Will She or Won't She? A Hillary Clinton Carbon Tax?

Earlier this year, Hillary Clinton made this claim: "We're going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business".

Now, she never indicated what she would do over and above what is already happening to coal with more stringent clean air standards.   But, because of a leaked email from her campaign Chairman, John Podesta, and her campaign Press Secretary, Brian Fallon, we do know that a carbon tax is on the campaign's mind because of a plan to impose one by Senator Schumer; assuming she becomes President, wins the House and Senate, and Schumer becomes the Senate Majority Leader.  But, as also expressed in those same emails, any discussion of a carbon tax would be "toxic".  Thus, this is probably why Hillary has never mentioned it as part of a climate change plan.

The reason that a carbon tax is being discussed is because many left-leaning economists believe it is the only way to dramatically reduce carbon output.  Stupidly, those same economists don't understand how regressive a carbon tax is and what a negative impact it would have on our economy.  Everything we buy would be negatively affected by a tax on energy; especially a tax that more punitively taxes the more carbon-dirty fuels like coal and oil.   But understand this, the tax is truly regressive because it will disproportionately hit low and middle income families the hardest.

People don't realize how pervasive coal is in our lives.  Without the coking of coal, we would not have steel.  The same is true for cement.  Only about half of refined oil results in the production of gasoline. The rest is used in products like asphalt, diesel and jet fuels, plastics, synthetic fibers for clothes and carpeting, paints, and so much more.  Essentially, a carbon tax would be a tax on everything because you can't get asphalt from wind and solar.  This is why Obama, himself, shelved the concept in 2012.  And, once again, the poorest of us would be forced to pay a disproportionate amount of their income in support of such a tax.

Because team Hillary is discussing it shows how dangerous both she and her people are. Hopefully, she won't have control of both houses of Congress and the Schumer's plan for a carbon tax won't come to fruition.  Simply, our economy couldn't afford it.  And, a tax like that will also accelerate the relocation of our overseas manufacturing locations.

References:

Clinton: 'We're Going to Put a Lot of Coal Miners and Coal Companies Out of Business': http://www.weeklystandard.com/clinton-were-going-to-put-a-lot-of-coal-miners-and-coal-companies-out-of-business/article/2001541

Podesta emails: ‘Carbon Tax has a Chance if Hillary wins’ – but ‘it’s lethal in general’ don’t mention it: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2016/10/13/podesta-emails-carbon-tax-has-a-chance-if-hillary-wins-but-its-lethal-in-general-dont-mention-it/

Schumer: Carbon tax has a chance if Clinton wins:http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/schumer-carbon-tax-has-a-chance-if-clinton-wins-119352#ixzz3dw5NBkgl

Coal Plants Are Shutting Down, With or Without Clean Power Plan: https://morningconsult.com/2016/05/03/coal-plants-shutting-without-clean-power-plan/

Hillary Clinton’s Ambitious Climate Change Plan Avoids Carbon Tax: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/us/politics/hillary-clintons-ambitious-climate-change-plan-avoids-carbon-tax.html

Coal and Steel: http://www.worldcoal.org/coal/uses-coal/how-steel-produced

Coal and Cement: http://www.worldcoal.org/coal/uses-coal/coal-cement

Products from Oil: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_product

Impacts of Carbon Taxes on the U.S. Economy - Heritage Foundation: http://www.heritage.org/research/testimony/2014/11/the-impacts-of-carbon-taxes-on-the-us-economy

Congressional Budget Office: Effects of a Carbon Tax on the Economy and the Environment: https://www.cbo.gov/publication/44223

Carbon Taxes: Reducing Economic Growth—Achieving No Environmental Improvement: http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/studies/carbon-tax-primer/