"A Plan For Jobs." Really?

I have read the glossy “new” brochure put out by the President’s campaign entitled “A Plan for Jobs”.  It is simply a rehash of old ideas that haven’t worked for the last four years and have stifled economic growth.  Since this is an energy blog, I’ll limit my comments to the energy section of the brochure.  Before examining the “specifics”, it is interesting to note that nowhere in the brochure is there any mention of the Keystone XL Pipeline.  If the President was really interested in private sector job growth why did he kill the pipeline?  Some estimates indicate that upwards of 100,000 jobs would be created by the pipeline.  Many of these would be well paying jobs, not the low paying service sector jobs created during the Obama administration.  Now, on to “specific” claims made in the brochure coupled with my comments.

Cap and Trade California Style

California will raise taxes by from $550 million to $3.5 Billion in 2013 alone through Cap and Trade.  Here is how this tax scam works.  The law will ultimately apply to all major sources of greenhouse gas emitters in the state, and phases in over time.  Each source will have a base for greenhouse gas emissions.  The state will auction the right to emit greenhouse gases in excess of an annual cap which ratchets down 2-3%/year. The law envisions an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050.  Companies can also “buy” leftover allowances from emitters that have met targets or purchase allowances from projects that “remove” carbon from the atmosphere.