The extreme environmentalist answer to raising energy costs – copy Calif, invest in education last!

Usually the extreme environmental community in Washington State tries to hide its disdain for any issue other than the environment – not good politics, you understand.

However, sometimes they let the truth slip, as Sightline writers Alan Durning and Kristin Eberhard did in an article extolling the virtues of a cap-and-trade system which is so loved by Jay Inslee for separating taxpayers from their money. In the piece, the writers point out all the advantages of raising the prices of energy for everyone in Washington State, and suggest that as a last resort only “Spending carbon revenue on schools is another reasonable choice.”

Instead, these extreme enviro leaders suggest that the new money the state generates by raising costs on transportation, utilities, businesses, etc., should be plowed back into their nirvana of “Build(ing) the systems and infrastructures that give northwesterners a true option to choose a low-carbon lifestyle” wherever possible, though they do admit that “Low-income families can be hit the hardest by a carbon price,” so rebates for low income families should be a priority also. Although they also like helping low-income folks by charging them more for energy, and putting that taxpayer money toward “increas(ing) public transit, bike, and pedestrian infrastructure, especially in low-income communities.”

It’s only after they admit that “In our ideal world, carbon revenue would all go to dividends and greening the energy economy, but we know that the Washington legislature confronts a gaping hole in the state’s education budget,” that the writers are willing to consider spending some money on our schools. But even then, the enviros don’t want the money to go for the students’ education. Instead, they want the money to go to “build and repair school facilities in ways that also improve their energy efficiency.”

For these ideologues, the answer is to just copy California’s cap-and-trade system, which of course has raised energy prices throughout that state. For them, that would be showing leadership.