Conservative group sues Calif. over cap-and-trade

[pampango]

Source: Ventura County Star

A conservative group is suing California over the state's system of limiting greenhouse gas emissions from industrial sources by putting a price on carbon.

The Pacific Legal Foundation filed suit Tuesday in Sacramento County Superior Court, arguing the state's so-called cap-and-trade system is an illegal tax.

Cap-and-trade is a key part of the California's global warming law, AB 32, and sets a limit on the carbon that can be released from industrial polluters.

The system issues permits for each ton of carbon, which are sold at auction.

Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/apr/16/conservative-group-sues-calif-over-cap-and-trade/

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California is also considering linking their cap-and-trade system with those in Europe and Canada.

Of course, the Pacific Legal Foundation would like to prevent that.

[kimbutgar]

1. This is bs the people of california voted for this

We are intelligent enough to not want a toxic environment in our air. We don't want polluted water and we don't want oil rigs off our coast or oil spills.

I'm so sick of people who are more interested in money than their fellow human beings. Profits over the people suck!

[underpants]

2. Cap-and-Trade was a Republican idea to start with

Jim Gilmore and George Allen heralded it in their runs for office.

[pampango]

3. Another example of how the modern GOP has moved so far to the right that it abandons

policies that it endorsed in more moderate times.

Of course, the fact that cap-and-trade is now part of environmental policy in Europe, Australia, Canada, New England and California probably means that today's republicans view it more and more as a 'socialist' idea.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. An Illegal Tax?

Taxes are passed by legislatures and signed into law.

I've heard of unfair taxes, regressive taxes, burdensome taxes,
confiscatory taxes, de facto taxes ...

Illegal? Maybe a poll tax was illegal. Or was it unconstitutional?