Political Quotes

“This is absolutely illustrative of the old adage: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it. So here is the deal: This country started mining a lot of coal, so the Federal Government taxed it in 1977 through SMCRA, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. They put a big tax on coal by the ton, not the Btus, by the ton. Then the coal companies and the coal industry kept moving, and now they want to regulate it. In fact, this administration wants to regulate it out of existence and has said so. Rules are being proposed to regulate the coal industry out of existence. So that is the keep- moving part. Well, they are being very successful at regulating the coal industry out of existence. Now, we are to step three. If it stops moving, subsidize it. That is what the amendment we are discussing would do. It is saying the coal industry is on its knees, not acknowledging that they are the ones that put it there. Then they are saying: So let's take money for all of those coal jobs that are being lost due to their policies and let's subsidize it. Let's give them economic development money. Further, let's give it to the administration in Washington to sprinkle about to whom they think it should go to, rather than letting the States that are producing this coal have a fraction of the money that is being produced from their States. This is the Federal Government's mentality run amok.…”