Tag: war on energy

14-43 It’s the Economy, Stupid | Stupid Energy Policies

14-43 It’s the Economy, Stupid | Stupid Energy Policies

Show 14-43 Summary: There are stupid energy policies and then there are Kamala-level stupid energy policies. And they start with a wrong understanding of how the economy works. Not everyone invests in the stock market, not everyone runs a business. But everyone needs energy. Not just energy for your home or where you work but getting there and back. And practically everything bought or sold arrives on a truck. This week, we look at stupid energy policies. If you think things are bad and expensive now, a Kamala win would make things more expensive. And stupider.

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Original Air Dates: October 26, 2024 | Guest: Frank Lasee

This Week – Stupid Energy Policies

The election finish line is within sight and this week we are looking at the economy, which is the top issue for most voters. In particular, we look at one major aspect of the economy: energy. We zero in on what the Biden/Kamala administration has done to energy prices to make things so much more expensive, which of course impacts everything that people buy and not just their utility bills. Mandates, regulations, and ideology is behind it all. They

They are the kind of stupid energy policies you would expect from someone in charge who does not understand the economy. And certainly has never owned a business.

We welcome back Frank Lasee, a senior policy advisor for CFACT and the president of Truth in Energy and Climate, to talk about the stupid energy policies of the Biden-Harris administration.

Accuse the other side of that which you are guilty: modern day Democrats are Hitler. Or at least want policies just like his. Read “Hitler’s Views on Private Property and Nationalization” from the Mises Institute. You’d swear it was from a recent democrat rally.

The Energy Policies that Hurt You and the Economy

It’s simple. When energy costs more, everything costs more. When energy costs less, prices go down. Unless energy goes down, prices won’t. And the Biden-Harris administration declared war on energy. What direction will prices go?

And did you know that you’re paying for green energy — even when you’re not buying green energy? It’s not just your taxes.

Here’s one example. You might know about carbon credits (a tax on energy). But did you know there are regulation credits? Car companies that can’t sell electric vehicles have to buy these regulation credits from EV companies—and then to absorb that loss, the car companies add the cost of that regulation credit to the cost of the gas-powered cars. So even if you’re not buying an EV, you’re still paying for an EV.

That’s just one stupid energy policy.

But here’s the thing. All the “green energy” mandates, the zero-emissions, the carbon credits, the EVs, and on and on? it will have little to no change on emissions. And they know that. Think about it. Why would you force people to spend money on more expensive energy when they could be spend that money on other things that they need or want? Especially if it’s not going to make any bit of difference.

If it won’t make any difference, the only logical reason is if your side of the aisle is getting an awful lot of money. It’s about money. Forcing you to pay more, so their side of the political aisle makes more.

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Show Notes: Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

California’s Stupid Energy Policies

  • Newsom’s New Bill to ‘Hold Big Oil Accountable’ – will Fine Local Refineries Up to $1 Million PER DAY, Cause Gas Prices to Spike – Refineries Announce They Are Leaving CA (Gateway Pundit, Oct 21, 2024)*“Price spikes have cost Californians billions of dollars over the years, and we’re not waiting around for the industry to do the right thing,” Newsom said.*The measure will force local refineries to stockpile fuel and if they don’t follow the new regulations they can be fined up to $1 million PER DAY.*The heavy fines will inevitably be passed down to the consumer and cause gas prices to spike.
  • Commiefornia: “For some time, many of us have been ridiculed for suggesting that @GavinNewsom wants to own all California gas refineries. But now we’re seeing it.” Dr. Houman David Hemmati (via X, Sept 26, 2024)
  • California Energy Commission floats the idea of taking over oil refineries. Just like Venezuela. See table 19, Overview of State-Owned Refineries: “The State of California would purchase and own refineries in the State to manage the supply and price of gasoline.” (Emphasis mine.)
  • How will the state manage the slow death of California’s gasoline industry? (Los Angeles Times, September 26th, 2024)

Green Energy Dying?

  • Harris Shifts Her EV Mandates Into Reverse—Until After the Election (The Daily Signal, October 23, 2024)
    • “The push to electrify trucking is even more unhinged. Electric trucks are very expensive to buy and have terrible payload capacity and range.”
    • “Almost everything anyone buys gets shipped on a truck at some point, and the shipping industry will have no choice but to pass these enormous costs downstream.”
    • “Electric vehicle mandates will lead ‘to little to no change’ in greenhouse-gas emissions.”
  • Amazon plans to power Eastern Oregon data centers with nuclear reactors (OPB, Oct 23, 2024)
  • Offshore wind looked like a sure thing for Oregon — until it wasn’t. What went wrong? (OPB, Oct 23, 2024)

Related/Additional

The Irrationality of Western Energy Policies (Watts Up with That, October 21, 2024)

Dumb & Dumber: Germany Wins Prize For World’s Most Idiotic Energy Policy (Stop These Things, Feb 20, 2022)

Biden’s Energy Policy – Dumb and Dangerous (AMAC, July 25, 2023)

 

 

12-50 The Big Spend – Economics Don’t Matter in the Biden Economy

12-50 The Big Spend – Economics Don’t Matter in the Biden Economy

Show Summary: This week, with Christmas and all the spending in the air, we thought we’d take one last look at the economy for the year. And the Biden economy looks like Christmas in another way: It’s the government playing Santa with your money. Or, as we like to call it, the Big Spend. We look at the Biden admin’s missteps on the economy. How bad are they? And will things get better before they get worse? And how soon is worse? Are there any positives out there and how much staying power do they have? Plus, a big focus on the massive debt, which is coming due for another massive expansion. But, it turns out, we’re in a lot more debt than advertised…

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Original Air Dates: December 10th & 11th, 2022 | Guest: Jonathan Williams

This Week – The Biden Economy

We get criticized for being critical of the Biden administration’s economic policies. Well, we’re not the only ones. Major financial institutions are projecting a huge downturn next year. And not just here but all across the world—in part because things look so bad here.

This week, we welcome back Jonathan Williams to discuss the Biden economy. We review the missteps by the administration, which, unfortunately, started on day one. And haven’t been corrected yet. Like their attack on the energy industry and especially oil. In fact, they’ve done everything they can to try to avoid taking responsibility. How? By running to Saudi Arabia and even Venezuela. Anything to avoid re-opening and encouraging energy and oil production right here in America.

And why is it that in the Biden economy, we keep rewarding America’s enemies?

Check out Oregon’s Debt Clock (brought to you by the National Debt Clock). Did you know (as of this writing, Dec 10, 2022) that Oregon has $48.463 billion dollars of debt?

ALEC and ACCE

The American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, works with state legislators and policy makers in the 50 test tubes of democracy. ALEC focuses on sound fiscal and economic policies to improve state revenues and the states’ economic performance and outlook.

But there is also ALEC for the local level: the American City County Exchange or ACCE (pronounced “Ace”). It’s not just state legislators who deal with budgets and fiscal policies. Counties and cities do too. And county commissioners, mayors and city councilors are all pressured by left-leaning organizations (well-funded ones, we might add) to spend, spend, spend. Especially, as it happens, on far-left ideologies and allies. Help your local officials fight back. Encourage them to join ACCE to get access to policies and more to make the right decisions.

In the Biden economy? They’re going to need all the help they can get.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

  • Jonathan Williams is the Chief Economist and Executive Vice President of Policy at the American Legislative Exchange Council. Find out more by heading to ALEC.org.
    • Be sure to check out some of Jonathan’s articles, below
    • On Twitter? You can follow Jonathan @TaxEconomist
  • Check out ALEC’s Model Policies. These policies are designed to push back against woke Leftism, which are more about politics than economics. Two we especially like:
  • Encourage your local officials to join the American City County Exchange — ALEC for the local level!
  • “Colorado Offers Gold Standard for Fiscal Restraint: ALEC in National Review” (National Review, Nov 3, 2022)
    • TABOR [Taxpayer Bill of Rights] represents a fiscal-policy achievement Coloradans should be proud of and defend.
  • Jonathan Article #2 – The States Move Forward with the Flat Tax (National Review, July 22, 2022)
    • The flat-tax revolution will continue to gather speed as more states begin to realize the competitive benefits earned by a simpler and fairer tax code.
    • The prudent policy choice for states is to enhance competitiveness, then examine spending priorities and create policies to prepare for the proverbial rainy days, rather than relying on the federal government to save the day during revenue shortfalls.
  • Jonathan on American Radio Journal (Dec 3, 2022)
    • Congress is looking at another debt-ceiling bailout; this after a 2.5 trillion increase just a year ago
  • Oregon’s Debt Clock – $48.5 billion ($11K per person; Debt to GDP ratio is 17.6%

Mentioned During the Show

Additional Research & Related to the Biden Economy