Cap-And-Trade Tosses An Anchor To Drowning California Economy

Investor's Business Daily ^ | December 17, 2010 | Chuck DeVore

[raptor22]

California often leads the nation, especially in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The act of leading is one thing, however. Leadership's outcome is another matter entirely.

On Friday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the bureaucracy charged with implementing AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, adopted a cap-and-trade scheme to reduce California's greenhouse gas emissions by about 15% by 2020. CARB's regulations go into effect in 2012.

The unelected officials at CARB intend to reorder California's use of energy. In so doing they blandly declaim that their rules will create jobs while admitting to higher energy costs and a slowing economy. Somehow, this formula is transmogrified by CARB analysts into net job creation.

Given the immutable laws of math, one is forced to calculate that CARB's actions will "create" low-paying jobs at the expense of good jobs.

Beyond CARB's soothing words, what will Californians, one-eighth of America, likely experience on a practical level?

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

No, I can’t see the state turning around in a decade. I think it is highly likely that Jerry Brown will rule for 2 terms, 8 years. What improvement can come in California in 8 years of Brown enabling CARB and every other green socialist California government agency.

No, in 10 years, California will be in extreme crisis. In 20, you won’t recognize the state.

I was at Target this afternoon and I swear to you, the only English I heard spoken in the store was from the counter clerk helping me. I live in the cowtown of Yuba City an hour north of Sacramento. Lots of hispanics, lots of people from India. Not many of them speaking English.

You won’t recognize California when all of those kids of illegals who are now in early grade school are all working age adults.

Man, I have nothing against immigrants. Just assimilate, work, contribute, and don’t take. But the commie liberals make sure the new immigrants don’t assimilate.

You won’t recognize California in 20 years. Believe it.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

“You won’t recognize California in 20 years. Believe it.”

I *do* believe it. I don’t think it will be recognizable in ten years.

*But*, as a matter of priciple, I always try to think how I might be wrong. I’ve thought the world was ending several times, and the trouble with that bet is, it only happens once, by definition. I thought that a few times in the 70’s; I thought that briefly post 9/11. And I was wrong all those times.

I agree, what we see happening with CA is not so much based upon “shock”....it’s based upon very long term, slowly but relentlessly developing, and deeply established demographic and population trends we can readily observe at every level, micro to macro. And so our projections seem so much more credible if not inevitable.

[4Liberty]

The signs have been there all along the road.