Cap and Trade a Bad Idea
Mississippi Poultry Association, Inc. 601.932.7560 * Fax 601.932.7568 110 Airport Road, Suite C
Pearl, Mississippi 39208
E-Mail: mpaoffice@bellsouth.net
Dear Editor:
It is important that the U.S. continue to have a robust debate on global warming and climate change. While there are those that emphatically believe that man-made carbon emissions result in a warming of the atmosphere, there are other scientists who seriously question the science or lack of science behind such claims. The point of my letter is to state clearly that “cap and trade” legislation now pending in the Congress is not the answer. This half-baked scheme would wreck our economy, put millions of Americans out of work and leave untouched foreign countries that are not subject to cap and trade regulations but continue to pump greenhouse gases into the air at an ever accelerating rate.
If you are unsure about cap and trade, or would just like to hear from two economists, take a look at the April 8 edition of the online magazine, American Thinker. It contains an article by economists Raymond and Howard Richman that details the damage cap and trade could do.
Mississippi’s poultry industry, our state’s largest agricultural commodity, depends on affordable, reliable energy. In research conducted by the National Association of Manufacturers and the American Council for Capital Formation, Mississippi would stand to lose a substantial number of jobs and see the cost of energy rise dramatically from now to 2030. The increases in energy costs caused by the provisions of pending legislation represent a monumental tax increase on business and industry, and especially Mississippi consumers who would pay more at the pump for gasoline and more at home for electricity. Further, higher energy prices, fewer jobs and the loss of industrial production would seriously impede economic growth in our State.
I’m very appreciative of the stand Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker and have taken on this issue. They helped defeat the recent procedural vote that would have slipped cap and trade in through the backdoor of the Senate. If there were ever legislation that needed thorough scrutiny and debate, cap and trade is it.
Sincerely,
Mark Leggett
President,
Mississippi Poultry Association