Straight Talk With Sam Graves 6/8/2009

Below is the most recent Straight Talk with Sam Graves. Congressman Graves newsletter from the sixth district in Missouri. Mr. Graves is refusing to support cap and trade, we should all thank him.

Energy Tax Not the Answer

The phrase “first, do no harm” is not actually contained in the medical communities’ Hippocratic Oath. It may not be in the oath, but with the legislation coming out of Washington these days, it is good advice for lawmakers.

It is for that reason that I will not support the cap and tax legislation making its way through Congress. This proposal will lead to higher taxes, fewer jobs and more bureaucracy. In short, it will do more harm than good.

New taxes will hit every Missouri family, producer and small business owner. For agriculture, the energy tax would be a double hit. Not only would farmers be taxed for the fuel they use, but they would also see higher taxes on applications they depend on like fertilizer.

The $646 billion dollar tax would hit the poor the hardest because they spend a greater portion of their income on energy. Various studies suggest that America will lose between 1.8 to 7 million jobs as a result of this new tax.

This bill would put our manufacturers at a self-imposed disadvantage when competing against India and China. Worse yet, placing more restrictions and taxes on manufacturers will simply drive more manufacturing jobs out of the country. We want those manufacturing plants and the jobs they create here in America, not overseas.

I support increasing American energy production, promoting greater efficiency and conservation, and increasing the use of alternative and renewable fuels. But I will oppose this bill because it will hurt our families, producers and small business owners.

Sincerely,

Sam Graves

State representatives in the news 6/8/2009

This article talks about Tim Flook's bill HB 191, the new "jobs bill" that was passed by the state legislators and signed into law June 4^th. Here is another article on the same. One thing that I do like about this bill is that it is reducing income into the state's coffers. The more we all run lean through this recession the better, especially our governments, something about forced efficiency to behold.

Read about the earmarks in Missouri here. I can't believe the earmark Blunt asked for in here. He wants $500,000 for a MSU project to research the environmental hazards from meth labs. What? I am to the point of saying to heck with the US Senate and just start worrying about dealing with the state and US Congress. Why is that the Senate attracts these people? Remember he is supposed to be our guy in 2010. So excited……….. Oh, sorry, had to wake back up there.

Doug Ervin: I am continually fascinated at how people naturally assume health care must be addressed by the government. They failed to do anything with health care at the state level in the recent session, failure here is a good thing in my eyes. This article discusses this issue.

Sam Graves: HR 2454 has the potential to spike energy prices, nah, really!?

Senator McCaskill on Climate Change

Below is a recent letter that I received from Senator Claire McCaskill on climate change legislation. Ms. McCaskill claims below that she will make sure that our dollars are spent wisely. She must be expecting an epiphany because she sure hasn't done that to this point.

Dear Mr. Palmer:

Thank you for contacting me regarding climate change legislation and "green jobs" in the 111th Congress. I appreciate your comments and welcome the opportunity to respond.

I believe global climate change threatens our health, environment, and national security. Congress needs to implement meaningful reform that addresses this issue as soon as possible. Drafting a responsible measure that makes both significant reductions in carbon emissions and maintains a strong U.S. economy will be difficult, but it is a task my colleagues and I are committed to.

Regarding carbon emissions and potential “cap-and-trade” legislation, I agree that something must be done to protect and preserve our environment for future generations. However, as an elected representative for all Missourians, I will always seek to protect my constituents from undue hardship and ensure that the federal government will spend their hard-earned taxpayer dollars wisely. That is why, as we continue the debate on climate change legislation, I will be working hard to include safeguards that minimize costs, keep government accountable and prevent harm to the U.S. economy.

Working families will be significantly affected by climate change legislation, so any bill addressing this issue should provide financial protection to avoid passing all costs on to consumers. There must be a cushion to offset rising energy costs and provisions that protect American jobs from international competitors that do not face the same environmental constraints. Strong climate change legislation must also spread the burden of rising energy costs evenly throughout the country, rather than disproportionately affecting one region over another. Additionally, the green jobs created by such legislation must be ones that are available to the already skilled workers of Missouri.

My colleagues and I have already taken a good first step on the way to curbing carbon emissions by passing comprehensive energy legislation into law in December 2007. This bill is expected to remove 500 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the air through improved energy efficiency standards. However, we need to do more. Further investment in clean energy sources along with responsible climate change legislation will drastically reduce carbon emissions and start our country down a cleaner, economically stronger path, including the path to green jobs for Missouri residents.

My colleagues and I will continue to pursue legislation that will achieve real emissions reductions and still protect our nation's economy and Missouri jobs.

Thank you again for contacting me about this very important issue and please do not hesitate to let me know if I can address any other issues that might be important to you.

All best,
Senator Claire McCaskill

P. S. You may sign up for my email newsletter at www.mccaskill.senate.gov

Congressman Graves on Climate Change

Below you will find a recent response that I recieved from Congressman Graves regarding climate change legislation. I am gravely concerned about the recent climate change legislation (HR 2454) that has been proposed.

Dear Andrew:

Thank you for contacting me regarding climate change legislation before Congress. I appreciate your comments and this opportunity to address your concerns.

Congress is now considering what type of federal action is needed to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. No matter what path we choose, success will require an aggressive and sustained commitment by industry and policymakers to the development and deployment of a wide range of technologies over several decades.

The underlying goal of all bills being considered is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to levels significantly below current levels. This will be achieved, in most instances, by capping emissions and then allowing industry to focus on an array of options to reduce emissions or buy credits on the market. My concerns are that the goals would undermine America's economic security and force consumers and industries to pay significantly higher energy prices. Also, because of the global nature of the climate change problem, solutions should require the participation of the entire world, including developing nations like China and India; however these bills remains silent on this international component.

I believe that we need an all-of-the-above approach to our energy needs. It is important to continue to develop the resources we currently have while supporting efforts like the research and development tax credit that will lead to advancements in energy technology. Also, it is important to extend the production tax credit so we can further develop our wind power in a way that is affordable to both industry and consumers.

I remain committed to working towards reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. However, I do not believe we should do that at the detriment of crippling our economy. Please know that I will take a balanced approach considering both the environmental and economic impacts of all legislation regarding climate change that come to the floor in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance in the future or visit my website at www.house.gov/graves for more information.

Sincerely,
Sam Graves
Member of Congress

Our representatives in the news 5/23/2009

This is an open letter that Sam Graves signed on to regarding the adverse effects of HR 2454 on farmers. If you don't know HR 2454 is the Waxman-Markey Cap and Trade Bill. This ignorant legislation is dangerous and misguided. The science of global warming is still not fully understood and the sky is falling mentality of liberals, leftists, and global warming hacks should be received with caution. If you want to see food prices and everything else go up in this country then this is the bill for you!

This article discusses comments Mr. Graves made regarding the reauthorization of the Entrepreneurial Development Programs of the Small Business Administration.

Good ole' Claire McCaskill thinks we can safely house terrorists in our prisons. Yeah, we probably could house them but not safely. These are radicals and there are plenty of potential candidates in prison who could be radicalized. Good idea Claire!

It seems we have a substance abuse problem in the military too. I can't say that I am surprised. I will actually give McCaskill credit on this one. This does need addressed and it looks like she is trying to do something.

Our Representatives in the news 5/21/2009

A few articles below are of interest to us Clay Countians.

Sam Graves: REALLY IMPORTANT!!! It's here! Cap and Trade has officially been introduced into Congress. HR 2454, the bill has been sent to committee. This article discusses the response from agriculture, this is the industry among many (not to mention you and I) that will be hurt the most.

Claire McCaskill:
Article on the new credit card bill.

Kit Bond: Bond and his homeless bill.