Cap and Trade: A License Required for your Home

[Gary Farnsworth]

I see the number, Nick; congrats.

I am an average american. Raise my utilities to make me save energy just results in less spending for me. This will cause anything else produced in America to rise in price. Inflation may be coming. Lawmakers do not realize that this will effect all Americans, and perhaps all markets worldwide. They best be careful, and know full well what they are doing. Elections are coming soon. I am voting for the guy who is not in office, no matter what.

[Frank M. Carrio, CMI]

Originally Posted by gfarnsworth

I see the number, Nick; congrats.

I am an average american. Raise my utilities to make me save energy just results in less spending for me. This will cause anything else produced in America to rise in price. Inflation may be coming. Lawmakers do not realize that this will effect all Americans, and perhaps all markets worldwide. They best be careful, and know full well what they are doing. Elections are coming soon. I am voting for the guy who is not in office, no matter what.

Quotes from;
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124588837560750781.html

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

The Cap and Tax Fiction
Democrats off-loading economics to pass climate change bill.

Quote:



The CBO acknowledges this in a footnote: "The resource cost does not indicate the potential decrease in gross domestic product (GDP) that could result from the cap."

• The hit to GDP is the real threat in this bill.

The whole point of cap and trade is to hike the price of electricity and gas so that Americans will use less.

These higher prices will show up not just in electricity bills or at the gas station but in every manufactured good, from food to cars.

Consumers will cut back on spending, which in turn will cut back on production, which results in fewer jobs created or higher unemployment.

Some companies will instead move their operations overseas, with the same result.
Gary,
As you can see by this quote from the Wall Street Journal your concerns have been addressed and validated.

Like you and I, there are millions of "like minded” Americans who are sick and tired of seeing our hard earned money being wasted!
We are also sick and tired of seeing these special interest groups conduct their meetings behind closed doors at three o'clock in the morning while the rest of America is asleep!

I urge you and everyone else reading this thread {Over 45,000 views} to contact your Congressman and Senators and tell them to vote AGAINST this bill.

“Elections are coming soon. I am voting for the guy who is not in office, no matter what.”
For those who do not vote against this bill I say it is time for them to be voted out of office!

Please remember that there are some good/honest people in office who are trying to save us from "The Biggest Tax Hike in History"!

• These are the people that we should keep in office!

I urge everyone reading this thread to pick up the phone and contact your elected representative! I also ask that you e-mail them, and keep e-mailing them until you get a response!


If you don't do it ...... no one is going to do it for you!

[Frank M. Carrio, CMI]

Quotes from;
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124588837560750781.html

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

The Cap and Tax Fiction
Democrats off-loading economics to pass climate change bill.

Quote:
For starters, the CBO estimate is a one-year snapshot of taxes that will extend to infinity.

To get support for his bill, Mr. Waxman was forced to water down the cap in early years to please rural Democrats, and then severely ratchet it up in later years to please liberal Democrats.

The CBO's analysis looks solely at the year 2020, before most of the tough restrictions kick in.
{In 10 years, we the American people are going to get “Blindsided” and are going to be left scratching our heads wondering “What just Happened, and who gave them the authority to do this?”
Oh…. That’s right! Back in 2009, we just sat on our butts and did nothing to prevent this!}

As the cap is tightened and companies are stripped of initial opportunities to "offset" their emissions, the price of permits will skyrocket beyond the CBO estimate of $28 per ton of carbon.

The corporate costs of buying these expensive permits will be passed to consumers.
{The corporate costs of buying these permits "Will be passed to consumers"! That is a big DUH!

Do you remember when it cost $10.00 to “inspect” your car? Well the price has skyrocketed 300%!
What can we expect from this 1,824 page {and growing} bill? In 10 years we will probably consider ourselves extremely lucky, to have "only" a 300% increase for the price of a "permit"!}

[Peter C. Russell]

Here you go Frank, straight from the DOE via another thread on this board.

As you may know, DOE is leading the implementation of several recommendations under the Recovery Through Retrofit Initiative, established by the Office of the Vice President. As part of these responsibilities, we will create a National Building Rating Program, establish an energy label for homes, address the need for expanded workforce training and certification, and support tools to help spur large-scale home energy retrofits.

[Gary Farnsworth]

All at $12.00 per hour. Will you guys work for that, and work for the government?

[ldapkus]

How long will it take to recoup the cost of training and equipment. Info I have gathered on cost is: BPI training- $1600, blower door-$4k-$5k,software-$495-$1495, IR camera $5k. Am I missing anything??? $10k minimum start-up cost. What do you get for an audit?? $300-$400?? How many people are willing to pay that much for an audit??

[John E. Mullarkey]

Good evening to one and all,

I am new to Nachi and have been reading a multitude of different threads covering as many different subjects. The knowledge, professionalism and friendliness of this group are to be commended, an exceptional gathering of great talent. I am one of those who believe that IR technology is the future for this profession and for the obvious expansion into energy audits. Like it or not the Fed IS getting into this and based on past actions they will do what they dam well please. Think EPA and carbon gas.

Mr. Dapkus makes a valid point when he questions “How many people are willing to pay that much for an audit??” I live in a very wealthy area of southern Fl (wealthy area, I am not wealthy) and I am certain that there are many who would pay for the services of a energy auditor, there are plenty of Prius’s running around here. But that is how it relates to my decision to make the investment in IR. This area is an exception, for most of America there are going to be a lot of people who will be hurt by govt intrusion. The other side of the coin is that local governments are already on the bandwagon. My understanding is that you cannot sell a house in Austin Texas without having an energy audit done. The same is coming to LeeCounty and, I believe, Miami, Dade and BrowardCounty. With a little luck cap and trade will not be passed but you can bet the ranch that government, Fed and local, will get into this BIGTIME! This brings up the real purpose of my post.

I have read much about RESNET, BPI et al and have determined that I will need certification from one of them; my preference right now is toward BPI. However, living in the Land of Oz aka Florida I ran across this little item

http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/education/cont_ed/bldg/erater.php

According to the state of Florida you are not allowed to conduct energy audits/inspections without being certified by the state. So what happens to all the other outfits? I am sure that everyone knows that Florida will be licensing home inspectors come July, 2010 and the law will also apply to mold inspections, a separate license for that as well. So which one is the “AHJ” in this state? Which one will be required by you E&O carrier?

Another very accurate observation noted by Mr. Dapkus, a $10,000 investment for all the equipment and education. On the upside it will preclude many from getting into this which will hopefully keep the fee schedule healthier but that is stil a large amount of $$$ to be spending. It seems to me that there are way too many outfits out there offering certifications in everything and anything, all claming to be the best etc etc. How do you separate the wheat from the chaff? The energy audit business will grow and become very profitable for those who learn and are willing to invest but which learning and where do you spend the $$$ for the maximum ROI? Nick is fighting to have us all grandfathered into the Florida licensing provision, what happens if he is not successful??? Several thousand more in training from some group that is politically connected and starts turning out HI’s a dime a dozen and damaging the quality and perception of our trade.

We are at a turning point, the question is, which way to turn. As Mr. Russell said “As you may know, DOE is leading the implementation of several recommendations under the Recovery Through Retrofit Initiative, established by the Office of the Vice President. As part of these responsibilities, we will create a NationalBuilding Rating Program, establish an energy label for homes, address the need for expanded workforce training and certification, and support tools to help spur large-scale home energy retrofits.”


Merry Christmas

[Peter C. Russell]

Originally Posted by ldapkus

How long will it take to recoup the cost of training and equipment. Info I have gathered on cost is: BPI training- $1600, blower door-$4k-$5k,software-$495-$1495, IR camera $5k. Am I missing anything??? $10k minimum start-up cost. What do you get for an audit?? $300-$400?? How many people are willing to pay that much for an audit??

Linus, I paid 850.00 for my BPI training and 2450.00 for my blower door. Treat software was 450.00 and I bought my IR camera three years ago but still have to include that cost.

My thought is the best way to make money in this is performance contracting and not the audit's. Most states, NH included are hiring people to do the audit and are not sub contracting them out.

On the other hand as a contractor I use my audit and IR to out step my competition, my clients love the fact that I can show them measured results for air sealing and many are asking if I do it during the initial call. Not to mention I'm doing weatherization for the state.

[Frank M. Carrio, CMI]

THIS IS JUST THE START!
HANG ONTO YOUR HATS NEW HAMPSHIRE!
HERE IT COMES!

HB 1471 – AS INTRODUCED
2010 SESSION

10-2235
10/05
HOUSE BILL 1471
AN ACT requiring the board of home inspectors to adopt rules developing documents relative to home energy audits and energy efficiency for home buyers and relative to continuing education for home inspectors.

SPONSORS: Rep. R. Read, Rock 16; Rep. Borden, Rock 18; Rep. Pastor, Graf 9; Sen. Merrill, Dist 21

COMMITTEE: Science, Technology and Energy

ANALYSIS

This bill requires the board of home inspectors to adopt rules developing documents to be provided to home buyers outlining the procedures and benefits of a home energy audit and energy efficiency.

This bill also adds a continuing education requirement for home inspectors concerning home energy efficiency.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]


Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
10-2235
10/05

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Ten

AN ACT requiring the board of home inspectors to adopt rules developing documents relative to home energy audits and energy efficiency for home buyers and relative to continuing education for home inspectors.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 New Section; Home Inspectors; Rulemaking; Home Energy Audits; Energy Efficiency. Amend RSA 310-A by inserting after section 188 the following new section:

310-A:188-a Home Energy Audits; Energy Efficiency; Rulemaking.
The board of home inspectors, in consultation with governor’s office of energy and planning, shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A to develop documents which shall be provided by home inspectors to clients who are buyers or prospective buyers of single-family residential dwellings or condominium units. The documents shall be provided at the time the home inspector provides the buyer or prospective buyer with the inspector’s property report. The document shall outline the procedures and benefits of a home energy audit and energy efficiency. No additional fees shall be imposed or collected in connection with the development and provision of such documents.

2 Home Inspectors; Continuing Education; Energy Efficiency. Amend RSA 310-A:192 to read as follows:
310-A:192 Continuing Education. Evidence satisfactory to the board of the completion in each 2-year renewal period of a minimum of 20 hours of continuing education shall be required for license renewal, provided that one hour of the 20 required hours shall be from a board-approved course on appropriate building regulations including any recent revisions to regulations, and one hour of the 20 required hours shall be from a board approved course on the basic elements of home energy efficiency including the economic and environmental benefits of home energy efficiency.

The board shall approve educational courses and activities that would further the professional competence of licensees. The continuing education credits shall be determined on the basis of one credit for each contact hour of course instruction or professional development activity actually attended by a licensee.

3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

[Frank M. Carrio, CMI]

GLOBAL WARMING CHICKENS ARE COMING HOME TO ROOST

Regardless of the efforts on the part of the mainstream media to ignore Climategate, the wheels of justice are starting to grind, and the future doesn't look good for the cabal of scientists who oversold the theory of anthropogenic global warming, says the Washington Examiner.

For years, these high-priests of environmentalism have been hectoring us about our use of carbon-based fuels, claiming we are destroying the planet.

• Now, after the conspirators' emails have been leaked to the public (via the Internet), a period of de-frocking seems to be on the horizon, says the Examiner:

· Breitbart is reporting that Britain's University of East Anglia has forced Dr. Phil Jones, director of its prestigious Climatic Research Unit (CRU), to step down, pending an investigation into allegations that he overstated the case for man-made climate change.

· As a result of the release of his compromising emails, the university has ordered Dr. Jones to relinquish his position until the completion of an independent review into allegations that he worked to alter the way in which global temperature data was presented.

· In the United States, over at Pennsylvania State University, the student newspaper, The Daily Collegian, reports that the university is conducting an inquiry into the controversy surrounding Penn State meteorology professor Dr. Michael Mann (creator of the infamous "hockey stick" graph), whose leaked emails have sparked an international debate over whether he and his colleagues distorted data on global warming.

· The e-mails appeared to suggest that the researchers -- including Dr. Mann -- had fabricated or manipulated data on global warming.
In congress, Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, last week called for hearings on the recent disclosure of emails that reveal apparent attempts to manipulate data, vilify scientists with opposing viewpoints, and circumvent information disclosure laws.

This controversy could have far-reaching policy implications, Inhofe continued, affecting everything from cap-and-trade legislation, state and regional climate change programs, and the Environmental Protection Agency's Proposed Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act.

Source: Thomas McAdam, "Climategate: The Chickens Are Coming Home To Roost," Washington Examiner, December 2, 2009.
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=18755


Wake up America!

Call your Senators & Congressmen & Women and tell them to vote NO on the Cap & Trade Bill!

[Frank M. Carrio, CMI]

Obama promises Home Depot Chief Executive Officer Frank Blake that he is going to make a lot of money for him!


Quote Obama:
"We are going to generate so much business for you Frank,” Obama said to Blake during his remarks at the store.
End Quote”


Obama Says Energy Efficiency Upgrades Will Boost Jobs (Update1)
By Nicholas Johnston and Roger Runningen
Dec. 15 (Bloomberg) –
President Barack Obama said giving homeowners and small businesses incentives to make buildings more energy efficient would meet dual goals of creating jobs and cutting emissions.

Insulating and sealing buildings “is one of the fastest, easiest and cheapest things we can do to put Americans back to work,” Obama said at a Home Depot Inc. store in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, Virginia.
“We have to get beyond this point where being smart on energy is a job destroyer,” he said. “It’s a job creator.”

The president’s plan, which includes tax breaks to encourage retrofitting buildings with insulation, may benefit Atlanta-based Home Depot; its main rival Lowe’s Cos., based in Mooresville, North Carolina; Owens Corning Inc., the largest U.S. maker of insulation, based in Toledo, Ohio; and Midland, Michigan-based Dow Chemical Co., which manufactures insulation and sealants.

Obama is promoting the energy efficiency program, dubbed “cash for caulkers,” as part of both his jobs program and his energy policy, and he’s seeking support from business executives to help push the proposal through Congress.

• He hasn’t put a price tag on the proposal.

Meeting With Executives

Home Depot Chief Executive Officer Frank Blake and Owens Corning CEO Michael Thaman were among the people who met with Obama today at the Home Depot store. Blake and Andrew Liveris, chief executive of Dow Chemical Co., are scheduled to have lunch with Obama this afternoon at the White House.

• “We are going to generate so much business for you Frank,” Obama said to Blake during his remarks at the store. “Over the course of the next several years, people will see this as an extraordinary opportunity.”

The president is prodding Congress for action on a new round of measures to boost jobs because of continued high unemployment and a slow recovery from the worst U.S. recession since the 1930s. The jobless rate stood at 10 percent in November, down from a 26-year high of 10.2 percent in October.

Along with promoting energy efficiency for homes and small businesses, Obama proposes spending more on public works projects such as roads, bridges and airports to create jobs, providing tax breaks for small business owners, and using part of the government’s financial industry bailout fund to spur more lending.

About $8 billion of the $787 billion in the stimulus program, enacted in February is earmarked for homeowner energy- efficiency programs. This includes installing insulation, sealing leaks and modernizing heating and air conditioning equipment, which the administration says “will pay for itself many times over.”

At a Dec. 3 White House meeting on creating jobs, Obama said the program also would advance his goal of making the U.S. less dependent on foreign sources of energy as well as helping to cut emissions of greenhouse gases.

To contact the reporters on this story: Nicholas Johnston in Washington at njohnston3@bloomberg.net; Roger Runningen in Washington at rrunningen@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: December 15, 2009 11:44 EST

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aowR.3uBjFv0

[Frank M. Carrio, CMI]

Cap-and-trade -- bad for jobs, good for ACORN
Pete Chagnon - OneNewsNow - 11/24/2009 7:30:00 AM

Will ACORN receive federal funds under "cap-and-trade" legislation?

The House and Senate versions of "cap and trade" have earmarked several hundred million dollars to be used by "community development organizations" for the purpose of educating business and low-income neighborhoods in energy efficiency. Presumably ACORN -- the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, a high-profile activist organization that is currently embroiled in political controversy -- would be among those beneficiaries.

Ben Lieberman, a specialist in energy and environmental issues with The Heritage Foundation, predicts that the legislation will do the opposite of what it claims.

"Well, we heard an awful lot about 'green' jobs, and I guess these jobs would be 'green' jobs -- but the problem with the global-warming bill is it's so expensive and it costs so much in taxpayer dollars as well as in higher energy costs...[that] it kills more jobs than it could ever create," argues Lieberman. "So yes, there will be these jobs for activists, which is environmental activists as well as other community organizing groups like ACORN...but this is all in furtherance of a policy that is going to kill jobs."

The environmental specialist notes that concerned citizens need to be vigilant concerning this legislation.

He adds that the "wheels seem to be coming off the cart" with the science behind global warming following the recently revealed e-mails that show the science behind alleged
"climate change" was forged.


http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=781636

WAKE UP AMERICA!

Call YOUR Elected officials and tell them to vote AGAINST this "PORK LADEN" bill!

[Frank M. Carrio, CMI]

END CAP & TRADE!

The House of Representatives rammed through the mind bending 1500 page American Clean Energy Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454) on June 26th, 2009.

The last 300 pages had just been written the night before.

No one had seen it.

There wasn't even a copy on the floor of the House.

Yet, it is the most expensive, intrusive, job destroying, economically damaging bill ever considered in the history of the US.

The US Senate is now considering this dangerous legislation as the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, S 1733. President Obama has also announced he will implement even more punitive EPA regulations if the Senate does not pass the cap and trade bill.



Watch our short 3-4 minute videos and read our article in Range Magazine to find out just how dangerous this bill is.

• Then call your Senator and tell him or her not to vote for this bill. Go to www.congress.org to get contact information.

If you think cap and trade is needed or innocuous, think again!

The EPA and Congressional Budget Office claim the cost will be less than $200 a family. But that's just not true. They applied slight of hand accounting. The real costs are below.

What we are facing just to start:

(by 2030)

· $2,872 per family per year in increased
energy costs (Listen to what Obama
admits here and what it means here)
· $4,600 per family per year total
increased taxes.
· $662 billion a year loss of GDP or
$6,790 per family of four.
· Each family of four's share of the debt
accumulated by cap and trade would
be equal to $114,915
· $5.7 Trillion in increased taxes
·$9.4 Trilliontotal GDP cost thru 2030.
· $4.35 to $5.10/gallon gas price.
·Up to 6 Million lost jobs (based on Spanish experience)
·2.2 jobs lost for every green job created(Spanish experience)
·$750,000+ cost for every green job created
·Trading of carbon credits on the derivatives market -- the same one that caused the financial collapse last year.
·Devastating to 3rd World Nations
http://www.nocapandtrade.us/

WAKE UP AMERICA!
Call your Senator and tell him or her not to vote for this bill.

Go to www.congress.org to get contact information.

[Frank M. Carrio, CMI]

UPSIDE DOWN MORTGAGE?

Do you have an “Up-Side” mortgage where the mortgage price is nowhere near, what you can sell the house for?

• Is your Home being foreclosed?
• Want to sell the house before it is taken away?

The Buyer’s Energy Audit can and will cost YOU thousands of dollars before you can sell house the house that you can no longer afford!


Think about this..... If you are one, two, three or more months behind in your payments think what tacking on $4,000.00 , $6,000.00 or $10,000.00 dollars is going to do to your hopes of selling a home that you can no longer afford!

• Can you say….. SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT?

Foreclosures set a grim record in 2009
2.8 million households were faced with actions, number expected to rise

updated 8:09 a.m. ET,Thurs., Jan. 14, 2010

MIAMI - A record 2.8 million households were threatened with foreclosure last year, and that number is expected to rise this year as more unemployed and cash-strapped homeowners fall behind on their mortgages.

The number of households that received a foreclosure-related notice rose 21 percent from 2008, RealtyTrac Inc. reported Thursday. One in 45 homes were sent a filing, which includes default notices, scheduled foreclosure auctions and bank repossessions.


In December, more than 349,000 households, or one in 366 homes, were hit with a foreclosure-related notice.

• That represents a 14 percent spike from November and a 15 percent jump from December 2008.
• Banks repossessed more than 92,000 homes, up 19 percent from November.

That increase was likely due to lenders working to clear their books at the end of the year, RealtyTrac said.
Stemming the tide of foreclosures is an important step for the real estate market and the economy to recover.

• Because foreclosures are usually sold at heavy discounts they can lower the value of surrounding properties.
• Cities lose property tax dollars from empty foreclosures and declining home values, straining local economies.
• Home prices have stabilized in some cities, but are still down 30 percent nationally from mid-2006.
• The foreclosure crisis isn't letting up.

Between 3 million and 3.5 million homes are expected to enter some phase of foreclosure this year, said Rick Sharga, senior vice president of Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac, which began tracking the data five years ago.

High foreclosures forced the federal government and several states to come up with plans to prevent or delay foreclosures to help troubled borrowers.
"It was bad, but it could have been much worse, and it probably should have been worse," Sharga said.

One plan intended to help homeowners is the Obama administration's loan modification program known as Making Home Affordable. Lenders participating in the program have offered trial loan modifications to 760,000 eligible borrowers since it was launched in March. A loan modification changes the terms of the loan, such as lowering the interest rate, to make the monthly payments more affordable.

As of November, just 31,000 of them had been made permanent.

• Nearly the same number had dropped out of the program or were found to be ineligible.
• The Treasury Department will release updated figures Friday.
• Economic issues, such as unemployment or reduced income, are expected to be the main catalysts for foreclosures this year.

Homeowners with good credit who took out conventional, fixed-rate loans are the fastest growing group of foreclosures.

The Mortgage Bankers Association on Wednesday recommended changes to the government's program to account for borrowers who've lost their jobs. The program, for example, should include a suspension of payments as the first step for borrowers with a temporary loss of income.
The government also should refrain from "endless incremental program changes," the trade association said.

Since April 2009, there have been nine instances where new program requirements were released, and more than 90 clarifications for new or revised forms, reporting changes and policies. The changes forced mortgage companies to implement new procedures and retrain employees, taking away time that could be spent helping borrowers.

The same three states that led the nation in foreclosure rate in December also posted the highest rates for the entire year: Nevada, Arizona and Florida.
More than 10 percent of Nevada housing units received at least one foreclosure filing in 2009, with Florida and Arizona following with about 6 percent each.

The other states ranked in the top 10 for the year were California, Utah, Idaho, Georgia, Michigan, Illinois, and Colorado.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34847676/ns/business-real_estate/

WAKE UP AMERICA!
Call your Senator and tell him or her not to vote for this bill.
Go to www.congress.org to get contact information.

[Peter C. Russell]

Frank, here's what one of the new energy labels for homes may look like.