By Starla Pointer • Staff Writer • 

Commissioners send letter opposing cap and trade legislation

Only online subscribers may access this article.

One-day subscriptions available for just $3. Click here for one-day access.

For all other subscription offers, click here.

Already a subscriber, please .

Comments

Don Dix

Commissioner Kulla stated -- “I know climate change is real,” (referring to research he did while studying for a masters degree in climate science). Question -- does one have to be immersed in climate science to know that the climate changes, or is that just an attempt to appear 'educated' beyond reproach?

SafetyFirst

Kulla could use a Masters degree in basic economics. Cap and trade is a fancy term for a carbon tax. It's a tax. And taxes hit all populations. Taxes don't change climate. Commissioners Olson and Starrett seem to be the ones with Masters in Common Sense.

Jim

Safetyfirst you hit the nail square on the head.

Raven

Kulla wrote a very long and quite good post on his Facebook page today. The summary is this, " climate change disproportionately impacts rural residents, and if we don’t take action, it will cost us the health of our woods, the health of our rivers, the health of our fields, and our own health. The costs of inaction are far higher, based upon my experience in the field and education and resources, than taking action now." I support him and his conservative new on climate change. Yes it is conservative to try to keep what we value today.

Raven

Sorry, I meant to write that I agree with his view. As the British philosopher Roger Scruton has written, “Conservation and conservatism are two aspects of a single long-term policy, which is that of husbanding resources and ensuring their renewal.” So yes, Kulla is conservative because he wants to conserve. Cap and Trade is only one way to begin. In the case of the very large corporate polluters, a stick is the only way to get their attention. The bill does include some compromises for small businesses and others. Is the bill perfect? No, but right now it is a start on a long road to keep our beautiful state healthy.

Christmas has Talons

Science can be bought and if we take the time to follow the money for research projects we will ultimately find the study represents the ideals of those who commissioned the study.

Climate has been changing since the beginning of time. Giving the government more money for gas and utilities and crushing jobs won't stop the climate from changing. You don't need a degree in "greenie"to figure that out. Kulla should have gotten a degree in economics then he'd have a clue how this will destroy our economy.

Thank you Commissioner Olsen and Starrett for standing up for farmers, loggers, truckers, and all other blue collar workers because we are the ones who feed this country.

Christmas has Talons

Science can be bought and if we take the time to follow the money for research projects we will ultimately find the study represents the ideals of those who commissioned the study.

Climate has been changing since the beginning of time. Giving the government more money for gas and utilities and crushing jobs won't stop the climate from changing. You don't need a degree in "greenie"to figure that out. Kulla should have gotten a degree in economics then he'd have a clue how this will destroy our economy.

Thank you Commissioner Olsen and Starrett for standing up for farmers, loggers, truckers, and all other blue collar workers because we are the ones who feed this country.

Jim

Kulla hasn’t seen a tax yet that he won’t support.

Drew1951

Before they send the letter I think they should take a vote to determine what percentage of our citizens support said letter. If the letter says that Yamhill County citizens are opposed to cap and trade that would truly be overstepping. I am getting tired of Ms. Starrett bringing in her fiends to bear witness and then making a prearranged motion to adopt a resolution. If a commissioner wants to write a letter on an individual basis that is fine but don’t speak for me.

Raven

Some basic economics that need to considered:

Social costs and benefits include the costs and benefits of consumer and producer but also costs borne by those who are not participating in that particular market. These are known as external costs and benefits or externalities.

In a free market, a producer will have little direct incentive to control pollution because it is external – i.e. the profit-maximising supplier considers only his/her own private costs and benefits.

Externalities and Market Failure
When there is a harmful production externality, the production of a good imposes external costs. The marginal social costs exceed marginal private costs by the amount of the external costs. When choosing how much to produce, firms are only concerned with their own costs, the marginal private costs (MPC). The market supply curve is the MPC curve.

Policies for Externalities : Regulation , Taxes/subsidies ,Pollution permits

Don Dix

Drew -- Here's a novel thought. If our county commissioners don't speak for you, how do those you don't even know are chosen to be your tongue? Instead of just the county voting, how about the whole state? Those Ds pushing this carbon tax know it wouldn't pass, but at least you can be heard -- and still be in the minority,

Raven -- A pollutant is a poison or a contaminant that harms. At 1200ppm (greenhouse a pollutant. At 150ppm all living things on Earth begin to die, quite harmful if you are living (carbon-based lifeforms). And knowing 95% of the CO2 in the atmosphere occurs naturally is basic science. Convince me that a a carbon tax will have any effect on nature!

Don Dix

Sorry , should have read -- Raven -- A pollutant is a poison or a contaminant that harms. At 1200ppm (greenhouse numbers) plants thrive and crop production increases. At 150ppm all living things on Earth begin to die, quite harmful if you are living (carbon-based lifeforms). And knowing 95% of the CO2 in the atmosphere occurs naturally is basic science. Convince me that a a carbon tax will have any effect on nature!

farmerj

How about instead of continuing to tax people into submission make an incentive program. there is a proven method to fight carbon, its Trees. The burden that businesses are under due to the accumulation taxes in this state is getting unbearable. new taxes are sold under the farce of If its not for the kids now its for the climate. this is a horribly written bill where the govt doesn't even have to disclose where the money is spent. There is nothing green about electric which is where they want companies to turn to. do you know how batteries are stored when they are expired? it has to be treated the same as nuclear waste. there is nothing about this that will change the climate its a tax and that's the bottom line. the cost will be passed to you. If you support this you'll be paying a lot more for gas at the pump and it'll have 0% effect on the climate. If you want to change the climate plant something. Its frightening that some people think this is the answer.

Raven

Don Dix, it may surprise you to know that I agree with you on one thing; the cap and trade bill ,or some form of it, should go to a vote by the people. In this case the majority of our legislators may not represent the majority of the people. It is paternalistic to think that they know better. Let the people decide.

RobsNewsRegister

Rumor has it the governor might suspend the constitution to hold session and get this new tax through. The coronavirus will likely cause a global recession of, as of now, unknown severity. This is not the time to be hitting Oregon businesses and consumers with a new tax. These people just pushed through a billion dollar a year sales tax and new gas taxes last year for goodness sake. How much money do they need?

Web Design and Web Development by Buildable