Carbon Taxes Abandon GOP Principles - Granite Grok - Op-Ed

Carbon Taxes Abandon GOP Principles

carbon taxes abandon GOP Principles

Earlier this week, The Hill published an article saying that College Republicans across the country were backing a group called Young Conservatives for Carbon Dividends. Here in New Hampshire, College Republicans have been speaking up against this group, because we know that Carbon Dividends are bad for the party, bad for New Hampshire, and bad for the national economy. A Carbon Dividends plan would make the party look like they are giving up on fiscal Conservatism, it would hinder small businesses in New Hampshire, and it would cause an unnecessary economic burden across the United States.

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For the Republican Party, supporting a Carbon Dividends plan would make us look incredibly weak on our fiscal conservative promise; we would be abandoning our core principles by implementing a plan of tax and spend. We would be abandoning the economic freedom principle which so many voters hold so dear. We would be abandoning a voting block that is the backbone of the Republican Party.

For Granite Staters, a Carbon Dividends plan would be harmful to the people in our communities that need it the most. Small businesses would be consumed with having to pay such an unnecessary tax that they would no longer be able to expand and help contribute to the economy in a significant way. With 90% of the New Hampshire economy being driven by small businesses, our economy would be stifled by such a plan. Poor families would end up being hurt the most, as the price of production for everything that Americans consume would increase drastically. We already have some of the highest electric costs in the country, a Carbon Tax plan would further an unnecessary burden on Granite State families. This would leave our most vulnerable at risk of losing everything, more than they already are.

Related: Democrats Proposed Regional Gas Tax Hike is a Tax on Everyone and Everything

As a country, there are much more common sense, free market alternatives that one could use to clean up CO2 emissions. The American Conservation Coalition has amazing free market solutions outlined on their website that would be far more effective than any Carbon Dividends plan. A free market alternative would be the best possible way forward, as private industry has always been more innovative and a better alternative to big government intervention.

I have signed on to the College Republicans Against Carbon Taxes Coalition. 30 State Chairs and every Regional Vice-Chair have signed onto this coalition and I am proud to stand against big government bureaucracy.

Jacob Shairs is the Chairman of the New Hampshire Federation of College Republicans

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