Congressional candidates state their case: Cap and trade energy tax would only add to problem

by Gene Goodman

As the president of a family-owned auto supplier in Troy, I am concerned about the national cap and trade energy tax that President Obama and Democrats in Washington are pushing. The cap and trade bill that passed the House of Representatives earlier this year would be the final nail in the coffin for small manufacturers like my business that are struggling to keep afloat in these difficult economic times. This legislation would drive up energy costs for small businesses and result in consumers paying significantly more for gasoline and utilities. Independent estimates peg the cost of the cap and trade energy tax at more than $1,800 for the typical American family.

In Oakland County, we would bear a much higher burden because our economy is still heavily linked to manufacturing. Like many small businessmen in our community, I was disappointed that Congressman Gary Peters supported Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s national energy tax. I believe we must become more energy independent and less reliant on fossil fuels, but it makes no sense to impose draconian regulatory burdens on employers in Michigan and across the nation, while giving countries like China, India and Mexico a free pass to continue polluting at their will. The cap and trade energy tax won’t reduce global warming. It will simply lead to more of our factories and jobs being outsourced to China and other developing nations where energy and labor will be cheaper. Unfortunately, President Obama and Democrats in the Senate are committed to pushing the House-passed bill forward in the coming months as well as committing the U.S. to unrealistic emission reductions as part of the Copenhagen Summit on climate change.


As someone who works on the front lines of the auto industry every day to provide jobs, I know how hard working families are having it in Michigan today. The auto industry has taken so many hits in recent years and our families and towns in Oakland County are paying the price as jobs continue to be lost and home values continue to fall. Congressman Peters talks a good game about standing up for manufacturing. He rubs elbows with the powerful Labor Bosses in Washington and pays lip service to fighting for the little guy, but his votes in Congress are threatening what’s left of our industrial base in Michigan and the 35 families who depend on the jobs my factory provides.

In addition to the cap and trade energy tax, Congressman Peters has recently voted for a $1 trillion government takeover of our health care system. He voted for an $800 billion economic stimulus bill that has created no jobs in Michigan. In fact, our unemployment rate has increased from around 9 percent when the bill was passed in February to more than 15 percent today. The wasteful spending and rapid growth in government that Congressman Peters is voting for will lead to future tax increases that will further erode the ability of small businesses to create and sustain good-paying jobs.

I believe that Michigan manufacturers and small businessmen need an advocate in Washington. That’s why I have decided to run for Congress next November in Michigan’s 9th District. Michigan currently does not have a congressman or senator who has a background in the automotive industry or manufacturing. It’s about time we had someone in Washington who understands what it takes to create jobs in the lifeblood industry of our state.

Gene Goodman is the president of Versatube Corp., an automotive supply business in Troy that employs 35 workers. For information on his campaign, visit www.genegoodman.com.

Originally published on TheOaklandPress.com on December 27, 2009