Kagen Touts, "Farms Will Benefit", Not Really

My Congressman Steve Kagen sent me an e mail from Kagen4Congress. From his e mail is in black. Comments from myself, Freedom works and AFBF in red.

Look at the headline, touts, "farms will benefit"?

KAGEN TOUTS REPORT SAYING FARMS WILL BENEFIT FROM ENERGY LEGISLATION

Posted: 23 Jul 2009 08:55 AM PDT

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) Congressman Steve Kagen, M.D. claims Wisconsin’s farms will play a role in our energy independent future. Kagen welcomed the testimony of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack yesterday in front of the Senate Agriculture Committee asserting that USDA economic analysis shows that the economic benefits to agriculture from the cap and trade legislation will most likely surpass the costs in the short term, and that the economic benefits from the markets in offsets will easily outpace raised input costs over the long term.

Here Steve Kagen tells farmers he will improve their bottom line.

“As the only member of Congress from Wisconsin on the House Agriculture Committee, I am working hard to improve the bottom line for Wisconsin farm families and protect them as we take actions to become an energy independent nation,” said Kagen. “This information from the Department of Agriculture says that Wisconsin farms will benefit from the Clean Energy bill, as we reduce our dependence on foreign oil and protect our environment.”

"At a cost of any where from $750 to over $3,000 a year per family, the price is far too high for so little in return. High energy prices affect everything from heating, electricity, and fuel prices to agriculture, manufacturers, and shipping costs. These are the unavoidable costs of living and the burden of this legislation will fall most heavily on the poor who spend a higher percentage of their income on these essentials making cap and trade a regressive tax that forces impossible decisions between food and the drive to work." Key Vote No: H.R. 2454 American Clean Energy and Security Act | FreedomWorks

Congressman Kagen waited to vote for the American Clean Energy and Security Act until he was provided with assurances that Wisconsin’s family farms would be protected. Working closely with House Agriculture Committee Chairman Colin Peterson, Kagen fought to ensure that farms would be rewarded for their continuing efforts to run their farms in an environmentally friendly manner. They also fought for provisions that the legislation would increase our economy by developing the market for biofuels and renewable energy.

"Independent experts estimate that in the next eight years the legislation will take $2 trillion dollars from our economy, redistributing it to powerful, favored institutions through a complex regulatory scheme with standards that are impossible to meet, as has been found in other countries with similar systems in place. Actually doing so would set our economy back over 130 years to 1875, the last recorded time our carbon-emissions met the legislation’s goals. " Key Vote No: H.R. 2454 American Clean Energy and Security Act | FreedomWorks

Secretary Vilsack said in his testimony, “Our analysis demonstrates that the economic opportunities for farmers and ranchers can potentially outpace - perhaps significantly - the costs from climate legislation. The agriculture sector will benefit directly from allowance revenues allocated to finance incentives for renewable energy and agricultural emissions reductions during the first five years of the HR 2454 cap and trade program. Funds for agricultural emissions reductions are estimated to range from about $75 million to $100 million annually from 2012-2016.”

"An economy suffering from massive losses of jobs and wealth, and strapped with a staggering deficit cannot afford a plan that would exacerbate these problems. Promised cleaner alternatives to our current fossil-fuel based technology are still years out of reach. Rolling back regulations that stifle alternatives like nuclear would be a less costly option." Key Vote No: H.R. 2454 American Clean Energy and Security Act | FreedomWorks

“This bill will encourage private sector investments in clean energy to create new jobs in Northeast Wisconsin while supporting the industries
that have been part of our way of life,” said Kagen.

"AFBF Opposes H.R. 2454
Stallman calls bill a fool's errand.
By: Compiled by staff
Published: Jul 15, 2009

The American Farm Bureau Federation is opposed to H.R. 2454, the House-passed climate change bill. AFBF President Bob Stallman told the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Tuesday that the House-passed legislation will have little to no impact on global temperatures. He said, without the adoption of similar actions by other countries, the U.S. will be embarking on a fool's errand.



The Farm Bureau leader pointed to unilateral cap-and-trade legislation that will have little or no impact on the climate, because greenhouse gas emissions require a global response. As an example Stallman offered that a ton of greenhouse gases emitted in China is the same as a ton of GHG emitted in Virginia. Regulating emissions in Virginia without regulating emissions in China, Stallman said, will have little or no effect on the environment.



Most experts agree that if the House legislation worked exactly as planned, it would not lower temperatures by more than a few tenths of a degree by 2050. AFBF also contends that the bill will raise food prices for consumers unless an offset program is put into place to defray production input costs." AFBF Opposes H.R. 2454 - Wisconsin Agriculturalist