MORE, NOT LESS Dependence on Foreign Oil with Cap-n-Tax

This is what Cap and Trade will get us. More oil coming from places like this, Saudi Arabian dirty oil fields and not from the technology of the US and our much cleaner oil industry. Why you ask, because with the Waxman-Markey energy bill, US oil companies will be forced, because of competition, to import even more oil, but not crude oil, but finished, refined products like gasoline, and diesel, jet fuel and the like.

With the higher costs that come with Cap and Trade, the domestic oil refineries will pay more to produce these products, and if so, will import the refined products because, here's the good part, imported refined products won't have the disadvantage of being produced here, in the US, under the Waxman-Markey Cap and TAX bill. You've heard this here before but it bares repeating, if you want less of something, TAX IT!

In this Bloomberg article, Big Oil’s Answer to Carbon Law May Be Fuel Imports , Jim Mulva of Conoco Phillips, states that the C-n-T will impose and imbalance in the costs for domestic refiners, that is will force them to import more refined product and slow or close plants here in the US to avoid the extra costs. “It will lead to the opportunity for foreign sources to bring in transportation fuels at a lower cost, which will have an adverse impact to our industry, potential shutdown of refineries and investment and, ultimately, employment,”

Contrary to President Barack Obama’s goal of reducing dependence on overseas energy suppliers, the bill would incent U.S. refiners to import more fuel, said Clayton Mahaffey, an analyst at RedChip Cos. in Maitland, Florida.
“They’ll be searching the globe for refined products that don’t carry the same level of carbon costs,” said Mahaffey, a former Exxon Corp. refinery manager.

The Bloomberg artical continues; Drivers, airlines and trucking companies would pay an additional $178 billion annually, or about $560 for each man, woman and child in the U.S., according to the API, whose 400 members include Irving, Texas-based Exxon Mobil and the U.S. unit of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Europe’s largest oil company.

“That kind of price impact would significantly hurt the competitiveness of U.S. refiners versus importers,” said Glenn McGinnis, chief executive officer at Arizona Clean Fuels Yuma, a Phoenix-based company that’s attempting to build the nation’s first new refinery in three decades.

And what this bill is purported to do is decrease dependence on foreign sources of fuel, and keep the carbon foot print of the US from growing. Well, I'll think you know where I'd to put my foot print, but I'll have to make that known at the ballot box in 2010, because not one of our Florida Democrat Congressman, that includes our own Allan Greyson, voted to stop this 1300 page plus roll of TP from getting passed, they all voted for it. And they didn't even read the thing, yet they sign their names to it, that should tell you everything you need to know.

I emailed Rep. Greyson and got a response, here's part of it;

"Currently there are a number of bills being debated in the House of Representatives regarding energy policy. One of the most prominent bills, H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, recently passed the House Energy & Commerce Committee by a 33-25 vote. The bill has also been referred to 8 other House Committees who maintain jurisdiction. H.R. 2454 provides a comprehensive strategy to help reduce America's dependency on foreign oil, significantly cut carbon emissions by 2050, bolster the development and implementation of renewable energy sources, and increase overall energy efficiency standards. Because H.R. 2454 has not come before either of my committees, I have not able to participate in the initial discussions regarding the bill. However, please know that I will keep the best interests of my constituents in mind should an energy bill come before the House for a vote. "

The highlighted section shows one of the goals, "to help reduce America's dependency on foreign oil". He also goes on about how he hasn't been in on the discussions about the bill because it hasn't come up in any of his committees. And this response was dated June 26th, 2009, and low and behold, the bill passed June 26th, 2009. What a piece of work this guy is, not reading the bill and voting to pass it, and he has the sack to tell me, "However, please know that I will keep the best interests of my constituents in mind "........ what a joke.

This bill will not protect the environment because we will import from countries that don't give a rip about it. It will not reduce our dependence as I've stated above, but it will lower our standard of living by imposing artificial caps on our use of energy. This bill, based on the junk science global warming, will only speed the downfall of this great nation, and dim the shining light on the hill.

Letter to Mel Martinez, Say NO to Cap-n-Trade

updated today, 06/20/08

Dear Senator Martinez,
I have to respectfully ask if you have seriously looked at the global warming issue, because voting for the Warner-Lieberman bill was a huge mistake. One only has to research this matter for a short while to realize that man has nothing to do with the warming of the earth and that increasing Co2 levels have never, in the data that man has accumulated via ice cores or sedimentary analysis, shown a time when Co2 PRECEEDED a rise in global temperatures. Please see this Cap-n-Trade program for what it is, redistribution of wealth and a giant leap forward for the powers that be to intrude on the daily life of every man, woman and child in this country.

If you continue to follow this line of thinking and voting I will no longer be able to support you in the next election. I am a life long Republican and conservative. I care deeply about our environment but also about the economy that makes it possible for us to lead the world. I have supported you in the past, but on this issue, Cap-n-Trade, I will withdraw that support for always if there is no change in your support for this bill or anything like it.

Governments in Europe and elsewhere are turning away from this type of bogus legislation because it simply does not work. And even if it did, the reduction in Co2 emissions would be of such little importance or impact that it would all be for naught. Don’t let political correctness or the desire to look like an environmentalist cloud your judgment on this issue.

Please remember, Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less. 50 miles off the west coast of Florida is some of the richest natural gas reserves available, and you and Mr. Nelson keep thinking that the people of Florida don’t want there to be drilling there. You are absolutely wrong. If there is natural gas or oil field off the Gulf coast we want you to drill, not just so we can have $2.00 gas back again, I think that’s gone forever, but for National Security. I know we will never be energy independent, we get much of our oil form Mexico and Canada. But keeping the money here in our county instead of in the hands of those that would do us harm is vital to our security. We would also be less vulnerable to serious import issues, such as Iran cutting off the Straits of Hormuz or damage to vital pipelines. Oil is life to this country, and until we figure out how to live without or much less of it, it will remain so, so drilling and pumping more is our only option today. I agree with you that we need more nuclear power plants, please read:

http://capmsblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/drill-now-nuclear-later.html .

I think it’s the only thing that will allow us to really have the security we seek, security from Islomo-terrorists and security from powers that would cut off the flow of oil to us and the rest of the world.

So please Senator, do more research, and if you find that I am wrong on about an increase in Co2 never preceding an increase in global temperature, I will change my mind about you and support your efforts. But if you can’t find a study that clearly shows increasing Co2 coming first, then please keep looking, look into this subject and find what I know you’ll find, that this is hype and misinformation on a level we have never seen before.

God Bless you and yours Senator and God Bless America!

Senator's response:

Below is a response to the recent comments I received from you:

Dear Mr. Kirk:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the expansion of domestic drilling in our nation. I appreciate hearing from you and would like to respond to your concerns.

The United States faces a fundamental need for increased domestic energy supply in the face of increased global demand to reduce energy prices. I share your concerns with the high price of fuel and its effects, particularly the unprecedented wealth reallocation resulting from our nation's dependence on foreign oil.

I helped design the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (S. 3711), which was passed into law in 2006. This bill opened 8 million acres of the Outer Continental Shelf in the western Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas exploration while securing environmental protection for Florida's beaches. Although this opened OCS area contains trillions of cubic feet of natural gas and millions of barrels of oil, no new production has begun. Production in this area is the most immediate option we have for a large-scale increase in domestic energy supply. We must take advantage of this available asset before considering expanding coastal drilling that may jeopardize our beaches.

In order to increase domestic energy supply, I have consistently supported an environmentally responsible approach for oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). I have also promoted coal-to-liquids technology, the development of cellulosic ethanol and other non-food-based renewable fuels, tax incentives for renewable energies, and the extraction of vast oil shale deposits in America's West. To reduce demand, I have consistently supported increases in fuel efficiency standards and investment in mass transit. I am committed to both increasing domestic supply and decreasing domestic demand of energy in order to alleviate these factors that contribute to high fuel prices.

I am working closely with the Administration and my colleagues in the Senate to ensure that Florida’s voice is heard as we address the need for increased domestic energy supply. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any additional comments or questions. For more information about issues and activities important to Florida, please sign up for my weekly newsletter at http://martinez.senate.gov/.

Sincerely,Mel Martinez

United States Senator

The Senator still did not address the issue of Cap and Trade and defend his vote on that. All these other items are in the past, I want to know what he will do in the future.

My responce:

Senator,
Thank you for your response to my email, but you didn't answer the question about your Cap-n-Trade vote. I do appreciate the efforts to open more areas to drilling. But voting for Cap-n-Trade will only hurt our economy, and hurt the consumer. It's just another tax on business and commerce. And corporations don't pay taxes, you know this, they just pass them along to you and me in the form of higher prices, lower employment growth or lower dividend payouts, to your 401K and my IRA.