Does he say what he's going to do with the income from the taxes (and permits, if he auctions them)?

I think he plans to put some of it toward renewable energy R&D, and some toward expanding the EITC, funding the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and maybe some for the Social Security trust fund.

I won't swear to any of that (long story), but it's clear that he is making some effort to put the revenue toward reducing regressivity.

grist.org

You are going to call out Greenpeace when Dingell has been nothing but an obstruction to serious discussion about global warming?  Where was he last Congress when Energy and Commerce held no hearings on global warming?  He sat there silently.

This year as chair he held hearings only after Pelosi directly threatened his jurisdiction by forming the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

Dingell is not trying to pass legislation.  He and Chairman Boucher are trying to delay anything harms to their respective pet projects- namely the domestic auto industry and coal.  

He is not being subtle about it either. Dingell has intentionally picked proposals that are so politically unpopular that they could never ever pass.  This way he can say he wants action while undermining realistic efforts to enact change.

Despite what some people suggest gas taxes are unpopular.  No politician in his or her right mind wants to have the price of gasoline hung around their neck.  The attack ads would write themselves.

Similarly a carbon tax is doomed.  Anyone who reads the paper knows that politicians that get labelled as tax raisers are done.

And now he is proposing to mess with people's love of bigger houses?  The policy is great but come on!  Anyone projected to have a race anywhere close to being competitive might as well come out against ice cream.  (And good luck raising any money)

I am no fan of Greenpeace's tactics but please do not dirty this site with defenses of Dingell.

I think your site needs to fill that DC reporter position quickly if this is the garbage that is going to qualify as insight into politics.

"Where was he last Congress when Energy and Commerce held no hearings on global warming?"

He was in the minority with the other Democrats, i.e. they could not call any hearings under Republican control.  

How soon we forget...  

Dingell is an incredibly skillful politician and he's clearly playing a complicated political game.

We're having trouble interpreting it because he's balancing competing political claims -- the growing consensus for greenhouse gas legislation among Congressional Democrats, his support for the auto industry, his desire not to be one-upped by the Speaker, and god knows what else, including whatever backroom deals he's got going and maybe even his legacy.  Not to mention whatever he may be hearing from constituents.

Greenpeace is annoying because they're falling into the trap of looking shrill in the face of a policy proposal that at the very least seems serious.  That just makes Greenpeace look stupid.

I'd love to be a fly on Nancy Pelosi's wall right now -- let's see how she decides to take this proposal -- it'll be a serious test of her political skill.

Tomcal points out Dingell was in the minority in 109th.  Great insight.

He was the ranking Democrat on Energy and Commerce.  He did not publicly demand global warming hearings. In fact he was pretty much silent on the entire topic unless it was to bash Kyoto or downplay the possibility of legislating on the topic until September 2006.

Dingle is in the pockets of The Big 3 Automakers and their labor unions.  
They dont want higher gas mileages. Never have never will. I dont trust this guy at all.
HOW did this guy end up as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is the real question!!  

I think its much better to have taxes introduced over time.

I'd rather see 5¢ added to the per gallon gas tax per year over the next 10 years.

This way the pricing expectations are clear, people can forecast how much tax will be added, but they don't freak out. It will be tougher to pass it this way.