House GOP threatens utilities for not toeing climate-change line
“GOP lawmakers and industry lobbyists are talking about legislation aimed at reining in power companies after some utilities were seen as being less than friendly to their efforts to block Obama administration climate change rules.
Several House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans and industry lobbyists are pushing for a “Ratepayer Protection Act,” a measure that would limit utilities’ ability to pass along costs to consumers, according to lobbyists close to the committee.
The discussions come after POLITICO last week reported that several top utility CEOs weren’t thrilled with a draft bill from Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) to preempt the EPA on climate change.
CEOs from American Electric Power, NextEra Energy, Southern Co. and Dominion Resources said to varying degrees that they support allowing the EPA to proceed on a “reasonable” time frame on greenhouse gas rules for power plants, petroleum refiners and other major stationary sources.”
In other words, Republicans in Congress want to use the power of government to punish utilities for being insufficiently opposed to greenhouse gas regulation. Lovely use of limited government there, folks.
Oh, and I just have to ask: What provision of the Constitution empowers Congress to interfere in the decisions of state Public Service Commissions in their regulation of state-chartered utilities?
– Jay Bookman
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2,155 comments Add your comment
WOW
March 11th, 2011
3:53 pm
“I guess you don’t believe in real democracy.”
We’re not a democracy.
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
3:54 pm
WOWTroll 3:51 – google “crowding out”
here’s some help
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&biw=1900&bih=968&q=crowding+out+effect+economics&aq=2&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=crowding+out
WOW
March 11th, 2011
3:54 pm
“Starting wars also creates jobs.’
So when’s Obama gonna end the wars?
OHHHHHHHHHHHH, that’s right he’s not.
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
3:55 pm
WTTT 3:52 – wasteful ones
WOWTroll
March 11th, 2011
3:56 pm
We’re not a democracy.
Potato, tomato
WOW
March 11th, 2011
3:57 pm
“Potato, tomato”
Not my problem if you don’t know the difference between a democracy and a republic.
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
3:58 pm
Ah. Kammy and Godless Heathen are WT and WTT.
There’s your sign.
WOWTroll
March 11th, 2011
3:58 pm
Not my problem if you don’t know the difference between a democracy and a republic.
REPUBLIC! REPUBLIC!
Et’tu Brute?
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
3:59 pm
Um. Potato and tomato are very different. Ever eat a sliced raw potato?
WOWTroll
March 11th, 2011
3:59 pm
Not Kammy, not Godless Heathen, not Taxpayer. Keep trying!
WOWTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:00 pm
Um. Potato and tomato are very different. Ever eat a sliced raw potato?
I’d make a sarcasm not being detected joke but you’re not WOW, so nevermind.
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:00 pm
Doggone! Its you!
1811/1801 - 0311/0317
March 11th, 2011
4:01 pm
WOW
Actually, I prefer to call it a “Constitutional Republic” although we have strayed considerably from both terms.
WOWTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:02 pm
No, not Doggone either. Sheesh. If I get banned for being such a d*ck though I’m sure you’ll figure out who it was!
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:02 pm
Um. Split the dif and call it a Democratic Republic.
WOWTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:03 pm
Um. Split the dif and call it a Democratic Republic.
Agreed
Doggone/GA
March 11th, 2011
4:05 pm
“We’re not a democracy”
democracy: “government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system”
republic: “a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them”
We’re both: a democratic republic
WOW
March 11th, 2011
4:07 pm
“We’re both: a democratic republic”
HAHA
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:08 pm
“representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them”
How exactly would someone INDIRECTLY choose a “representative”? I think they have those in China and the Middle East…. if I have to hazard a guess.
WOWTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:10 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSV-VtJfwRw
WOW
March 11th, 2011
4:10 pm
Doggone/GA
I really hope you’re not a history teacher.
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:11 pm
I guess you could have a communist republic. And a socialist republic. I’m glad we’re a democratic republic.
The Bookman Republic, that’s a strange one.
Doggone/GA
March 11th, 2011
4:11 pm
“Doggone! Its you!”
What’s me?
Left wing management
March 11th, 2011
4:13 pm
WOW: Next, it makes it impossible for Democrats to steal money.
Nice try. Your efforts will fail. Like that tsunami in the Pacific, Mr. Walker has detonated something, something that’s on its way right now.
WOW
March 11th, 2011
4:15 pm
“Your efforts will fail.’
It passed, Left. My efforts??????? I live in GA, not WI.
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:15 pm
Well this is funny. Sort of.
“I wouldn’t let that guy run a 7-Eleven, let alone a country.” — New York Times columnist David Brooks, expressing doubt about Newt Gingrich’s competency to serve as president.
WOW
March 11th, 2011
4:15 pm
Is Jay coming back?
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:16 pm
this, however, is hilarious.
“Big Bird needs to be pushed out of the nest.” — Rep. Doug Lamborn, calling for an elimination of federal funding for public broadcasting.
WOW
March 11th, 2011
4:16 pm
“Mr. Walker has detonated something, something that’s on its way right now.”
Which is what, a bunch of babies who want more money because making over 50 grand per year isn’t good enough?
WOW
March 11th, 2011
4:17 pm
NPR = done
Public unions = done
Democrats = done
All in all, a pretty good week.
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:17 pm
The closet Feminazi in Hillary still runs deep and is hard core.
“Her Excellency, Madam President… I love saying that.” — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, introducing the president of Kyrgyzstan at a State Department event.
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:17 pm
NPR. Not done yet.
WOW
March 11th, 2011
4:17 pm
Has anyone seen Kieth Olbermann? He left his bottle of Prozac at 30 Rock.
WOW
March 11th, 2011
4:18 pm
“NPR. Not done yet.”
I have a song just for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycbgHM1mI0k
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:18 pm
Dead. On. True in WI too.
“Taking fiscal advice from Jay Jacobs and state Democrats is like taking life advice from Charlie Sheen – It may get a lot of media attention but it will end up in disaster.” — Erie County Republican Committee Chairman Nick Langworthy, knocking the New York Democratic chairman.
WOW
March 11th, 2011
4:19 pm
“The closet Feminazi in Hillary still runs deep and is hard core.’
Did she come out of the closet?
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:20 pm
“Did she come out of the closet?”
No, she’s still in there with Monica. They cut Bill out of the picture….
WOW
March 11th, 2011
4:20 pm
This song is dedicated to Hillary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LiuZLQbdTc
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:20 pm
Why bother with the middle man?
Left wing management
March 11th, 2011
4:22 pm
WOW: Which is what, a bunch of babies who want more money because making over 50 grand per year isn’t good enough?
Just watch, my boy, you’ll see in good time.
And by the way, there’s no such things as “big babies” in American life. Only Robber Barons. And they’re going to be placed back in line this time, just like they were at an earlier point in American history. Just watch ..
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:23 pm
LWM 4:22 – in case you haven’t seen the news the last 4 months. Your side is LOSING!
WOW
March 11th, 2011
4:23 pm
“Just watch, my boy, you’ll see in good time. ”
Sounds like what UGA fans have said since 1980.
WOW
March 11th, 2011
4:24 pm
“Your side is LOSING!”
That’s the fun part. Libs don’t even know they’re losing the battle on all fronts. Like Obama, their blind arrogance is going to doom their party in 2012.
What’s Obama gonna run on in 2012?
WOW
March 11th, 2011
4:26 pm
Jay’s back! Travlin music.
jm
March 11th, 2011
4:26 pm
“Trumka: “This Is A Power Grab And We’re Not Going To Tolerate It”"
Translation: we’re going to try to get our power back, cause that’s how we think about the world. Take power from everyone else, instead of give power to the individual.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/03/11/trumka_this_is_a_power_grab_and_were_not_going_to_tolerate_it.html
WOWTrollTroll
March 11th, 2011
4:27 pm
WOW 4:24 – maybe higher gas prices? Crummy unemployment? A bigger deficit? No health care cost savings?
Hmmmmmmm, that’s a winning platform if I ever heard one.
jm
March 11th, 2011
4:28 pm
this is hilarious
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/03/10/your_public_sector_unions_at_work.html
Left wing management
March 11th, 2011
4:36 pm
Your side is LOSING!
That’s all I got to say.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
March 11th, 2011
4:38 pm
this is
hilariousbiased.That’s more truthful.
jm
March 11th, 2011
5:10 pm
SoCo 4:38 – survey says…. XXX
md
March 11th, 2011
5:21 pm
Somehow I didn’t think soco was going to like that one @ 4:28
1811/1801 - 0311/0317
March 11th, 2011
5:36 pm
The “supreme power” in this country is NOT vested in the people but in the Supreme Court.
We have turned into a judicial oligarchy.
1811/1801 - 0311/0317
March 11th, 2011
6:22 pm
Luke 21:25
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.”
Left wing management
March 11th, 2011
7:33 pm
We have turned into a judicial oligarchy.
The judiciary itself is largely hostage to an ideology that itself is crafted to serve the interests of an oligarchy. Therefore, the structure of our nation is increasingly oligarchic.
Mighy Righty
March 16th, 2011
2:22 pm
I would like to know which claus in the Constitution allows any agency to make laws without Congressional authority. You lefties should try to gain knowledge on exactly how utilities set rates. All costs are passed on to we consumers plus a hefty profit. In other words, the more it costs them to operate, the more money they make. Why would they care how much an EPA regulaion increases consumer cost. A better inquiry would be, why is Obama doing everything he can to increase the cost of energy?