Gov. Inslee Issues Executive Order on Climate Change – Plans Cap and Trade

As many legislators thought he would, Gov. Inslee is trying to counter what he calls "climate deniers" in the Washington state legislature.

Although it didn't happen immediately after the legislature adjourned in Olympia weeks ago,   Gov. Inslee dropped a bombshell Tuesday.  He announced an executive order that will, among other things, create the following:

1. Inslee's Legislative Affairs and Policy Office will begin to negotiate with utilities in our state to begin to phase out use of electricity that is purchased from out-of-state coal fired plants.   Inslee blames global warming and climate change on coal, much like his White House role model.   The state's only coal-fired power plant in Centralia is already on the way out, due to legislature actions.
2. Create a "cap and trade"-type system of monitoring emissions.    This comes straight from the Press Release issued by Lisa Harper from the Governor's office:

"Reduce carbon emissions through new cap-and-market program.  A Carbon Emissions Reduction Taskforce composed of 21 leaders from business, labor, health and public interest organizations will provide recommendations to the governor on design and implementation of a market-based carbon pollution program.

Inslee directed the taskforce to consider measures to offset costs to consumers and businesses and to design strategies to help energy-intensive industries transition from carbon-based energy sources.'  (Bold lettering added for emphasis).

Despite Inslee's efforts to disguise this with more "flowery" language, and spin it positively, once you boil it down,  it's cap-and-trade.   While he may not call it that,  it's essentially a system by which businesses, industries and producers have to "pay" to emit pollution.  Whether it's in the form of carbon credits that have to be bought by businesses, or some other method,   we the people are going to be paying for this in the form of higher production costs, and consumer prices.

3.  Another item on Inslee's executive order is to utilize the Department of Transportation in working with other groups to try to convince us to, in layman's terms, buy more electric or hybrid cars.   Again, straight from the press release:

“...develop and action plan to advance electric vehicle use”.

He also wants them to make strategies or policies that would supposedly create incentives for businesses and consumers (that us) to move to less polluting options.

There it is again.   Make strategies and policies (laws) that would coerce us into driving certain cars,  changing our lifestyles, and making modifications all in the name of climate change.  This may disturb or alarm you, but even more so will Inslee's description of the Washington State Senate.  The Coalition, the group of 23 Republican and 2 Democratic leaders, have been the only real roadblock in front of many of Inslee's tax hikes, climate change policies and other controversial legislation.  That's why, as many GOP leaders feared he would do, he has resorted to an Executive Order to get his way - after being stonewalled by the Coalition in the legislature.

He says the State Senate “is still under the thrall of climate deniers.”  

Gov. Inslee is ever increasingly sounding like that guy in the White House who has a pen and a phone.