Clinton Proposal Will Waste Taxpayer Dollars

Washington DC, February 3, 2000 – Today the Clinton-Gore Administration has proposed adding billions of dollars to that already wasted on failed energy and global warming policies, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute. The White House announced that is seeking $2.4 billion to fight global warming. The money would pay for the development of bio-based fuels (converted from plants and trees) and the development and exportation of other so-called clean energy technologies, among other things.

The money would be almost entirely wasted, according to CEI’s Paul Georgia, research associate and managing editor of Cooler Heads a newsletter covering global warming issues. “After 25 years and tens of billions of dollars spent on renewable energy development, there has been almost no market penetration,” said Georgia. “The only thing renewable has been the government’s willingness to fund these failed programs.”

Moreover, the administration’s claims that this would create $5 billion in new export revenues and 100,000 new jobs are laughable, says Georgia. “This program is nothing more than a giant cash giveaway (courtesy of the American taxpayer) to special interests, such as agribusiness company, Archer-Daniels-Midland, and the renewable energy industry.”

The proposal is also in direct violation of the Knollenberg Provision, which prohibits government agencies from spending money to implement the Kyoto Protocol (a treaty that would require the U.S. to reduce energy use 30 to 35 percent by 2008) prior to Senate ratification. “Given this administration’s track record of flouting the law,” said Georgia, “it’s not surprising that they would try to implement a treaty against the clearly articulated wishes of Congress.”

CEI, a non-profit, non-partisan public policy group founded in 1984, is dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government. For more information, please contact Emily McGee, director of media relations, at 202-331-1010, ext. 209.