Dear editor,

There are currently two issues Washington is trying to shove down the throat of all Americans – Cap and Trade, which is now named Climate Change Emergency Bill.

If passed this bill will raise everyone’s power bills an average of $1,600 per year.

First and foremost, climate change is cyclical. Remember the fears of the 1970’s of an impending ice age?

Since 1998 the earth has actually cooled 16/100ths of a degree. Over the next 100 years, a majority of scientists have projected the earth will warm only .007 degrees.

This bill will require businesses, industries and other entities to monitor their carbon dioxide emissions. If they are emitting more than the government would allow, then entities would be made to pay substantial penalties which would be passed on to you and me in the form of higher power bills, or any products which are the recipients of penalizations.

Carbon dioxide is a gas emitted when you breathe and also from cars, power plants, paper mills, grocery stores, gas stations — you get the picture. It is absorbed by all plants, which in turn in into oxygen, which is breathed by you and me, your pets and other living creatures. Without it, lives would be lifeless. Don’t misunderstand me, I think that we need to be good stewards of the earth, but this bill is designed to do the opposite.

Secondly, some members of Congress are now entertaining the idea of VAT, or Value Added Tax. This would slap an additional 10 percent tax on everything you purchase.

The reason for this is because our government can’t control it’s spending, so they are going to try to ride our backs with their addiction of spending. Richard Shelby, Jeff Sessions, Artur Davis and Barack Obama must hear our voices, and our voices must be loud. The number is 202-224-3121. When you call, ask for the above named and tell them you don’t have any more money to give them for their spending addiction.

Darrel McIlwain

Selma