“Farting cows eliminate air travel we only have 12 years to save the planet or we’re all gonna die!!” It’s difficult to keep up with all the insanity coming from the Green New Deal’s Democrat proponents. The Green New Deal resolution and frequently asked questions spell out an all-out assault on freedoms we hold dear, from our jobs to our energy to what we would be allowed to have for lunch.
My objective is to ensure Americans have access to affordable, reliable energy that is as clean as possible. The Green New Deal does not achieve any of that. In fact, it would render the federal government far more powerful at the expense of the states and citizens. That’s the wrong way to go.
Let’s unpack one Green New Deal idea for example: eliminating “farting cows.” It sounds funny, but there are serious issues in play.
The FAQ the Green New Deal’s proponents released mentioned eliminating “farting cows.” That elicited chuckles and they promptly retracted the FAQ (but the web never forgets). They didn’t abandon the Green New Deal or its goals and when pressed on why flatulent cattle even merited mention, the Green New Deal’s architect and Twitter fad, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York Democrat, said she was really aiming at “factory farming.”
Another word for “factory farming” is ranching. The Green New Deal takes direct aim at ranching. Texas has nearly 250,000 farms and ranches, covering about 13 million acres and numerous jobs.
I’m a conservative, but in Texas beef is not a partisan thing. From liberal Austin to the more conservative parts of the state, are restaurants with names like Franklin’s, Iron Works, Black’s and Smitty’s. Depending on who you talk to, these spots are either great or off-the-scales mind-blowing. What are they known for? Beef brisket, primarily.
The Green New Deal is not just poor leadership and an overbearing lurch toward dangerous, unrealistic energy policy. It’s an arrogant scheme to permanently put government in your face in new and obnoxious ways, as AOC clearly says: “But we have to take a look at everything, and what we need to realize about climate change is about every choice that we make in our lives, you know?”
Every choice? The Green New Deal would put the force of government into “every choice” we citizens make? That’s what she said, so we have to presume it’s what she actually meant and it’s not a bug in the plan. It’s a feature.
This gives government the power to rip the fajitas right out of your tortillas. Plus Philly cheesesteaks, Chicago meat lover’s pizza, New York strip – gone, gone, gone. But you can presumably keep your tortillas if you like your tortillas (unless the corn or flour came from a “factory farm”).
On a more serious note, your freedom to choose how you live your life goes away too, dictated by a massive, over-powerful government Miss Ocasio-Cortez believes is “in charge” of your life — and if you question her, you’re just “shouting from the cheap seats.”
In reality, those of us elected to public office are servants, not “in charge” of the people. I represent 28.5 million Texans regulating oil and gas production at the Railroad Commission. I’m not in charge of Texans — they are my bosses.The 800,000 in AOC’s New York district are supposed to be her bosses. Incidentally, I’ve created hundreds and hundreds of jobs. In her short career, AOC has already killed 25,000 jobs. Texas leads the way as the United States steps up to lead global energy production. New York depends on Texas energy to keep the lights on and the trains running.
Leaders propose workable ideas that can be implemented to help people. For instance, we can harness scientific research conducted at the University of Texas (which is funded in part by revenues from oil production), to turn the water obtained from drilling into fresh water to alleviate the issues states such as California and Texas face. That’s looking at the big picture and being constructive. It’s real leadership.
When you tally up the Green New Deal’s assault on fossil fuels and its assault on farming and ranching, it is a senseless economic assault on Texas — and the national economy.
Then factor in that the Green New Deal’s purpose would be to dictate every choice, from the food on your plate to whether you will even be allowed to have children. This makes the Green New Deal a tyrant’s dream, and a nightmare for the American dream.
This article originally appeared on the Washington Times.