Washington state’s carbon tax currently takes over $1 billion every year thanks to climate alarmist propaganda, which claims that carbon is destroying the Earth when it is actually vitally necessary for all life.
Government is the solution for only a few problems in society and life, but the alleged climate crisis is not one of them. Taxing carbon is ridiculous, but climate alarmism is itself such a ridiculous movement now that its foolish tactics are not surprising anymore.
Conservatives in Washington state are trying to repeal its “landmark carbon pricing program” (Climate Commitment Act) along with the tax on selling stocks and bonds, the Associated Press reported on Feb. 27. AP gloomily noted that these oppressive taxes were the state Democrats’ largest recent wins. Unfortunately, Democrats are the majority party in Washington.
Losing the carbon emissions pricing program could remove $1.3 billion from the budget and ending the tax on the sale of stocks and bonds could remove another $833 million in fiscal year 2025 alone if the initiatives took effect by June 6, according to estimates provided by the Office of Financial Management. Those numbers would likely be smaller if they aren’t approved until November, a spokesperson for the office said…
Dozens of programs funded through the carbon pricing program will have belated start dates of Jan. 1, 2025, and stipulations that they would not take effect if these funds disappear.
The bloated Democrat government might not be able to fund all of its programs, many of which would certainly shock the Founding Fathers. Oh, the horror! Maybe the government shouldn’t have tried to bleed Washingtonians more for carbon to begin with.
Humans, plants, and animals — all living things — are carbon-based life forms, they absolutely need carbon to survive. Carbon is essential for life on Earth. Indeed, evidence indicates that increased carbon helps plants — including food crops — thrive. Therefore, by trying to restrict carbon emissions, leftists are sabotaging human, animal, and plant life. They are doing the opposite of preserving nature.
So even if the government had any right or ability to tax carbon — which it does not — such a tax as Washington’s would still be not only unnecessary but also harmful. But climate alarmists have been consistently and wildly wrong for 50 years now. We can’t expect them to change their track record now.
The Heritage Foundation noted back in 2012 that carbon taxes hurt American competitiveness and low-income U.S. citizens, without actually helping the environment. Even Forbes featured an argument against a carbon tax in 2021 from economist David Kreutzer. As PJ Media’s Jeff Reynolds previously put it, “Carbon isn't bad. [And] CO2 levels aren't out of the ordinary.” Not to mention giving government increased power over the private sector has, as we know from long experience, usually been a recipe for disaster.
AP and the Washington state Democrats in a tizzy about losing more taxpayer money don’t have science on their side. As Nobel Prize in Physics 2022 winner Dr. John Clauser recently declared, “I believe there is no climate crisis.” He’s not simply spouting opinions; he has a lot of science to back him up.
Let’s hope the effort to end the unscientific and un-American carbon tax succeeds, in spite of greedy Democrat ideologues.
