This is the eighth of many weekly analysis pieces detailing what Congressman Platts has voted on, or bills that he has sponsored/co-sponsored. I will briefly describe his action, the bill, and then detail how I would handle the same. Since it is not my full time job to read the entire bill (yet – with your help), I will read the summaries and base my decisions on those. I will also try and describe how libertarian principles apply in my decisions. During weeks that Congressman Platts is not in session or co-sponsoring bills, I will re-visit some of his older votes on legislation that has a had detrimental effect on our liberties

Due to internet web site issues, a list of current co-sponsored/sponsored bills from the past week could not be obtained. Therefore a past vote of Congressman Platts’ will be explored in this report. The vote that will be discussed is Congressman Platts’ vote for the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

A brief summary of this bill lists the following as “key provisions” that were passed by the final bill when it was signed into law by President George Bush on December 19, 2007:
 Raising the efficiency of light bulbs that effectively bans the production of and importing of the majority of current incandescent light bulbs.
 Reducing the usage of fossil fuel in new and renovated federal buildings and requiring that all new federal buildings be “carbon-neutral” by 2030.
 Taxpayer funded research and development of several energies including solar.
 Expanded taxpayer research on “carbon sequestration” technologies (keeping CO2 out of the air to lessen global warming).
 Creating training programs for “green jobs.”
 New federal standards for drain covers and pool barriers.
 Requires that automakers boost gas mileage to 35 mpg on all passenger automobiles and light trucks.
 Creating incentives for the development of plug-in hybrid vehicles.
 Taxpayer funded research for increased biofuel production.

First and foremost…where in the United States Constitution is the power delegated to Congress to pass the legislation contained in this bill? There is none. Forcing any private industry to stop making one product in favor of another, taxpayer funded research on new energy sources, reliance on science commonly discussed as climate change that has not been agreed upon, and creating “green jobs” are not constitutional functions of the federal government.

When our government decides that it is the final authority in new energy technology, yet creates incentives for “plug in hybrids” that use electricity that is generated from the very fossil fuel production it is looking to reduce, you can guarantee conflicts and expensive corrections. It is in this area where we need to have faith in a true free market system.

Research and development by private industry (with no federal subsidies) would eventually produce an alternative fuel, as well as engine technology that burns less of our current fossil fuel. There is no doubt that the first company that can produce such things, will create the next technological industry and make millions of dollars. Currently, there is no incentive for an auto industry to spend its own money and develop the next technology because of government subsidies, buyouts, taxpayer funded research, and government manipulation on what that future automobile will power itself with.

Who in the Congress is an expert on energy technology, energy efficiency, or fuel production? There is none. Highly paid lobbyists from numerous industries lobby our Congress members for money for research and development, taxpayer funded subsides and the like. Attempting to pass legislation such as this to “decrease our dependence on foreign oil” is a political game of charades. For how many decades, under both Republican and Democrat administrations, has our government been talking about decreasing our dependence on foreign oil?

It is in votes like this one, where Congressman Platts continues to show that he is always willing to regulate every aspect of our lives, and those of private industries, yet not attempt to seriously decrease regulation on our supposed free market system. There is no provision in the Constitution that allows for an “all-knowing” and “all-seeing” federal government. Subsidizing one industry over another is illegal and allowing legislation like this to continue to pass does nothing but increase the amount of lobbyists around Washington D.C.

This week was yet another week lost without Congressman Platts submitting a bill to return our lost liberties, regain fiscal sanity, bring our troops home, or return our government to its Constitutional limitations. This is one of the main reasons that I am challenging him in the 2012 elections. To my knowledge, he has never submitted one bill that would greatly affect a return to the principles above. He consistently submits or supports small pieces of legislation that further regulate every facet of our lives.

Follow my campaign at mikeforpa.com and the home page of the York County Libertarian Party: yorklp.org.
For Liberty,
Mike Koffenberger
Libertarian Candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives