Washington...Don't Mess With Texas

The Great State of Texas has managed to continue to hold its own in these difficult economic times but according to a global consulting firm, CRA, that could all change this Fall. The American Clean Energy Act will be debated in the Senate this fall after passing narrowly in the House in June. If this bill passes, it will have devastating effects on an already weakened economy. The article below lays out the impact to the Lone Star State in greater detail.

It is imperative that we continue to press our representatives to vote down this bill in the Senate. I venture to say that those in the House that voted “aye” to this bill have already sealed their fate. We can’t allow the healthcare debate to monopolize all of our time and attention. Americans need to develop our own line of strategy. Divide and conquer. Some of us should stay focused on the healthcare issue while others should veer back to the Clean Energy Act. We must persist and perserveer. Like annoying Texas sized mosquitoes, we need to continue to buzz their ears. Irritate and annoy them into listening to what the people want. And remind them if they ignore “we the people” the sting is coming….on election day.

Please call, write, email and/fax your local and state representatives. Let them know what you expect of them. While you’re at it, remind them of the Tenth Amendment.

North America Outlook & Insights News
Waxman-Markey Could Eliminate Nearly 350K Texas Jobs - API
by American Petroleum Institute

August 17, 2009

As many as 341,000 jobs would be wiped out in Texas if a climate change bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives becomes law, a study shows. The average Texas household would see its purchasing power drop by as much as $1,790 a year.

A CRA International analysis of the "American Clean Energy and Security Act", which passed by a narrow 219-212 vote in the House in June, reveals the devastating impact the policy would have on ordinary Texans. The Senate this fall will debate its version of a bill to address climate change.

According to the CRA analysis, the legislation would result in big job losses - 2 million nationwide - and would lead to a 1.3 percent decline in the national gross domestic product in 2030. The average U.S. household would see its purchasing power fall by $910 in 2015 and by $1,170 by 2030.

The CRA study, commissioned by API, shows that nearly 181,000 jobs in Texas would be wiped out by 2015. By 2030, nearly 341,000 jobs will be lost. The job losses would be felt broadly as output in key sectors like energy intensive businesses, services, and manufacturing all declined.

The average Texas household will see its real household income fall by $1,430 a year in 2015, and by $1,790 a year by 2030. And the state's economic growth would be hobbled by this bill as the estimated gross state product would decline by 0.5% in 2015 and by 1.6% in 2030, CRA said.

The economic toll of the bill would also lead to a big reduction in Texas state revenue from tax receipts. Tax revenues would shrink by $1.1 billion in 2015 and by more than $2 billion in 2030, taking away much-needed funds that could be used for schools, hospitals and police and fire departments.

CRA International is a global consulting firm.