. 
   
   

8. Upon receipt of the City Council’s comments, revise the Preliminary Report accordingly and submit a Final Report for acceptance by the City Council.

Membership

The Task Force shall have up to thirteen voting members, all to be nominated by the Mayor and appointed by the City Council. All appointments shall be for a term not to exceed two years from date of appointment. Composition of the Task Force shall be as follows:

• One member from the Board of Finance, Public Works Board, Board of Education, Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Planning Commission;

• Three members with expertise in one or more of the following sectors: renewable energy, construction or development, and conservation/environmental protection; and

• Five at large members.

The Committee will meet regularly, and elect a chair.

Staffing Assistance

The Comptroller’s Office will provide the Task Force with administrative support and technical assistance as required. Clerical support in the form of a clerk to take meeting minutes shall be provided. The City Council will request funding from the Board of Finance to cover the cost of the above departmental and clerical support.

Compliance with State and Local Laws and Town Policies

The Task Force shall conduct its activities in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act and all Bristol laws and regulations.

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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City seeking alternatives for oil

The city may form a task force aimed at reducing its energy use.
“The skyrocketing cost of fuel leaves us no choice but to look for alternatives to spending more and more money for less and less energy,” said city Councilor Craig Minor.
City councilors have unanimously agreed to have Bristol join a widespread movement by municipalities to search out new sources of energy and to reduce pollutants that contribute to global warming.
Mayor Art Ward said that he’s been contacting experts and beginning to take steps to carry out the council’s wishes.
“We’re on the road to it,” Ward said.
The council backed Minor’s call to create a task force with “a wide range of views, including the business sector and municipal land use boards” as well as those “with legal or technical expertise in energy consumption.”
Minor said the panel should review suggested actions in the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement to determine which have “the best potential to reduce the cost of energy spending by the city and reduce the amount of global warming pollution produced by the city.”
The programs, he said, would “provide both economic and quality of life benefits” that include energy savings, open space preservation, better air quality, reduced traffic congestion, more transportation choices and economic development and job creation through conservation and new technology.
There are a number of avenues that city leaders have promised to explore.
Among them is upping the fuel efficiency of municipal vehicles and reducing their number.
The city is also looking bio-diesel fuel for its diesel trucks.
It is seeking to “make energy efficiency a priority through building code improvements, retrofitting city facilities” with better lighting and encouraging employees to find ways to save energy.
It hopes, too, to “increase the use of clean, alternative energy.”
The city is also investigating ways to adopt and enforce land use policies “that reduce sprawl, preserve open space and create compact, walkable neighborhoods.”
Also on the agenda are more transportation options, including possible bicycle trails, car pooling incentives, public transit initiatives and programs to reduce commuter trips.

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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com