Ballot harvesting, behind-the-curtains ballot counting and other hijinks have made transparency a critical issue this election year. Meanwhile, as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency celebrates its fiftieth birthday, political battles continue to rage over the extent of public, executive and congressional oversight, and access to research files, original data and other information used by the agency in taking legal actions against individuals, institutions and businesses. The latest … [Read more...]
The Curbelo Carbon Tax as Wealth Redistribution
No matter how you look at it, the Florida Republican’s new proposal is bad policy. Environmental policy as a tool of wealth redistribution is nothing new. The latest example is a proposal for a greenhouse-gas (GHG) tax just introduced by Representative Carlos Curbelo (R., Fla.). Curbelo’s tax would start at $24 per metric ton of GHG emissions, growing 2 percent per year above inflation and an additional $2 per ton every two years if emission-reduction goals are not met. Those goals rise … [Read more...]
Excessive Regulation Can Be Fatal—Why EPA’s Raft of New Regulations Should Be Delayed or Dumped
In just about the last month, the Obama Administration has delayed new EPA regulations on ozone and greenhouse gas emissions, and the House of Representatives voted to delay more EPA regulations. Americans should cheer all three developments. Why? Because the decisions will save lives. First an illustration—then the facts. About a decade ago my medical exam revealed moderately elevated cholesterol and blood pressure. My doctor, not surprisingly, immediately and sternly advised … [Read more...]
