Critic of NY climate law overstates cost, understates benefit (Your Letters) - syracuse.com

To the Editor:

In last Sunday’s Post-Standard, Justin Wilcox wrote an op-ed, “Hey, Albany: Stop hurting, start helping overburdened taxpayers” (Feb. 23, 2022). He claimed that the projected cost of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) of $340 billion over next 28 years would be “larger than the state’s annual budget.” The 2021-22 New York State budget is $212 billion for one year. If you calculate the projected cost of the CLCPA for one year it is $12.1 billion per year, less than 6% of the state budget. His math is like saying that you shouldn’t be able to afford your house since it costs $200,000 but you can only afford to pay $15,000 a year in mortgage payments.

In addition, the CLCPA is projected to create more than 160,000 new, high-paying jobs over the next 10 years. At $25 per hour, that will generate over $6 billion dollars of economic stimulus over the 10-year period.

Wilcox’s commentary only addresses the impact on climate change and ignores the significant health benefits of reducing harmful emissions from burning fossil fuels. There are many studies showing harmful effects of natural gas appliances in homes.

A fair reading of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act would show both the economic and health benefits of getting off of fossil fuels in addition to the benefits to the climate.

Richard Kornbluth

CNY Solidarity Coordinating Committee

Syracuse

source: https://www.syracuse.com/opinion/2022/03/critic-of-ny-climate-law-overstates-cost-understates-benefit-your-letters.html

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