Federal regs affect states

Time after time the federal government passes laws and regulations that have unintended consequences that drastically affect the bottom line of the state budget.

Now it is at it again.

The Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade climate bill being considered in Congress is another example.

In Missouri, the climate bill would have a tremendous fiscal impact because the gross state product would be reduced by between $638 million and $1.1 billion per year by 2020 and nearly $9.2 billion by 2030. This decrease would be caused by high energy prices, fewer jobs and loss of industrial output.

In addition to the decrease in Missouri's gross state product, the pressure on the state budget would only get worse with the increased energy costs that can be expected with the passage of the climate bill. Specifically, Missouri's 3,123 schools and universities and 163 hospitals would likely experience a 28.2 percent to 42 percent increase in energy expenditures by 2030. However, that doesn't take into consideration other government entities, including public transportation and vehicle fleets, which would also experience a rise in energy costs.

There would be fewer jobs (43,300 jobs would be lost), yet because of the increased energy costs there would be a domino effect, and all of our consumable goods would increase (heat, fuel, insurance etc.). Because the state's expenses would increase, many programs would be eliminated or decreased, with more layoffs of workers.

Any way you slice it, the climate bill is bad for Missouri and our state budget.

KATHY SWAN, Cape Girardeau