You may not believe what’s just been plopped in our laps, which rather contradicts the remarkable, dishonest, and irresponsible pap regularly noted in this space to the effect that imposing the global-warming agenda of mandates and taxes will improve the economy. (Can they really believe that the distance afforded by the Atlantic Ocean ensures that everyone is utterly ignorant of what’s happening in Europe?)

It is yet another exhibit that grown ups don’t think that way; oddly, it comes this time in the form of the House “global warming” legislation.

This is a draft bill released today by two senior Democrats, Energy Committee Chairman John Dingell and one of his subcommittee chairs, Richard Boucher, which they promise to try and ram down your throat next year with a president who is guaranteed to be in thrall to the agenda. As such, it now should be an issue in every House and Senate race. You’ve been put on notice. Don’t come crying to me when in January you hear them claim “we’ve got a mandate!” and you hadn’t asked them any questions. It’s what they do, and if by now you don’t know that, well . . . what can we say?

Take particular notice of the following, from TITLE VII—LOW INCOME CONSUMER CLIMATE CHANGE REBATES, Sec. 701. This section creates a new entitlement, the “Low Income Consumer Climate Change Rebate Program” (and “Fund”). Under this scheme, you’ll find that the increased costs you are paying for things isn’t all going into rat-hole projects that can’t survive on their merits. Some is going directly to other people, both overseas (Sec. 802(b)(2)) and even here at home.

The latter includes “through [the] earned income tax credit” (Sec. 702). EITC, of course, is a tax cut for people who don’t pay taxes. This makes a bit of sense given that global-warming schemes have always been known (outside of certain circles of, ahem, “deniers”) to hit the poor and seniors first and worst. But, sorry, other provisions indicate that, if you’re reading this, you probably don’t qualify for the wealth transfer.

So this legislation rebates amounts estimated to equal the increased costs associated with a bill that actually will make us all rich.

Specifically, “eligible low-income households . . . shall be provided an opportunity to receive compensation, through the issuance of a monthly rebate, for the loss in purchasing power resulting from this Act and the amendments made by this Act.”

Now, you won’t be surprised to learn this is stuffed in the very, very back of a 461-page bill (oooh, just missed being physically bigger than the bailout etc. bill by that much; I’m betting it will present a bigger financial hit, however).

Later, under “Rebate Calculation,” we learn that “The climate change rebate amount shall be the average annual reduction in purchasing power for low-income households of a given size that results from the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under this Act and any other provision of law.”

But, this bill was supposed to put them to work and improve their economic situation, through growth and job creation, not welfare! Sucker.

Now, the good news for the poor is that the people calling for this scheme — the same ones saying that this won’t cost us a thing and in fact will make us rich — aren’t going to be the ones deciding if it really is making you rich or hurting you. That is up to the Energy Information Administration, through some batty formula involving mean values of the number of household allowances distributed, carbon intensity . . . zzzzzzzzzz. A deeply detailed welfare scheme follows. Read it for yourself.

Also, “If the amount available in the Low Income Consumer Climate Change Rebate Fund is not sufficient in any year to allow distribution of the full rebate as calculated under this paragraph, the Energy Information Administration shall reduce each eligible households rebate pro rata.” Take that, poor people we just shafted! No bailouts for you!

It seems the Left hand doesn’t know what the Far Left hand is doing, yet again.

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