A proposed ballot measure to raise taxes on Denver resident’s electric and natural gas bills in the name of climate change is one of the craziest tax scams we’ve seen in a while.
The premise is this: Average homeowners pay an additional $50 in annual taxes on their already costly energy bills, and the money will go to poor people who can’t afford to pay their heating bills.
So what happened to fighting climate change?
It’s all just bureaucracy.
The $40 million collected each year will create the Denver Office of Climate Action and Resiliency to come up with policies and programs to talk and think about climate stuff.
But wait, there’s more bureaucracy.
The environmental quality office that should already be talking climate change and its 55 employees and $16 million annual budget will merge with the new office.
Plus, the sustainability office that should already be talking climate change will merge with the two offices, bringing their three employees and $375,000 budget.
So, if voters approve the November ballot initiative, we would get a different agency with more than 60 employees spending more than $56 million a year to talk about climate policy.
What a freaking bargain for people with too much money.
If we’re lucky, they might policy up a tax rebate of $10 or $20 for residents who spend thousands to go green.
Of course, Denver liberals will gush over the new tax because it’s the least they can do for a cause with a worthy name.
Still, it’s worth noting the advocates on board for this plan include the same people who brought us the green roof initiative.