George Rebane

For robust and reliable operation, both natural and man-made systems use feedback – monitoring output to determine how to control the system.  Open-loop systems – those not using feedback – are not very common in either nature or in the affairs of man.  The one common exception in the latter being governments which are designed to run without regard to the effect of their actions.

Government agencies’ harm is limited only by restraining their budgets and minimizing their headcounts.  When these bodies are well funded and amply staffed, they ALWAYS run amuck harming all within their reach.  Exhibit A at the fed level is the EPA, but there are dozens more incompetent that are doing their best to demonstrate their relevance by destroying our common weal.  At the states level, few can compete with the California Air Resources Board for unprofessionalism, inefficiency, and utter incompetency.

This morning’s dose of NPR included a report on the implementation of the carbon credit auction called for by AB32 (q.v.) and administered under the watchful eye of CARB, the runaway candidate for the most destructive arm of California’s government.  Carbon credits must now be bought by businesses that emit carbon into the atmosphere.  The state’s Legislative Analyst Office agrees that it will be an additional tax on businesses, and that, yes, its cost will be passed on to the consumer who will respond by buying similar products from out-of-state producers.  It’s ONLY effect will be to drive more business out of California.

Business groups are appealing to CARB that these carbon credits should be transferred freely between businesses instead of adding to their cost of operations.  In that manner this ‘cap and trade’ policy would still have whatever beneficial effects CARB claims.  But CARB is dead set against that as one of its resident idiots explained this morning, that “then it would be like giving them windfall profits.”  What??!!

That kind of thinking is vintage socialist bureaucracy on display, and imbued through every fiber of today’s progressive governments in America.  Not imposing a new tax that serves only to hinder business and wealth creation is called the granting of windfall profits, again says it all.  It’s all the government’s money – “you didn’t build that” – and we let you keep some of it for a while at our pleasure.

Such is the output of our public schooled and purposely dumbed down electorate that has no idea of what it votes for election after election.