Letter: Support Initiative 732 to take meaningful action on climate change

Conservatives often accuse liberals of using climate change as an excuse to drive through their pet policies. Opposition from many green groups to the carbon tax on Washington’s ballot this year, I-732, supports this notion.

Liberal groups are opposing it because instead of spending the revenue on their favorite programs, it gives the revenue directly back to people and businesses through lower taxes. It is these groups’ hijacking of real issues like climate change, with their big government spending desires, that led too many Republicans to assume climate change was invented for use as a political tool.

Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of climate scientists, both liberal and conservative, agree that climate change is real, human-caused and a serious threat to our economy and well-being. We are already seeing its effects.

So long as conservatives oppose any action to reduce carbon pollution, politicians will have to rely on growing big government spending programs to gain liberals’ support, like in California. Or they will have to use potentially job-killing regulations, like Obama’s executive actions.

To keep government small and taxes low while maintaining a liveable environment, it is vital to support I-732. Let’s take meaningful action while avoiding liberals’ alternative agendas.

This story was originally published November 2, 2016 at 4:27 AM with the headline "Letter: Support Initiative 732 to take meaningful action on climate change."