Cap-and-Trade is a Tax on All Americans
In recent weeks, we here in Washington have found ourselves grappling with an unexpected challenge that has hit our wallets with an unrelenting force: the highest gas prices in the nation. Gas in Washington state has surged nearly 30% this year, and now sits at almost 5 dollars per gallon. The culprit? A new cap-and-trade carbon tax program signed into law by Governor Inslee.
Governor Inslee claimed this program would cost “pennies,” instead, we are having to fork out an additional 50 cents per gallon to offset the costs of this cap-and-trade program. The disappointment is magnified as some environmentalists and progressives who had championed the program and claimed it wouldn’t hurt us are now backtracking from their previous stance, claiming that higher gas prices are not a surprise result of their system! It should be no surprise—when you tax corporations, it will get passed on to consumers. But when you have a governor who has no qualms about misleading his constituents, surprises happen.
If the Governor's spin could hurt as much as his policies, then the hardworking people of Washington state are in for a merciless blow. As U.S. industries continue to absorb the cost of the cap-and-tax plan and other provisions, they will work hard to minimize their losses, which likely will lead to sending American jobs overseas. Washington state already has the 42nd highest unemployment rate in the nation—we can’t afford the enormous loss of jobs that would ensue.
The true impact of this scheme becomes apparent when viewed from a broader perspective: whether it’s Governor Inslee, President Biden, or any of the environmentalists who seek to put their out-of-touch energy policies before hardworking Americans, their ultimate goal is to transition the United States away from fossil fuels, sacrificing American energy independence and domestic jobs, just to push their climate agenda.
Put simply, they don’t care about its consequences on us here in Central Washington and around the nation who are struggling to make ends meet because of the failed “Bidenomics” which has resulted in record-high inflation, increased prices, and a worsening national debt.
Their relentless push for a green energy utopia blinds them to the consequences their policies wreak on the everyday citizens who fuel the engine of this great nation. Washington state and the nation must chart a more sensible path that strikes a balance between environmental stewardship and the well-being of our communities. We owe it to the people of Washington and our great nation to steer away from reckless policies that send shockwaves through our economy, and instead, foster an environment that fosters prosperity and resilience.