What role should the government play in the carbon tax?
Should the government be building wind turbines? Should they be building tidal surge machines? Should they be developing new filters to mitigate the carbon pollution from car exhausts and smokestacks?
On second thought, maybe they shouldn’t.
How come?
Have you ever visited a government agency?
How was the service?
Have you ever been to a government cafeteria?
How was the food?
What I’m tying to get at is this … let the government do what it’s good at, what it’s designed to do, what it is meant to do.
“And, just what is that?” You ask.
Well, may I suggest, the government role is to look at the big picture. To look down the road to see where we should be going. To ask questions like, “Are we on track? Are we headed in the right direction?”
The main part of this big picture view is to provide leadership. If we’re not headed the right way, let’s change course. The government can play a pivotal role in making sure the country is headed for “smoother waters”, “calmer seas”; avert disaster and steer clear of dangerous “rocky shores.”
An easy job?
No. But probably one that belongs squarely with the government. After all, who else is doing it?
So, just like the automobile manufacturer sticks to building automobiles, the government should probably stick to focusing on locale, interstate and national leadership.
And, I believe the carbon tax falls right into this government leadership arena. The government is stepping up and taking a leadership role in the march to a cleaner environment. But, how far should this role go?
Should it include everything from collecting the tax to building wind turbines? Or, should the role be limited? Limited to areas where the government excels (or should excel …), like leadership?
Maybe the government should focus on leading the nation to cleaner air. Lead the nation to cleaner energy.
But, how?
Well, how about creating the ecomomic, political, environmnetal and social environment where people are galvanized to do it? And environment where folks are energized to make it happen?
“What do you mean?” I can hear you say.
Well, I think it’s a simple case of the government providing the necessary incentives and then just getting out of the way.
But how?
Good question.
I can’t wait to hear how I answer it in my follow-on article! Stay tuned …
P.S. 26 Sep 2011, see follow-on article, Clean Energy: The next gold rush?