Presidential contender Christopher Dodd endorses carbon tax
The good news: Presidential contender Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) has unveiled a bold energy plan that includes a tax on corporate polluters. The bad news: Christopher who-now? Is running for what? Putting aside Dodd’s snowball-in-hell odds, let’s admire his goals: a per-ton fee on corporate carbon emissions that would generate $50 billion annually, to be invested in renewable energy. And hey, while he’s at it, an increase in fuel-economy standards to 50 miles per gallon by 2017 and a requirement that government offices use green technology and clean-energy vehicles. “I’m going to set a high goal here and drive it,” said Dodd, who is spending Earth Day weekend begging New Hampshire voters to acknowledge his existence. “You have to have a price-driven strategy if you are going to succeed in this thing. Otherwise, I’m afraid it’s just a lot of talk. People are trying to avoid the difficult decisions.” If only those “people” didn’t have more money and a whopping lead on the campaign trail.
