Cap and trade is a waste of time and it is bad economic policy at the absolute worst time. It is strictly pandering to the environmental lobby which unfortunately is growing. European countries that have followed the Kyoto treaty and have enlisted cap and trade have actually not decreased emissions but some are increasing faster than the US which did not participate.
Energy prices right now are low and emissions are decreasing as the economy slows. Enacting policy that increases energy costs for business is just another anti-business and anti-recovery policy passed by this administration. This is just another poorly timed liberal social issue that will ultimately increase costs for the consumer during the midst of a huge recession. And the irony of it all is that the poorest among us will be hurt the most. Of course most of those poor voters are too stupid to realize that environmental issues will cost them much more than the "rich, polluting companies" in the form of a regressive tax.
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