<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for If you can really call Chris Dodd a ‘contender’]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by ngoddard http://www.grist.org/article/presidential-contender-supports-carbon-tax/ Thu, 19 Apr 2007 05:53:17 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/presidential-contender-supports-carbon-tax/1 Cherry waiting to be picked

Wouldn't a Corporate Carbon Tax that was refunded directly to consumers on a per-capita basis or a per-taxpayer basis be wildly popular?  Not only are we going to drive the economy towards low-carbon and thereby get a headstart on the technologies of the future and help save the planet, but most of you are going to be better off right away as a result!  How can that possibly not be a vote-winner?

Of course there would need to be import taxes on goods and services produced in a no/lower carbon tax regime, or else a lot of the carbon-intensive industries will just move to a low carbon-tax environment.  But hey, even more revenue to hand out to US consumers, so even more voters will be winners!

I can only guess that the reason no politician is pushing this is that their campaign contributions would dry up overnight - as the bulk of contributions no doubt come from people who would perhaps not be better off with the proceeds of carbon taxes.

]]> Cherry waiting to be picked

Wouldn't a Corporate Carbon Tax that was refunded directly to consumers on a per-capita basis or a per-taxpayer basis be wildly popular?  Not only are we going to drive the economy towards low-carbon and thereby get a headstart on the technologies of the future and help save the planet, but most of you are going to be better off right away as a result!  How can that possibly not be a vote-winner?

Of course there would need to be import taxes on goods and services produced in a no/lower carbon tax regime, or else a lot of the carbon-intensive industries will just move to a low carbon-tax environment.  But hey, even more revenue to hand out to US consumers, so even more voters will be winners!

I can only guess that the reason no politician is pushing this is that their campaign contributions would dry up overnight - as the bulk of contributions no doubt come from people who would perhaps not be better off with the proceeds of carbon taxes.

]]> Comment #2 by A Siegel http://www.grist.org/article/presidential-contender-supports-carbon-tax/ Thu, 19 Apr 2007 06:01:44 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/presidential-contender-supports-carbon-tax/2 "Corporate Carbon Tax"

Seems that Dodd is trying to have his cake and it too.  Let's make 'environmentalists' happy with a carbon tax but not upset less GW-aware voters with the fear that it will cost them something. We're only going to take money from the 'nasty corporations' but don't worry, sleight-of-hand, this won't touch you, the ordinary consumer.  Huh???

The "Corporate" added on this is odd to me, other than as a political phrasing.

And, well, as long as we're talking about framing, we really should be making this as a Global Warming Impact Fee (GWIF) (http://www.ecotality.com/blog/2007/global-warming-impact- ...) rather than tax.  Tax implies taking something that is someone's already.  A Fee means a charge for using something.  A GWIF would be, in essence, the equivalent of a fee for dumping trash in a dump except for dumping trash (pollution) into the atmosphere.

]]> "Corporate Carbon Tax"

Seems that Dodd is trying to have his cake and it too.  Let's make 'environmentalists' happy with a carbon tax but not upset less GW-aware voters with the fear that it will cost them something. We're only going to take money from the 'nasty corporations' but don't worry, sleight-of-hand, this won't touch you, the ordinary consumer.  Huh???

The "Corporate" added on this is odd to me, other than as a political phrasing.

And, well, as long as we're talking about framing, we really should be making this as a Global Warming Impact Fee (GWIF) (http://www.ecotality.com/blog/2007/global-warming-impact- ...) rather than tax.  Tax implies taking something that is someone's already.  A Fee means a charge for using something.  A GWIF would be, in essence, the equivalent of a fee for dumping trash in a dump except for dumping trash (pollution) into the atmosphere.

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