September 14, 2009
By George Allen
Op-ed
The Richmond Times-Dispatch
September 13, 2009
America is at its best when it is a land of equal opportunity for all. The United States of America should be a level playing field for everyone to achieve to the best of his or her talent, hard work, and creativity, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or gender — a meritocracy.
Common sense — and indeed history — shows that people and countries prosper with the promotion of initiative, personal empowerment, and individual and family responsibility, rather than sapping dependence on a nanny government. Clearly, the best social program is a job.
America must be the world capital of innovation: the best place to live, learn, invest, work, and raise a family. We thrive and progress with a free marketplace of ideas and goods where the people decide who has the best service or products — rather than redistribution and fearful protectionism or bailouts for irresponsible enterprises.
My modern political hero, Ronald Reagan, once observed that “government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few, short phrases. If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it.” Now, government has an expanded view of the economy: If it’s big and failing, invest in it. If it’s a government program, expand it.
No one likes to see a financial institution, auto manufacturer, or any business fail. It is heartbreaking to see people lose good-paying jobs in Virginia, Michigan, Missouri, or South Carolina.
However, if the people don’t want to buy certain makes of automobiles and if no one wants to buy stock in failing companies or take the high risk of lending them money, then why should the taxes of hardworking Americans — wondering at their kitchen table how to pay their bills — be given or loaned to businesses that are failing due to their own decisions? Our government was not created to be the lender or stock-purchaser of last resort. Read More »
America can’t overlook energy issuesSeptember 11, 2009
By: George Allen
September 11, 2009
The Politico
With all the consternation about government takeover of our health care decisions dominating the news, Americans must not overlook the issue with even more potential to negatively impact our lives: cap and trade.
I founded the American Energy Freedom Center because American energy policy is at a crossroads. We face a series of choices that will determine whether we promote affordable, abundant and reliable energy sources or those that are expensive, are imported and come with more costly government regulation. Unfortunately, the recently passed House cap-and-trade legislation sets us on the wrong course, one that will hurt families, jobs and the long-term competitiveness of American businesses.
The House approach starts from the faulty premise that we can act unilaterally with regard to the so-called global warming issue. American firms compete in international markets with companies in developing countries, and energy costs can determine success or failure. With lower wages, less environmental regulation and lower litigation liability costs in China, India and Brazil, we cannot afford to tie both our hands behind our back as we strive to retain good-paying manufacturing jobs.
A recent analysis by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that the House legislation would impose 347 new regulations and 1,060 new mandates on American companies. While our country is struggling to regain its economic footing, now is not the time to increase the regulatory cost burden on companies that we hope will hire more workers in the coming months. Read More »
China Knows Climate Deals Are RuinousJuly 17, 2009
By GEORGE ALLEN
Investor’s Business Daily
What in the world is happening? Almost one year to the day after the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace predicted “China’s economy will surpass that of the United States by 2035 and be twice its size by midcentury,” three ominous events may have been largely missed by the American people after the Independence Day holiday.
At a July 7 Senate hearing on the effect cap-and-trade would have on global carbon output without cooperation from China and India, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson declared, “U.S. action alone will not impact world CO2 levels.”
On July 9, the Sierra Club issued a statement celebrating that 100 planned American coal power plants have been “defeated or abandoned.”
And then, on July 8, Fortune magazine released its annual ranking of the world’s 500 largest companies. The number of American companies on that list dropped to its lowest level since Fortune began its review.
The U.S. had 153 companies in 2008, but just 140 this year.
Let us know your thoughts on American energy. Comment below.
I think Al Gore needs to invest in some really speedy running shoes! I keep wondering if he can be prosecuted for perpetrating a fraud upon the American people. He’s a liar. I’m sick about the damage he has done to how Americans are viewed in the world.
I favor former Governor Palin’s energy ideas. Clean coal, natural gas and start drilling for oil of our own. And certainly the United States of America owes NO ONE money for the agreements drawn up in Copenhagen. I did not agree to this use of tax dollars. Who did Obama think he was up there promising away our dollars for unsubstantiated carbon footprints. Here’s a footprint up your behind sir.
Drill Baby Drill.
Grief – we are being scared over every little
thing from Tsunami, schools lock down, climate, ’severe’ weather every time it rains
This is manipulation city. Yet we hear little
about the real problems- like why health costs go up and up but nobody explains what the causes are. Or why the Credit Default Swap market increased by 500 times in 10 years.
Also, for intermittent energy – it might make
more sense to bring the work to where the
windmills are than trying to connect them to
the grid, and ditto for solar.