EMERSON, TALLENT DISCUSS ECONOMICS

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson doesn't pull any punches when she speaks about the global warming treaty.

"U.S. negotiators caved on everything," said Emerson, who was in Cape Girardeau Tuesday for her 8th Congressional District Business and Economic Development Advisory Team.

"With the global warming treaty you can expect the price of gasoline to increase as much as 25 to 50 cents a gallon," she said. "Other energy costs could soar as much as 50 percent."

Global warning, tax relief, the federal highway bill, Internal Revenue overhaul, minimum wage and other topics were discussed during the fifth meeting of the team at Robert A. Dempster Hall on the Southeast Missouri State University campus.

Joining Emerson was U.S. Rep. Jim Talent, R-Chesterfield, chairman of the House Small Business Committee.

"I am always excited to host these meetings," said Emerson, a Cape Girardeau Republican. "I'm especially pleased that Talent could join us for this meeting."

A sizable crowd was on hand, including small-business owners, manufacturers and economic developers from throughout Southeast Missouri.

"It was a good session," said Emerson. "We had a lot of good questions, and people joined in the discussion."

Later Tuesday, Emerson met with local hospital officials, visited the Noranda Aluminum plant at Marston, and met with a group at Willow Springs.

Emerson was one of 14 House members who traveled to Kyoto, Japan, to observe the United Nations talks on global warming. More than 150 nations approved the agreement on a plan to control the Earth's greenhouse gas emissions. It still has be approved by Congress in the U.S.

"There is a big danger here," Emerson said. The U.S. would have to reduce greenhouse gases from 38 to 42 percent by the year 2012.

The nation's biggest trade competitors -- China, India, Mexico -- will not be subject to any emissions controls, and consequently will have the advantages of cheap labor and no environmental regulations to keep their prices artificially low, said Emerson.

Emerson and Talent touched on the new federal highway plan, which would give Missouri a higher return on its gasoline taxes. Missouri currently receives about 82 cents on the dollar from the federal government. "We're hoping to see that to 90 or 92 cents on the dollar," said Emerson.

Talent, who is a supporter of a flat-tax plan, told the group that he expected to see more tax discussions in Congress this year.

"I think we'll see an overhaul of the tax code and IRS reform," said Talent, who also favors using any budget surpluses to lower the national debt.

Tallent said: "I think the surplus dollars should be used for one of three things: for infrastructure to lead to more industrial expansion; a tax cut; and, or pay down of the national debt. And I really lean toward the latter."