Jim Martin, “Obama offers nothing more than phony rhetoric to push a war on coal, which in reality is a war on seniors, families, jobs, small communities and the free market which sustains us all.”

(Alexandria, Virginia) — President Obama today announced sweeping plans to tackle global warming, ordering his Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to institute stricter regulations on CO2 emissions that will be especially damaging to coal plants and American manufacturing.  Obama’s directive sidesteps Congress and demands tighter controls despite the fact that climate surveys show cooling trends over the past 17 years, and stricter regulations promise higher energy costs with little to no effect on overall global CO2 levels.

The announcement comes the same day the New York Times quoted Obama climate change advisor Daniel P. Schrag saying, “a war on coal is exactly what’s needed.”  These developments brought a response from 60 Plus Association Chairman Jim Martin, leader of the nation’s largest conservative seniors organization and acknowledged alternative to the liberal AARP:

“More hot air from the Administration, bowing to the environmental extremists and political special interests, leaving the rest of us with higher energy costs and putting more than a million jobs at risk.  The President’s attack of our coal and manufacturing industries is nothing less than a scandal. His plan to take more money out of the pocket of every American and put more families on the unemployment line is heartless, thoughtless and doomed for failure.”

Martin referenced a study by the American Council of Capital Formation which states tighter EPA regulations on CO2 emissions imperil 1.4 million jobs on top of the 17,000 estimated to be directly lost in the energy sector.

“Americans have had enough lectures on the environment from politicians and bureaucrats shuttled around in a fleet of limousines and private airplanes.  Clearly Obama does not care about the poor, the elderly, and every American who will feel the pain of his failed policies.  While Obama ignores his promise to help the economy, he’s determined to keep the promise of candidate Obama in 2008 when he said his policies would make energy prices “necessarily skyrocket.”  His priorities are not the priorities of most Americans.

“Seniors applaud House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upon (R-MI) for scheduling hearings on these new EPA regulations so Americans can learn the truth about the cost and recklessness of these extreme policies.  Obama is waging a war on our economy and opportunity, not to mention common sense.  Every American who fills up their tank or pays their electric bill should know their President is waging war on them.”

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