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By Paul Bean
Senate Republicans will accept zero added consumer costs associated with the Clean Heat Standard, Sen. Minority Leader Scott Beck (R-Caledonia) said at a Senate Republican Caucus press conference Friday.
(12:29) “We think climate change is important,” said Senator Beck. “Climate resiliency is important and carbon reduction is very important. But we have to be realistic about what we can do without putting an undue burden on Vermonters…”Where the conversation ends and we’re not willing to go there, is, are we willing to entertain additional tax revenues, fees, or penalties to accelerate what has already happened which is carbon reduction carbon reduction is has happened in Vermont over the last 30 years and has actually been quite significant.”
(1:45) “We need housing that people can afford. We need energy that’s clean and people can afford. We need an education fund that is transparent and more closely connects a district to its spending decisions. And all communities want to feel much safer than they have the past two years,” said Caledonia County Senator Scott Beck to open the press conference.
The Republican Caucus spent most of the press conference taking questions. They addressed:
- Education finance reform (3:22)
- Public Safety Bill and Reform (7:36)
- GOP Stance on Climate Change/ Clean Heat Standard (11:50)
- The new Presidential Administration and Executive Orders (16:46)
5. (18:45) VDC Editor Guy Page: “What do you think about the Trump administration’s antipathy is the word towards Sanctuary States?”
Senator Beck: “Somehow in the lingo the last day or so people have assumed that Vermont is a sanctuary state, which we’re not. So we put that out there, as far as immigration is concerned. I think I think Republicans support a legal system that is organized and accountable where people can come into this country and leave this country, and in legal way and documented way. Vermont relies heavily on our immigrant workforce…. especially in our dairy industry.
“I think we need to acknowledge as a country that we need a legal framework and that these immigrants are very very important to our country. I fact they’ve been the lifeblood of our country for 250 years if not more. I think we need to keep those two things in mind and when they’re here we need to be very respectful of them just like we would any other non-citizen.”
In a conversation with VDC yesterday, Beck clarified that Vermont law prohibiting police cooperation with ICE isn’t the same as offering sanctuary. The former is not cooperating with the feds, the latter is actively resisting their efforts by shielding illegal immigrants.
Guy Page: “Well we do have a 2017 law I think that says no police participation with Federal with with ice uh I think that kind of makes this a sanctuary State
Senator Beck: “I don’t I think it’s more passive.”
Click the link above to watch the full press conference, video courtesy John Brabant, Vermonters for a Clean Environment, Regulatory Affairs Director.
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Categories: Legislation
“We think climate change is important,” said Senator Beck. “Climate resiliency is important and carbon reduction is very important….” BLAH, BLAH, BLAH…
“Climate change” is about controlling society, not the ‘climate’.
With all due respect, Sen. Beck, please STOP using the enemies language and narratives. It’s not helpful.
I guess they will be blaming disasters like the California fires on climate change also, instead of the ineptness of the elected officials, and their policies !!
So California has always been hot, dry and with the Santa Ana Winds, and knowing these conditions, why would there be no water in a reservoir, empty fire hydrants along with acres of dry brush not being maintained …………… inept is being kind.
I feel sorry for the devastation to the citizens, but then again they voted for these people to run their state, and they should be held accountable.
Vermont’s progressives hold California policies to a high standard and feel we should follow in lockstep, with green initiatives……………….. now let that sink in !!
We all elect officials to keep its citizens safe and secure, how do you think Californians feel today about their choices?
Wake up people
We, Vermont, is still not getting credit where credit is due. Our C02 sequestering forests. The GWSA and The Unaffordable heating act need to be repealed. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts. No modifying this or that. Its a farce so stop acting like it isn’t. All this legislated Climate malarkey is just taking money our of our pockets and lining someone elses. IT DOES NOTHING for the environment or reductions. Just makes Vermonters poorer. I keep hoping common sense will finally prevail under the golden dome, but my hopes are continually dashed. And with that, comes my realization that we just won’t stay in Vermont. We just cant absorb any more taxes.
Amen! Thank you Republicans for finally being in the position to say “NO to a majority party who doesn’t care a hoot about their constituents as their allegiance is wholly to their political party.
Stand your ground!!
In the next election cycle we will get rid of more of them. It is amazing to me that a number of people I know have seen the light and they won’t be voting DEM!!!!
Not good enough!
Where is the VTGOP plan to cut spending?
Is there anyone in the VTGOP skilled in cost cutting?
The VTGOP elected reps, conned everyone. Cutting spending was marketing fluffier.
What an enormous lost opportunity?
Each and every representative in VT must be able to answer these questions from the full implementation of the GWSA/Clean Heat Std:
– What are the reductions in VT temperatures expected to result and when?
– What is the expected reduction in VT atmospheric CO2 (incorrectly, “carbon”) levels and by when?
– What are the above values globally, resulting from VT actions?
– How much and how will VT measure the huge savings proposed by eliminating fossil fuels costs vs. the new costs of a green energy system in VT/NE?
These answers are just a bunch of word salad, politician speak. We ALL know what the issues are and don’t need to be told about the problems, we need to hear about solutions. Simple stepping off point is for Beck to file a bill to repeal the Clean Heat Standard, not speak of just being willing to “accept zero added consumer costs associated with the Clean Heat Standard.”
Also, it’s so comforting to know that we are only a “passive” sanctuary state. Good grief, get off the fence and be either hot or cold’ are we a sanctuary state by our actions (not definition) or not? If the answer is “No” then we should be cooperating with federal employees to uphold federal laws.
This is worth repeating. At the public hearing held by the PUC, comments were made about the Bonner Report that gave an overview of New Zealand’s study to find out what it would take to be the first nation to reach Net Zero. To reach a 50% reduction would cost as much as their entire Health and Education budget. To reach 100% would cost as much as their entire budget – ie bankrupt the nation. ALL to gain a mere 0.004 degrees change in temperature. (VThope.net/Bonner.html)
The chart Ed Wheeler holds up saying this is all fallacious – is one dot in the middle of 2000 that represents the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. ALL of Gore’s hype on CO2 emissions being horrendous is HYPE and Vermont bought the Cool Aid. Drill, Baby Drill. CO2 is healthy for the plants. We have plenty of gas and oil under us. Let’s stay warm affordably. (VThope.net/S5.html)
NOTE: California is having problems with all the hazardous Lithium battery toxins that were released in the fire. Does VT really want to follow in their footsteps?
The GWSA and Clean Heat Standard are getting all the attention but with the passage of 100% Renewable by 2020 law last session (over the governor’s veto) the burden on Vermonters to pay for these schemes will almost double to $75 million per year according to recent testimony, with yearly rate increases 6-8% above expected inflation rates. What tangible benefit do Vermonters get in return for this? None.
Investments in resiliency, on the other hand, prepare Vermont to withstand the extremes of weather that have always occurred but have become more problematic as more of Vermont has become developed over time, exposing more property to the effects of flooding. Sewage treatment plants, new bridges, bigger culverts, floodplain protection, etc. are expensive but provide tangible benefits in future resiliency and clean water goals.
Republicans have opposed VTs efforts to control the climate since day one. Now is not the time to bow down to the Democrat/Progressive redistribution scheme of using ratepayers money to reward the renewable, or more accurately, the unreliable industry.
Ask the question of TJ Poor, or Ed McNamara – what does the average ratepayer get in return for paying for the solar panel subsidies of wealthy landowners and big money developers?