The ACES/Waxman-Markey
bill to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, currently going nowhere in the
Senate, has been victimized by a number of outrageous
misrepresentations and figures.
Even if you don't think the bill is the
best answer to the challenge of global warming, as many do not, that
doesn't justify flat-out lying.
Here are the facts, courtesy of a year-end analysis from FactCheck.org, called Whoppers of 2009.
Inflated Cost Claims: The GOP drastically overstated
how much proposed cap-and-trade legislation would affect the average
family’s energy costs — Republicans said costs would increase by $3,100
a year, more than twice the estimate of the conservative Heritage
Foundation. On NBC’s "Meet the Press," House Minority Leader John
Boehner cited a figure closer to the Heritage Foundation’s estimate —
$1,700 per year — attributing it to the Treasury Department. But that
number really came from a back-of-envelope calculation by a CBS News
blogger. The Treasury Department has called the figure "flat-out
wrong," and the Congressional Budget Office’s much lower estimate is
$455 per year over the 2012-2050 period. "Cap and Trade Cost Inflation," May 28; "Boehner and the Cost of Cap and Trade," Sept. 22
The links are thoroughly sourced, for people who like that sort of thing.
Kit Stolz 