There is little doubt in my mind that billionaire Tom Steyer is a well-credentialed (Yale University, economics and political science; Stanford MBA), well-accomplished (Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Farallon Capital Management) man whose philanthropy is well-documented. So why does this businessman embrace the progressive socialist democrats and their radical socialist agenda as it relates to manipulating the science of climate change?

There is also little doubt in my mind that Steyer is a liberal whack-job who is ignoring significant science and using his money to advance the corrupt political ideology of the progressive socialist democrats.

Billionaire Environmentalist Pushes New Oil Tax in California

In an effort to combat high gasoline prices in California, billionaire environmentalist activist Tom Steyer is pushing for a state ballot measure to pass an oil severance tax.

[How does this educated man come to the conclusion that the way to decrease gasoline prices is to imposed a tax on the oil producers. A tax that will be passed along to the very same progressive socialist democrats who mandate that California needs two special blends of gasoline (winter and summer); and that when refinery capacity is near maxed-out and they do the change-over, the normal supply and demand skyrockets. As we saw with Enron’s manipulation of the energy marketplace for their own profits, just scheduling maintenance can increase prices and profits for the energy companies.

So where does this money go? Into the general fund to be spent on illegal aliens, to hiring more unionized government workers, or to some other progressive pipedream.]

Steyer, founder of NextGen Climate, announced support for the potential ballot measure earlier this month at the California Democratic Party convention.

“I want to understand why Californians are paying up to $1 billion more to oil companies per month for gasoline prices than anywhere else in the country,” Steyer said. California has the highest gasoline prices in the nation, where a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.739, a dollar more than the national average.

According to the Los Angeles Times, one measure would impose a 10 percent oil extraction tax, while the other would “strengthen disclosure requirements for oil companies’ management of gasoline supplies and prices.”

In a letter to the California lawmakers, Steyer, along with Jamie Court—president of Consumer Watchdog—blamed the oil industry for a lack of transparency over prices and inventory levels.

“The oil industry must answer for this half-billion dollar cost to Californians,” they wrote. “The market is rigged to the benefit of an oligopoly and the rules need to be changed to benefit consumers rather than the oil industry.”

[Has Steyer not noticed the corruption in California’s politics, especially when it comes to progressive socialist democrats whose mismanagement of the state has forced productive individuals and companies to seek relief elsewhere, out of state or out of the country? Where the corrupt politicians respond to their lobbyists and not to their constituents. Where districts are created to ensure a minority constituency because somehow that would be “fair.”

The only way the rules can be changed to benefit consumers is through subsidized socialism. And, Californians are now being burdened by some of the highest electricity prices in the nation as we subsidize solar and wind power to no avail. Even if carbon emissions were reduced to zero – trying to overcome the Sun’s influence on the global climate is nonsensical.]

Nick Loris, senior policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation, believes that high costs of energy in California are directly related to state policy and taxes. “The economic and regulatory environment in California is a big reason the costs of energy are so high in California,” Loris said. “If Californians want lower prices, they should urge their politicians not to implement higher taxes to fund their pet projects, especially since those projects tend to be economic disasters.”

[I wonder if they are speaking about building the Moonbeam Express, Jerry Brown’s multi-billion dollar train to nowhere that will never recover its initial and operating costs. Why build dams to mitigate future dry periods when you can waste funds going to Modesto?]

In 2006, the California State Legislature passed the California Global Warming Solutions Act, requiring a statewide reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. This legislation created a cap-and-trade program, requiring oil refiners to purchase pollution credits from the state.

[Great. Let the gross polluters continue polluting by purchasing government-approved indulgences from Wall Street Wizards and Al Gore as they continue polluting the air, water, and land to disadvantage the locals in favor of seeding rain forests in lower crapistan.]

Source: Billionaire Environmentalist Pushes New Oil Tax in California

So what’s up with Tom Steyer? One explanation …

See the answer about five-minutes into the presentation.

Bottom line …

This will not be the first time that a mega-wealthy, well-credentialed whack-job ignores the science and promotes the same political philosophy as his progressive socialist democrat peers in San Francisco.

The road to hell is certainly paved with good intentions – and Tom Steyer seems to have $1.6 billion of them.

-- steve