— that he’d bankrupt the coal industry. That energy prices would “necessarily skyrocket”.
He told us he’d spread the wealth. He told us (well, those who were both willing to listen, and who didn’t think they could wring more credibility and populist respectability out of pretending otherwise) he was aiming to “transform” the country, that the Constitution was a “flawed” document, and that the end goal was “social justice” — meaning, equality of outcome (save the ruling class, who is entitled to more, naturally) and the management of the masses by their superiors.
And yet some people seem surprised that he’s actually carrying through on this stuff — the same willfully blind GOP cheerleaders, in fact, who presume to counsel us even now on who to run against him and how to tiptoe around his historicalness.
It’s a mad house. A maaddddd houuusssee!
Two new EPA pollution regulations will slam the coal industry so hard that hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost, and electric rates will skyrocket 11 percent to over 23 percent, according to a new study based on government data.
Overall, the rules aimed at making the air cleaner could cost the coal-fired power plant industry $180 billion, warns a trade group.
“Many of these severe impacts would hit families living in states already facing serious economic challenges,” said Steve Miller, president of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. “Because of these impacts, EPA should make major changes to the proposed regulations before they are finalized,” he said.
The EPA, however, tells Whispers that the hit the industry will suffer is worth the health benefits. “EPA has taken a number of sensible steps to protect public health, while also working with industry and other stakeholders to ensure that these important Clean Air Act standards—such as the first ever national Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for coal-fired power plants—are reasonable, common-sense, and achievable,” said spokesman Brendan Gilfillan.
[…]
The industry says the costs and potential to lose four jobs for every new clean energy job created isn’t worth the rules, especially in a job-starved economy. [See a slide show of the best cities to find a job.]
Referring to the analysis of the EPA regulations from National Economic Research Associates, Miller said they would be the most expensive rules ever imposed on power plants.
Coal-fired energy plants currently fuel about half of the nation’s energy supply.
This increase in pricing, as with the high cost of oil, will create higher prices all throughout the economy while simultaneously killing off jobs and, perhaps, entire industries. Coupled with the new push for tax increases “on the wealthy,” the nascent calls for a new round of stimulus to protect public sector workers (and so Democrat money laundering schemes), we’re seeing what might be a last ditch push to crash the economy, should QE 4 or 5 or whatever not prop the thing up until after the 2012 elections.
Either way, Obama does what he set out to do. Transform the country.
Into a shithole. And he hopes he’s in power to reorganize the resultant mess — and watch with a wry smile while the drones thank him and the government for stepping in and saving them. But if not? Meh. He’s taken care of. And he’ll go down in history as one of the greatest advocates for his cause — which he wants far more than the respect of a country his wife wasn’t ever even proud of before her husband was packaged and planted in office.
Time for the coal industry–and other industries, for that matter–to deliver an emphatic one-finger salute to the EPA, continue to do business as usual (ignoring other EPA absurdities as they see fit), and then dare the EPA to shut them down: not with a court order but to actually come in and flip the switches with their own manicured hands.
Shutting off power to the entire nation. See how well that goes over. See who gets blamed.
But he’s a Good…
oh hell, forget it.
I wonder if Manchin and Rockefeller would entertain a vote to end the EPA now? Because clearly it’s overdue…
But then, maybe the voters in Appalachia have been too bitterly clinging, as of late, and not reliably voted for progressive Roosevelt-like Democrats.
This’ll fix their wagons.
Defund. Dismantle.
The EPA is just one of many federal agencies that have way, way beyond their original mission. Even if they had a legitimate one to begin with…
When they define the exhalations of every animal life form on earth as a pollutant, I’d say that’s an understatement.
The House funds the EPA. Good thing the GOP has our back. Nothing gives me more comfort than the phrase, “Boehner is your champion.”
By the way, Carville is (obliquely) suggesting that next summer we’ll see civil unrest. Job riots.
Obama can have his very own Kent State!
And then we’ll be counseled how it’s necessary that we don’t change horses in mid stream. Or it’s back to BOOOOOOOOSHHHH!
i’m sure these permits will be issued in a timely fashion:
link
I think the energy companies need to put out two bills for their customers, their current bill, and one showing how much their electricity bills will be with the EPA regulations in place. Plus maybe a picture of one of the workers they’ll need to fire in order to stay in operations.
That or tell the customer when their power ration will be available, and why it will be that way. Let them choose A) keep your current bill and tell the EPA to stuff it, B) enjoy the new bill at twice the price, or C) enjoy your 4 hours of power a day.
Clearly the administration likes jobs, just not those gross ones that smell bad.
More fodder for my economy/ecology analogy. I say we start calling for leadership that respects econo-diversity that does not seek to impose their aesthetics on other peoples’ capacity to earn for themselves.
Their persistent Bourgeois self-indulgence masquerading as economic policy will ultimately destroy this country so thoroughly that the environmental degradation necessary to build from the wreckage will be immense. They truly make my brain hurt.
I would just like to point out that Utah scores as “Slowest Growth in Green Jobs.”
I’ve never been prouder!
And he hopes he’s in power to reorganize the resultant mess — and watch with a wry smile while the drones thank him and the government for stepping in and saving them. But if not? Meh. He’s taken care of.
More than four million deer hunters within a half-day’s drive of the District of Columbia. If Appalachian miners get turned out, and the lights get shut off, I have a feeling that the fascist statist bastards are going to be taken care of in a manner they weren’t counting on.
Just what we need as more coal powered cars – excuse, me electric cars – come into existence.
Of course these rising electricity rates will make it much, much more expensive to live in teh South, won’t it? Who would that benefit?
When the greenies get their wishes granted and shut down the economy, just where do they think all the tax revenue is going to come from to fund the wunderkind’s new utopia? Your first thought might be jobs, but jobs don’t really matter in the equation. When things get bad enough the government can conscript the unemployed, but now for some union wage so they’ll get the campaign kickback.
But woe to the poor bastard that has to finally explain to President Obama that there is no money to pay his new workers, or the health care bills, or much of anything else, since although we have solved the jobs problem there isn’t anyone actually making anything that people want to buy any longer and hence no tax revenue.
It’s
SelmaWeimar all over again.Remembered when he said he’d rather be a “good” one term president than a bad two-term one? This is what he meant.
Oh, and Charles: TEH RICH, of course. The real problem is, there won’t be any, and we damned sure won’t be making more.
Another huge factor here is that these are mostly union jobs. I am really surprised he isn’t waiting until after the election to do this.
A coup. Not an administration.
“And he’ll go down in history as one of the greatest advocates for his cause — which he wants far more than the respect of a country his wife wasn’t ever even proud of before her husband was packaged and planted in office.”
Exactly so. That sums him up perfectly.
Well, that didn’t take long:
“Utility giant American Electric Power said Thursday that it will shut down five coal-fired power plants and spend billions of dollars to comply with a series of pending Environmental Protection Agency regulations.”
That. ^^^^
And Obama only has half a clue about it.
“How fast should I stick it in?” is an awfully interesting question, isn’t it?
You gotta love it.
On the one hand, they are “protecting” us by lowering mercury emission from coal fired power plants.
On the other hand, they are mandating we buy mercury-filled compact fluorescent bulbs for inside our house.
Which creates the greater mercury risk?
(Hint: it isn’t the coal plant)
[…] All is well; our lords and masters quite clearly know what they’re doing. All via Glenn (and Jeff), who always says “the country’s in the very best of hands.” But if this was what […]
A lot of the feedstocks for other industries come from coal. It isn’t just to produce electricity.
It’s almost as if they …………….
[…] Energy. […]
Per Mueller, so much for what remains of our steel industry. Without coke, which is made from coal, you don’t get steel.
C’mon cranky-d,
You know we don’t need filthy polluting smokestack industries like steel manufacturing. This is the information/green industry/consumerist/financial
connivance</strike? innovation economy.Where does steel fit into any of that? I mean, steal maybe, but not steel. That’s what we buy from our friends the Chinese; along with all of the other crap they ship here.
Though, I have to say, I thought they’d be all about legalizing coke…
HTML FAILMy crummy typing skills strike again. Let’s try that one more time, with feeling.C’mon cranky-d,
You know we don’t need filthy polluting smokestack industries like steel manufacturing. This is the information/green industry/consumerist/financial
connivanceinnovation economy.Where does steel fit into any of that? I mean, steal maybe, but not steel. That’s what we buy from our friends the Chinese; along with all of the other crap they ship here.
Though, I have to say, I thought they’d be all about legalizing coke…
Veni, vidi, tootski.
We don’t need steel these days, we got plastic.
Oh, wait…
Hah! another pithy masterpiece…