Not just Gov. Jay Inslee, but now some Democratic legislators in Olympia are proposing pollution taxes on Washington businesses to fight 'global warming.'

Senator Steve Hobbs, of Lake Stevens, is proposing an $8 dollar-per-metric ton tax on carbon emissions and claims it would raise about $687 million dollars.  The money would go towards transportation issues, fish passage barriers, renewable energy and stormwater pollution.

His is just one of several that would charge greenhouse gas taxes on businesses. A group called Carbon Washington says they've gathered enough signatures to put a similar measure on the ballot in November, their plan would charge $25 dollar per metric ton.

Exactly how much or what is a metric ton of carbon emissions? Most of these groups have never fully explained it, and as most have indicated, nobody seems to know WHO will be measuring or deciding how much a business pollutes.

According to a 2007 article published by the Environmental Defense Fund, a ton of CO2, or carbon, can roughly be pictured as a round balloon about 30 feet in diameter at the center.  That, folks, is what they mean by a ton of carbon.

According to the defense fund, the average American family produces about 24 tons of carbon pollution in their everyday lives in one year. So, you can only guess what these carbon taxes would do to business, especially ones involving manufacturing and transportation. The increased tax costs will be staggering.

If these ideas pass, just watch as the stampede of Washington businesses begins to head towards Idaho or other states not considering such outlandish proposals.

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