How Does Regulation Make Our Costs Go Up? Like This.
From a Washington Times editorial:
In a December presidential memorandum, Mr. Obama claimed that “by substantially reducing emissions of pollutants that contribute to neurological damage, cancer, respiratory illnesses and other health risks, the MATS Rule will produce major health benefits for millions of Americans -including children, older Americans and other vulnerable populations.” MATS is the most expensive EPA rule revision in history, and compliance will cost power plants $10-18 billion a year. These costs will be passed directly to consumers.
Removing mercury from power plant emissions is, of course, a worthy goal. But that is self-evident. It is not even worth discussing. Here’s what is worth discussing: is it worth $10-18 billion?
You might agree with the EPA that it is worth it, or you might not. But it doesn’t really matter either way, because they didn’t ask you, they just decided for you that no matter what the cost, this was going to happen.
So a few very powerful political appointees tell an entire nation of 325 million people that they need to cough up 10 billion dollars, or maybe it’s 18 billion, and it’ll totally be worth it, don’t you worry!
And if it just so happens the Friends of Obama and other politically-connected cronies are first in line to sell systems that remove mercury from power plant emissions, hey what a lucky break!
Yeah, we need that mercury to put in fragile glass tubes in our own houses.