The following is a paraphrase of a note from the Heritage Foundation.
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President-elect Obama’s advisers have indicated that his administration will impose startling and unprecedented regulations on the economy.
The Obama administration would act quickly to implement the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed controls on carbon dioxide, which amount to a massive new energy tax. Why do they want to move so quickly? They say their rules are in response to the dangers posed by global warming.
But the truth is that these rules would hurt Americans by driving up gas prices, food prices, transportation costs, and the price of manufactured goods. This greatly outweighs the negligible benefits the regulations might provide the environment.
This intrusive regulation will cost the American economy nearly $7 trillion dollars in lost GDP in just 20 years, and result in massive job losses. Heritage’s respected Center for Data Analysis estimates non-farm employment losses will exceed 800,000 in some years, and manufacturing jobs will plummet. Some industries would lose over half of their jobs. (Some liberals claim that environmental legislation such as this could add “green” jobs, but these new jobs would be offset by larger losses elsewhere.)
Government permits would be needed to expand small businesses and build homes, hospitals and schools. To add insult to injury, foreign competitors will not have to abide by these regulations, leaving American businesses at a disadvantage.
In times of economic uncertainty, the last thing American workers, consumers, and families need is more tedious regulation and costly obstacles engineered to limit and tax American economic growth.
That’s why we need your help. Click on the Stop EPA link in Site Links today to tell the bureaucrats at the EPA what you think about these disastrous regulations.
The EPA’s deadline for comments is November 28th, and your voice for economic freedom will make a real difference in this fight.
We appreciate your support for conservative ideas.
Sincerely,
Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
President
The Heritage Foundation · http://www.myheritage.org/
214 Massachusetts Ave, NE · Washington, DC 20002 · 800-546-2843
Unquote
The following is a statement from Obama on Tuesday November 18, 2008.
"Few challenges facing America, and the world, are more urgent than combating climate change. My presidency will mark a new chapter in America's leadership on climate change that will strengthen our security and create millions of new jobs in the process."
"And once I take office, you can be sure that the United States will once again engage vigorously in these negotiations*, and help lead the world toward a new era of global cooperation on climate change."
*Referring to next month's U.N. climate negotiations in Poland.
