EXCLUSIVE LETTER: MIT Professor Tells Boehner To Stop ‘Misrepresenting’ Green Economy Legislation
EXCLUSIVE LETTER: MIT Professor Tells Boehner To Stop ‘Misrepresenting’ Green Economy Legislation
Think Progress previously reported the outright lie being told by Republicans that the green economy legislation before Congress would “cost every American family up to $3,100 per year in higher energy prices.” GOP leaders apparently arrived at this number by intentionally misinterpreting a 2007 study conducted by MIT.
PolitiFact interviewed John Reilly, an MIT professor and one of the authors of the study, who explained he had spoken with a representative from the House Republicans on March 20, and that he had clearly told them, “why the estimate they had was probably incorrect and what they should do to correct it.” Nonetheless, Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) decided to use the $3,100 figure to attack cap-and-trade, while the National Republican Campaign Committee blasted dozens of press releases like the following on March 31:
As Congress takes the President’s federal budget under consideration, North Carolina families deserve to know if Rep. Larry Kissell (D-NC) would support such a devastating energy tax proposal. [...] MIT researchers released an “Assessment of U.S. Cap-and-Trade Proposals,” which shows that the increase would be an increase of more than $3,000 a year for each household.
Today, Professor Reilly sent a forceful letter to Boehner and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming to denounce this blatant distortion being told by Congressional Republicans. Reilly noted that $3,100 was actually “10 times the correct estimate which is approximately $340″ and that the costs on lower and middle income households can be “completely offset by returning allowance revenue to these households”:
It has come to my attention that an analysis we conducted examining proposals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Report No., 146, Assessment of U.S. Cap-and-Trade Proposals, has been misrepresented in recent press releases distributed by the National Republican Congressional Committee. The press release claims our report estimates an average cost per family of a carbon cap and trade program that would meet targets now being discussed in Congress to be over $3,000, but that is nearly 10 times the correct estimate which is approximately $340. [...] Our Report 160 shows that the costs on lower and middle income households can be completely offset by returning allowance revenue to these households.
Read the full letter here.
Professor Reilly then reaffirmed the urgency of enacting green economy legislation, declaring, “It will take efforts in the US and abroad to reduce emissions substantially to avoid the most serious risks of climate change. [...] it is simplistic and misleading to only look at the impact on energy prices of these proposals as a measure of their impact on the average household.”
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Awaiting moronic drive by troll, tpafla, et al.
April 1st, 2009 at 2:48 pmBoehner himself misrepresents the human race !!!!
April 1st, 2009 at 2:48 pmThat picture suggests The Boner has the wrong idea of a
April 1st, 2009 at 2:50 pm“green” economy.
When lies are all you have left, it’s past time to quit.
But I hope they keep it up.
At this rate, by 2011 even the dummies won’t want to be associated with the GOP.
April 1st, 2009 at 2:52 pmTOTUS = completely uninventive and stupid troll acronym for “Teleprompter of the United States”
You know, why would we want to be led by someone who wants to communicate with us in a well-thought out and thorough manner?
April 1st, 2009 at 2:53 pmYou guys had better quit being mean to Boehner.
You’re going to make him cry.
April 1st, 2009 at 2:53 pm6 OOPS, wrong thread!
i’m dizzy playing whack-a-troll
April 1st, 2009 at 2:54 pmWell, in their defense, “The Math” has never been a Republican strong point, along with their grasp on reality.
April 1st, 2009 at 2:55 pmEXCLUSIVE LETTER: MIT Professor Tells Boehner To Stop ‘Misrepresenting’ Green Economy Legislation
– - And then Boehner bawled his eyes out.
April 1st, 2009 at 2:56 pmdbt – rockin’ it dummystyle, and dissin’ the “gree”.
stick around, homie – laughs like these are what I need.
April 1st, 2009 at 2:58 pmAnd why would Boehner and McConnell start admitting the truth now? Fear and Loathing has worked SO well for them this past 8 years and they and their cohorts can’t grasp that the ‘google’ is allowing the populace to wake up and smell their lies.
Eventually they will become fossil fuel and be sucked into oblivion.
April 1st, 2009 at 2:59 pmdrive by troll, come on and join the green movement. You already recycle (Rush, Hannity, and O’Reilly talking points).
April 1st, 2009 at 3:01 pmThese criminal co-conspirators have demonstrated that they will never allow fact to interfere with their agitprop.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:02 pmYou have Got to love this! First they present a budget with no numbers, and Can’t figure out why people think they’re stupid. Now, they present false numbers that They like and Still can’t figure out why people don’t like this either. After all, this press release has actual numbers in it! The numbers are meaningless, but it Still has numbers! … From the Idiocy of the Republicants, Oh Lord Deliver Us.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:02 pmas if you had a dime, or a bike….
pffffft!!! – see – that’s what I’m talkin’ about….
entertain me, righty homie, like you’ve never entertained befoar.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:03 pm***
“gree”?
“get a brain morans!”
:)
April 1st, 2009 at 3:04 pmWhy do the Repu’ublicists hate America?
April 1st, 2009 at 3:04 pmi dont want to pay a dime for the supposed “gree” agenda. its a waste of money. I am glad you guys want to throw your money away at leftist propaganda. dont forget to ride your bike hahaha,
Don’t worry if you don’t want to pay….we are going to make you pay!!!
WE DON’T WANT TO BREATH YOUR SHITE AIR!!! F***en idiot…4th one today….Geezzzzz
April 1st, 2009 at 3:07 pmYeah, the’ve even been running ads on the radio here in Florida saying that Congress wants to tax the crap out of “energy”.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:11 pmthey’ve
April 1st, 2009 at 3:11 pmdrive by troll Says:
i dont want to pay a dime for the supposed “gree” agenda. its a waste of money. I am glad you guys want to throw your money away at leftist propaganda. dont forget to ride your bike hahaha,
So you would rather throw your money away if and when oil skyrockets again?
We are a society that secretly binges off of oil and coal, and we need to figure out a way to produce energy in a reliable, cost-efficient, and ecologically-sound way. If that means I have to take a bus, ride a bike, or walk to get to destinations, or pay a little more to get safe and clean energy, I’m willing to make that sacrifice.
I suggest you try it. Keeps you fit.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:12 pmDrive By, a ~:> by any other name?
April 1st, 2009 at 3:15 pmDo I hear a court injunction in Boner’s near future?
April 1st, 2009 at 3:17 pmWhat a jackass. The GNOP, stepping on their dicks, just like always.
drive by troll Says:
i dont want to pay a dime for the supposed “gree” agenda. its a waste of money. I am glad you guys want to throw your money away at leftist propaganda. dont forget to ride your bike hahaha,
He continues:
hahaha, i’d rather do a circle-jerk with the middle eastern oil cartels and our big oil corporations! hahaha, i’ma dummfuk ashwipe that thinks bikes are HILARIOUS!!! hahaha, i’m such a complete loser i think you can throw money at propaganda! i don’t even have a grasp of the different parts of speech but I know that teleprompters can help me read!!!
April 1st, 2009 at 3:17 pmIn all fairness to the gentleman in the picture, joe, I believe he was photographed protesting a foolish career move when Erin Moran (Joanie Cunningham on Happy Days) and her brother Tony (Michael Myers in Halloween 2) turned down a chance to join the cast of An America Carol alongside Kevin Farley and Robert Davi.
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:18 pmProfessor Reilly then reaffirmed the urgency of enacting green economy legislation, declaring, “It will take efforts in the US and abroad to reduce emissions substantially to avoid the most serious risks of climate change. […] it is simplistic and misleading to only look at the impact on energy prices of these proposals as a measure of their impact on the average household.”
Simplistic and misleading are Sen. Boehner’s and Mitch McConnel’s middle names! Their idiocy is friggin dangerous!
April 1st, 2009 at 3:18 pmBack off the poor drive by troll and let him finish. Sheesh, you guys are so inconsiderate of the “slow” ones.
Go ahead little guy, what did you mean by “gree” agenda? Was that supposed to be Greed? Green? Greebe? Greek?
Take your time.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:24 pmThe Pukes aren’t too good with numbers. Anyone remember Rumsfeld pondering the length of the Iraq conflict? “Six weeks, six months, I can’t imagine it going on for more than a year.” Well, we just passed the six year mark, Rummy.
And the cost? First it was going to pay for itself, then in January 2003 it was estimated at $50 – $60 billion. We now know that figure accounts about 4 months in Iraq, excluding the cost of equipment, and we’ve been there 72 months. Hmm.
Has anyone seen today’s much awaited GNOP budget details? I hear they want to privatize Medicare! Oh goody!
April Fools indeed. All of them!
PEACE
April 1st, 2009 at 3:24 pmBoner reminds me of a quote by Churchill:
“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.”–Sir Winston Churchill
April 1st, 2009 at 3:24 pmThink of Earth as a spaceship. And like a spaceship it has limited supplies. Oil wont last much longer, 2075 by most oil company figures. Enjoy your bike
April 1st, 2009 at 3:25 pmWe wouldn’t want you to spend your life savings.
It’s half of his allowance and he was supposed to buy milk at the cafeteria.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:30 pmCrybaby Beanhead Boehner – maybe he needs to just go play golf because he sure is terrible at being a lying a$$ politician.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:31 pmdrivel by troll Says:
i (lack of capitalization) dont (no apostrophe) want to pay a dime for the supposed “gree” agenda. (no definition of word in quotation) its (again, capitalization is lacking) a waste of money. I (woo hoo. Correct usage of capital “I”) am glad you guys want to throw your money away at leftist propaganda (again, no definition). dont (whoops, back to no capitalization) forget to ride your bike hahaha, (comma implies more to be typed, but nothing is there. One can conclude that mother wants her lap top back).
April 1st, 2009 at 3:33 pmSeriously, is this a joke?
“simplistic and misleading”? I thought that was actually the slogan for the GOP.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:36 pmOh jeebus, it just dawned on me.
drivel by troll is playing an April Fools joke on us, isn’t it?
Dayum, you got me!!!
April 1st, 2009 at 3:36 pmJust think drive by troll, you would live longer by pedaling a bike and have enough to power your Wii-wii.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:37 pmI was not sure if dbt was serious, or an April 1st prank who forgot to apply a /sarc
April 1st, 2009 at 3:39 pmCaption contest: Three!! Umm Five!! Damn this golfing is harder than budgets.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:40 pmWhat does it mean when you cite a study, and the author of the study says that you’re a liar ? Do you still get an “A” for your term paper ?
But don’t forget, only Boehner is capable of turning in a full budget that is totally devoid of numbers.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:51 pmReporter: Mr Boehner, this budget you gave us has some numbers, but it only goes to 18.
Boehner: Thats my golf score card. April fools!!
April 1st, 2009 at 3:56 pmAnd if Boner tells you he shot a 72 on the course today, he’d be referring to the first hole and the bar after he couldn’t finish the 2nd hole.
April 1st, 2009 at 4:03 pmRUCeriousDragonfly Says:
And if Boner tells you he shot a 72 on the course today, he’d be referring to the first hole and the bar after he couldn’t finish the 2nd hole.
April 1st, 2009 at 4:03 pm
____________
Sounds kinda like my golf game.
I can never get past that damn windmill! :(
April 1st, 2009 at 4:06 pmhttp://www.agoyandhisblog.com/2009/03/28/i-can-has-tezla/
April 1st, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Boehner and misrepresentation goes together just like sports and beer.
His team is getting its a$$ kicked, so the drinking starts earlier and earlier on gameday.
April 1st, 2009 at 4:22 pmReality – 242
Boner – 0
Smackdown!!!
April 1st, 2009 at 4:23 pmI see where “drivebytroll’s” spelling and punctuation skills are as sharp as his logic. Nice photo of Boehner; it looks like his golf skills are on a par with his politicking, another “whiff”.
April 1st, 2009 at 4:27 pmThat chirping sound is the sound of the MSM ignoring the latest Republican lies.
April 1st, 2009 at 4:59 pmAlejandro, frankly the Clinton administration did a very good job with the taxes intrusted to them. I can not say the same about the Bush Administration. Face it, you Republicans don’t have a leg to stand on. You guys can’t read or do your elementary math. Are you a product of the no child left behind program? Remember that fantastic program.
Very humbly
Flight
April 1st, 2009 at 5:24 pmRofl, this is why you are a collective doofus. Now turn the tables. As I ride my bike to work and eat local, you can continue to ride around in your suv and eat mcdonalds. 20 years from now when you are in the hospital from high cholesterol, lack of exercise, and heart disease, dont you dare ask taxpayers for help.
April 1st, 2009 at 5:54 pmREPUBLICANS ARE AMERICA’S ENEMY WITHIN
Republicans ARE practicing seditious DEMAGOGUERY and insurrectionary OBSTRUCTIONISM intended to destabilize our economy for purposes of political exploitation.
Republicans AREN’T making a sincere effort to STOP the bleeding THEIR incompetent leadership and failed policies created. Instead, they’re using conflicting economic theories as a smokescreen to conceal their subversive agenda, which is to cause President Obama and America to fail so they can blame Democrats for the consequences of THEIR calamitous mismanagement.
Republicans ARE preposterously professing that THEIR disgraceful political WHORING had nothing to do with the banking, real estate, stock market and employment catastrophes that resulted.
Republicans ARE trying to hamstring Democrats to prevent them from exposing the damage caused during a Republican presidency.
Republicans ARE offering controversial arguments they know no one can agree on to disrupt and prevent progressive change. They’d rather divide America and create political gridlock than endure the political consequences of effective Democratic governance. That’s how they gained power and that’s how they’re trying to retain it.
Republicans AREN’T the LOYAL OPPOSITION. They ARE the ENEMY WITHIN whose personal priorities have eroded their moral and ethical standards to the point that treachery and betrayal are their preferred modus operandi.
It’s one thing to advocate their conservative beliefs; it’s another thing entirely to willfully sabotage America’s government because a successful Democratic presidency would not be vulnerable to the greed, fears and hatreds that have produced and sustained the radical Republican corporatism and extremism that have poisoned and crippled America.
April 1st, 2009 at 6:01 pm# 54 osage, you summed up everything about the Republicans that is so true.
April 1st, 2009 at 6:40 pmPhoto caption:
Ok Boner, That’s one.
April 1st, 2009 at 6:49 pmWell havent ya figured it out yet like faux noise the rethugs think its their first amendment right to lie to the people
April 1st, 2009 at 6:53 pmPhoto caption: You mean I still need to take off another 300 days to beat Bushs record?
April 1st, 2009 at 8:44 pmdrive by troll Says:
You are an ignorant cowardly weasel. I dont want to spend a dime on nuclear weapons. You are stupid. Extrodinarily stupid. No one in thier right mind could possibly care what YOU think we should spend our tax money on
April 1st, 2009 at 9:23 pmDrive by troll should give his money to Boner. I’m sure they could work out something to make them both happy.
April 1st, 2009 at 10:48 pmThe biggest problem with American politics these days is there is no price to be paid for openly lying, unless it’s about having an affair.
April 2nd, 2009 at 9:02 amOK Pat obviously senile dementia has set in. Time to see the nice young men that will need to take care of you soon.burun estetigi rent a car arac kiralama
April 18th, 2009 at 6:17 amsac ekimi
John Reilly, the studies author has since admitted that he made a “boneheaded mistake in an excel spread sheet”, and, therefore, the cost would be $800.
Additionally, Reilly’s estimate jumps to $3,900 per household when you include the $3,100 that the average household would have to pay in higher energy prices due to cap-and-trade. He doesn’t count that $3,100 in his estimates since they would pay for government programs and “benefit” the households. Personally, I’d rather have the money then another government program.
$3,100 + $800 = $3,900
Please don’t allow that little fact to get in the way of your teeth-gnashing and conspiracy theories though.
April 23rd, 2009 at 2:53 pmIs everyone ready for Obamageddon yet? It’s right around the corner. Everytime a bell rings an angel gets their wings. Everytime a Democrat wins the White House my wife buys me a new gun.
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:04 pm