It is amazing that according to some polls the majority of the population does not know what Cap and Trade is. For those of you who know less about Cap and Trade than you know about Michael Jackson’s sex life here is the Wikipedia definition of cap and trade.

Wikipedia says this about Cap and Trade.

“A central authority (usually a government or international body) sets a limit or cap on the amount of a pollutant that can be emitted. Companies or other groups are issued emission permits and are required to hold an equivalent number of allowances (or credits) which represent the right to emit a specific amount. The total amount of allowances and credits cannot exceed the cap, limiting total emissions to that level. Companies that need to increase their emission allowance must buy credits from those who pollute less. The transfer of allowances is referred to as a trade. In effect, the buyer is paying a charge for polluting, while the seller is being rewarded for having reduced emissions by more than was needed. Thus, in theory, those who can easily reduce emissions most cheaply will do so, achieving the pollution reduction at the lowest possible cost to society.^[1]”

Got that?

I will level with you I am not a proponent of Cap and Trade in the first place. However, even if I was I would be against the current monstrosity that is contained in the legislation that was just barely passed by the house. It seems some house democrats didn’t like the bill either.

What should bother even those who favor Cap and Trade is that the version is so watered down, it has so many exclusions and exceptions that it provides the ability for those industries that are favored to play on a tilted playing field. The field is so tilted in their direction that large profits will be gained. Meanwhile these profits will come from you and me because we are the ones who are going to pay the tax for coal generated electric energy.

Our leaders including Obama

suggest we sacrifice for the good of the country. Ask yourself hom many government leaders have you met who seem to making any sacrifices. Obama flies around in his 747 like you and I flit to work in our SUVs. He and others like him tell us to downsize or commute by bus. Okay, I am all for that if the “You Gotta Sacrifice” leadership downscales a bit and flies around in a piper cub airplane or maybe takes the train. If he insists on flitting from place to place for town meetings in Air Force one, maybe he should appoint and Air Force One Flight Czar to monitor all flights.

Perhaps Air Force One should be moth balled and be replaced by “The Little Train that Can” One.

Al Gore, the global warming messiah,

still lives as he is in the land of milk and honey rather than the land of carbon emissions. His carbon footprint is as big as his bloated fat footed foot print is.

Meanwhile, Gore the self appointed the town crier is also going to be one of the richest men alive because of all his investments. What investments? The investments Gore has made that will profit because of government policies that are changed because of the fear of global warming. Could that be a reason Gore is so emphatic about the debate about the cause of climate change being over? That position seems very strange for a guy who supposedly believes in a democracy. Or is the real message that he only believes in democratic debate when it suits him.

No wonder lobbyists are disliked by so many people. They get to influence legislation that benefits the chosen few. Maybe that is why Gore is so popular, I don’t think he is registered as a lobbyist. Therefore the population thinks whatever he does must be for the good of the land.

Hey people who Believe in Cap and Trade!

Just because there is legislation whose intent is supposedly good, it still can be crappy legislation. Heck most or all of our representatives in Congress didn’t even read the energy bill. If any Congressman tells you it is a good bill you ask him, “Did you read it?” If s/he is truthful and says no, then ask , “How do you know it’s good?”

Ask him/her if s/he “Would you sign any personal legal paper without first reading it to make sure the document reflects what you want?”

Of course s/he wouldn’t. So why should s/he pass legislation that affects you and me without first reading it.

Here is another point.

For the most part of the past two weeks everyone focused on the health bill. Some media mavens even wondered aloud if the energy bill would be passed before recess. Then, all of a sudden here it is the energy bill ready to vote on. Can’t be debated on says our political leadership, the world will end if we don’t do something now!

Guess what? My daddy use to say, “Any time any group of politicians is in a rush to pass legislation without debate, make sure your wallet is nailed to your leg. Otherwise you will find it missing.”

Of course my daddy only had an eighth grade education and was definitely conservative and would be dismissed today by the politically intellectuals as an Archie Bunker. But, do you know something?

My daddy was correct.

If you don’t agree name a couple of things Congress passed in haste without debate that are good. There isn’t anything, but there sure are some bad legislation they rushed to pass such as:

a. The internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.

B. GM Chrysler bailout under Obama

C The unread economic stimulus plan under Obama which promised billions for “shovel ready” construction projects, but the problem is most shovel ready projects won’t be shovel ready for two or three years.

D. And the representatives have just passed their contorted version of an energy bill.

That bill is complete with a Cap and Trade provision that is so diluted with favoritism and corruption that it alone has the ability to turn our economy to turn into Crap and to cause it to Fade into oblivion.

Here is my Definition of Crap and Fade.

An anal retentive legislative body (typically the House of Representatives) sets a biased limit on the amount of a pollutant that can be emitted by unfavored companies that it is so ridiculous the limit is called Crap. Companies or other groups are issued emission permits and are required to hold an equivalent number of allowances (or credits) which represent the right to emit a specific amount. The total amount of allowances and credits cannot exceed the crap limit, thus limiting total emissions to the crap level. Companies that are favored by false crap will profit heavily at the expense of those companies who are not favored or who are not cronies of members of the House. The transfer of allowances is referred to as Fade because that is how it affects those companies or industries who are not favored. They will fade from the economy. Thus, in theory, the bill will ultimately be passed on to the general population, achieving little or no pollution reduction at the highest possible cost to society.^[1]”

The current energy bill

is what happens when people are so interested in the pop music culture they just don’t stop for a moment and think… who is going to profit from all the haste and secrecy that is going on in congress, and then naively believe that there representatives are working for the people.

If you believe that, than you probably believe that politicians from Crook County, Il can be trusted.