COMMENTARY | In December 2007 the Democrat controlled Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act, which, among other things, banned the sale of incandescent light bulbs in the U.S. as of next year. However, as reported by the Washington Times, "Congressional negotiators struck a deal" on Thursday that will give those light bulbs a stay of execution.
While the provision "doesn't actually amend the 2007 law," it does cut off all of the funding needed by the administration to enforce the law. Unfortunately, the only ones who will not benefit from this too little too late effort will be Americans.
Because of the pending ban and to avoid the greater expense of manufacturing incandescent bulbs at U.S. wage rates, General Electric closed its light bulb factories in Kentucky and Ohio in 2009 and moved production to China. Around 200 American jobs were lost.
In the company's news release, shared by the Washington Examiner, GE blamed the closings on the new energy regulations. What it failed to mention was that, as revealed in a 2008 report by Capital Research, GE is a member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, which pushed for those "new energy regulations." In fact, the creation of the group was "spearheaded" by GE's CEO, Jeff Immelt.
In October 2010, Heartland.org reported the closing of GE's incandescent bulb manufacturing plant in Winchester, Va. Two-hundred more Americans lost their jobs. The Virginia plant was the last major incandescent manufacturing facility in the United States.
In the meantime, although China had also vowed to convert to CFLs, a report cited by the U.K. Guardian in November by China's state news agency Xinhua revealed that -- while "imports and sales" of incandescent bulbs would be banned in China -- "exports" would still be allowed.
So, now that there are no more incandescent bulb factories in America and GE has moved production to China where labor is cheaper, guess who suddenly stands to make a killing with the "imports and sales" of incandescent bulbs that were once Made in America?
You guessed it. Immelt.
Incidentally, Immelt is also the man Obama chose to be chairman of his President's Council of Jobs and Competitiveness. He was the one seated to Obama's left laughing when the president admitted those "shovel ready jobs weren't as shovel ready" as they had promised.
Ellen Cullman, who was seated and laughing to Obama's right, is chair of the board and CEO of DuPont. As reported by Delaware Inc., Cullman was "among a group of corporate leaders" -- including Immelt -- "who met with Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao in January to share ideas with the president, the premier and other business leaders on the important U.S.-China relationship."
DuPont also happens to be a member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership.
As described by the government's official website, "The President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness was created to provide nonpartisan advice to the president on continuing to strengthen the nation's economy and ensure the competitiveness of the United States and on ways to create jobs, opportunity, and prosperity for the American people."
Thus far, the only things Immelt, Cullen and the rest of their "partnership" have accomplished is weakening our economy, ensuring America cannot compete in the international market, creating jobs in China and creating opportunities for themselves to prosper at our expense.
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