“Repeal and Replace” is currently all the rage in Washington, D.C. As well it should be. As the newly ensconced Republican trinity (President, Senate and House) work to excavate We the People from the awfulness that is Obamacare.
But there is a whole lot more government awfulness than just Obamacare. And there is a whole lot more government awfulness than just in Washington. There are fifty states that have state, county, municipality and city governments - and nigh all of them are doing things that they should be stopped from doing. “Repeal and Replace” should be a nationwide, multi-level-government phenomenon.
To wit: New York State: “Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a unilateral mass expansion of government - in the name of fighting global warming…oops, I mean climate change: ‘The state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) earlier Monday passed a new set of standards that by 2030 is supposed to ensure that half of New York’s energy needs are met by renewable methods, ranging from solar and wind, as well as hydro and nuclear power.’”
(Hey, at least Obamacare [marginally, sketchily] passed through the legislative branch. This Cuomo, Inc. power grab is via unilateral executive branch fiat.)
Cuomo, Inc’s pronounced shift from actual energy to “green energy” - which as we have seen for years is neither green nor energy - is leading to some additional really stupid things. Like the Cuomo, Inc. shutdown of two Indian Point nuclear power plants - ironically, the only green energy source that actually produces energy: “The two reactors at Indian Point, which are owned by New Orleans-based Entergy Corporation, provide about 25 percent of the electricity needed by New York City.”
Think New York can replace that much juice with wind and solar? While elsewhere ramping up the mandated wind and solar percentages on top of this ridiculousness? If you're just that delusional - perhaps Cuomo, Inc. is hiring. Or maybe Greenpeace.
What we do know is that neither wind, solar or bureaucratic hot air have proven to be viable energy sources.
And not only is Cuomo, Inc. unilaterally expanding government while crushing energy production - they’re unilaterally expanding government’s wallet: “And with all of that new, huger government spending – comes a huge government tab. That’s where the new taxes come in: ‘(T)he Public Service Commission also included a new (energy) tax worth $8 billion.’ Get that? The unelected PSC unilaterally raised taxes by $8 billion – without any participation by the people’s elected officials in the state legislature.”
What a giant government mess all of this is eminently deserving of repeal. The entirety of Cuomo, Inc.’s government-and-tax-expansion-
And with what, then, to replace it?
For one thing, the state’s legislature should pass actual legislation that returns these sorts of things to the state’s legislature - where they belong. Law that clearly delineates the roles for every executive branch agency - demarcated lines and tasks, with absolutely zero bureaucrat wiggle room. No more flights of regulatory fancy on the part of this agency or that - totally untethered to any actual statute.
For another thing, there is no way any executive branch should be able to raise taxes all by itself. Sadly, in governments all over the place - executive branches are. New York’s legislature should pass actual legislation that forbids any executive branch agency from unilaterally raising taxes. The power of the purse - both spending and taxing - belongs with the legislature.
And there is more New York can do. New York’s elected officials are apparently working thereon.
In the meantime, Cuomo, Inc. should completely repeal its energy inanity.
While the state’s elected representatives work to replace it with legislation that ensures inanity of this sort can never happen again.
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