Outsourced Emissions, Internet Gambling, and TIGER II

Outsourced Emissions

The U.K. is on track to meet its emissions targets–partly because emissions from imports have increased.

Research Associate Brian McGraw explains that the U.K. is essentially outsourcing their emissions.

“The stringent emissions reductions policy in Europe has caused domestic emissions to be replaced by emissions from foreign imports. If your goal is a global emissions reductions, then by this measure their policy has failed — while raising the price of energy and encouraging manufacturers to relocate abroad.”

Internet Gambling

With Republicans poised to take the house, even Rep. Barney Frank’s seat may be in jeopardy.

Policy Analyst Michelle Minton says that even if Frank’s internet gambling decriminalization bill isn’t passed in a lame duck session, decriminalization may have a chance in a Republican-controlled House.

“And while legalization of Internet gambling may still have a shot in a Republican-controlled House and Senate, I doubt that the version we would see would be any more free market than Barney Frank’s current bill. Most likely, it will look something like decriminalized alcohol sales after prohibition with the government retaining a death-grip on the neck of the industry for as long as it can.”

TIGER II

The recipients of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) II grants will be announced tomorrow.

Policy Analyst Marc Scribner points out that many of the grants will fund “livability” projects which actually harm mobility.

“So far, we know that New Haven, Connecticut, has secured $16 million to convert an urban portion of a limited-access highway to a boulevard; Peoria, Illinois, is receiving $10 million to narrow a street in its Warehouse District; and Atlanta is getting $47 million for its proposed streetcar system. […] As the Census Bureau’s recently released 2009 American Community Survey reveals, transit’s share as a mode of commuter transportation fell during our current recession (excluding a handful of large, dense cities on the coasts). […]As Americans everywhere are forced to make due with less, perhaps the Obama administration should consider spending tax dollars on transportation programs that actually benefit the vast majority of Americans.”