Too Short for a Blog, Too Long for a Tweet XXXVII

Here's an excerpt from an article I recently read, "Audubon Backs I-732 to Fight Climate Change — It’s Better Than Nothing," in the Seattle Times:

The founder of I-732, UW economics Ph.D. Yoram Bauman, then dumped a train load of fossil fuel on what had been only a simmering fire:

“I am increasingly convinced that the path to climate action is through the Republican Party,” he said. He cited two aspects of the political left: “An unyielding desire to tie everything to bigger government, and a willingness to use race and class as political weapons in order to pursue that desire.”

Kaboom! Most every liberal group around — from the unions to enviros to social-justice organizations — denounced Bauman and voted not to support I-732.

But this spring, Audubon began taking a second look at the idea. It realized it kind of agreed with part of Bauman’s critique — that the issue had been co-opted to become more about raising money than climate change.

What’s unique about I-732 is that it would rebate all the carbon-tax money raised. It cuts sales and business taxes and also expands a tax credit for low-income families.

“The tax cuts are the Republican idea in this, and that became the huge sticking point,” Gatton said. “In the Alliance, it became more about getting money for every program and interest represented in the Alliance. The social-justice aspect really seemed to us to become more of a money aspect. It was ‘we need the money.’ ”

Audubon’s board eventually decided to support I-732 even with its flaws. It’s a historic chance to start a shift away from a carbon-based economy, the group said.