Ace of Spades HQ

July 14, 2012

AEI's Carbon Tax Flirtations
— andy

Last Wednesday, the American Enterprise Institute, "a community of scholars and supporters committed to expanding liberty, increasing individual opportunity and strengthening free enterprise", held a meeting at its headquarters for the purpose of promoting a carbon tax initiative. It was apparently the fifth in a series of such meetings.

If that strikes you as completely at odds with its stated mission, well, you're not alone.

Left-right coalitions can be principled and desirable. For example, I worked with environmental groups to help end the ethanol tax credit, and I work with them now to develop the case for eliminating the ethanol mandate. We collaborate because we share the same policy objective, even if not always for the same reasons. The free marketers want to end political meddling in the motor fuel market and the environmentalists want to end federal support for a fuel they regard as more polluting than gasoline. The common objective is consistent with each partnerÂ’s core principles.
But such cases are the exception rather than the rule. In general, when left and right join forces, the appropriate question is: Who is duping whom?

Indeed.

Ben Domenech reported on this meeting in his Transom newsletter this week and characterized it as follows:

The agenda paints a clear picture: this was not an event with economists discussing the merits or problems of a carbon tax agenda, which would be a worthwhile discussion at any thinktank. Rather, it is a strategy session for how to pass something by coin-operated shills, the sort of thing that should be held at a lobbying shop, not a thinktank. The political dynamics of this are simple: much of industry, including ExxonMobil, GM, and others have long supported carbon taxes because it doesnÂ’t damage their competitiveness Â– they can just pass through the tax Â– and because they know politicians in Washington find raising taxes politically dicey. The property and casualty insurance companies support these steps as well, because they can use them to justify higher insurance premiums. As is typical with corporate interests, this is their way of being Â“forÂ” something instead of just being against cap-and-trade and higher CAFE standards. But in order to achieve that, they need cover on the right and the left Â– they need to have the gloss of the AEI and George Mason brands Â– and they need active and willing participants in this effort.

That's spot-on. It would be one thing to invite in the leftists and debate global warming or climate change or whatever they're calling it this week. The Heartland Institute does this every year.

But that's not what this meeting was. From all appearances, they accepted the leftists' Carbon Dioxide, the Silent Killer™ argument at face value and moved right into discussions of how best to eliminate it via punative taxation.
Domenech and others rightly point out that this wasn't technically an AEI meeting. It was just organized by one of their scholars and held at their headquarters. Forgive me if I'm unimpressed with the distinction.

If there was a meeting at NRA headquarters for the stated purpose of discussing a legislative strategy to reinstate the so-called assault weapons ban with representatives of the Brady Campaign, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, etc., there'd be calls for Wayne LaPierre's head on a pike for, if nothing else, having the incredibly bad judgment of allowing the organization's name to even be tangentially associated with such an effort. AEI's actions here are no different.

To stick with the analogy for a bit, much like the intimidation tactics of gun control activists on gun rights supporters, environmental groups shout "denier", "the science is settled" and accuse those on the right of being "anti-science" simply as an attempt to stifle legitimate debate so they can have their way. They report out their agenda as "science" (Michael Mann, meet Michael Bellesiles). And they'll spare no effort to muzzle dissenting views because the facts aren't on their side.

These tactics have been laid bare by the Climategate emails and, even closer to home for an organization like AEI, by Fakegate. Yet AEI apparently still thinks it can pick up their carbon tax turd by the clean end.

Curiously, AEI hasn't made any general statement in its defense on this issue that I've been able to find; however, they did provide this response to a question from Reason.

I reached out to AEI for a reaction, and AEI Director of Public Affairs Veronique Rodman offered this official response:

In recent years, AEI has been accused of being both in the pocket of energy companies and organizing to advocate a carbon tax. Neither is true. AEI has been, and will continue to be, an intellectually curious place, where products arenÂ’t influenced by interested parties, and ideas from all are welcome in seeking solutions for difficult public policy problems.
Rodman also explained that AEI has absolutely no institutional position with regard to a carbon tax. She added that AEI scholars have the intellectual freedom to explore whatever public policy ideas that they find of interest.

Maybe they should think about taking an institutional position, given that the sole purpose of a carbon tax, after boiling away all the enviro-weenie bullshit, is to further the statist agenda of the left, which is diametrically in opposition to AEI's stated mission. Kenneth Green at AEI's own blog highlighted some reasons they should be opposed in a post from last year that was republished yesterday (in response to this kerfuffle, I'd imagine).

For coauthoring [a study finding that a revenue-neutral carbon tax was better than cap-and-trade, which would be better than regulation], my friends in the more purist domains of the free-market movement lambasted me for playing into the hands of an insincere green movement. At the time, I thought they were going overboard. I naively thought that a revenue-neutral carbon tax might be possible, and if done right, might offer economic benefits that might mitigate its economic harms; if we replace taxes on productivity with taxes on consumption, we might get a net, economy-wide benefit.
However, watching states loot "dedicated" eco-taxes for general revenue, seeing the emergence of more proposals for revenue-raising carbon taxes to finance continued deficit spending, and generally bearing witness to endless insincerity on the part of greens and their allies, I have to admit that my friends in the free-market movement were right: A carbon tax would simply become another general revenue raiser and a step in carbon-seduction. "Oh, come on, you've already accepted the tax, now let's do cap-and-trade and regulation."
Hence, my views on the carbon tax have evolved: I no longer believe that such a tax (or, for that matter, other eco-taxes) can be implemented in the sort of ideal, economically beneficent way that people favoring individual liberty, free markets, or limited government might sanction. Here are a few reasons why: ...

You have to give credit to Kenneth Green for admitting that the people who have consistently seen through this crap were right and he was wrong. These critics are the same people who are questioning why AEI continues to lend support to the carbon tax argument. And they're still right.

Posted by: andy at 07:38 AM | Comments (188)
Post contains 1182 words, total size 8 kb.

Winning The Future!

Posted by: Your Betters at July 14, 2012 07:44 AM (SJF3y)

2 Wtf Content? On a Saturday? Wow

Posted by: navycopjoe who lives in waikiki at July 14, 2012 07:46 AM (/ZhEn)

3 These Luddites who would send us all back to the stone age living in mud huts are relentless, fucking relentless.

Posted by: @PurpAv at July 14, 2012 07:46 AM (ZJkKm)

4 Even if the carbon tax were an awesome idea, unless China, India, and every third world shithole went along, (and they won't) then you're just stroking your smokestack.

Posted by: irright at July 14, 2012 07:46 AM (5UU+7)

5 As usual, any organization that's not expressly conservative, becomes liberal.

Posted by: Truman North, iPhone snob at July 14, 2012 07:47 AM (UFS11)

6 Every time I see the word "coalition," I become suspicious.

Coalitions have gotten us into our current predicaments.

I want a nice 20 year span with a nasty, uncooperative majority.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at July 14, 2012 07:47 AM (nEUpB)

7 Soon we will all live in a paradise.

Posted by: Pol Pot at July 14, 2012 07:48 AM (zMouK)

8 organized by one of their scholars

Good man

Posted by: Barry "Da Organizer" Obama at July 14, 2012 07:48 AM (zsgo8)

9 "generally bearing witness to endless insincerity on the part of greens and their allies"

I don't understand why anyone who is a non-Leftist wouldn't just assume, going into the discussion, that a Leftist would be insincere. They're congenital liars. There are over 200 years of documented history on this point, starting with the French Revolution and through to this morning. People need to stop being so damn naive.

Posted by: BS Inc. at July 14, 2012 07:50 AM (P2Ufm)

10 First they came for my carbon dioxide and I said nothing. Then they came for my "other gases" and I said nothing. Then they came for my nitrogen and I still said nothing. Then they came for my oxygen and I stopped breathing.

Posted by: The Huggable Robot Devil at July 14, 2012 07:53 AM (GkwjL)

11 Everyone knows that taxes on energy are good for business, it's science.

Posted by: M. Mann at July 14, 2012 07:54 AM (bb5Xq)

12 OT: the Base Jump fail in the sidebar is horrifying by hard not to watch. The jumpers hands were shaking badly before he jumped. Shoulda listened to em.

In any case, the impact looks uncannily like Wiley Coyote falling into the canyon.

Posted by: pep at July 14, 2012 07:56 AM (6TB1Z)

13 How about a compromise where all of our tax revenue comes from one huge carbon tax with a repeal of the income tax? Wouldnt that essentially be a FairTax?

Posted by: Xuyee at July 14, 2012 07:56 AM (/QiO2)

14 I wonder if their donations will drop off once word of this gets around?

Posted by: @PurpAv at July 14, 2012 07:56 AM (ZJkKm)

15 We should thank Andy for actually putting a good deal of effort into a Saturday morning post. Thanks Andy!

Posted by: Dr Spank at July 14, 2012 07:58 AM (bb5Xq)

16 After all... Wasn't it the conservative Foundation that previously supported the individual mandate, giving Ann Coulter cover to shill for Romneycare? Gotta get her into my chambers.

Posted by: John Roberts at July 14, 2012 07:59 AM (AZGON)

17 Uh, conservative Heritage Foundation. I don't have clerks around to do my posting.

Posted by: John Roberts at July 14, 2012 08:00 AM (AZGON)

18 3: Purp, they only want to send us proles to the mud huts. I can't count how many "Live simply so others can simply live" bumper stickers I've seen on BMWs, Lexux sedans etc working in the peoples republic of Boulder.

Posted by: Palerider at July 14, 2012 08:01 AM (m+nIW)

19 Useless academics are useless academics, whether on the left or on the purported right side of the spectrum. Big thinkers are just that: thinkers. With very rare exceptions they haven't the foggiest clue.

Posted by: Tsar Nicholas II at July 14, 2012 08:02 AM (r2PLg)

20 The corrupting power of money and the desire to "do something". The biggest troublemakers are the do-gooders. The power of the free market is very difficult to accept because it shoves your ego up your ass and says "Not needed".

Posted by: eman at July 14, 2012 08:05 AM (ejmiE)

21 If there was a meeting at NRA headquarters for the stated purpose of discussing a legislative strategy to reinstate the so-called assault weapons ban with representatives of the Brady Campaign, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, etc., there'd be calls for Wayne LaPierre's head on a pike

Hmm. "Pike." More crypto-racism from the winguts. It's a historical fact that slaves used to work at an amusement park similar to one known as "the Pike".

I'll bet your black-hating white supremacist followers are just eating up this little Easter egg.

Posted by: Mark Thompson, MSNBC's In-House Cultural Interpreter at July 14, 2012 08:05 AM (zMouK)

22 Time to start hitting AEI's Facebook page.

Posted by: Burn the Witch at July 14, 2012 08:05 AM (rX1N2)

23 We were on a roll. We ( conservatives) have a good chance to retake the White House and even the Senate and now we have to waste time taking that knife out of our backs?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 08:06 AM (j1gX1)

24 Yeah, thinkers are seldom doers so they just surmise what harm/good their idiot ramblings may cause while we deal with the consequences.

Posted by: Dr Spank at July 14, 2012 08:06 AM (bb5Xq)

25 Palerider, I checked out the website your name links to. That site agrees with the Left that "climate chaos" is increasing. You just disagree with them on the cause; they say it's carbon dioxide, and you say it's God.

Posted by: Boulder Toilet Hobo at July 14, 2012 08:07 AM (QTHTd)

26 Carbon tax ha? And the UN wants Iran to get involved in Syria and hillary is playing kissy kiss with that muslim brotherhood guy in Egypt. Must be something in the water?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 08:08 AM (j1gX1)

27 the Base Jump fail in the sidebar is horrifying by hard not to watch.

Clearly a rank amateur without enough prior skydive experience. Exceptionally poor launch form. He rotated and wrapped the pilot chute lanyard around his body before it could pull the main out of the bag. The tower was plenty high enough, and he pulled plenty high enough, but he was doomed the moment he stepped off the tower with that lousy launch and no arch to even try and stabilize it.

The BASE jumpers I know won't even talk to someone about it until they've had about 600 skydives and can demonstrate rock stable exit and freefall stability out of a plane.

That rig wasn't the best there is either, it appeared to be a single chute design. The Dragon rig has a reserve which will fully deploy within about 50'. The guys I know all use Dragons.

Posted by: @PurpAv at July 14, 2012 08:08 AM (ZJkKm)

28 6 "I want a nice 20 year span with a nasty, uncooperative majority."

Then you would have loved the House of Representatives from 1949-1994 (45 years). Trouble was, the Dims were in charge the entire time.

Posted by: Arms Merchant at July 14, 2012 08:08 AM (+XVQe)

29 Pro-tip: don't concede anything to the Left.

Posted by: Boulder Toilet Hobo at July 14, 2012 08:09 AM (QTHTd)

30 Trillions of dollars just sitting there waiting to be plucked. All in the name of saving the Planet. Too tempting.

Posted by: eman at July 14, 2012 08:09 AM (ejmiE)

31 I think, also, the real problem is that a lot of the so-called conservatives have also bought into the it's a "revenue problem" in lieu of a "spending problem". "Revenue enhancement" aside, this carbon tax, cap and trade is and always has been a solution in search of a problem

Posted by: David C. at July 14, 2012 08:09 AM (ZtMso)

32 25 Palerider, I checked out the website your name links to. That site agrees with the Left that "climate chaos" is increasing. You just disagree with them on the cause; they say it's carbon dioxide, and you say it's God. Posted by: Boulder Toilet Hobo at July 14, 2012 12:07 PM (QTHTd) Or (space) aliens manipulating our atmosphere to make more compatible to their needs...

Posted by: The Huggable Robot Devil at July 14, 2012 08:10 AM (GkwjL)

33 @27

So, an almost perfect metaphor for the Obama administration and 2012 campaign.

Posted by: pep at July 14, 2012 08:11 AM (6TB1Z)

34 it's Saturday! Where's the cartoon?
"Be vewwy quiet! I'm hunting Honey Badgews!"

Posted by: mallfly at July 14, 2012 08:11 AM (bJm7W)

35 That jumper who bounced? He's a perfect analogy for Obama. Amateur, poor skills, fatal results.

Posted by: @PurpAv at July 14, 2012 08:11 AM (ZJkKm)

36 The AEI is just a flak for the RNC

Posted by: The CATO Institute at July 14, 2012 08:11 AM (+XVQe)

37 I would give Kenneth Green the same level of credit as I would give Charlie Brown IF he ever decides to stop trying to kick Lucy's football.

Posted by: BurtTC at July 14, 2012 08:13 AM (2pG7H)

38 Don't worry, with a guy like Romney in the White House, and people like Lamar Alexander in the Senate this kind of tax won't go anywhere...

Except straight onto the books.

Posted by: ThomasD at July 14, 2012 08:15 AM (sPW8y)

39 "The guys I know all use Dragons."

Posted by: @PurpAv at July 14, 2012 12:08 PM (ZJkKm)

I use a low-ball glass with a hearty splash of good bourbon for my kicks.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at July 14, 2012 08:16 AM (nEUpB)

40 Posted by: BurtTC at July 14, 2012 12:13 PM (2pG7H)

I am sick and tired of the abuse I am subjected to around here.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at July 14, 2012 08:17 AM (nEUpB)

41 1. Climate change is occurring (duh). Whether this is "good" or "bad" is unknown.
2. The causes and interactions (all non-linear) are not known or modeled with enough granularity for predictability
3. Even if we did understand the causes and interactions well enough to predict, we do not necessarily have the capability to influence these processes.
4. Even if we did have the capabilities, there is no evidence that a carbon tax, cap and trade, or any other economic policy or scheme will impact the problem (assuming there is once)
5. Even if a carbon scheme could impact positively the alleged problem, there is no cost-benefit analysis that shows such a policy is affordable or even desirable compared to other potential uses of scarce public or private funds.

What about this doesn't the AEI understand?

Posted by: Arms Merchant at July 14, 2012 08:18 AM (+XVQe)

42 We have top men working on this carbon dioxide thing. Top men.

Posted by: eman at July 14, 2012 08:19 AM (ejmiE)

43 I'd say the jumper who bounced is a perfect analogy for our economy, except the economy isn't going to get the bounce.

Posted by: Burn the Witch at July 14, 2012 08:19 AM (rX1N2)

"The guys I know all use Dragons."

Same here.

Posted by: Daenerys Targaeryn at July 14, 2012 08:19 AM (SJF3y)

1. Climate change is occurring (duh).

Nothing endures but change.

Posted by: Heraclitus at July 14, 2012 08:20 AM (SJF3y)

"I am sick and tired of the abuse I am subjected to around here."

So you're saying "kicking Lucy's football" is a euphemism?

Posted by: Burn the Witch at July 14, 2012 08:21 AM (rX1N2)

47 These Luddites who would send us all back to the stone age living in mud huts are relentless, fucking relentless.Posted by: @PurpAv

No, no, mein Herr Purple. Not all.

Just the proles. Just the proles.

Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at July 14, 2012 08:21 AM (Vcb44)

48 I have a jumper friend who's also a world class sports fixer/criminal. He's the guy who created the UNLV fixing scandal years ago. He wears a T-shirt at the drop zones that says "why gamble with your money when you can gamble with your life?"

http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/blackbook/perry.html

Posted by: @PurpAv at July 14, 2012 08:22 AM (ZJkKm)

What is "climate chaos"?

A funadmental axiom of collecting any kind of statistical data and compiling it is that while most of the date will tend to form a gaussian distribution (aka, a bell curve), the longer you collect data, the more outliers you will collect.

Climate chaos, in any given year, is an outlier. Pending our Sun going nova or emitting a horrendously powerful flare, or going totally quiescent with respect to sunspots, or some star going supernova with a few hundred light years, our climate worldwide is going to vary between a narrow boundary of statistical norms. Even hurricanes or typhoons, as dramatic as they are, are just hiccups in the norm, a set of data outliers. And the energy lift and transport of a huge amount of rain by hurricanes is actually necessary for the climate and agriculture of a good part of the Americas.

AEI is in Washington, DC. They have Potomac Fever. Of course they want to monkey with the levers of government. That's what everybody wants to do if they have been in Washington too long. Newtie found a soft place to fall (AEI) when he was run out of Congress because of his foolish personal behavior. Bring back the British and have them burn the place down again. It's the only way to make sure.

Here, you little zipperheads out in the hinterlands! We are going to do something that's good for you and oh yeah, we are going to make a passle of money doing it. But that's not important.

Posted by: Reader C.J. Burch writes..... at July 14, 2012 08:22 AM (sJTmU)

50 What about this doesn't the AEI understand? Posted by: Arms Merchant at July 14, 2012 12:18 PM (+XVQe) They likely do understand. They also likely know they have a good shot at getting oodles of tax money.

Posted by: eman at July 14, 2012 08:22 AM (ejmiE)

51 Wouldn't C.B's sexual device ALREADY be subjected to plenty of abuse, by definition?

Posted by: BurtTC at July 14, 2012 08:23 AM (2pG7H)

52 What is "climate chaos"?

I grew up in the Hudson Valley, we used to call it the weather.

Posted by: @PurpAv at July 14, 2012 08:24 AM (ZJkKm)

53
questioning why AEI continues to lend support to the carbon tax argument

Because if you pay a Republican(tm) enough, you can do anything you want with them for an hour.

Except no kissing on the mouth.

Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at July 14, 2012 08:25 AM (kdS6q)

54 I recall years ago when they first came up with the AGW scam. I said then look at the proposed solution any time you wish to find out what the real problem is with any issue being drummed up.

In this case, like a LOT of the issues drummed up in Washington, the real problem is taxes. To some people we will never be taxed enough until it is 100% and then community service.

AEI just revealed itself for another lefty oriented tax and spend commie promoting organization. The entire AGW scam has been revealed a fraud long ago. Anyone still promoting it should be considered an enemy of the people.

Posted by: Vic at July 14, 2012 08:25 AM (YdQQY)

I grew up in the Hudson Valley, we used to call it the weather.

You also had glow in the dark Stripers back then...seriously, though, you were raised in a beautiful place.

Posted by: garrett at July 14, 2012 08:26 AM (SJF3y)

56 AEI is probably making a hedge bet in case of an Obama win. Appear to be non-partisan now, then its easier to flip later and start polishing his knob for some phat research grants.

Posted by: @PurpAv at July 14, 2012 08:27 AM (ZJkKm)

57 None of this AGW stuff would last a minute without the help of millions of poorly educated Americans. We are living in a bad movie and we are the smart characters that get killed by zombies because a dumb character fell asleep at his post.

Posted by: eman at July 14, 2012 08:27 AM (ejmiE)

3These Luddites who would send us all back to the stone age living in mud huts are relentless, fucking relentless.

It's not so bad. Really.

Posted by: George Obama at July 14, 2012 08:28 AM (xCxXI)

59 you were raised in a beautiful place.

Pity its in NY state...

Posted by: @PurpAv at July 14, 2012 08:28 AM (ZJkKm)

60 The meat of the linked blog posting by Green should be a standard disclaimer affixed to every scholarly opinion piece published by conservative outfits. The underlying problem with our domestic politics today is that it is impossible for the right to explore policy ideas because lefties habitually operate in bad faith. Lefties lie and then double-down when called on it. Lefties strike agreements they have no intention of honoring. Things that should be explored like whether there is a less insane way to raise revenues than to tax productive inactivity cannot be raised by policy scholars on the right because the left will pull the conclusions out of context and declare to the world that some righty think-tankers recommend more luxury taxes on top of existing income taxation. Because of having to deal with the pieces of shit that lefties pride themselves to be, conservative scholarship is limited to criticism of lefty policies and exposition of the flawed outcomes rather than formulating or advancing positive, workable solutions. On the bright side, there is at least a century's worth of stuff that just needs to be repealed. I also am pretty sure that tinkering is the root of all political evil.

Posted by: FRONT TOWARD LEFT at July 14, 2012 08:28 AM (ogdab)

61 Nine out of ten problems raised in Washington are always solved by some kind of "tax". The other one is solved by some kind of ban that restricts the freedom of individuals.

If we eliminated Washington all our problems would disappear overnight.

Posted by: Vic at July 14, 2012 08:30 AM (YdQQY)

Pity its in NY state...

More pity that NYC is in NY state...the rest of the place is nearly perfect.

Posted by: garrett at July 14, 2012 08:30 AM (SJF3y)

63 What about this doesn't the AEI understand?

They're not in this to fight the good fight, they are in this to protect the interest of their paymasters. What part of 'ruling class' don't you understand?

Posted by: ThomasD at July 14, 2012 08:30 AM (sPW8y)

64 57 - If I'm going to die anyway, I want to be the guy who dies because he sneaks off to make sweet love to the hot chick.

Posted by: BurtTC at July 14, 2012 08:31 AM (2pG7H)

65 A carbon tax would be a close substitute for a consumption tax, and if implemented to be revenue neutral, and applied to all imports and not just our own production, it would be okay. Anyone think the pols could meet all of my conditions and caveats?

Posted by: sexypig at July 14, 2012 08:33 AM (wWV5q)

66 If I'm going to die anyway, I want to be the guy who dies because he sneaks off to make sweet love to the hot chick. Posted by: BurtTC at July 14, 2012 12:31 PM (2pG7H) I always am when I leave the bar 3 sheets to the wind at night, but when I wake up the next morning she ain't so hot and I am lucky she is a chick?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 08:33 AM (j1gX1)

67 I'll agree to a "carbon tax" when they agree to a "smug tax". Won't happen.

Posted by: chemjeff at July 14, 2012 08:34 AM (d/5qf)

68 The town I grew up in was a tiny place near the NY/VT/MA triple point border. Albany was like 20 miles away and that might as well have been 20,000. It was straight up Norman Rockwell shit. Even the 1960's and all the hippie shit didn't make it out that far.

Posted by: @PurpAv at July 14, 2012 08:34 AM (ZJkKm)

69 Ooh really nice tits on the YES girl on TV right now

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 08:35 AM (j1gX1)

70 A carbon tax would be a close substitute for a consumption tax, and if implemented to be revenue neutral, and applied to all imports and not just our own production, it would be okay. Anyone think the pols could meet all of my conditions and caveats? Posted by: sexypig at July 14, 2012 12:33 PM (wWV5q) A carbon tax is a horrible idea no matter how it is implemented. It is based on a lie and amounts to a penalty for being alive. Never, ever give the Left a helping hand in any way.

Posted by: eman at July 14, 2012 08:38 AM (ejmiE)

Posted by: @PurpAv at July 14, 2012 12:34 PM (ZJkKm)

I know the area well. I was raised in/around Deposit. Lived in Oneonta for a while after college. I'd move to Cooperstown in a minute if NY ever gave Ct or NJ the damned City and Lower Westchester Co..

Posted by: garrett at July 14, 2012 08:38 AM (SJF3y)

Ooh really nice tits on the YES girl on TV right now

YESSSSSS!

Posted by: Marv Albert at July 14, 2012 08:39 AM (SJF3y)

73 Ooh really nice tits on the YES girl on TV right now Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 12:35 PM (j1gX1) Don't have a TV. What is a YES girl?

Posted by: eman at July 14, 2012 08:40 AM (ejmiE)

74 Andy, Ima gonna improve your post 31% by adding this important tidbit: You know who else was in favor of taxing carbon? Michael Crichton. Why? I have no idea.

Posted by: soothsayer at July 14, 2012 08:40 AM (OgiBc)

75 AEI is a RINO think tank, I can't think of one conservative there.

Posted by: lowandslow at July 14, 2012 08:41 AM (GZitp)

76 What people fail to understand is that these "think" tanks are funded by corporate sponsors. They're paid to find ways to make money for the hand that feeds them.

Hey, I'm as big a capitalist pig as the next guy...but these things are not done in an objective vacuum.

No one is pulling their wallets out to pay scholars for being honest and objective.

Posted by: Albie Damned at July 14, 2012 08:41 AM (Yhu4q)

77 Listen to me know and hear me later--let me just say, offered without proof, that: 1. Global warming is not repeat not a serious future threat. 2. You could seriously regret a carbon tax. Take it for what it is worth. Free but real advice that needs to be heeded.

Posted by: DW at July 14, 2012 08:41 AM (bo/e2)

78 I know the area well. I was raised in/around Deposit. Lived in Oneonta for a while after college. I'd move to Cooperstown in a minute if NY ever gave Ct orNJ the damned City and Lower Westchester Co.. Posted by: garrett at July 14, 2012 12:38 PM (SJF3y) I went to summer camp not far from Deposit. I drove thru deposit on the way to College ( Hamilton ) if I took RT 17 and I passed Deposit whenever I took my daughter to College up in Binghamton.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 08:41 AM (j1gX1)

79 With everyone looking out for our welfare, what could go wrong?

Posted by: Fur Trapper strictly from commercial at July 14, 2012 08:42 AM (aYiND)

80 Man! File this story under "WTF"...

Posted by: Optimizer at July 14, 2012 08:42 AM (As94z)

81 Don't have a TV. What is a YES girl? Posted by: eman at July 14, 2012 12:40 PM (ejmiE) That's a loaded question, best answered when I am loaded, but in reality YES is the Yankee Network and they always have some eye candy since baseball only goes so far

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 08:43 AM (j1gX1)

82 It's cool when our adversaries reveal themselves.

Posted by: eman at July 14, 2012 08:43 AM (ejmiE)

83 yeah, AEI aren't really conservatives. well, they're Bill Kristol kind of conservatives. Staunch defenders of invading and occupying Iraq, if I remember. Those kinds of conservatives. Some call them neocons.

Posted by: soothsayer at July 14, 2012 08:43 AM (OgiBc)

I went to summer camp not far from Deposit

Camp Tawonda? Equinonk?

Rte 17 is Ticket Central!

Posted by: garrett at July 14, 2012 08:44 AM (SJF3y)

85 Staunch defenders of invading and occupying Iraq, if I remember. Those kinds of conservatives. Some call them neocons. Posted by: soothsayer at July 14, 2012 12:43 PM (OgiBc) Ugh lets not start the neocon fight again. Remember eye on target: enemy is obama

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 08:45 AM (j1gX1)

86 I, for one, welcome our new Conservative, free-market overlords. Fucking assholes.

Posted by: Scobface at July 14, 2012 08:45 AM (IoNBC)

87 Camp Tawonda? Equinonk? Rte 17 is Ticket Central! Posted by: garrett at July 14, 2012 12:44 PM (SJF3y) Know them well. No, my Camp always beat those Camps: Camp Keeyumah

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 08:45 AM (j1gX1)

88 2. You could seriously regret a carbon tax.

The Aussies got one and are already looking to repeal it. Its a jobs killer for their mining industry.

Posted by: @PurpAv at July 14, 2012 08:45 AM (ZJkKm)

Posted by: Eric P. at July 14, 2012 08:46 AM (QyQZT)

90 "Conservative" former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman is now working for the Brookings Institute..

Posted by: Albie Damned at July 14, 2012 08:46 AM (Yhu4q)

91 Every harebrained idea Gingrich spouted over the last dozen years and throughout his campaign was originated at AEI. That should give you an idea about AEI.

Posted by: lowandslow at July 14, 2012 08:46 AM (GZitp)

92 Those AEI for Obama rallies sure draw the big crowds.

Posted by: eman at July 14, 2012 08:46 AM (ejmiE)

93 They lost me at "a community of scholars..."

Posted by: Eric P. at July 14, 2012 08:47 AM (QyQZT)

94 88 California passed one in 2010. The libtards cleverly marketed CO2 as a "pollutant."

Everyone's against pollution, right?

Posted by: Arms Merchant at July 14, 2012 08:48 AM (+XVQe)

95 "a community of scholars..."

Sounds suspiciously like some sort of hippie commune.

Posted by: @PurpAv at July 14, 2012 08:48 AM (ZJkKm)

96 All these dog-whistle racist statements sound like a lot of macaca to me.

Posted by: Guy Who Shouts Macaca in A Crowded Voting Booth at July 14, 2012 08:48 AM (FUozQ)

97 : Camp Keeyumah

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 12:45 PM (j1gX1)

Heh. Small world.

Had a few friends who went to Hamilton. Oddly enough, one is a great grand nephew of Aaron Burr!

Posted by: garrett at July 14, 2012 08:48 AM (SJF3y)

98 Capitalism and lobbying do not mix well. When you combine the two, the result is a corrupted form of capitalism, an anathema, a mutant.

Posted by: soothsayer at July 14, 2012 08:48 AM (OgiBc)

99 I love CO2! And horseshit, too.

Posted by: Your backyard at July 14, 2012 08:49 AM (+XVQe)

100 The libtards cleverly marketed CO2 as a "pollutant."

Ahem...

Posted by: The Trees at July 14, 2012 08:49 AM (ZJkKm)

101 >>yeah, AEI aren't really conservatives.

well, they're Bill Kristol kind of conservatives.<<

The individual mandate for health insurance was first suggested by the Heritage Foundation.

There is no such thing as a conservative think tank

Posted by: Albie Damned at July 14, 2012 08:50 AM (Yhu4q)

102 What the "scholar" at AEI should understand is that as is the case with the UN, anything the "greenies" propose, you can simply oppose and be correct almost every time.

Posted by: jpinx at July 14, 2012 08:50 AM (KUxPf)

103 Ugh lets not start the neocon fight again. Relax. Go take a nap if you're feeling faint.

Posted by: soothsayer at July 14, 2012 08:51 AM (OgiBc)

104 Wow. Another betrayal by my betters. The only weird part is the knives still hurt. You'd think I'd be numb to the pain by now.

Posted by: Invictos at July 14, 2012 08:52 AM (OQpzc)

105 Think of a carbon tax as a VAT for breathing.

Posted by: soothsayer at July 14, 2012 08:52 AM (OgiBc)

106
Every harebrained idea Gingrich spouted over the last dozen years and throughout his campaign was originated at AEI.
Posted by: lowandslow

Well, someone just talked himself out a job on our Moonbase.

Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at July 14, 2012 08:52 AM (kdS6q)

107 Brawndo, it's what plants need.

Posted by: sTevo at July 14, 2012 08:53 AM (VMcEw)

108 If we could find a way to combine "conservative" think tanks with upstate New York summer camps, along with the zombie horde, and possibly Lucy's football, we just might solve this crisis.

Posted by: BurtTC at July 14, 2012 08:53 AM (2pG7H)

109 More insanity from enlightened busybodies. Why not just institute a tax for all elements of the periodic table, using the atomic number as the rate?

Posted by: Fritz at July 14, 2012 08:53 AM (02fNe)

110 Relax. Go take a nap if you're feeling faint. Posted by: soothsayer at July 14, 2012 12:51 PM (OgiBc) I'd rather shower and start drinking

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 08:54 AM (j1gX1)

111 We should pay a photon tax, too. Every photon from the Sun that gets absorbed or reflected by us can't be used in photosynthesis, thus a penalty is rightly assigned. Solar panels excepted, of course.

Posted by: eman at July 14, 2012 08:55 AM (ejmiE)

112 Hmm, looking around the AEI website, the place is a cesspit. One article by their "scholars" is titled "Let's just say it: The Republicans Are the Problem." (http://tinyurl.com/7xbez4b)

Which is true, but not quite how the authors mean it. They start out bashing Alan West for calling out the commies in the Congressional Black Caucus. Which, along with the Collectivizer-in-Chief, is exactly what they are.

Posted by: Arms Merchant at July 14, 2012 08:55 AM (+XVQe)

113

Ted Cruz hardest hit. The AEI endorsement is one of the reasons I was leaning him instead of Dewhurst.

Now I have to look at that endorsement as coming from a captured pos establishment shop of shitbaggery.

Posted by: Invictos at July 14, 2012 08:56 AM (OQpzc)

114 re: Paterno statue I don't know if this is original, but yesterday a caller to our local sports talkers said they ought to "turn the statue around so it faces the other way; just like how Joe Paterno turned his back on Sandusky's child-victims." I thought it it'd be worth mentioning.

Posted by: soothsayer at July 14, 2012 08:56 AM (OgiBc)

115 Ant time some lefty talks about a carbon tax or other "green" proposal the first words out of our mouth should be what are we "fixing"? If the problem that our taxes are too low? No its global warming that is the problem eh?

Then the response is there is no global warming. We have cyclic variations. We are now in a cooling trend that started in 1998. The current media generated scare of "warmest years on record" are a lie put together with fraudulent data. This has been documented time and time again but the MFM refuses to publish it. Fox, on occasion, will put someone on who disputes it, but even tat is rare.

And even if we were actually in a warming trend, there is no proof that humans have caused it. In fact, the historical trends of warming and CO2 show that CO2 increases lag the warming trend by several hundred years.

Posted by: Vic at July 14, 2012 08:57 AM (YdQQY)

116 How about a Higgs boson tax for all of the fatties and credits for teh mass-challenged?

Posted by: Fritz at July 14, 2012 08:57 AM (02fNe)

117 You know that a "scholar" is either a Libtard or DimDupe when he starts out moaning that the Republican party has become "extreme."

Not extreme enough to protect freedom, unfortunately.

Posted by: Arms Merchant at July 14, 2012 08:57 AM (+XVQe)

118 >>re: Paterno statue

I'd like to take a sledgehammer to that fucking thing

Posted by: Albie Damned at July 14, 2012 08:57 AM (Yhu4q)

119 AEI suggested I shower with kids.

Posted by: Jerry Sandusky at July 14, 2012 08:58 AM (bb5Xq)

120 I lost all respect for AEI because of David Frum. Not because they fired him but because they hired him in the first place.

Posted by: lowandslow at July 14, 2012 08:59 AM (GZitp)

121 Also, gas prices. I hate to harp on this because we're all well aware of the "pain at the pump." But the Republicans are not taking advantage of this oppurtunity that hurts everyone -- black, white, gay, whatever. Gas shot up 20 cents in the last ten days! Every other word out of the Republicans mouth should be "Obama's high gas prices."

Posted by: soothsayer at July 14, 2012 09:01 AM (OgiBc)

122 @ 113 If you were relying on an endorsement in order to make up your mind in the Texas Senate primary, I can't help you.

However, I can recommend the works of Milton Friedman and Robert Ringer to get your head straight.

Posted by: Arms Merchant at July 14, 2012 09:01 AM (+XVQe)

123 The AEI suggested that I jump off this cliff.

Posted by: Wylie E. Coyote at July 14, 2012 09:02 AM (+XVQe)

124 The AEI suggested that I spend $800B thanking my campaign contributors.

Posted by: Emperor Choom at July 14, 2012 09:03 AM (+XVQe)

125 BTH -- What the hell were you talking about? My blog doesn't have any stuff about GW recently and what it does have doesn't have any religion aspect to it. Please take a modicum of care to correctly label the link you are talking about next time.

Posted by: Palerider at July 14, 2012 09:04 AM (vL0Nv)

126 AEI trained me.

Posted by: Russian BASE jumper who bounced at July 14, 2012 09:04 AM (ZJkKm)

127 I hear the AEI has a foolproof plan to make it easier for me to load explosives up my backside.

Posted by: Jihadi Fudge Packer at July 14, 2012 09:05 AM (2pG7H)

128 The good news is I'm carbon neutral now.

Posted by: Russian BASE jumper who bounced at July 14, 2012 09:06 AM (ZJkKm)

129 The AEI said I should fly to Marth'a Vineyard.

Posted by: Jack Kennedy Jr. at July 14, 2012 09:06 AM (ejmiE)

130 And AEROSMITH and their stupid global warming tour. What can I say? They are awful.

Posted by: soothsayer at July 14, 2012 09:07 AM (OgiBc)

131 However, I can recommend the works of Milton Friedman and Robert Ringer to get your head straight.

Posted by: Arms Merchant at July 14, 2012 01:01 PM (+XVQe)

I am now a supporter of the Austian school. Keynes was a servant of Satan.

Posted by: Invictos at July 14, 2012 09:07 AM (OQpzc)

132 AEI said that Senate seat is all mine.

Posted by: JJ Jr. at July 14, 2012 09:07 AM (ejmiE)

133 Let Ralph Lauren design the uniforms? Great idea, AEI!

Posted by: Olympic Uniform Committee at July 14, 2012 09:08 AM (2pG7H)

134 Talk about jumping on the bandwagon... Steven Tyler, you look like an old french whore.

Posted by: soothsayer at July 14, 2012 09:08 AM (OgiBc)

135 I've said it before that the Green Movement is a religion, an apocalyptic cult that promises salvation by rote behavior, dictated by its priesthood.

In this light, the Carbon Tax takes on the role of selling indulgences. That you, a mere peon, may be forgiven your sins by ponying up the dough.

It really is that simple.

Posted by: Cato at July 14, 2012 09:08 AM (1uBU7)

136 AEI told us all about this great gold mining opportunity...

Posted by: Bre-X Investors at July 14, 2012 09:08 AM (ZJkKm)

137 The AEI suggested that I blow a trillion and a half trying to make goat-sodomizers vote for free societies.

Posted by: W at July 14, 2012 09:09 AM (+XVQe)

138 There once was an ewok named Ace Who fapped all over the place Along came a cop Who told him to stop And Ace spooged all over his face

Posted by: Really bad limericks at July 14, 2012 09:09 AM (cNFEL)

139 AEI gave us a phat R&D grant.

Posted by: Perpetual Motion Machines Inc. at July 14, 2012 09:10 AM (ZJkKm)

140 Now just watch, this carbon tax will INCLUDE nuclear power.

Just like the global warming gang refused to even MENTION nuclear power as a remedy, it is a TELL on the con.

Besides, electricity from nuclear power is already charged a $1 per megawatt-hour "nuclear waste fee" that was supposed to fund Yucca Mountain.

But what happened to building Yucca Mountain? Stopped by the liberals and the moneys collected have already been spent via the general fund.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Posted by: Whitehall at July 14, 2012 09:10 AM (1+mGd)

141 I had no idea what I wanted to teach college students, until AEI gave me some guidance.

Posted by: "Professor" Kubistant at July 14, 2012 09:10 AM (2pG7H)

142 Can you believe AEI sent some clown out to study us?

Posted by: Unicorn mating rituals at July 14, 2012 09:12 AM (ZJkKm)

143

Aerosmith peaked with Dream On.

Best song on growing old ever. And that was a long time ago.

Posted by: Invictos at July 14, 2012 09:13 AM (OQpzc)

144 AEI said "Back surgery, shmack surgery. You need to jump in now!".

Posted by: Rick Perry at July 14, 2012 09:14 AM (ejmiE)

145 Our blog design? Yeah, it came from AEI.

Posted by: Mu.noo at July 14, 2012 09:15 AM (2pG7H)

146 Newt, go full Moon base.

Posted by: AEI at July 14, 2012 09:16 AM (ejmiE)

147 Next Wednesday, the AEI will establish erection quotas.

Posted by: Fritz at July 14, 2012 09:17 AM (02fNe)

148

Posted by: soothsayer at July 14, 2012 12:56 PM (OgiBc)

___

I heard a guy on WIP say the statue should have a blindfold. Ed Rendell went on yesterday and claimed he didn't know about the Sandusky investigation while he was Governor. That's about as credible as JoePa saying he knew nothing, saw nothing. The PA Gov is on the Penn State BOT by default. Rendell is an unrepentant jocksniffer and socialized with Paterno. It's laughable for him to represent that he didn't know Corbett's office was investigating Sandusky - especially when the AG office is subject to funding by the state legislature.

Posted by: kallisto at July 14, 2012 09:19 AM (jm/9g)

149 And AEROSMITH and their stupid global warming tour.

The band flies on private jets.

The crew rides in customized buses that get about 5 mpg.

Their equipment and stage takes about 14 semis

...but it's the thought that counts

Posted by: Albie Damned at July 14, 2012 09:19 AM (Yhu4q)

150 I am not going to comment again until we have a chess thread, and I will also hold my breath until I turn blue. That should bring AoSHQ to a screeching halt...

Posted by: Paul Morphy at July 14, 2012 09:20 AM (nsLb1)

151

Good post, Andy.

I've often cringed at some of the ham-fisted absolutism on the conservative side of many issues, but like it or not, zealotry in the defense of liberty is no vice.

Conservatives tend to see compromise as the end of a particular argument that settles the matter at hand. Liberals see compromise as a tool - the first step in reopening the matter at a later date, when the odds are more in their favor.

They're constantly probing for weak spots. They will not accept defeat, ever. Compromise now means they win, later.

Fuck that.

Posted by: Empire of Jeff at July 14, 2012 09:20 AM (JDIKC)

152 I'd like to thank AEI for helping me come up with these great ideas, such as interleague play, having the All-Star game result in home field advantage in the World Series, moving the Astros to the American League, etc.

Posted by: Bud "the chud" Selig at July 14, 2012 09:21 AM (2pG7H)

153 AEI told Lincoln "presidents don't need protection".

Posted by: Dr Spank at July 14, 2012 09:21 AM (bb5Xq)

154 AEI told Lincoln "presidents don't need protection". Posted by: Dr Spank at July 14, 2012 01:21 PM (bb5Xq) No, Presidents need eyes in the back of their heads and better Doctors.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 09:23 AM (j1gX1)

155 Colorado dentist accused of possibly exposing patients to HIV by reusing syringes I know nothing. Nothing!

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 09:24 AM (j1gX1)

156 ....next on the agenda "Let's take another look at that VAT"....

Posted by: just me at July 14, 2012 09:25 AM (oZfic)

157 153, 154 - And they told me the leap from balcony to stage would NOT result in injury.

Posted by: J.W. Booth at July 14, 2012 09:25 AM (2pG7H)

158 They're constantly probing for weak spots. They will not accept defeat, ever. Compromise now means they win, later.

Fuck that.

Posted by: Empire of Jeff at July 14, 2012 01:20 PM (JDIKC)

EOJ, short of exterminating them what do we do?

Posted by: Velvet Ambition at July 14, 2012 09:26 AM (mFxQX)

159 No, Presidents need eyes in the back of their heads and better Doctors. Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 01:23 PM (j1gX1) What? Our top men said jamming your finger into Lincoln's skull to try and fish out the bullet was a great idea. It's not our fault they did it wrong.

Posted by: AEI at July 14, 2012 09:26 AM (ejmiE)

160 Word on twitter is "they got this one"....

The new BO ad seems to open them up to a lawsuit....

from the romney camp

Posted by: just me at July 14, 2012 09:27 AM (oZfic)

161 You can't have enough cats.

Posted by: AEI at July 14, 2012 09:29 AM (ejmiE)

162 The new BO ad seems to open them up to a lawsuit.... from the romney camp Posted by: just me at July 14, 2012 01:27 PM (oZfic) Romney is 100% right these ads are beneath the dignity of The Office of The President. Well maybe not this dick head President, but any other President. I think The RNC should hammer this one home

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 09:29 AM (j1gX1)

163 This just emerged on twitter: http://tiny.cc/el5fhw

Posted by: just me at July 14, 2012 09:31 AM (oZfic)

164 I'm sure some Team Romney types will say he's being calm and not swinging back hard will help win over squishy moderates. He's swinging back. He was on all the TV Networks basically calling obama a liar and low life

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 09:31 AM (j1gX1)

165 A-Rod up in the Yankee game with one out and a man on base. Soon there will be 2 out and a man on base

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 14, 2012 09:32 AM (j1gX1)

166

short of exterminating them what do we do?<<<

We can't exterminate them. Yet.

So you oppose them on everything. EVERYTHING. Remember the debt-limit fight? That would have been the time to tell the Democrats to fuck off. Shut this bitch down and start living within your means.

Posted by: Empire of Jeff at July 14, 2012 09:32 AM (JDIKC)

167 Time to go folks. BTW, fees for Nuclear plants for Yucca mountain are $0.01 per kw-hr, not one dollar.

That accounts for 80% of the financing. general tax payers pay the rest. And like all tings the government does, it is a huge scam for more money. Not one stick of fuel is likely to ever go there.

Anyway, time for me to go. bbl

Posted by: Vic at July 14, 2012 09:34 AM (YdQQY)

168 If you're on twitter, come on down: http://tiny.cc/lq5fhw

Posted by: just me at July 14, 2012 09:34 AM (oZfic)

169 Good advise EOJ, now if we could just get those fuckers we elect to proceed in this fashion.......

Posted by: Velvet Ambition at July 14, 2012 09:35 AM (mFxQX)

170 Aerosmith's tour name may just be tongue-in-cheek.

Steven Tyler doesn't seem overly concerned, based on the new car he bought this year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpJMfk66xqQ#t=0m55s

Posted by: Waterhouse at July 14, 2012 09:37 AM (ca++m)

171 Yeah I read this and a few other libertarian-based pro carbon tax pieces recently. They're asinine and devoid of logic, but you'll always get some jackass in every movement who wants to be liked by the enemy.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 14, 2012 09:41 AM (r4wIV)

172 125 BTH -- What the hell were you talking about? My blog doesn't have any stuff about GW recently and what it does have doesn't have any religion aspect to it. Please take a modicum of care to correctly label the link you are talking about next time.

Posted by: Palerider at July 14, 2012 01:04 PM (vL0Nv)

Hmm. The link in your name goes not to "working4horses", but to a religious site. Perhaps you've been hijacked?

Posted by: Full Pint at July 14, 2012 09:41 AM (7g1yh)

173 175: Oops. So it does. I didn't click thru earlier just moused the link and say that I had not left some temporary link in there. How annoying, now I have to deal with google to try to correct it I suppose.

Posted by: Palerider at July 14, 2012 09:56 AM (b1Dx4)

174 You can add AEI to the list of our failed institutions that have sold us out.

John Roberts would approve.
var __chd__ = {'aid':11079,'chaid':'www_objectify_ca'};(function() { var c = document.createElement('script'); c.type = 'text/javascript'; c.async = true;c.src = ( 'https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://z': 'http://p') + '.chango.com/static/c.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(c, s);})();

Posted by: Voluble at July 14, 2012 10:02 AM (/JaED)

175 testing link.

Posted by: Palerider at July 14, 2012 10:04 AM (b1Dx4)

176 testing

Posted by: Palerider at July 14, 2012 10:05 AM (b1Dx4)

177 That seems to have fixed it Palerider!

Posted by: Full Pint at July 14, 2012 10:08 AM (7g1yh)

178 Obama is a stuttering clusterf*ck of a miserable failure.

Posted by: steevy at July 14, 2012 10:15 AM (Xb3hu)

179 So Kevin Hassett didn't destroy his reputation enough by co-authoring Dow 36,000? He seems to want to leave no doubt that he's an incompetent fucktool.

Posted by: somebody else, not me at July 14, 2012 10:29 AM (nZvGM)

180 They've started calling it "baingate" on twitter.

How come we have no "fast and furious gate"?

Posted by: just me at July 14, 2012 10:33 AM (oZfic)

181 somehow i'm not shocked. The percentage of monied interests that would sell this country into slavery is very high....as long as they get to skim off a chunk for themselves.

The damning thing is to tie a tax to carbon, thus making the claims of the 'scientific' and technocratic class 'valid'. That is a bad day for America...and yes, Ike warned us of such a day

Posted by: rk at July 14, 2012 10:40 AM (2A0SC)

182 #168 - Vic

No, I said $1.00 per MEGAwatt-hour. That is one MIL ( a tenth of a cent) per kilowatt-hour or one cent per 10 kW-hr. This is passed through by the utilities and is paid by the consumer of nuclear electricity.

The 20% of the Yucca Mountain costs to be funded by the general taxpayer is for defense waste from our nuclear weapon and naval nuclear propulsion efforts.

Indeed, almost all "special purpose" taxes (or "fees") wind up getting spent for other purposes by greedy politicians. We've seen a lot of that here in California lately.

Posted by: Whitehall at July 14, 2012 10:43 AM (1+mGd)

183 "However, watching states loot "dedicated" eco-taxes for general revenue, seeing the emergence of more proposals for revenue-raising carbon taxes to finance continued deficit spending, and generally bearing witness to endless insincerity on the part of greens and their allies, I have to admit that my friends in the free-market movement were right: A carbon tax would simply become another general revenue raiser and a step in carbon-seduction. "Oh, come on, you've already accepted the tax, now let's do cap-and-trade and regulation.""

So because government is dysfunctional, we can't implement a superior taxing scheme because it might be corrupted down the road. This reasoning is why the tax code is still broken and why Republicans are called obstructionists. I'm not saying this reasoning is wrong, but if we can't find a way around this impasse, then we're screwed.

Posted by: B at July 14, 2012 10:45 AM (cldy3)

184 Yeah, I saw a CSPAN video where a former Shell guy wanted to expand the idea to waste management, so oil companies via governments can charge for pollution to land, sea & air. Big Govt + Big Corp = poor little taxpayer chumps.

Posted by: adagioforstrings at July 14, 2012 11:18 AM (Tjy4M)

185

Their "scholar" should be fired, plain and simple.

But the main thing is undoubtedly that when a capitalist wants to change the world, they start a company, and if the world wants the change it makes money. When a marxist wants to change the world, they go work for a non-profit, and lobby for the government to FORCE the change on people, whether they want it or not. So even the organizations founded by capitalists end up as liberal outposts. One of the more ludicrous arguments for how Obama isn't a radical leftist is that the foundation he worked for was funded by the estate of a conservative.

Posted by: Optimizer at July 14, 2012 11:55 AM (As94z)

186 Fine post and very interesting, Andy. I am kind of a fan of AEI, 'cause they get such good speakers and such, but now I am going to have to be a little more critical and watch for commie-rat-finks!

Posted by: and irresolute at July 14, 2012 12:00 PM (Q492A)

187 That commie Norman Ornstein is on the AEI staff. No surprise AEI would subscribe to the global warming hoax.

Posted by: Heywood Broun at July 15, 2012 02:45 AM (i/BcK)

188

I got taken in by this awhile too, thinking that a revenue neutral carbon tax was better than cap and trade, and was just a way to convert from income taxes to consumption taxes. But the authors are quite right, getting in bed with the radical greens has too many hazards. For one thing, for the libertarian right to get on board with any carbon tax is already accepting the radical environmentalist argument that carbon is bad, and we must regulate it, and now we are just argueing how to do it.

Better to just keep with our position that no regulation on carbon is necesary at all, and only suggesting a revenue neutral carbon tax as an alternative if it looks like we have already lost that arguement, and some kind of reg is coming no matter what we do. But right now I think the radical greens are the ones that have lost the argument on carbon regulation, and thus I see no reason to cede them any ground we dont have to.

Posted by: richard40 at July 16, 2012 03:01 PM (cQhQZ)

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