McClaughry: Phil Scott’s new carbon tax coalition

By John McClaughry

On Dec. 20, the Scott administration announced that it was taking part in a year-long nine-state coalition to “combat greenhouse gas emissions caused by cars and other transportation uses.” Scott’s emissary to the Transportation and Climate Initiative, Peter Walke, said that a carbon tax is an unlikely outcome, and more likely is a cap and trade program for transportation fuels.

Scott’s spokesperson Rebecca Kelley told the media that Scott will not embrace a carbon tax. That statement reminds me of Baghdad Bob, Saddam Hussein’s spokesman who announced that Saddam was routing the invading coalition forces, while US tanks roared by right behind him on a Baghdad street.

“Cap and trade” is a complicated, corruption-prone fig leaf for a carbon tax. The coalition will assign an arbitrary government cap on fossil fuel users. If they use more than the cap, they will have to buy funny money credits that the coalition has bestowed upon — wait for it — its participating governments. The cost of buying the funny money credits is passed on to consumers of the fossil fuel products — in transportation, mostly gasoline and diesel fuel users. They pay the Carbon tax.

Who gets the proceeds? The sellers of the credits, state governments that obtained the funny money credits for free. The governments spend the proceeds on more subsidies for the renewable industrial complex. Thank you, Carbon Tax.

You’re going to hear a lot more about this disguised carbon tax.

John McClaughry is vice president of the Ethan Allen Institute. Reprinted with permission from the Ethan Allen Institute Blog.

Image courtesy of Public domain

15 thoughts on “McClaughry: Phil Scott’s new carbon tax coalition

  1. My feeling exactly Gene. I felt like I had to get out while I could. Sold a home that took me 10 years to build. Gone. Problem is you need to be proactive in extracting yourself. Once these things are set in motion jobs will leave, as so goes the domino effect. Next thing you know you can’t sell and your stuck in a downward spiral. If you want to stay, sell now and rent. With the new tax laws renting is much more appealing and the flexibility it offers you is worth it IMO. Good luck.

  2. John, stop making it sound like this is the Governor’s idea. This conversation was going to happen regionally, with or without us. At least having a seat at the table we can try and prevent any sort of pricing on carbon. The Governor has been clear, he doesn’t support a carbon tax, cap and trade scheme, or whatever you want to call it. At least Vermont can be a part of the conversation to steer it.

    • Is that the same governor who stated emphatically he would not sign any gun legislation?
      C’mon Brittney we all know who he is by now.

  3. Scott, you are a Prog/Democrat!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s about time you leveled with us Republicans who in good faith voted for you. Three days into office and you have betrayed us with this carbon tax nonsense.State coalition against climate change???? Who gets the money and what will be done with it?????

  4. So, a carbon tax without the “revenue neutral” pretense – that sure feels like it will be more expensive to we the people or they’ve given up on trying to defend that pretense or where’s the pea?

  5. This scheme has nothing to do with reducing carbon emissions or preventing “climate change” – it is a wholesale attempt to take away individual liberties and turn our Green Mountain state into a playground for those wealthy enough to afford this “luxury” tax which sends those seen as undesirable (the middle and working classes) packing to more affordable environs. Class warfare at its worst !

    • Of course it is – just read the new language they want to put into Act 250. All the serfs should be moving to population centers, so their presence won’t disturb wealthy flatlanders, tourists, wildlife, etc. Much easier to keep an eye on us rabble and we won’t be doing things they don’t like – such as using well water, burning firewood, building things without permission. Self sufficient types aren’t desired here.

      • All part of Agendas 21 and 2030 except that they mean to eventually include everybody, with a further proviso to exclude access to publicly owned wilderness lands. This has been in the works for at least the last ten years but the warning flags have mostly been ignored except by a few keen observers like Rosa Koire — [“Behind the Green Mask” c.2011]

        It’s vital to resist all such measures if we would preserve our sovereign independence.

  6. We’re becoming a more socialist State every day. Another case of the government controlling our lives and Scott is falling in line. How can he ever call himself a republican..

    • “Scott is falling in line. How can he ever call himself a republican..”

      There are terms for what Scott is,RINO is perhaps the most polite term that comes to mind however liar is a factual one.

  7. Bring it on. Just one more reason to sell and leave. Thankfully I can do that, but wish I did not feel like I have to. Vermont, now is not the state I grew up in. Vermont has in my opinion …..

  8. If it walks like a duck,looks like a duck and sounds like a duck it is probably a Duck. So they can call it what every they want but as I have said at town meetings when they say it’s the school tax or the town tax that is going up. ” I don’t care if it comes out of my left pocket or my right pocket” it is still going to hurt me financially. Same game that Montpelier playing a shell game that will cost working Vermonters to suffer.

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