Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE) says Democrats killed THE comprehensive climate bill because Americans "reject further burdensome cost increases on aspects of everyday life." Johanns is concerned about a plan to pass the current non-climate bill and add cap and trade later in a House-Senate Conference bill.
Time for a reality check. The current energy policy is the Bush/Cheney policy with some green. The burdens and costs of this policy, Mr. Johanns, are not borne by the fossil fuel industry, but by people living in fossil fuel territory hit by major oil disasters and thousands of "incidents" that killed OR injured many and assaulted our environment each year.
If the GOP wants to keep this extreme policy, then IT SHOULD at least be honest by mandating that the fossil fuel industry pay for external costs upfront, or impose a fossil fuel tax on all Americans to pay for a victims' recovery fund to cover the costs of health care, economic impacts and environmental recovery that your victims will need to deal with the damage from your backwardness. No more hiding reality from the public.
continued at Daily Kos...
