“Seventy percent of Americans in a recent national poll also said they want a carbon tax or they want the EPA to be able to regulate Carbon Dioxide.” – Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)
You may have missed this astonishing statement made by Senator Chris Coons on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. Disappointingly, it went unchallenged by Wallace. How many viewers do you suppose thought Coons’ statement was truthful?
Sen. Chris Coons, appearing on Fox News Sunday, said 70 percent of Americans want a carbon tax. Not! Wonder if he believes in the tooth fairy. (foxnews.com)
I thought some background would be helpful for you to understand where his statement originated.
In December 2012, Friends of the Earth (FOE) contracted with the Mellman Group to do what they called a “national survey” by telephone. You are aware of the FOE, but may not be familiar with Mellman, which has a long history of polling for Democrats, including Harry Reid, Barbara Boxer, Al Franken and Carl Levin. They have also done work for the Sierra Club, the World Wildlife Fund and a host of unions, including the NEA and the AFL-CIO.
Mellman pollsters were able to determine the respondent’s political leaning in the opening question, asking if they had a favorable or unfavorable impression of Barack Obama, environmental groups, Wall Street banks, Democrats in Congress, Republicans in Congress and companies that emit carbon pollution.
Then the pollster asked, “Which is a better way to reduce the nation’s deficit – Tax carbon pollution from big polluters such as oil, gas and other companies, or cut spending on programs like education, Social Security, Medicare and environmental protection?” Well, duh!
The FOE website and news releases followed with headlines reading, New Poll: Americans support a carbon tax and U.S. voters favor carbon tax by 4-to-1 margin. The environmental blogs jumped at the news. Blue and Green Tomorrow’s headline read, 60% of Americans would support carbon tax, poll finds.
New Poll Finds Overwhelming Support For A Carbon Tax Over Spending Cuts for Deficit Reduction was the headline in the Feb. 4, 2013 edition of Climate Progress.
You will also find it interesting that Climate Progress, the blog of Think Progress, which proudly claims it “is a liberal American blog that provides a forum that advances progressive ideas and a policies outlet for the Center of American Progress.” You may recall from an earlier blog in which I noted that the Center for American Progress, funded by George Soros, was founded by John Podesta, who currently serves as chief of staff to Obama.
Another survey, conducted by the University of Michigan in conjunction with Muhlenberg College last year found little interest in a carbon tax that helped lower the federal deficit, and when respondents learned that the tax would increase their energy costs by 10 percent, interest plummeted.
In the meantime, President Obama and the EPA continue to push for reducing carbon emissions. “We need to move in a way that’s not based on fear, but opportunity,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. I want to know how she equates carbon taxes to opportunity.
As Paul Harvey would have said, “Now you know the REST of the story.”
