The National Energy Taxman Cometh

First published in the St. Louis Metro Evening Whirl on July 6th, 2009

Last week, I stopped in McArthur’s Bakery on Lemay Road in south St. Louis County. McArthur’s is a full-service bakery and deli and I had a nice lunch (delicious BLT wrap, by the way).
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After lunch, I fell into conversation with Randy McArthur, the owner of McArthur’s, and his brother David. These two were hot under the collar and were not mincing words. You see, Congress had recently passed a new National Energy Tax bill – the so-called “Cap and Trade” bill – that Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her allies admitted would raise everyone’s energy bills by at least 7% a year for the next 10 years or more. McArthur, upset that his Congressman Russ Carnahan had voted for this bill, changed the neon sign in front of McArthur’s Bakery to read “Russ Carnahan just voted to put us out of business.”

The McArthur brothers explained to me that their energy costs – for the ovens, refrigeration, and other stuff – are close to $150,000 per year. An increase of 7% per year as Pelosi and Carnahan want in the new National Energy Tax would mean that McArthur’s would have to lay off staff or close their business… the margins for their business are simply too tight. The McArthurs were angry that Carnahan had no regard for their business – instead he was voting with Pelosi and other liberal left-wingers who think that government can solve all the problems by raising taxes on businesses.

After McArthur put the sign up identifying Russ Carnahan’s bad vote, they have received emails and calls of support. Other businesses – from dry cleaners to taxicab drivers to fast food restaurant owners – have realized that the new National Energy Tax would impact them quickly and terribly. The bill was a bad mistake for Pelosi and her Democrats… it may have been the one act that puts them on the road out of power.

A few days after my visit to McArthur’s, I was in the Carondelet Bakery in south City (great strawberry and chocolate cake, by the way!). Linda Smith, the co-owner, confirmed that, like McArthur, she and her husband worried about energy costs. Her bakery – the oldest in St. Louis – is a traditional bakery (no deli or extra sales) and her costs are directly for baking: oven, refrigerators, etc. An increase of 7% per year on those costs would put the bakery in jeopardy.

I heard the similar complaints and fears from bar owners and restaurant operators across St. Louis regarding the Energy Tax. They fear that they cannot absorb an increase. And, individuals and families are worrying about their own energy costs going up. And one other question all these people – individuals and businesses – keep asking: why put an energy tax on us now, in the midst of a recession?

The story for McArthur’s has a twist. Congressman Russ Carnahan’s staff, stung by the bad press and the McArthur sign, called the McArthurs and said that Russ Carnahan wants to meet with them to explain. The McArthurs are willing to meet but they are wondering: why didn’t Russ Carnahan meet with them before he voted for the new national energy tax?

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On Saturday, July 4th, I was in Washington, Missouri with 3000 others for another Tea Party. The crowd was mixed – young and old of all shapes, sizes and colors – and fired up. They have seen and heard what Randy McArthur has: that our government – especially our Congress – has lost touch with the people and what we need and expect. If Russ Carnahan and his ilk in Washington, D.C. don’t start listening to the people back here in America – and right quick! – they may find themselves out of a job.

Ed Martin

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In case you want to find them, www.McArthurs.com and www.CarondeletBakery.com.