By Rob Roper
On Monday, the lightbulb went off over the heads of the members of the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee that the Clean Heat Standard bill (H.715) that they are currently reviewing only deals with thermal — hence the definitive word “heat” in the name — emissions. Not transportation emissions as well. This did not go down well.
Sen. Dick McCormack, D-Windsor
Sen. Dick McCormack (D-Windsor) gasped, “Are we really going to let the gavel come down at the end of this session in early May and not have addressed [transportation emissions] in this committee? I think that’s unbelievable?”
Chairman Sen. Chris Bray (D-Addison) pointed to work the committee did last year on the Mileage Plus program but was cut short by Sen. Mark MacDonald’s (D-Orange) profane outburst, “That’s bulls—t! Mileage Plus doesn’t put one additional [electric] car on the road, it simply drives up the price of used vehicles.” Which I’m sure is exactly why voters sent these folks to Montpelier: to make purchasing a used vehicle because you can’t afford a new one even more expensive. They seem to think so! But I digress.
As the committee members grumbled amongst themselves, legislative layer Ellen Czajkowski chimed in.
“One of the primary recommendations from the Vermont Climate Action Plan on transportation was joining the Transportation Climate Initiative, which fell apart a week before the plan was released. … But, that said,” she added with a come hither grin, “you have authority to request bills to address issues. Let me know if I can help! And I would just also add it would briefly, briefly, briefly discuss about whether or not the Clean Heat Standard should address other fuels because that is what other states do.”
Sen. Richard Westman (R-Lamoille) perked up, noting that three other states have standards for transportation: California, Washington and Oregon.
MacDonald proposed, “When TCI went away nothing has happened since then. I think we should spend the next day or so thinking of how this big empty hole in the transportation policy has been created and to work with members of the Transportation Committee to somehow acknowledge that in their Transportation bill. … We got to do something instead of just going home without any plan.”
Bray mused, “I suppose we could also add something to this bill that would say something similar.”
And MacDonald cheered heartily, “It’s not a clean heat thing, it’s a clean driving thing.”
After general agreement amongst the members to pursue this direction, MacDonald concluded the discussion, “Let’s think in the next day or so where we could make that statement and push and pull our colleagues along in this direction. Whether the best place to do it is in the Transportation Bill, or this bill, or some other place.”
So, just like that the cost and complexity of this Clean Heat and now Transportation Standard bill has likely doubled, much to the detriment of the Vermont consumer. It’s not enough that they’re going to force you to pay more heat your home, but now to drive you’re vehicle as well (because, you know, gas prices aren’t rising high enough as it is).
Rob Roper is on the board of the Ethan Allen Institute.
We have to show up en masse at the polls to overcome any shenanigans of the vote counters, including universal harvesting ballots all over the state.
The Dem/Progs have fixed the rules of elections, so almost all of them will never lose
When will Vermonter’s wake up and send these agenda-driven fools packing, they have
a plan, but no answers if you question them about solar and wind power it’s a joke all they
want is to throw your tax dollars at a scam……
With only 2-5% following this ” Green Agenda ” why are these clowns still in a position to
make it harder for Vermont to maintain its current standard of living.
If these inept fools were serious about saving the world, they need to look to China, Russia
India to mane a few when they get these countries under control we just might take them
seriously …………….. Clowns are all I see.
Fact: 5.5% increase in CO2 levels (2014 398 to 2022 420 ppm) with ZERO temperature increase over almost 8 years.
(a + 0.54 C/century rate last 172 yrs)
Correlation of a short term CO2 rise and short term temperatures does not Causation make. Correlation does not mean Causation!
In the long run, CO2 levels are an EFFECT, NOT A CAUSE of changes in Climate / temperatures.
Will Sen. Dick McCormack (D-Windsor) please tell the people of Vermont how much, if any at all, climate change will be mitigated by adding motor fuel to the clean heat standard?………Will Sen. McCormack please tell the people of Vermont how much climate change will be mitigated by passing every single initiative called for by the Global Warming Solutions Act?
McCormack will not respond to these questions because he knows that Vermont can do nothing what so ever to stop or even affect climate change.
Your failure Sen. McCormack to answer these fundamental questions is what the people of Vermont
think is unbelievable…….Its time for you and the rest of your colleagues in the legislature to come clean with the people of Vermont and admit that your proposed efforts will do nothing to mitigate or even affect climate change……Period!
While mccormack and bray may use pixie dust to fuel their vehicles and heat their home, the rest of us do not have access to such magical things. Our groceries are delivered to Vermont stores using diesel fuel, even if your store might get their goods delivered by rail. Your heating source, even if wood or electricity requires fuel, sold and taxed in Vermont to get the job done. Those utility trucks that maintain the power lines don’t run on pixie dust either. Gasoline is not the evil elixir of capitalists, it’s what gets people to work and school. These two liberal elitists and their cohorts have engaged in fantasy over the impact of their actions to their constituents as well as the physics and dynamics of the earth’s atmosphere. At very Vermont resident’s expense.
Every Vermont resident.
And, after all the taxes are collected, fees paid, credits traded- the earth’s atmosphere will still contain
0.04 % CO2. The same amount as today.
Maybe these concerned Public citizens should require that folks with electric cars must have adequate solar panels
to recharge their electric cars overnight !?!
Where does electricity come from?!?
From “The Outlet of course,” you ninny!
Let them go carbon free in the statehouse next winter as a demonstration. No fuel oil, no natural gas, no LP