Shimkus Short Sighted on Energy Jobs
John Shimkus, who represents Illinois coal country in the U.S. House of Representatives, made the following argument yesterday against energy legislation currently being considered in the House Energy and Commerce Committee:
“The global warming bill reportedly that will be taken up next week in the Energy and Commerce Committee will raise energy costs and create massive job losses. How do I know this? It happened in southern Illinois in 1992, where we lost 14,000 coal miner jobs. The State of Ohio lost 35,000 coal miner jobs.”
Can you spot the central flaw in this argument? Yes, it’s the fact that in 1992, there was not any global warming legislation passed. It’s the fact that in 1992, there was no legislation passed to provide significant funding for clean energy jobs.
That significant funding for clean energy jobs is a central part of the equation in considering the American Clean Energy and Security Act, to which Shimkus so derisively refers. The legislation would create jobs related to the production of energy in new ways that are cleaner and more sustainable than burning coal.
Representative Shimkus can’t seem to fathom this, but there might be better jobs for his constituents than mining coal. A coal job is a job with a dwindling future. Congressman Shimkus would better serve his constituents by supporting legislation to replace old coal jobs with new jobs that will provide the skills and opportunities to be successful in the future.
Why continue the Bush tax break for the rich?
Ido not agree with you.