Vermont representative says make COVID lockdown permanent to fight climate change

By Rob Roper

Yes, we saw this coming and here it is. Many have quipped over the last nine months that if you like the COVID economy, you’ll love the Green New Deal/Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA).

Well, now Rep. Curt McCormack (D-Burlington, and chair of the House Transportation Committee) penned an op-ed, “Winning the climate and Covid wars with WWII tactics,” in which he argues: “If the Covid-19 pandemic can reduce our carbon emissions in one month by the same amount as we need to reduce per year, 7%, to avoid catastrophic climate change, can we not do this on purpose, in an orderly well-planned fashion?”

state of Vermont

Rep. Curt McCormack

First question: who exactly wants policies designed to bring about the orderly, well planned destruction of our economy on the scale that we’ve seen in 2020? Anybody? Rather, who would prefer policies designed to bring about economic revival, leaving the shutdowns, loss of income, loss of freedom and financial insecurity in history’s rear view mirror forever? Show of hands please!

So, know that as this new Legislature begins debating environmental policies — especially around the GWSA, the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI), and the general desire to tax carbon — establishing the permanent misery of economic lockdowns is the goal.

Now, McCormack tries to sugar coat this poisonous pill with the false promise that shutting down large portions of the economy will somehow spur economic growth. He writes, “The media has repeatedly pointed out that we have not seen such disruption in the economy or product shortages since the Great Depression of the 1930s. They like to compare the disruptions and the global efforts to beat back the pandemic menace to World War II. I would agree with this comparison and add one more: climate change … World War II is credited for being the major force that ended the Great Depression. Can a WWII response to climate change be beneficial to today’s economy?”

Yes, and no. Regarding McCormack’s prescription, the answer is no.

The reason WWII helped the US pull out of our Great Depression is because for five years in the Asian theater and for three years in the European theater we did not participate in WWII as a combatant, but instead simply sold the actors all the stuff they needed to obliterate their industrial infrastructures and murder a huge percentage of their labor forces. So, yes, the war against climate change is an economic growth opportunity insofar as the US decides not to participate while the rest of the world saddles itself with a bunch of foolish policies. This was the Trump Administration’s strategy — pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord, pushing for US energy independence, deregulation, etc. — and, until Covid came along, it seemed to be working. The US economy was booming as a result.

But this isn’t what McCormack is advocating for. He advocates for being the lead combatant in this war on CO2. In keeping with his analogy, we’d be Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan. And, as we know, WWII did not end well for them, economically or otherwise.

McCormack delights, “By the end of 1942, Americans were no longer building cars and passenger planes. Not only were no automobiles manufactured but most every consumer good or service one can think of was scarcely available or was being rationed. Substantial reduction in the consumption of energy was accomplished by rationing … These mandates resulted in no more new refrigerators, radios, electric mixers, radiators, lawn mowers, electric toasters, roasters, dishwashers, percolators, phonographs, Christmas lights, electric razors, TVs, metal zippers, sewing machines, jukeboxes, flashlights, irons, vacuum cleaners, coat hangers and playground equipment.”

Great! And that, folks, is your elected leadership’s vision for your future. Sounds like a hoot, doesn’t it?

Rob Roper is president of the Ethan Allen Institute. Reprinted with permission from the Ethan Allen Institute Blog.

Images courtesy of Public domain and state of Vermont

13 thoughts on “Vermont representative says make COVID lockdown permanent to fight climate change

  1. Looks like comrade McCormack of the Transportation Committee has broken loose form his mooring and is adrift in The Cape of Good Dope. Vermont has a propriety deficient of CO2. We should stop trying to hold off the Carbon Tax and agree with the Socialist’s under the condition that the tax be assessed in the proper fashion. Urban and metropolitan areas being responsible for the overwhelming portion of CO2 generation must pay reparations. Tax should be assessed on square foot area of all property lacking a predetermined amount of vegetation and amount of fossil fuel emissions generated. Tax proceeds should flow thru the states to landowners who maintain vegetated and forested areas to offset loss of value incurred by not developing their property.

    Get out of the defensive trench and advance. How many times must it be said! “The best defense is a good offence.” Oh, wait I forgot they are republicans. Never mind forget it.

  2. FYI – Rep. McCormack is no longer Chair of House Transportation, he is on the committee but had requested not to be Chair. The new Chair is Rep. Diane Lanpher and the Vice Chair is Rep. Butch Shaw.

  3. Hate to bust his bubble, but there has been essentially ZERO measureable change in CO2 levels in 2020 so the COVID lock down analogy is senseless.
    The last 100+ years worth of increases in CO2 (to a 415 ppm level) have a huge natural component and no DATA exists that will statistically support claims of AGW (warming).

  4. Curt McCormack does not own a car. He rides his bike or walks or takes public transportation everywhere he goes.

  5. If he really cared he would purposely get covid so he and his progressive friends have a chance to reduce their carbon footprint by 100%. Just imagine the impact on the climate!

  6. This twit is as dumb as ditch water and just about as useful to Vermonters. And he gets paid by our taxes to be this stupid? Jeez…

  7. Please, someone dwell into Mr. McCormack’s carbon footprint? Does he make his own cloths by his own needle and thread? Does he light his home with candles? Warm his bones by a crackling fireplace or a jolly old wood stove? Does he ride his bike to the local grocer? Does he walk to the park? Rules for thee, not for me….those are the climate Marxists of jolly old woke Burlington

    • This is exactly what needs to happen for all of them. Post it on state wide websites for everyone to see what total and complete hypocrites they are.

      In there New World Order utopia, there is a lifestyle for them and one for the rest of us.

      Bernie Sanders is the poster child for this bovine deposits from the posterior. For decades talking about a different tax for the rich. Then when he’s rich does he lead by example? Does he live by HIS OWN tax code? Of course not. Add insult to injury, he’s the propagator of these affordable housing projects, renting from the state in a complete poverty trap that people can’t escape all the while enriching those who run it.

      Nope, no home ownership for you…..but I’ll own several homes, thank you very much.

      Expose the NWO pimps for who they are, abject liars, treasonous leeches.

  8. Considering the current thought processes emanating from Burlington-( Police oversight/disbanding, fuel taxes/fees)- McCormack’s statements do not surprise.
    They do illustrate just how far from reality our representatives and those that vote for them have become. Perhaps as McCormack rides a bus to Montpelier- he may get an epiphany as to where the
    money for his salary actually comes from…

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