As you may know, our august House 50B representative, Kate Knuth, has sponsored a hellacious boondoggle of a bill that would establish a cap and trade system on emissions. This got our good friend (and blogger extraordinaire) Right Hook over at Boots On pondering the larger meaning of Knuth's handiwork. His question is this: is Kate Knuth maliciously destructive or just plain stupid? Because Right Hook is a charitable fellow, he's leaning toward just plain stupid.
I'd like to agree with him, but since applied stupidity can cause all manner of malicious destructiveness, I'm beginning to wonder. Knuth seems to think that the regulatory scheme she would impose on all of us will bring new jobs. From the Star Tribune article:
"Cap-and-trade will change the jobs that we have in Minnesota -- I think it will change the jobs for the better," said Knuth, DFL-New Brighton. "It will bring clean-energy jobs."
I can envision some of the jobs it will create. The people who will benefit most from such a scheme are the highly paid consultants who will bring their expertise to bear on this problem. People like Kate's dad, Dan Knuth. The elder Knuth once held the seat that his daughter now occupies and has in recent years made his living as a lobbyist. One of his clients is Fresh Energy, which would stand to benefit directly from the imposition of any cap-and-trade system.
Now you're thinking - isn't Fresh Energy a non-profit? Sure, but as their website notes, they are in the business of "developing powerful relationships with businesses, faith leaders, allied organizations and citizens, we advocate for deep permanent pollution reductions that will slow global warming." And those relationships with businesses are worth exploring in greater detail, don't you think?
As Leo mentioned yesterday, it's always a good idea to follow the money. Those jobs that Kate is touting may just be with Fresh Energy.
3 comments:
I believe it was none other than Mr. D who commented a while back that Kate was merely "just getting into the family business" when she ran for state representative. It turns out that you were more correct than you even thought.
Good angle about following the money as in most cases that is the primary driver of most legislation.
MN: the coldest state in the lower 48.
how the hell do they sell global warming to the voters up there?
are y'all that gullible?
even if there was GW, i'd expect the voters to say "yeah, awright. lets not stop it now."
Thanks, RH. She is what she is. And providing an accurate description of what she is will be a big job this year.
Gino, it is hard to imagine that Minnesotans would believe in global warming, but a lot of my fellow citizens believe most of all in big government and that's what global warming fealty will produce. It's just a means to an end.
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