Comments on: Presidential Candidates on Carbon Taxes

By: David Ocampo G.

David Ocampo G. — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:29:44 +0000

Political courage is rare. Political suicide is not all so uncommon. Dodd and Gravel are no longer presidential precandidates and there is no way Bloomberg can be called a precandidate. Obama, at least, has been championing a Cap’n Trade deal in which carbon permits are at least auctioned rather than handed out (like, to reward political supporters and contributors). He has dropped a few big hints indicating he understands that the Carbon Tax is the way to go, while saying that Cap’n Trade is pretty much the same thing. And he is the leading candidate. If he had been championing the Carbon Tax, he would be down at the corner bar with Dodd and Gravel, crying in their beers until their wives come with wheelbarrows to carry them home.

By: Taxes

Taxes — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 04:48:30 +0000

[...] mortensign wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptDuring last night’s Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate in New Hampshire, Charles Gibson, ABC-TV News Anchor, noted that none of the candidates on the stage favor a carbon tax and asked whether it’s a bad idea or just too … [...]

By: David Collins

David Collins — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 01:23:01 +0000

"Tax" is still a four-letter word to the intellectually challenged. Concerning climate issues, compare the Republican debate with the following Democratic debate: only one had anything serious to say in the former, versus all in the latter. I was talking about this with my mother (101 years old, still sharp); she said what we are talking about is tax REFORM; she thought it should be called "environmental tax reform". She also liked "environmental tax SHIFT" because "Don’t you want to tax other things bad for the environment, too?" So I am passing along her thoughts.

By: Farrell S. Seiler

Farrell S. Seiler — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:52:33 +0000

6 Jan 2008 Dan:Thanks for the verbatim transcript of last night’s debate discussion of the Carbon Tax.Am I correct in my understanding that Gore (in his Nobel speech) advocates both "cap n trade" AND a carbon tax. That the two approaches work in tandem.Draft Gore New Hampshire has four principal policy positions (http://www.draftgorenh.com/solutions). So far, none of the NH primary candidates are willing to be courageous politically and agree to them. So, Draft Gore New Hampshire may, in the end, endorse no one in the primary.May I suggest that the word "tax" be replaced by a "fee", a "levy", a "surcharge" or some other less radioactive term. Why not a "carbon fee" or a "carbon surcharge" on carbon dioxide emitters.–Farrell S.