By John McClaughry
This week the House Energy and Technology Committee, chaired by Rep. Timothy Briglin, Democrat of Thetford, is holding four days of hearings on the decarbonization study. This study, for which we’re paying $120,000, was done by a national organization called Resources for the Future. It’s aim is to explain how Vermont can somehow drive up the price of gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, propane and natural gas to the point where Vermonters can’t afford using those fuels any more, and will find some other way to heat their homes and get to work and school.
The first four days of hearings will include testimony from electric utilities and state officials. Then on Friday the afternoon will be devoted to invited testimony from seven groups collectively called “Energy Advocacy Groups.”
Here’s who the Committee has invited: the Energy Action Network, the Energy and Climate program of the Vermont Natural Resources Council, the Vermont Public Interest Research group (VPIRG), Capstone Community Action, Vermont Business for Social Responsibility, and Energy Independent Vermont.
Notice anything interesting about this lineup? These groups are the carbon tax spearhead in Vermont. They’ve worked furiously for four years to peddle the carbon tax, the ESSEX Plan, and numerous variations. Now the committee wants their views on this latest boondoggle study, but not the views of the organization that has led the charge against a carbon tax, the Ethan Allen Institute. This is another rigged deal.
John McClaughry is vice president of the Ethan Allen Institute. Reprinted with permission from the Ethan Allen Institute Blog.
How many acres of solar panels are producing zero electricity for days at a time because they are covered with a foot of sticky snow.
Not good for -30 degree wind chills, no furnace, no fancy heat pump, nothing but froze up home and dam mad citizens
The shadow government of regional planning commissions in this state is used to gain access to our local municipalities.
Though they are voluntary, access is gained to further the desires of special interest through their roll as planners.
This structure helps implement agendas that are in many cases foreign to the wishes and needs of local Vermonters.
While lobbyist’s monopolize our legislators to create laws we did not ask for, planners are also able to achieve much on the local levels through committee activism.
This installs initiatives using citizens of the community with a challenge of enlisting their ideas to put in place desires that may not even be by statute or required.
This goes back to the original Act 250 of 1969. Then Act 200 was jammed thru.
Called for a statewide zoning – and map which never happened.
But the Camel got it’s head under the tent by having State regulations, “regional” zoning, –
all flogging local “zoners” – which are people who hope to control – to follow the lead of the Pied Piper of “state zoning”
We now have so many “overlays” of this and that on our land, that our Title of Deed is mostly invisible.
If the legislature (progressives and democrats) are so set on introducing a carbon tax (the Essex Plan) on behalf of the citizens of the state, why don’t they ask us to vote on it as a ballot measure in the next election?
I believe the only fair method of voting on any subject / legislation/ by an elected official is to poll electors in their district to get the real inputs to vote wisely, not by personal “feel good” voting for a bill and vote as per their “subjects” desire. Isn’t this a representative government?
I have noted in many election cycles and times, the established legislators become “humanized” and seek their constituant’s vote to be re-elected or elected. They contact “the people”. But when elected, they become power crazed, don’t listen to anyone’s concerns and consider themselves as the elite class being “The Honorable”. The voting populaces becomes their servants and their main control is of the populace.
Many letters to the editor supporting Jane or John Doe, being a real nice caring life long constructive person in the town or county. But whan they get to Montpelier they are told how to toe the party line (Dems). So little Jane or John becomes the instrument of the Socialist party elite. That’s Montpelier reality. These letters to the Ed all seem to be in format form, produce for and by the Party they are running in. Look at the basic common thread through all of them.
Montpelier has 26% more employees than the US average, a large gov stance. I really get pissed when the elected think they are so much better than the masses. I think they need a welfare check, no jobs in VT. Move to VT, instant welfare, get elected, higher welfare check and you can present bogus expenses and not be challenged—-want info, True Reports had an article on this.
VT Gov and most of the people there are SICK!
Carbon tax is a feel good moment. Consequences be damned.
Is there no end to the insanity? The politicos want to stop people from leaving Vermont. They’re trying to entice people to come. But then they plan and scheme their con games, designed to collect the people’s hard warm incomes. Sounds a lot like old Europe that made people want to come to this country.
They build all kinds of green energy sites but can’t get the power out of Vermont. To resolve it they suggest building electric car charging stations in the NEK and people need to use more power.
The political machine has only one constituency and that is not the voters. It’s the lobbyists (bribers) and their employers.
Is the voting public so naive that they keep these people in office? Are they so gullible as to think that ruining the economy of Vermont will save the Earth? It will have any affect on changing climate, global warming, or any other label that describes catastrophic weather changes? Vermont due to its size and population density should be one of the last states to adopt any sort of green policies. Let the big polluters and wealthy states toss their hats in the ring, first.
Vermont progressives and democrats, willing to harm working Vermonters and the elderly in order to feel clever and morally superior. This new scheme will harm struggling Vermonters and have NO MEASURABLE EFFECT ON CLIMATE CHANGE.
Fifty years ago with the help of central planners and Act 250, our economic vehicle of Capitalism took a left turn and we wound up in 2019 riding in a hybrid cross somewhere between Capitalism and Socialism.
When Capitalism runs out of gas what will power Socialism?
It may get ugly when it begins to consume itself for lack of fuel!
Very well said, if it ever does get ugly I wonder how the people will except it.
WOW so lets hear from the very folks who more or less set up the ESSEX PLAN…. seems fair…..
Having been there before and having scheduled testimony as Clerk of a committee I can tell you that this is about the greatest insult to democracy in the committee process that you could possibly have. No balance no freedom of expression no diversion or diversity of ideas simply a Mindless head in the sand oneview philosophy with no oversight no counterbalance and certainly no democracy or voice of the rest of the people of this state. This is definitely not what you would call the due deliberative process that we all expect of our legislators
Freedom is the ultimate Democracy. State autonomy and the freedom to move from state to state. People typically move about a dozen times in their lifespan. Some states find it to their benefit to attract productive people, to attract businesses. Others, for whatever motive, have been successfully encouraging their most productive citizens to leave the state using the coercive tools of suppressive and often irrational regulation and through high taxes with little benefit returned to those paying them. There are graphic displays of population shifts showing which states manage their governance and finances to the benefit of their citizens.