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 The Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall passes through downtown Wapakoneta Wednesday, September 1. Staff photo/William Laney By CARLA MEYER
Staff Writer
For 45 minutes, the roar of motorcycles could be heard passing under an American flag hanging from two ladder trucks. For 45 minutes, area residents gathered in the shadow of the Auglaize County Courthouse and Wapakoneta Fire Station waved and clapped as motorcyclists rode by.
The smiles and waves turned into clapping and cheers as the Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall passed down Willipie Street on its way to Custenborder Field in Sidney where it was greeted by a field of American flags.
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Friday, 17 April 2009 |
By WILLIAM LANEY
Managing Editor
Any carbon tax or cap-and-trade law to curb greenhouse gases will hurt U.S. businesses and American families, a federal legislator and local businessman say, more specifically those operating and living in Ohio and the 4th Congressional District, respectively.
“I went to three TEA (Taxed Enough Already) parties yesterday (Wednesday) and people mentioned this issue at every single event because this will wind up, in my judgment if this proposed legislation passes, as the largest tax increase in our history,” U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, said while meeting Thursday with G.A. Wintzer & Son Vice President Carl Wintzer at the company’s office in Wapakoneta. “Every single American would have to pay more for goods and services they purchase and the energy they use.”
Jordan contends the tax increase also would result in the loss of American jobs from large corporations to family-owned businesses as company executives and their workers continue to struggle through the current economic recession.
Citing a study by The Heritage Foundation, Jordan noted the 4th Congressional District would be the fourth hardest hit district in the country if members of the U.S. Senate would have passed the Lieberman-Warner bill.
The bill called for cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 70 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2029.
“The Midwest, Ohio and the 4th District would be hurt most by this, and everyone understands this, because we are a big manufacturing region and Ohio and the Midwest use a lot of energy from coal-powered electric plants and other carbon-based fuels,” Jordan said.
“The third part is — will it really have the impact the proponents want it to have because the old Cold War term unilateral disarmament is essentially what this will be,” the lawmaker said. “We will impose this cap and this limit on carbon emissions on our economy, but our competitors and our emerging competitors — China and India — are not going to impose it on themselves.”
Citing the Heritage study, Jordan said the greatest impact would be felt in the Midwest where nine of the top 10 on the list are Congressional districts in Ohio and Indiana. The other three Ohio districts are represented by Robert Latta, John Boehner and John Boccieri.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown also opposed the Lieberman-Warner bill.
Wintzer said if a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade provision is enacted it would force executives at the 161-year-old, family-owned business to consider changes because their business is fuel intensive.
They use biodiesel to fuel their trucks to pick up the animal byproducts, and oil to fuel the process of rendering the fats and grease they collect into oils and proteins used in more than 1,500 products.
He explained the 100 employees at the plant also help produce meal used in feed for chickens, hogs and cattle as well as fish meal, which is primarily shipped overseas to farms in Vietnam and Indonesia.
Wintzer said a carbon or carbon dioxide tax would put his firm at a disadvantage.
“If the rest of the world does not adopt the same standard as we do then we are putting ourselves at a huge economic disadvantage,” Wintzer said. “The basis of capitalism is based on least cost and not too many people will spend more money on an item unless it is their choice — typically they are going to want to keep their costs as low as they can.
“I am all for green fuels and wind energy when we can use it,” he said. “In order to utilize those sources you will need more equipment and that costs more so your overhead costs increase.”
He said he would like to see the United States increase its efficiency in energy transmission to help curb carbon emissions.
Jordan agreed with Wintzer that now is not the time to saddle Americans and U.S. businesses with extra costs as the nation tries to lead world out of a global recession.
“To be the world leader, you have to be the economic leader and the economic superpower is the one that leads the world and right now that is the United States of America,” Jordan said. “You cannot have a growing economy, you cannot lead the world in an economic sense if you do not have an adequate supply of energy.
“This is a real concern of mine,” he said. “This is a bad idea at any time, but it is a particularly dumb idea when we are trying to come out of a recession. We have to do everything we can to let business owners, taxpayers and Americans know what is it at stake here.”
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Last Updated ( Monday, 20 April 2009 )
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