My Email Response to Rep. Langevin (D-RI)

vindubs — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:06:20 +0000

This is an E-Mail I received from Congressman Jim Langevin a little under a month after I wrote/called/e-mailed him trying to find his stance on the Waxman-Markey bill and urging him to vote NO on it. Im assuming this is an Automated response, but I felt it necessary to respong to him with a little of my own research that I have done. Id like to thank The Heritage Foundation, Bob Lieberman (for his research and speach) and Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi for his speech and research on the matter.

First is the letter i received from Congressman Langevin and the bottom is my Response to him. At first i was rather angry as you can tell by the paragraph of capitals. But I went from Anger to informing and decided that I cant let his false facts stand and that i had to refute them or people would keep buying into their lies. I posted this because I want people to see what is going on and how uninformed the HoR is keeping us and how drastic the changes there making are. So please read please write and please pass this along if you feel its worthwhile. Comments are welcome Via Twitter http://twitter.com/Vindubs or my Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=500803231&ref=profile

Thank you for Reading My response is in Italics.

Vinnie

NOTE: I Dont really use this blog so this is the only post.

—– Original Message —–

From: Congressman Jim Langevin

To: Sorry, Not for your eyes.

Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 5:13 PM

Subject: Message from Congressman James Langevin

Dear Friend:

Thank you for contacting me with your thoughts about energy and the environment. I share your concerns regarding the rising cost of energy and welcome the opportunity to correspond with you.

During my tenure in the House of Representatives, I have heard from innumerable Rhode Islanders gravely concerned that Americans cannot afford the $400 billion we are spending on foreign oil each year. I have long agreed that the path we are on is unsustainable and demands immediate action. To this end, I was proud to join my colleagues in Congress in an historic step toward addressing this looming economic and environmental crisis by supporting H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which passed 219-212 on June 26, 2009.

As a founding member and Vice Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, I lent my voice in ensuring that this legislation would increase the energy we use from clean, renewable resources. It is an investment that would create 1.7 million clean energy jobs throughout the nation, particularly in manufacturing industries, by dramatically increasing demand for construction of renewable energy components. In addition, its increased funding for research and development of renewable technologies, including wind, solar, and wave energy, would drive American entrepreneurship and competitiveness to make the U.S. a global leader in clean energy development.

Please be assured that this bill was carefully written to ensure that consumers are not overburdened by any increase in cost. Allowances are provided to electricity, natural gas, and heating oil companies that must be redirected to their customers. Low-income families are given even further protections in the bill and will receive specific allowances in the form of monthly energy refunds. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that protecting our nation through a cap on emissions would cost an average family $175 per year, or less than 50 cents a day, by 2020. Alternatively, if we fail to act and continue to rely on oil, energy prices per household are estimated to reach $3,500 annually. Further, CBO has determined that the bill is fully paid for and will not increase the deficit.

While I recognize that we may not agree on all of the provisions in this legislation, please know that I place great value on your feedback. As this bill continues its journey through the legislative process, I hope you will continue to give me the benefit of your first hand perspective on its impact back home in Rhode Island.

Thank you again for contacting me, and please continue to share your concerns on these and other pressing issues as the legislative session continues.

Sincerely,

Jim Langevin
Member of Congress
***
If you would like to sign up for my e-newsletter, please click here.

For more information about my work in Congress, please visit http://langevin.house.gov/

Regardless, You voted for the bill. YOU VOTED TO FINANCIALLY HURT AMERICAN FAMILIES BY PASSING THIS CRAP LEGISLATION. MY PROMISE STILL STANDS TRUE. I WILL CAMPAIGN AGAINST YOU. I PROMISE YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE MY VOTE AND I WILL TURN MANY VOTERS AGAINST YOU ONCE THEY LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT THIS JUNK YOU VOTED TO SUPPORT! I WILL NOT LET YOU HURT MORE RHODE ISLAND FAMILIES IN THIS TOUGH TIME OR ANY AMERICAN CITIZEN! WE ARE ALL OVER BURDENED AS IT IS AND YOU PASS THE “CAP AND TAX” BILL. YOU KNOW THE TRUTH AND YOU STILL VOTED YES. AND IF YOU DID NOT KNOW THE TRUTH AND WERE TRULY IGNORANT TO THE FACTS OF THE BILL THEN WE WERE ALL FOOLS TO VOTE FOR SOMEONE WHO WOULD NOT EVEN READ THE BILL BEFORE VOTING YES, A VOTE THE WILL CHANGE AMERICA FOR THE WORSE.

Since it seems you have absolutly NO clue as to what this bill will do to YOUR constituents and other hard working, honest, AMERICAN families. And since you encouraged my personal feedback let me refute the so called “facts” about Waxman-Markey.

Your Claim

It is an investment that would create 1.7 million clean energy jobs throughout the nation, particularly in manufacturing industries, by dramatically increasing demand for construction of renewable energy components.

My Question & My Research

What happens to those jobs after construction ends? Many of these “green” jobs do not require regular up keep. But do not take my word for it. Lets look at Spain. 9 out of 10 “green jobs” created in Spain over the last decade are now gone. Spain spent $753,778 to create each job. Cap and Trade not only cost Spain it also sent there unemployment SKYROCKETING to 20%, 1/5 people without a job how is that sustainable?Also The Heritage Foundation found that unemployment will increase by nearly 2 million in 2012, the first year of the program, and reach nearly 2.5 million in 2035, the last year of the analysis. http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/wm2504.cfm

During the “stimulus” debate, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs lamented that “more companies [have] announced mass layoffs.”[6] The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines mass layoffs as “where private sector nonfarm employers indicate that 50 or more workers were separated from their jobs for at least 31 days.” Under Waxman-Markey, on average each congressional district would experience the equivalent of more than 52 mass layoffs.

The 1.7 Million “clean jobs” will not matter one bit once we lose tons of “dirty jobs” going over sees. According to Dan DiMicco, The CEO of Nucor Steel the United States largest producer of steel, that if cap n’ trade passed he would be forced to close up his US plants and relocate to China. Where making one ton of steel would create 5x the ammount of carbon emmisions than if he were to produce it here. I thought this was about saving the environment and inspiring global “climate change” If this were the case we wouldnt be sending our companies that create less carbon emissions under our current law to countries that have no respect to the environment and the global community and have already told us that THEY WILL NOT ACCEPT CAP AND TRADE AND CLIMATE CHANGE. i.e. China & India.(Information obatined via Gov. Haley Barbour’s speech to the commitee of Enivronment and Public Works, United States Senate)

Your Claim

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that protecting our nation through a cap on emissions would cost an average family $175 per year, or less than 50 cents a day, by 2020

My Research

“According to the analysis we conducted at The Heritage Foundation, which is attached to my written statement, the higher energy costs kick in as soon as the bill’s provisions take effect in 2012. For a household of four, energy costs go up $436 that year, and they eventually reach $1,241 in 2035 and average $829 annually over that span. Electricity costs go up 90 percent by 2035, gasoline by 58 percent, and natural gas by 55 percent by 2035. The cumulative higher energy costs for a family of four by then will be nearly $20,000.”(Ben Lieberman, Testimony before the Senate Republican Conference 6/22/09)

I do not understand why you and other elected officials and so called experts try to down play the cost per family when even President Obama has stated to the San Francisco Chronicle a little over a year and a half ago that “Under my cap and trade plan, Electricity rates would neccessarily skyrocket.” In the world of politics Im sure if the actual cost per family would only be about $175 additionally per year our President would not say “skyrocket”.

Recently the CEO of American Electric Power (AEP) stated that cap and trade would cause his rates to go up 30-50%.

Congressman I could go on for countless pages about the negative impacts of this bill, but you would refute it none the less. Even though I would be willing to bet my life that you never even read the bill. 1200 pages with more than 300 added 13 hours before the vote. Including such nonsense as the need to have a EPA agent come out and inspect your house before you sold it for “energy efficiency”. How much does that cost. I have lost faith in you congressman and you have lost my vote. You may be proud of your vote now but you won’t be when election day comes as you will be out of a job. I wish you luck in your future endeavors but I promise you it will not be as United States Congressman representing the people of Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District.

Vincent A. W.

Removed Town Name, RI

Exanding Government?

vindubs — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:23:10 +0000

With a new President in office there is bound to be changes on the horizon. But are they changes that Americans truly want? For the first 2 months of the new presidency there have been plenty of times where I had wished that I had a place where I could express my feelings on the issues and see how others feel about it. Today I decided to act on those feelings and craeted my own Blog.

Here I am going to present the Issues of the day/week as I see it and in my own opinions. I love feedback and love even more a healthy good spirited debate on the topic by the opposition.

So lets begin, we are in the 3rd full month of our new president now. Some of the things he has done are..

Passed a $787 Bil. “stimulus” package.
Passed a $410 Bil. Omnibus Bill. FILLED with pet projects from senators totaling 8500 EARMARKS.
Attempts at giving the Fed Tres Sec. Tim Geihtner unprecedented power. The power to go and see which companies “need” Government money and then tying them to the restriction that go along with taking that money.
Today 3-30-09 President Obama forced the CEO of GM out, Richard Wagoner. AND effectivley washed its hands of Chrysler.
Tripled the Federal Debt in 2 months!!
$3.75 Trillion Budget for 2010. A budget which will bury us in debt and our children.

So lets start at the top shall we? The stimulus bill was a bust. Some of the Jobs are going to Illegal Immigrants, And much of it really would not stimulate anything. No one read the bill and just let it slide on through. Its pretty safe to say it was a Democratic spending wish list. At a time when our President says We as americans need to Tighten the belt, times are tough? Well Mr. President it seems like you are adding holes to the belt.

The Omnibus bill was just as much a bust. $410 Bil to run our Government. Many lawmakers pressured this down our throats telling us it was NECESSARY to pass. The bill which was weighed down with $10 Billion in Earmarks a total 8500 of them. Its not just Democrats its Republicans also. If I am not mistaken it was 60% Dem 40% Repub. So they spending is all around. I fear that our politicians have lost touch with us. When can you spend $800 Bil. and not even blink about it. Obama campaigned on ending earmarks and instituting earmark reform. But apparently hes going to pick and choose what bills need oversight on earmarks. Why could’nt the Government pass Stop-Gap Resolution which would run the government till september on 2008 Funding? 6 months living on last years funding? what is wrong with that? I thought we needed to tighten the belt? Well apparently were going to pick and choose who needs to tighten the belt.

The next point is just completly unconstitutional. We are talking about seizing private businesses here. When asked by a senator where in the Constitution it says the Federal Treasury can take this kind of power. Tim Geihtner has no response and dodged the question. When his proposal was called Radical, he responded no its not. The man who cant even pay his taxes wants to appoint people to TAKE OVER BUSINESSES! Now you may be asking whats wrong with bailing businesses out that are deemed “to big to fail” It starts with one thing and moves to the next. Give an inch they take a mile. There are certain parameters put into affect when taking money from the Government. CEOs cant make more than 500k a year, Bonuses given out to companies are subject to a 90% atax rate . 90%!!!

Spending is out of control and will sink us under a mountain of debt. Did you know in 2019 WE the American Tax payer will be paying 800Billion a year in INTEREST ALONE!! Onto the Budget this monstrosity of a budget. 3.75 Trillion way more than any other budget in American History. WE CANNOT Allow this pass. write your senators attend local TEA parties. A cap and trade policy would also hurt financially wounded families. Obama himself has admitted that under a cap and trade policy essentially energy Costs would SKYROCKET! 700-1300$ Annually. We cannot allow this to happen.

Our values are going to go out the window if they have not alread. Please stand up for them!

My Blog

My Email Response to Rep. Langevin (D-RI)

Exanding Government?