04.19.10 UPDATE: Thinking about selling your house? – A look at H.R. 2454 (Cap and trade bill)
This is unbelievable! Only the beginning… ..
Editor’s Note – 04.19.10: ARE YOU PEOPLE STUPID, OR WHAT??? READERS – NO MATTER WHICH SIDE OF THIS ISSUE YOU STAND ON – YOU MUST ALL BE THICK! FIRST OF ALL, THIS WAS PROPOSED LEGISLATION DURING THE 2009 CONGRESSIONAL YEAR HELLO! THIS IS 2010.
I DO NOT UPDATE EVERY SINGLE ARTICLE, WHICH I HAVE EVER POSTED IN 9 YEARS. THIS WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED OCTOBER 1, 2009.
THE LANGUAGE IN ALL BILLS IS CHANGES AS IT GOES ALONG. WHAT HAS BEEN POSTED, WAS BASED UPON INFORMATION, WHICH WAS AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME.
If you are unable to understand this after numerous comments left by me on the column, and emails sent to a large number of brain-dead individuals - then you never will.
I grow weary of people who can not understand this.
WAKE THE HELL UP – AND GET A LIFE!!!!!
END OF DESCUSSION!!!!!! (JB)
Editor’s Note – 04.09.10: For those of you, who feel that we are stumping for the Republicans in the 2010 election cycle – not a Republican nor Democrat supporter am I.
What becomes most interesting about all of this, is that no one is going after the original source:
www.govtrack.us
I realize that much writing out there – no matter from which side, leads to much interpretation, and subsequently – the range of differing comments and opinions on this column.
Now, see the following, as updated comments continue to come in….
CAP’N TRADE IS GOING BACK TO 1984 (JB)
Wow! Home owners take note & tell your friends and relatives who are home owners!!! Beginning 1 year after enactment of the Act, you won’t be able to sell your home unless you retrofit it to comply with the energy and water efficiency standards of this Act.
H.R. 2454, the “Cap & Trade” bill passed by the House of Representatives, if also passed by the Senate, will be the largest tax increase any of us has ever experienced. The Congressional Budget Office (supposedly non-partisan) estimates that in just a few years the average cost to every family of four will be $6,800 per year. No one is excluded. However, once the lower classes feel the pinch in their wallets, you can be sure these voters get a tax refund (even if they pay no taxes at all) to offset this new cost. Thus, you Mr. and Mrs. Middle Class America will have to pay even more since additional tax dollars will be needed to bail out everyone else.
But wait. This awful bill (that no one in Congress has actually read) has many more surprises in it.
Probably the worst one is this: A year from now you won’t be able to sell your house.
Yes, you read that right. The caveat is (there always is a caveat) that if you have enough money to make required major upgrades to your home, then you can sell it. But, if not, then forget it. Even pre-fabricated homes (“mobile homes”) are included.
In effect, this bill prevents you from selling your home without the permission of the EPA administrator.
To get this permission, you will have to have the energy efficiency of your home measured. Then the government will tell you what your new energy efficiency requirement is and you will be forced to make modifications to your home under the retrofit provisions of this Act to comply with the new energy and water efficiency requirements. Then you will have to get your home measured again and get a license (called a “label” in the Act) that must be posted on your property to show what your efficiency rating is; sort of like the Energy Star efficiency rating label on your refrigerator or air conditioner If you don’t get a high enough rating, you can’t sell. And, the EPA administrator is authorized to raise the standards every year, even above the automatic energy efficiency increases built into the Act.
The EPA administrator, appointed by the President, will run the Cap & Trade program (AKA the “American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009″) and is authorized to make any future changes to the regulations and standards he alone determines to be in the government’s best interest. Requirements are set low initially so the bill will pass Congress; then the Administrator can set much tougher new standards every year. The Act itself contains annual required increases in energy efficiency for private and commercial residences and buildings. However, the EPA administrator can set higher standards at any time.
Sect. 202:
Building Retrofit Program mandates a national retrofit program to increase the energy efficiency of all existing homes across America.
Beginning 1 year after enactment of the Act, you won’t be able to sell your home unless you retrofit it to comply with the energy and water efficiency standards of this Act. You had better sell soon, because the standards will be raised each year and will be really hard (i.e., ex$pen$ive) to meet in a few years. Oh, goody! The Act allows the government to give you a grant of several thousand dollars to comply with the retrofit program requirements if you meet certain energy efficiency levels. But, wait, the State can set additional requirements on who qualifies to receive the grants. You should expect requirements such as “can’t have an income of more than $50K per year”, “home selling price can’t be more than $125K”, or anything else to target the upper middle class (and that’s YOU) and prevent them from qualifying for the grants Most of us won’t get a dime and will have to pay the entire cost of the retrofit out of our own pockets. More transfer of wealth, more “change you can believe in.”
Sect. 204:
Building Energy Performance Labeling Program establishes a labeling program that for each individual residence will identify the achieved energy efficiency performance for “at least 90 percent of the residential market within 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.” This means that within five years, 90% of all residential homes in the U.S. must be measured and labeled. The EPA administrator will get $50M each year to enforce the labeling program. The Secretary of the Department of Energy will get an additional $20M each year to help enforce the labeling program. Some of this money will, of course, be spent on coming up with tougher standards each year. Oh, the label will be like a license for your car. You will be required to post the label in a conspicuous location in your home and will not be allowed to sell your home without having this label. And, just like your car license, you will probably be required to get a new label every so often – maybe every year. But, the government estimates the cost of measuring the energy efficiency of your home should only cost about $200 each time. Remember what they said about the auto smog inspections when they first started: that in California it would only cost $15. That was when the program started. Now the cost is about $50 for the inspection and certificate; a 333% increase. Expect the same from the home labeling program.
Sect. 304:
Greater Energy Efficiency in Building Codes establishes new energy efficiency guidelines for the National Building Code and mandates at 304(d) that 1 year after enactment of this Act, all state and local jurisdictions must adopt the National Building Code energy efficiency provisions or must obtain a certification from the federal government that their state and/or local codes have been brought into full compliance with the National Building Code energy efficiency standards.
H.R. 2454: American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-2454
I am neither Democrat nor Republican, neither socialist nor capitalist, however this bill addresses common sense. Europeans, especially Germans have had similar laws instituted on them and are enjoying safer and more energy efficient homes than the US citizens. Why do you people want to heat or cool not just your homes, but because of leaky homes the athmosphere as well? This bill if instituted right will save you money in the long run by saving you energy. We retrofitted a 1940 home in 2001 by administering stronger standards then this bill calls for (i.e. installing a 18 SEER rated air condition system and R-41 type insulation) and are paying 1/3rd in utility costs as compared to our neighbors. Americans are known all over the world as being energy hogs and for good reasons, this bill will address a much needed step in the right direction. If we don’t address the need to maximize our energy dependence than our children will not be able to afford to get their homes heated and cooled in the future. Wake up people, the government is the only savior in this case for improving our buildings by making them them more energy efficient.
wat is all this BULL SIT ,IT SEEMS TO BE MORE COMMUNINSM HERE THAN ANYWERE ,THE PEOPLE HERE DO NOT HAVE RIGHTS ANY LONGER
In downloading PDF Version of HR2454 SEC 202 specifically addresses EXISTING SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS! When I “googled” REEP (as referenced in SEC 202) I got more than 1 definition:
1 – Residential Energy Efficiency Program (REEP)
http://www.houstontx.gov/reep/index.html
Since this is 2009 Federal Legislation, it appears that many States & cities are already implementing and to be a done deal. The Federal money pool is being tapped for low income recipients – with once again – our US Federal and illegal wage tax!
2 – Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program (REEP)
3 – Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance (REEP)
I could not read SEC 304 as referenced in the email/blog warnings of HR2454 since PAGE 677 to PAGE 678 Jumps from SEC 301 to SEC 311 (which I copied/pasted here):
“15 TITLE III—REDUCING GLOBAL
16 WARMING POLLUTION
17 SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.
18 This title, and sections 112, 116, 221, 222, 223, and
19 401 of this Act, and the amendments made by this title
20 and those sections, may be cited as the ‘‘Safe Climate
21 Act’’.
with BILLS
678
HR 2454 PCS
1 Subtitle A—Reducing Global
2 Warming Pollution
3 SEC. 311. REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING POLLUTION.”
This country was founded and ran for many years with neighbor helping neighbor. It did NOT become great by government handouts. I still believe that we are a caring nation who will take care of each other without government intervention. It is time to stop “Big Brother”.
Get a grip people!! This country has been run by the rich from the very start. They knew and saw what this country was going to be. They set it up this way. Doesn’t this coutnry resemble the country that our people fought to get out from under ?!?!?! Hello, how do you think that happened? All of the politicians are rich and greedy, and they will rob this country from the working class people. They have been doing it for years.
Tom Phinny…..Maybe you need to learn to read in english first, and then go back and read this bill again. Because in plain ENGLISH it tell you right from the beginning that the retro-fitting of existing buildings will be 30 to 50 % of effeciency target for the national average percentage of improvement, depending upon the age of the dwelling or building.
Then if you go to section 202 BUILDING RETROFIT PROGRAM: Part A: Definitions for this section and it individually lists about 8 of them. Number 7 is “RESIDENTIAL HOMES” Which shall include single family homes !!!!!!!!!
Next is SECTION 202 B Which states:
(b) Establishment- The Administrator shall develop and implement, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, standards for a national energy and environmental building retrofit policy for single-family and multifamily residences. The Administrator shall develop and implement, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and the Director of Commercial High-Performance Green Buildings, standards for a national energy and environmental building retrofit policy for nonresidential buildings. The programs to implement the residential and nonresidential policies based on the standards developed under this section shall together be known as the Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance (REEP) program.
Did you happen to notice the part where it stated retro-fit policy for single family and multifamily residences. (I’ll give you a hint, retro-fit is the 23 word in the first sentence).
The moral of the story Tim is you have to read the whole thing. IN ENGLISH IN CONSERVATIVE NOT LIBERAL PROGRESSIVE SOCIALIST LANGUAGE.
This bill will screw us over like you can’t even imagine.
Trouble is… half of the people working in this country are getting a free ride.
Government workers who have not been affected and are still getting ridiculous benefits and raises, time off etc… until they are affected .. nothing is going to change.
[...] [...]
ARE YOU ALL DUMB OR WHAT?
IN JUST 2 MINUTES, I READ SECTION 202 AND #7 TALKS ALL ABOUT ‘RESIDENTIAL’ AND ‘SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES’….DUH!
SO YES, AS FAR AS I COULD READ, RETROFITTING DOES PERTAIN TO SF HOMES!!!
AND NOT ONLY NEW BUILDS!
READ AGAIN!
The last clause in Section 204 reads as follows:
(m) New Construction- This section shall apply only to construction beginning after the date of enactment of this Act.
I also read HR 2454 and could not find anything about having to retrofit my home before selling it. The document seems to apply only to the industrial and utility sector.
Unlike most people, I did download HR2454 and read the claimed relevant sections (202, 204, 304) as well as others. In my opinion, all of the scare-mongering below is BULLSHIT. The act clearly drives state establishment of standards for new buildings and publicly-financed housing, including retrofit of publicly-financed housing and commercial buildings (e.g., state government buildings), but makes no such mandate that I can find for personally-owned homes. In my opinion, the government has a right to demand building code standards for any structure that it pays for. So what’s the problem here? It appears to be caused by people who extrapolate government mandates for government-financed structures as applying to privately-owned structures other than those whose rents are paid by public funds. This bill creates an energy efficiency rating system for such private structures, but (as far as I can tell) does not mandate any retrofit to such privately-owned structures (other than privately-owned public housing), although it does provide financial incentives for any private structure owners who wish to avail themselves of government financing for a portion of such retrofits.
In reaching this conclusion, I also searched out all occurrences in the document of the word-stems “retrofit”, “residential” and a few others that I no longer recall, then read the surrounding text. None of these searches disclosed anything that even vaguely supported the conclusions written below.
I hope all you idiots that voted for Democrats in the last election are happy now.. You have only seen a tiny example of the misery your members of Congress and this mouthpiece president are going to inflict upon you. You bashed Bush for creating national debt…… look at what your hero has already done this country in only one year..More debt than the total debt so far.. Maybe you people who so badly wanted some change should educate yourselves on the candidates before you vote next time. All the information was out there for this last election and you ignored it. Shameful ignorance is your reward and the demise of a once great nation if further proof of it.
I just look at the bill, and both section 202 and 204 state that “Nothing would require a homeowner to audit or retrofit their home to ensure that it meets building code requirements…” Am I reading something incorrectly?
[...] car, motorcycle or RV, now you will have to license your home if CONgress gets its way. Nestled away in the energy bill was the requirement for homeowners to obtain licenses (approval) prior to selling their home. If your home does not meet the energy requirements, so sad, [...]
Great Quote
Too bad we don’t know who wrote it….
“The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the presidency. It will be easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to an electorate willing to have such a man for their president.
The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails us. Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince.
The republic can survive a Barack Obama. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president.”
— Author Unknown
Until everybody can look EASILY upon the internet to check how ALL public officials vote, we will never know where our country is headed, because these sociopaths say one thing and do another. How do you think the motion picture industry exists, and how easily it is for actors to assimilate these offices? It is a “human hoax” ,skills in communication and hiding lies, feelings, etc.
Sounds, lights, images manipulated to completely touch all your “buttons” at once, easing one into that cozy warm womb like feeling again. WAKE UP!!!! See through the facade and realize not one of these career criminals can give a rat’s a.. about anyone but themselves
If TEABAGGERS could get a law passed that MAILED the monthly vote tally of elected officials to citizens, like it or not, imagine how much different these phonies would think
By, By America, Hello the fall of Rome…. Do we sit back and do nothing or to we vote them out… It almost looks like that’s too late and you have to think about over throwing the government we now have…. Use to call Vegas, Sin City, now it’s Washington DC…. God helps us….
I love that Act That’s the right thing to do.
This says it all
You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.”> ~~~~ Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931, Here how it works, you rob the middle class by taxes them into the poor house so eveyone is at the bottom.
[...] [...]
Someday, our descendants will be living under Chinese Communist rule and will be reading “The Rise and Fall of the American Empire” in history class. The book will highlight the corrupt government in Washington – how they sold us out to the Chinese in the early 21st Century, and how the apathy of the American people allowed it to happen. They do it to us one House Bill at a time…quietly, insidiously chipping away at our freedoms. Remember when America was a Christian country and we could pray in school ? Well, that was caused by ONE WOMAN ATHEIST….she was not even a member of Congress. So what do you think can be done by several dozen legislators who care only about their personal gain and do not listen to the cries of the people ? America is falling .VOTERS – WAKE UP !!!
For all of you who voted for change. What do you expect from the Dems. This was the change you asked for when you voted for Obama. All he promised was change, now you got it.
This is one more way to get a strangle hold on American citizens. And to what good?
The entire world would have to cut back on emissions that foul the air we breath. Is there an invisible shield over the United States that would keep our ‘clean air’ clean? The entire Global Warming idea is myth that has lined the pockets of some and it will drain the pockets of many. This IS SOCIALISM at it’s best/worse.
pjki, Scopes is run by a couple that is very liberal. The Publisher, I agree with you! Why does not someone push a flat tax and eliminate the income tax? This would be equalization of taxes, everyone would pay the same and easy to monitor! Of course if you did this the legislators would have to pay as well, they don’t want this to happen!!! Less than 40% pay any income tax, so, everyone pay 10 to 15 percent of gross income and in 10 years we would have billions of surpluses in the budget. Is this too easy or would it eliminate bureacratic jobs? Surely I am not the only one that believes this would work.
I agree with Doc re: his posting on 4/11/10 at 11:26 A.M.
The first thing we need to do is vote out every liberal in both houses of congress. The second is send every ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT and their children born here or not back to their home country. The third the country they came from should pay for sending them back and any fines imposed. There should be no such thing as anchor baby if they are here illegally. The meaning of the constitution where it says a person born in the United States is if that persons family are here legally. I married two foreign nationals both who had to pass a background check before given a visa and permitted to enter the United States.
What steps do we need to take to make Washington hear us?
Americans can no longer afford to keep their heads in the sand when it comes to polices that Washington has been adopting!
We are so clueless as to the real ramifications of what is being done in Washington!
The real kicker is, that politicians can adopt laws that they themselves are exempt from! If they need to be exempt from these laws, then why are we adopting them?
All those people who voted for change are getting much more than they bargained for and we are going to pay a dear price for their foolish dreams of a Euphoric nation!
God help us! Washington certainly does not have our best interest in mind!
How can we fight back legally but LOUDLY!?
I for one want this nation to be as great as it once was for my grandchildren!
How about you?
[...] http://www.federalobserver.com/2009/10/01/thinking-about-selling-your-house-a-look-at-h-r-2454-cap-a... [...]
Judy Brown has her head up her butt…READ THE BILL it’s in there…it’s true and idiots like Judy Brown will be among those screaming the loudest when she has to cough up the money to pay for these unbelievably bad bills.
Contact your Senator, especially if he/she is a democrat
I believe this is pure bunk, b.s., bull pucky, propaganda, tin foil hat stuff or nut job information. Come on people, think, why is someone putting this stuff out there!
This is so far out it sounds like a fantacy but judging by the history of this congress I would not be surprised if this were true. Unfortunately, our only recourse is the ballot box and I’m not so sure that that isn’t rigged too. What is the solution? Only God knows. Somebody has a lot to gain by this legislation and I would be willing to bet that it is another scheme to take advantage of the honest citizens of the USA. This will surely destroy the economy that has not already been distroyed!
Don’t take this lightly we already pay too much in the way of TAXES. Those of you that think this is just a way to make sure the houes is up to date that is B.S. This is about getting rid of the middle class. Every country in the world
is jealous of what we have. (Look up Buildaburgers) The elite hate Christians because
WE believe GOD is first and then family. NOT Government.
[...] Thinking about selling you House? Look at HR 2454: http://www.federalobserver.com/2009/10/01/thinking-about-selling-your-house-a-look-at-h-r-2454-cap-a... [...]
http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/captrade.asp
So is snopes liberal or does Obama run it! Says this is all false. What do we believe anymore?
“You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.”> ~~~~ Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931
So, what is this crock of bull we Americans are handed about not being able to sell our own property unless we use Fed guidelines? All in the name of global warming? Or is it the money grabbing Feds at it again? I guess some people have to feel important, like…bullies! I will have not part of it. All the politicians can climb back up in their trees for all I care.Every chance I get I am voting the whole lot out and a new batch in and this will go on for as long as I live. They can campaign until the cows come home and tell their lies and bad mouth the other party and they still get the heave-ho – Republicans and Democrats – doesn’t matter.
In edwards mind everything is OK if cost is passed on to the buyer. We should get our heads out of our rear ends? Elitist mentality…all libs have it. They love to spend your money. What event in your life caused you to feel good about taking other peoples money? Pathetic!!
This is another way to drum up support for those who refuse to work and purchase for themselves their own homes. This will put a cap stone on who can buy and sell and make this government rich off the poor and keep them from getting the much needed education to rise above the poverty line! We as a people need to wake up and vote these lawyers out of office and take back our government to make it work for us instead of us working for it and giving them a free ride where they don’t need to abide by the same rules and regulations as everyone else in this once great Nation that men and women have fought and paid the price of their own lives for our freedom!!!
Hey Edward Monroe – why don’t you click on the link and go read the bill he is linking to. Section 202 Building Retrofit has NOTHING to do with septic tank inspections or well inspections. How about actually reading somehting before commenting on it. Get you head out of your rear and do some research.
Oh, and you example of the $2000 furnace (or perhaps it is furnice like you wrote) issue? Both the buyer and the mortgage writer has to take SOME responsibility here. The mortgage writer (oh that would be the company YOU worked for) for not requiring an inspection before writing the mortgage and the buyer for not requiring it of the seller (and to have the seller pay for it). Hard lesson learned but if you don’t know what you are doing and you don’t ask for help, well stupid should hurt.
I have helped several friends make large purchases (like homes, etc) and passed on my knowledge like the person who helped me with my first home purchase did when i asked for help.
Burn it down… and start shooting politicians.
Why are you worried about a house built in the 40s? The best thing to do is TEAR IT DOWN unless you think it may qualify fot National Monument status
Its all about jobs stupid. We need to get our manufacturing back to this country. Put a high tarrif on goods coming in. It will start a trade war, but we can live through it better than others. We don’t need the Chinese.
OK folks lighten up. This only involves those that are selling or buying a home. I spent one year working for a large bank processing loan packets for FHA to get insured. This isn’t any different than having to have a septic tank inspection or a well inspection. This protects the buyer and seller both. It will be a safe guard for both parties and the cost will actually be passed onto the buyer. These will be home improvements which will get the seller a better chance to sell their home knowing it has these improvements.
Sellers don’t always tell the truth and this helps protect the buyer. I know of one home owner that was told the furnice was fine. It wasn’t and she had to spent $2,000 plus out of her own pocket to fix somerthing that the original seller should have done.
Get off calling evereything socialists. Pull your head out of your rear and think once in your life.
Then just burn it down!
Hmm.. Trillion dollar reserve before the Republican leadership took over in 2001 and now we are with a trillion dollar deficit. Tell me again, who has the right direction for our country?
None of this surprises me. When this country is so intent on electing people with socialist backgrounds, union organizers and the like, we have to accept this from our leaders. I hope we can run them out of office in November. That is our only hope.
Taking from the working people and giving to those who will not work, it will only work to strengthen the socialist hold on this country.
We can only blame ourselves for electing the wrong people, but many times we do not have good alternatives.
Vote for people who have a good background in common sense government, and a good track record.
I wonder if they’re going to require similar restrictions on the plants that belch pollutants into the air every day or on things like dump trucks and 18 wheelers, etc. If this passes as it stands, I think when my Mom passes, I’ll just have the house torn down & sell the lot so someone can build a new house. That’s got to be cheaper than retrofitting a home buit in the 40′s.
Anyone out there ever heard of communism ???I saw what the socialists did in Yugoslavia and I see it here now in the good old USA. Freedom is not free !!!!!
[...] [...]
SAME OLD,
FREE??? That’s what is wrong with so-called “Progressives,” or “Liberals” – they think that everything is “FREE”. Just who do you think is paying for this? NOTHING is free. Steal from those, who have worked their asses off, for everything they have, to “give” it to those, who have spent their lives on the dole.
Personally, I am offended. I have been without work in my lifetime, and I have suffered – but I picked myself up and did something about it – not just run to Uncle Sugar for assistance.
I will agree, that this is not the easiest economy for people to live in right now, but if you have a multitude of political administrations, who reward companies to move off shore – taking much needed jobs with them – we, as a nation lose. I for one, think that it’s time, that we as a nation, begin to fight back. Read history – NO nation has ever survived, what we are going through today. We are making the same mistakes as other failed Empires. Bring the jobs back (meaningful jobs), and send ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS home, and let them enter and assimilate in the proper form – and we have fewer people looking for FREE assistance….
But thanks for your comments and participation in this discussion.