'It's a Massive Grab for Government'

Regardless of the shifting contents of the Green New Deal, a former Texas lawmaker and energy policy expert says the agenda would greatly increase the cost of living for Americans and hides the fact that renewable technologies like wind and solar create large amounts of radioactive waste."It's a massive grab for government.  The plans keep changing .  You see papers getting pulled off of websites that reference cow farts.  I've said since last year that  the next thing you know they'll be coming after our food supply.  That's exactly what was published on a website by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and then later pulled down. "This is really just about growing government, taking control from the people and really changing us from a representative republic to a socialist country," said former Texas State Rep. Jason Isaac, who is now Senior Manager and Distinguished Fellow of Life: Powered at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.Isaac also says this hardly the time for another New Deal, since the original version from President Franklin D. Roosevelt came at a time of economic peril."Now we're in this economic force, this time frame where record-low unemployment, wages are going up.  Great things are happening in our country so now the last thing we need is a New Deal and certainly not a green one," said Isaac.America recently became a net exporter of energy, which Isaac says is raising the standards of living around the world."What we've seen over the last ten years, as more people get access to energy, we're seeing poverty decrease.  We're seeing life expectancy increase.  We're seeing illiteracy decrease.  We're seeing wonderful things because more people around the globe are getting access to our energy," said Isaac.He also warns that other nations have already traveled down the path towards a green economy.  He cites Germany, where residents see their energy bills tripled and the nation dependent upon Russia for energy."Could you imagine paying three times what you're currently paying for your electric bill.  I couldn't.  I couldn't stand for it.  It wouldn't fit in my budget.  That would be a major impact on Americans, and it would impact the least among us more than anyone," said Isaac.While Ocasio-Cortez says a green economy is the wave of the future, Isaac cautions that renewables cannot begin to make up for the energy demand covered by oil, gas, and coal.  In addition, mining for the rare earth elements needed for the renewable industry creates its own environmental problems."For every ton of rare earth elements that you get, you produce one ton of radioactive waste.  You just don't hear about that ever.  So, every time we promote wind and solar, we're actually promoting radioactive waste," said Isaac.