The New York Times reports the Michigan Democrat is planning to introduce a carbon tax bill, including a hike in the gas tax, simply to try to prove Americans don’t want to pay for it.
“I sincerely doubt that the American people will be willing to pay what this is really going to cost them,” said Mr. Dingell, whose committee will be drafting a broad bill on climate change this fall.
“I will be introducing in the next little bit a carbon tax bill, just to sort of see how people think about this,” he continued. “When you see the criticism I get, I think you’ll see the answer to your question.”
Here’s what I think Dingell is trying to do.
Hold the new CAFÉ standards passed in the Senate hostage in the House. How much will the House cave, if this is the correct interpretation? And how much will Dingell compromise?
That said, this is a dishonest bill. It says nothing about what America could save with carbon taxes in place, whether from weather-related, pollution-related, or job creation-related causes.
But, given John Dingell’s blindsight history of protecting the Big Three at all costs, it isn’t surprising.
Now, that said, I hope other Democrats take him up at face value, point out the savings side, and call his bluff. We need something like this. After all, for all the good CAFÉ standards do, coal-fired electric power plants are far and away the top emitters of carbon dioxide, well ahead of automobile traffic.
Cross posted at SocraticGadfly.
