Dear CCL Partners

"The train has left the station." That's a very strong statement from Caridad Sanchez, Senator Boxer's Field Representative in San Diego. Rick and I have known Caridad for many years from when she worked for Representative Susan Davis, and she has always been helpful and generous with her time and attention to our concerns. She's a friend. I suspect that Caridad meant that, "The train has left the station," regarding what Senator Boxer is committed to, namely Cap and Trade. However, as Charles Komanoff pointed out on the call, a Cap and Trade bill has to go through a Committee in the Senate, Environment and Public Works. That Committee's vote last year on Cap and Trade, was I think, 10 to 9, or very close to that, and that slim vote sent the bill to the Senate Floor. Regarding that Committee, a previous co-sponosor, Senator John Warner, a many term Republican with enormous respect in the Senate, has retired. Cap and Trade will miss his influence. When the bill got to the Senate Floor, there were about 54 votes for cloture, but about 16 of those said they would vote against the bill. So if my memory serves, there were only 38 yeas for Cap and Trade in the Senate. They have to get 60, and that's the easier part. The harder part is the Energy and Commerce Committee, where probably all the Republicans will be opposed to Cap and Trade and many Democrats from coal states will also oppose it. Even though the Committee has a new Chairman, who is strongly in favor of Cap and Trade, he's got a steep uphill climb. Conversely, a Carbon Tax would go through the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, where there is much more support for taxing carbon. So, the train may have left the station regarding what Senator Boxer is committed to, but not what the Congress is committed to. So let's not get the two confused. And remember, Boxer has got to have a hearing on the Environment and Public Works Committee and CCL is going to cause a debate of both ideas in that hearing. A CCL Speaker this past summer, Dr. Jeremy Richardson, said this very profound thing, "Our government was not designed to pass laws, but to prevent bad laws from being passed, and this is a good thing." Marshall