I think a carbon tax is coming

[hardnox]

We elected a President who thinks it is 50 years ago (by a base that wants it to be) versus an opponent who was dialed in more like 15 back.

But once we get past it I think a carbon tax happens fairly quickly. The plan put forward by James Baker and fossil fuel interests has also been embraced by Dr. James Hansen.

All in all, a lot more efficient that the Obama/Clinton regulatory approach and something the oil and gas industry can live with.

Basically it would tax carbon at a proposed price of $40/ton and then kick back in rebates to taxpayers in the $1-2K per year range.

One of the many good things would be that it would halt the Trump unilateral surrender to China and others on renewables- stuff that actually has a future vs. coal which does not- but somehow resonates with the Good People.

[bruce MN]

Template: https://newrepublic.com/article/142009/trump-carbon-tax-look-like

[Canuck_2]

Your president thinking it is 50 years ago is similar to an article I was reading in Macleans today about how he has cloistered himself inside his own buildings and seldom ventured out into the real world for most of the last 50 years.

I will see if I can find a link to it on their site and post later or at least tomorrow because it is already late enough today.

[bruce MN]

That could at least partially explain why he seems so surprised by the practicalities of a matter or subject from time to time. Like the first time the first Pres Bush was in the grocery store and was amazed at how the bar code scanner worked. Only in spades. 

[Edmund55]

(...reading in Macleans today about how he has cloistered himself inside his own buildings and seldom ventured out into the real world for most of the last 50 years.)

So which is it, he golfs to much or he never ventures outside?

Or maybe the golf courses he plays to much, are under domes.

[schnurrbart]

We need to be more like Sweden. We are very definitely being shorted in the way our taxes are spent. Very interesting article.
http://www.vox.com/2016/4/8/11380356/swedish-taxes-love

[Canuck_2]

Bit of a read but here is the article about Trump living in the 80ies and not getting out in the public since

http://www.macleans.ca/culture/books/donald-trump-is-stuck-in-the-1980s/

[r3020]

Isn't that the same outfit that falsely reported if you need medical care in Paris Texas you were given a bus ticket? Were they the ones who falsely report that Kizer Kahn was prevented from going to Canada to give a speech?

[AllenJwi]

Just where is all the money being paid now go? Is it lining the pocket of someone you know? With income , sales and property tax half of every dollar I have made has gone to taxes and yet you want more.

[Packard27]

Hard,

I really do not care all that much what you wish to call your tax (a.k.a. investment) or how you go about collecting it. You say you want a carbon tax? I'm 100% with you..

It is all government revenue to me. It is also necessary to pay for the subsidies, distributions, and federal contracts given to agriculture, the military industrial complex, Wall Street, health insurance companies, and of course the millions of entitlement recipients of government payments (i.e. social security/medicare/VA/pensions/etc).

Need I add the obvious; there are no free lunches for all of these wonderful things? Someone must always pay. Always.

My only objection is that someone other than myself be required to pay for all of it. Frankly, I've always been in favor of taxing other people to pay for all of the above government necessities...many of which me and my family currently enjoy. I just don't want to pay for any of it myself...if that makes sense?