The Transportation and Climate Initiative is a “regional collaboration of 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states (to) reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector.” It claims New Hampshire as a partner, but that is currently against the law.
21-O:23 Low Carbon Fuel Standards Programs; State Participation. –
I. The state of New Hampshire shall not join, implement, or participate in any state, regional, or national low carbon fuel standards program or any similar program that requires quotas, caps, or mandates on any fuels used for transportation, industrial purposes, or home heating without seeking and receiving prior legislative approval.II. The department of environmental services may engage in regional and national discussions of such programs.
III. The department of environmental services shall report all expenses resulting from its discussions to the fiscal committee of the general court on a semi-annual basis.
Regional discussion is allowed under RSA 21-O:23. But no joining. That is strictly prohibited. So, what do we make of this?
The participating states are: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.
Are we participating in the Transportation and Climate Initiative? I hope not. That’s against the law. Or, by “participation,” do they mean “participating in the discussion?”
It turns out, our ‘participation goes back to 2010 with TCI’s original declaration of intent – signed when Democrats controlled all the levers of power. Before the November 2010 Tea-Party Wave elections when Republicans took over every part of New Hampshire Government but for the Governor’s office.
RSA 21-O:23 became effective, June 21, 2012. At that point, anything beyond discussion was prohibited. I guess no one told TCI to update their web site. To remove us from the compact in which we can no longer legally participate.
But six days ago, NHPR’s piece dated Oct. 4 (which initiated our interest thanks to Greg Moore at AFP) is titled “N.H. Joins Northeast States Considering Transportation Carbon Price Program.” That’s a bit deceptive. You have to read down a few paragraphs to learn that we “joined” it years ago. It also peddles the canard that RGGI – which is a similar scheme to tax you without being able to vote out the scoundrels doing it – has economic benefits. As I noted a few days ago,
The idea that only the State can adequately conduct this symphony of market forces is, well, impossible. The moment the state taxes you, the free market has ended. Whatever plan you had for that income has been subverted.
But TCI is back in the news – without any mention of being it illegal for us to participate in any actual taxing or regulatory capacity – a taking that would come in the form of a motor fuel tax. A Gas tax hike. What Howie Carr calls a crisis of your having too much of your own money.
A disincentive to engage in travel to reduce CO2, which has nothing whatsoever to do with Climate Change.
But then, you knew that. The real goal, like RGGI, is to delegate the taxing power away to a third party.
Free from any electoral consequence they can launder billions from your pocket to state legislators to “insulate” their profligate spending.
There is no LSR I can find today to make this legal. But NHPR adds that TCI is taking public comment until November 5th on a Draft Framework. Maybe someone can send them a note saying, sorry, it’s against the law for New Hampshire to participate in your scheme and cc the legislature.
Then wait to see which daring New Hampshire Democrat will propose legislation to make this regressive tax-redistribution scam by unelected commissions legal.
