Massive job terminator bill up for hearing tomorrow morning
Posted by Amber Gunn - January 29, 2009
H.B. 1718, nebulously titled "Reducing greenhouse gases in Washington," was introduced two days ago and is scheduled for a public hearing tomorrow at 8 a.m.
The bill has been scheduled without the five-day public notice required by House Rule 24. Not only that, but legislators have elected to hold the hearing without bothering to calculate the cost to taxpayers. No fiscal note has been posted, no OFM analysis has been completed and the bill report was just posted this afternoon.
The arrogance of these legislators who would purport to be the "peoples' representatives" while not bothering to give us the notice they claimed they would or telling us how much the bill will cost is unmatched. Not only that, but it is fiscal insanity that they would consider passing such a costly bill without even bothering to measure how it would impact the state budget or taxpayers' wallets.
How will this bill terminate jobs? Let me count the ways.
The bill is a MASSIVE power grab by the Department of Ecology. It's the kind of command-and-control, centralized bureaucracy approach that is the stuff that fascist regimes are made of.
Under the authority granted under this bill, Ecology may designate any product it deems to have an environmental, health or climate change impact (among others) as a "covered product" which means that the producers of that product must "collect, transport, and recycle" the product when people don't want it anymore, "free" of charge, meaning the cost will have to be passed onto consumers anyway in the form of higher prices. The bill particularly targets producers of carpet, mercury-containing lightbulbs (i.e. energy efficient), paint and rechargeable batteries.
The bill also includes all kinds of reporting requirements for these businesses, on their "stewardship" plan, compliance and progress with the new rules. The Department of Ecology is also authorized to levy a $10,000 per day fine to producers who don't participate in a "stewardship" program. To add insult to injury, Ecology is allowed to charge the producers fees for the expenses the department incurs for overseeing the program!!
Here are some notable elements of the bill, no less disturbing:
1) Sets a statewide goal for an 80 percent recycling rate by 2020--"excessive and nonrecyclable packaging of products should be avoided." Whatever that means.
2) Sets up re-education camps, I mean campaigns to tell citizens they have to recycle or else.
3) Makes businesses who don't used recycled materials to make their products ineligible to sell to "governmental entities."
4) Homes constructed between 2016 and 2031 must meet certain energy requirements (i.e. dramatically increasing the cost of homes, thereby decreasing the number of people who can afford to own a home, thus requiring a new government program to help those people be able to afford a home).
Here are some new TAXES and FEES in the bill:
1) Authorizes transportation districts (like Sound Transit for example) to levy sales and use taxes for 10 YEARS WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL
2) New transportation impact fee on developments that don't meet the legislature's approval
2) Mandates that the Department of Transportation give a report on new parking taxes in dense urban areas; a parking tax for commuter, long-term and monthly parking; congestion pricing for special events;
3) Authorizes DOT to figure out ways to tax, excuse me, reduce the amount of miles you drive with your car;
4) Authorizes DOT to develop a tolling plan that punishes people for driving frequently and alone;
5) Authorizes certain cities and towns to levy new environmental fees on development (once again, raising the costs of buying a new home or business)
Again, the fact that this bill was introduced two days ago, with a public hearing scheduled at 8 a.m. tomorrow, with no fiscal note and no cost projection is outrageous.
Add Comment -
Pete Chamberlain said on Jan 29 2009 at 9:04pm
According to Matt Shea's Legislative Assistant, Jim Robinson, left-wing groups are planning to pack the room and the hallways outside as early as 7:15.
If there were to be anyone testifying against the bill, they would have to be there far earlier than 8am as suggestions floating around the web are suggesting.
Kay Buccola said on Jan 29 2009 at 10:49pm
Use this link to quickly send a note or testimony to Rep Upthegrove, Ecology Committee Chair
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/memberemail/MailForm.aspx?Chamber=H&District=33&Position=2
Pete Chamberlain said on Jan 30 2009 at 1:05am
As to the recycling bit of this messs -
From the Mises Institute:
http://www.google.com/search?oe=utf8&ie=utf8&source=uds&start=0&hl=en&q=recycling+site%3Amises.org
From the Cato Institute:
http://www.cato.org/search_results.html?cx=006606822365722333854%3Amcohchfyltw&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=UTF-8&q=recycling&sa.x=0&sa.y=0&sa=Search
And to be a little less radical -
Washington Policy Center:
http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/results.html?cx=011514274447043011791%3Ao9egq-frere&cof=FORID%3A11&q=recycling&sa=Search
Sounds generally like a bad idea to me. Abolish state-mandated recycling!
said on Feb 01 2009 at 9:49am
It is a confirming action: washington State is sbecoming more and more into a Socialist State
The Legislature, our "So called" Government representatives, want an environment where the citizen is a mindless follower with no say in their own lives. Bob Foster
Elaine said on Feb 01 2009 at 11:02am
Gregoire and the Democrats have bought into the man-made global warming myth lock, stock and barrel so we are going to be heading into the same direction as California with huge budget deficits, businesses fleeing the state or not coming to the state, and taxpayers fleeced of much, much more of their money, some to the point of having to go on the dole or starve to death.
How can any sane person with an ounce of common sense actually support bills such as this? Have our "leaders" completely lost their minds?
