A License to Own Your Home?
An email has been circulating the inboxes of many investors recently regarding the Cap and Trade Bill HR-2454, known as the Waxman-Markey Climate Change Bill. The reason for concern? A proposed license to have a house. The email warns that home owners would have to retrofit their homes in order to comply with the energy and water efficiency standards mandated by this bill. The following are highlights of claims in the email:
Beginning one year after enactment of the Cap and Trade 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 "Cap & Trade" bill...
A year from now you won't be able to sell your house without some bureaucrat's OK
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 required 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.
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.
This verbiage was true in the first version. Congress is on the fourth version. According to truthorfiction.com, the NAR has successfully eliminated these standards.
The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Government Affairs Division released a report called, "NAR Myths and Facts -The American Clean Energy and Security Act" which addressed the realtor's concerns. The report said, the" NAR was successful in getting harmful federal energy audit requirements and point-of sale triggers dropped from the bill."
The NAR reported:
Claim: “The bill mandates energy audits and labeling before any home in America is sold.”
Fact: The bill does not create a federal energy audit or labeling requirement. As introduced, the original bill would have required energy audits and labeling at the time of sale. However, Realtors succeeded in making many positive changes before the bill passed. Many published reports are not based on the version of the bill that was considered by the House. As approved, the bill:
• Does not create energy audit requirement for real property at time of sale.
• Exempts existing homes, multifamily and commercial buildings from any federal energy labeling guidelines such as the existing federal Energy Star label program (section 204(m)), and
• Leaves the decision entirely to state governments whether to pass a law to require labels, but expressly prohibits labeling during a transaction (Section 204(h)).
If anyone has heard any updates on this legislation, please post.
Comments (8)
My thoughts exactly Wanda! I'm speechless!
Bryan Hancock, about 14 years ago
Wanda McGinnis, about 14 years ago
Wow, I just read this. Guess I need to invest in some publicy traded energy efficiency companies. My guess is that there is too much to lose in profits for gas and electric monopolies to allow this to pass.
Kevin Kaczmarek, about 14 years ago
Global warming has been debunked. There still seem to be too many people with too vested an interest in it (either financially or philisophically) to ever admit the truth, even when it's right in front of their faces. Don, I pray for that everyday. If these clowns keep doing what they're doing, it would be the equivelant of throwing this country into a rough piece of farm equipment. If it survives at all you won't recognize it.
Joseph Ziolkowski, about 14 years ago
I am glad the left wing is coming out of hiding and exposing themselves. Now that the voters see who the left wing really are and what they stand for it will be easier to remove them from political office.
Don Konipol, about 14 years ago
By the way, hasn't global warming, or renamed 'climate change' since there is no scientific proof the planet is warming, be debunked already?
Tom Bukacek, over 14 years ago
I think if the government is foolish enough to pass a cap and trade law you can pretty well guarantee a long term recession if not a depression.
Account Closed, over 14 years ago
Eek! Scary stuff man!
Bryan Hancock, over 14 years ago