By Dr. J. Robert McClure III, JMI President & CEOWhat most Americans thought was going to be a speech on how best to move forward in solving the oil spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico turned into, in large part, a lawyerly analysis of why we need to move our economy away from dependence on oil and natural gas and into the world of “green jobs” and “green energy.” Let me be clear: the Institute’s position has always been simple. Let’s try all of the above when it comes to the future of energy in America…but let’s not mandate, tax or subsidize those efforts. Instead, let entrepreneurial ingenuity and the marketplace decide what will work. Having the federal government take money from one group and give it to another, or stifle innovation through a paternalist regulatory environment and over taxation is not the answer.Liberty, the protection of private property and the importance of the rule of law have brought this country a standard of living unparalleled in the annals of history. Moreover, these traits have given opportunity and rewarded the hard work of millions regardless of race or class. This is the great American Dream, and it is still real. What our President has unfortunately proposed is not an optimistic or promising plan for the future of energy in America, but rather a jail sentence for the American economy that will kill jobs and ruin any chance for economic growth in the near future. Americans wanted leadership Tuesday night; unfortunately, we got from this administration, more of the same.
