The Patriot Post Digest 6-18-2015

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The Patriot Post Digest 6-18-2015
From The Federalist Patriot
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Daily Digest

Jun. 18, 2015

THE FOUNDATION

“There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.” —James Madison, speech to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, 1788

TOP RIGHT HOOKS

EPA Causing This Summer’s Rising Electricity Rates1

Due to EPA regulations, you’ll start to notice that your electricity bill is more expensive this summer. The Energy Information Administration predicted that Americans will spend 4.8% more on electricity this year than the last. Is global warming causing air conditioners to run more? Nah, it’s just EPA regulations that are causing power plants to close because they are not deemed green enough. “Consumers are receiving the dim news as utilities take tens of thousands of megawatts of coal-generated power offline to comply with a host of EPA regulations and because of the sharp increase in cheap, domestic natural gas,” The Washington Times2 reports. “Regulations such as the EPA’s mercury and air toxic standards already are having an effect on the power sector, utilities and analysts say, and the impact will be greater after the agency releases further limits on carbon emissions from power plants this summer.” The EPA argues the effects will be minuscule — people will hardly notice the bill. It’s all part of a fight against the boogey man of “global warming,” and old electricity plants must shutter to make way for politically correct plants — an expensive undertaking. But when has the EPA ever acted in the best interests of U.S. citizens?

Donald Trump Brings Levity to Presidential Race3

Donald Trump would be a mere sideshow curiosity in the 2016 elections if it were not for his name recognition and entertainment factor. According to Real Clear Politics4, Trump is polling higher than Rick Perry, Carly Fiorina, Rick Santorum, Lindsey Graham and Bobby Jindal. But even if he’s fired in the end — and we hope he is — he will provide some much-needed humor. After Tuesday’s announcement, Politico pulled Trump’s 10 best lines5. Notably, however, Politico missed the best one: “When did we beat Japan at anything?” Well, there was that whole WWII thing in the Pacific… But to put things in perspective, as absurd as the Trump vanity campaign is, he is far more qualified than Barack Obama was in 2009 — or today! For example, Obama put Joe Biden on his ticket. When Trump was asked who he wanted as a running mate, he replied, “I think Oprah would be great. I’d love to have Oprah.” Frankly, presidential elections could use a little levity. It’s been a long time since the last billionaire vanity campaign kept us amused, compliments of Ross Perot!

White Male Targets Blacks in Charleston6

A young white male in his early 20s murdered nine blacks who were attending a Wednesday night prayer service in Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. It’s still a developing story, as the murderer has not yet been apprehended and the names of the victims have not yet been disclosed, but according to Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen, “We believe this is a hate crime; that is how we are investigating it.” But already some anti-Second Amendment crusaders are exploiting the tragedy to advance their pet policy proposals. Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley was the first to do so, wasting no time advocating for greater gun control7 as a diversionary ploy. “I personally believe there are far too many guns out there, and access to guns, it’s far too easy,” he said. “Our society has not been able to deal with that yet.” Make no mistake: This story is newsworthy. But it’s also worth noting that, on average, there are between 30 and 40 homicides every day in America, most of which are black-on-black. If “black lives matter8” to the Leftmedia, why aren’t these other victims covered in the news?

Don’t Miss Alexander’s Column

Read Fathers and Freedom: Irrevocably Linked9, a treatise on fathering, children without fathers, and the Left’s agenda to undermine marriage.

If you’d like to receive Alexander’s Column by email, update your subscription here10.
Did You Know?

The Patriot Post’s Digest — now offered five days a week — represents a collaborative effort of contributors, editors and technical staff who bring their passion and expertise from all walks of life. We work hard to ensure an accurate and penetrating analysis of the week’s news, policy and opinion. Indeed, this is what you, our readers, have come to expect over the last 18 years. Many Patriots volunteer their time and effort to our mission, while others receive only a modest salary. Nonetheless, publishing costs are substantial. If you find today’s Digest interesting, inspiring or informative, we humbly ask that you consider making a secure online donation11 to The Patriot Post’s 2015 Independence Day Campaign today.

Thank you!  Nate Jackson 
Managing Editor

FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSIS
EPA Thinks Regulation Leads to Economic Growth12

In the early days, fighting “global warming” was environmentally responsible; fast-forward a few years, and addressing “climate change” was socially just. Now, with only so much rhetoric left in the eco-friendly arsenal, battling supposed anthropogenic climate change has become economically advantageous.

At least, that’s what EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy argues in a piece13 published this week on Medium, in which she claims the administration’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) — a pleasant sounding name for sweeping additional government regulations of carbon emissions — is important to America’s economic strength. Notwithstanding the fact this administration doesn’t have the best track record on policies leading to economic robustness, McCarthy points to a study14 by the liberal Economic Policy Institute that found “the CPP is likely to lead to a net increase of roughly 360,000 jobs in 2020, but that the net job creation falls relatively rapidly thereafter, with net employment gains of roughly 15,000 jobs in 2030.”

Those jobs are the new regulators who will be hired to enforce the new regulations, nothing more.

In other words, forget hoping a free market will drive economic growth; what’s really needed is new regulations on carbon emissions! As McCarthy writes, “When we set ground rules to limit carbon pollution, we send a long-term market signal that propels innovation and investment in cleaner energy technologies, expanding new industries and creating good-paying jobs.” She’s right that the administration is sending a market signal, but it’s not the one she claims.

Indeed, according to labor union leader Cecil Roberts15, president of United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), “The proposed rule … will lead to long-term and irreversible job losses for thousands of coal miners, electrical workers, utility workers, boilermakers, railroad workers and others without achieving any significant reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions.” The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers echoed this concern, cautioning15 against “focus[ing] solely on the environmental aspect of public policy at the expense of balancing our nation’s economic and energy needs” and noting, “The jobs of thousands of working men and women and the well-being of their communities are also worthy of saving.”

Furthermore, per a study16 commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, CPP’s regulations “threaten to suppress average annual U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $51 billion and lead to an average of 224,000 fewer U.S. jobs every year through 2030, relative to baseline economic forecasts.” And according to The Heritage Foundation17, the economic impact would be even worse, with EPA regulations eliminating an average of $155 billion annually in GDP through 2030.