You are on page 1of 2

COLUMN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 4, 2010


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rep. Steve Nass (608) 266-5715

Wisconsin’s Global Warming Bill – An Attack on our Liberties.

Governor James Doyle and legislative Democrats have recently introduced their long awaited state legislation on
Global Warming. Through most of last year when the Democrats were preparing this legislation they called it the
Global Warming Bill. However, in the last couple of months, as the public has learned of the growing scientific and
political scandal surrounding Global Warming, the Democrats in this state have been forced to re-brand their proposal
and call it the “Clean Energy Jobs Act.”
Don’t let that re-branding confuse you. The bill is still all about using Global Warming as a public relations tool
to cover the real agenda behind the marketing. That agenda is all about forcing a very radical change in how people
live based on a liberal ideology, and not about impartial science aimed at protecting human health. This bill is about
how the “beads-and-sandals” crowd in Madison believes everyone should be forced to live a lifestyle akin to theirs.
The elitists on the Madison Isthmus always seem to know better than everyone else on how things should be done,
even though many of these comrades have never created a job or been responsible for growing the state’s economy.
In fact, most of the ideas that come from the municipal boundaries of Madison are a horrible drain on the economy
and a direct threat to the economic well-being of middle class families all over the state.
Governor Doyle’s Global Warming Bill (Assembly Bill 649/Senate Bill 450) contains many policies including a
25% renewable energy mandate, higher state energy taxes, a requirement to use boutique fuels (including a backdoor
ethanol mandate as high as 15%), and adoption of restrictive California emission standards for every car sold in
Wisconsin. These proposals are projected to have the following impacts based on a recent independent economic
study:
-The loss of 43,000 private-sector jobs, particularly in the manufacturing sector.
-When fully implemented, this proposal will cost every Wisconsin resident $1,012 per year for higher
gasoline and electricity prices, as well as other economic cost shifting due to these burdensome
regulations.
-A drop in annual wages estimated at nearly $1.6 billion due to lost jobs and restricted economic
growth.
-The cost of electricity in Wisconsin would increase $16 billion by 2025. This is nearly three times
the $5.5 billion that consumers annually pay now.
-Each new car sold in Wisconsin would increase by $968. Annually, new car buyers in Wisconsin
would be forced to pay $353 million more on the bottom line.
-Wisconsin motorists would face significantly higher gasoline prices. The state Global Warming
requirements would increase gasoline costs by $3.2 billion over the next decade.
These requirements are not mandated by the federal government. This horrible public policy is coming straight
from Madison, based on the input of radical liberal special interests or other groups simply stepping up to the trough
of pork-barrel politics encouraged by our Governor and Democrats in the Legislature.
Even if you accept the proponents’ argument that the Global Warming Bill will eventually create 15,000 “clean
energy” jobs, the math still proves the net effect will be the loss of more than 28,000 high paying jobs in this state.
The real impact is the economic devastation to thousands of middle class families because of the radical political
agenda of a lame duck Governor and out-of-touch state legislators.
It is impossible to mince words on this proposal because of the nefarious agenda it advocates by hiding behind the
banner of the environment and human survival. The public is rightfully agitated at government these days. There
can be little trust with the type of leadership we currently have in Madison to right our economy when they can
justify a proposal such as the Global Warming Bill.
As Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter on May 27, 1788, “the natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and
government to gain ground.” Mr. Jefferson’s insight from 222 years ago rings true in the factual analysis of the
Global Warming Bill. It is about altering your economic and personal liberties, while expanding government’s
power to control your lifestyle.
If you have any questions on this subject, please contact me. You can write me at Post Office Box 8953,
Madison, Wisconsin 53708. You can also call me at work toll-free (888) 529-0031.

***Representative Steve Nass has served in the Assembly since 1991.


###

You might also like