IL-14: Stein(D) – “Pollute Less? Pay Less.”
Tue Jun 05, 2007 at 09:17:45 AM PDT
"If we don’t fix global warming now, there may not be any America as we know it left. There may not be hospitable places left for our children and our grandchildren to live." – Jotham Stein (D-IL).
Americans have come to the consensus that pollution is the cause of global warming. Such changes to our atmosphere will be catastrophic if we do nothing about them. Rising temperatures cause ice caps in the Arctic to melt making sea levels rise and strengthening the size of hurricanes. At its worst, global warming could eventually lead to drought, flooding, famine, mass migration and eventually war. I don’t know about you, but that’s not exactly how I’d imagined living out my retirement.
Politicians in D.C. seem to have caught on to the fact that Americans are aware of what’s happening to our environment and what’s causing it. They’ve met our concern and awareness with a lot of talk, but very little action. Jotham Stein wants to change that and as the next congressman of Illinois’ 14th district, he will. To see how, join me below the fold.
Jotham Stein is a business and employment attorney from St. Charles, IL who negotiates fast-paced business deals for high-tech industries. He is running for the U.S. Congress in the 14th district of Illinois, the seat currently occupied by former Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert. He will face possibly four challengers in the Democratic primary next February. Jotham believes that global warming presents our nation with an opportunity to regain our moral authority in the world while creating jobs, ending our oil addiction and cleaning up our environment. Jotham Stein has a 10-point plan to stop global warming and one of his priorities is to make it easier for people to buy fuel-efficient vehicles:
The prices consumers pay for gas guzzling cars do not reflect the extra damage these high pollution vehicles are doing to our air, to our climate and to our children’s lives. It’s only fair that if people damage something, they should pay to clean it up."
On the other hand, people who drive low polluting cars pay too much because low polluting cars cause much less damage compared to gas guzzlers. We all benefit from the less-than-average damage, but the value of the benefit is not reflected in lower sticker prices.
Jotham’s Vehicle Tax & Rebate Plan will add a "gas-guzzling tax" onto vehicles that get low-mileage. The tax will not go to the government. The tax will instead be used to reward people who buy climate-friendly vehicles with a rebate. But how will this plan help stop global warming?
• Right now, buying a hybrid car, for example, is more expensive than buying a traditional car because the technology is new. A rebate on these cars would make them more affordable. As more people buy them, the manufacturers will increase production and design new models, causing the price to go down without the help of a rebate.
• The higher price tag on gas guzzlers will compel more Americans to opt for a climate friendly car and the auto industry will have an incentive to increase fuel-efficiency in large cars and SUVs to maintain sales of popular models.
• America will set an example for the world to follow, especially countries with a lot of pollution like China and India. In order to compete with our economy, they will have to follow our lead.
In the past few years, the auto industry has made baby-steps towards higher fuel-efficiency in new vehicles, but progress is slow and the clock is ticking. Jotham Stein believes the U.S. can lead the fight against global warming and strengthen the economy in the process, and a vehicle tax and rebate plan is just one step in making our environment safe for future generations. Jotham has a 10-point plan to stop global warming and create jobs in America which you can read at his website. You can also find his positions on immediately bringing our troops home and guaranteeing health care and nourishment for every American child.
If you live in or nearby IL-14 and would like to join Jotham and his family at their BBQ for Democracy, email Andrew@votestein.com for time and directions.
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