Rep. Bill Post again shows his inability to understand that climate change is already costing Keizer taxpayers money.
In the May 7 Keizertimes article (Post’s bill for police dog rescue, veteran’s benefits taking shape), Post says of the 2020 Republican walkout of the legislature’s cap-and-trade regulations “We walked out because cap and trade would have fundamentally changed the economy of Oregon forever….”
As if last summer’s wildfires, augmented by climate change, had no effect on Oregon’s economy. Clearly that’s false. As if more warming, drought and wildfires are not in our future. As if Keizer taxpayers are not already paying part of Miami’s sea level rise protection costs, or, soon, Key West, and others on the east coast. As if we’re not already paying higher food prices for the scientifically documented agricultural losses due to climate change.
I’ve found this in my own correspondence with Post—he fails to understand that climate change itself has costs—apparently he can only see the costs of its mitigation. We need smarter, wiser more engaged representation in our state legislation.
David Appell
Keizer