Tipsheet

Christie Waves Goodby to Cap and Trade for New Jersey

Almost too good to be true: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is pulling the state out of a regional cap-and-trade (ala cap-and-tax) program, a program he previously criticized as hurting the economy.  According to NorthJersey.com, Christie said the program is a "failure"and simply doesn't change people's behavior or reduce emissions.

Of course, there's always the catch: "Christie said he still believes in global warming and will work towards conservation and the use of wind, natural gas and other power sources that are cleaner than coal."

But let's look at the bright side: Christie saw a program that accomplished nothing but pandering to environmentalists, and it was a program businesses were against because of the outrageous costs. According to the article, the energy tax brought in $64 million last year, so it's definitely costing somebody something. Christie reportedly put that money into a general fund. This year, however, he's announced New Jersey's withdrawal. Sounds like someone who looked at the facts and not the rhetoric. Good for him.