My Response To The Gentleman From Ohio

Senator,

I must take some time this morning to ask you a few questions in rebuttal to the response you gave me concerning the Cap and Trade legislation you obviously plan on voting for this coming fall.

First, How is the Cap and Trade legislation going to keep the much needed manufacturing jobs in cities like Lorain, Elyria and greater Cleveland? Right now I see a death sentence on an already crippled economy with the auto manufactures selling out to the Obama administration and the UAW, closing plants in Lorain and Cleveland putting thousands out of work and further driving local economies into the grave. How is the Cap and Trade legislation going to bring the steel plant back up to 100% operation in Lorain and put people back to work? How is it going to revitalize a once vibrant downtown Elyria, bringing back business and increasing traffic other than to the multi-million dollar justice center?

How is Cap and Trade going to lower my utility costs and keep them from going up. A recent study suggests that my household electric bill could increase by at least $130 per month. That is half of my auto payment and more than I can possibly afford on my median income. On the other hand there are other studies that suggest that number would be much, much lower and and be spread out over the course of a year making relatively no impact on a families monthly budget. However lets be realistic, Senator, this is something that nobody knows what the outcome will be. To me its all a guessing game and really a huge gamble, the largest gamble on the financial future of this country ever.

You also mentioned our energy Independence and the environmental concerns behind the theory of "man made global warming". Lets be real, there is no real hard science based evidence, irrefutable evidence even, that there actually is man mad global warming, or that carbon emissions are doing any real damage at all. The recent petition signed by over 30,000 scientists stating that the entire thing is a sham and that we (America) should withdraw our names from the Kyoto protocol. I can only liken this argument to the one on evolution. There is no real scientific evidence that evolution is factual or that it actually happened. It is still and will continue to be a theory until that evidence comes to light. By definition a scientific theory is something that has no basis of fact or is steeped in scientific law, something that cannot be refuted with evidence.

Lastly on this argument, Senator, numerous studies show that this country has enough oil reserves underground to sustain us for decades, if not longer. Coal is the most abundant resource we have on our soil. It is so plentiful that the interior of the U.S., namely Kentucky, West Virgina and Southern Ohio have been referred to as "The Saudi Arabia of Coal". We must continue to use what has been given us, failure to do so is folly and cutting off our nose to spite our face. Also, new nuclear technology has given us a safer, more reliable and cleaner energy that is not only powerful but efficient, abundant and inexpensive. If the red tape and useless taxes and regulations were lifted from this process, we could see an energy boon in this country where the cost of electricity would be slashed and we could sell the excess to other countries like Mexico and Canada. Hydrogen power is a real deal. Years ago I witnessed a model of a hydrogen generator that powered an entire house, both heating, cooling and electricity. It ran on a tank of 100 gallons of city water and was able to replenish itself by recycling the used water vapor and only replenishing the tank via the city water supply by about 5-10 gallons a day, less than the water used by residential dish washer in one wash. If a company were to develop this technology and market it and make it affordable to consumers it could be landmark for not only the nation, but the world.

I reiterate to you, Senator, as I said before. Cap and Trade is not the answer. If you vote "Yea" on the Cap and Trade legislation there several non-partisan grassroots organizations that will actively campaign against you in the next campaign cycle. We will picket and distribute leaflets at your campaign rallies and speaking engagements. We will show evidence of the tax and cost increases to your constituency and voters and support any opposition candidate that casts his/her vote in the interest of the American people, not the interests of the environmental groups, the unions, or the in the interest of profit weather it be personal or otherwise.

Thank you again for your time, I look forward to hearing from you and reading your rebuttal.

Regards and well wishes,

Lucas Buchanan
Avon Ohio, via Columbus

Good Morning, Senator...

After writing Senator Sherrod Brown about the Cap and Trade legislation that is slated to be voted upon this fall in the Senate, my promises of an active, full frontal picket on Senator Brown's speaking engagements and campaign stops prompted the following response...

Dear Mr. Buchanan:

Thank you for sharing your views about energy legislation.

Effective clean energy legislation will reduce carbon emissions and promote the production of renewable energy—but most importantly it will also ensure the creation of new clean energy jobs and industries. Clean energy legislation must also ensure the competitiveness of domestic manufacturers and protect consumers by keeping utility rates affordable. We must work to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by making America a global leader in clean energy manufacturing.

For this reason, I recently announced legislation called the Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology (IMPACT) Act. This legislation, which was included in the House energy bill, would support manufacturers' transition to the clean energy economy and ensure clean energy jobs are created here in the U.S. This legislation would create a revolving loan fund for small and medium size manufacturers to retool and expand facilities to produce clean energy technology and energy efficient products. It is estimated this measure will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

A growing consensus of scientists agree that human activities are contributing to rising sea levels, extreme weather, and climate change across the globe. As the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the United States has a clear obligation to be at the forefront of climate change policy. Without action, we risk our health and the health of future generations, the well-being of our coastal areas, and the productivity of our farms, forests, and fisheries.

As climate change legislation continues to be discussed in Congress, I will work to ensure that an unfair burden is not placed on Ohio families and businesses and that clean energy legislation creates new jobs and economic opportunities across Ohio.

I will certainly keep your views in mind as this legislation moves through Congress. Thank you again for writing.

Sincerely,

Sherrod Brown
United States Senator

I suppose that I will just have to continue to write citing my sources and ask his form letter machine that he do the same...You'd think that a responsible, duly elected official would be able to back up his argument concerning WHY he would be voting for the largest, most despicable tax increase in American history...