Alabama State Representative and candidate for Governor, Dr. Robert J. Bentley (R-Tuscaloosa) made the following statement today in regard to the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009:

“The American Clean Energy and Security Act, as proposed by the Democrats in Congress, will effectively serve as a death sentence for economic expansion in Alabama and in the South as a whole. In recent years many southern states, including Alabama, have been able to attract quality businesses that provide stable, well-paying jobs.  Much of this success has been because of the availability of high quality and affordable power sources.  If this bill passes, offered under the pretenses of protecting the environment, there is no doubt that the economies of Alabama, and the rest of the South, will suffer even more than they already have.

“Our environment is important, and we should seek to protect it so that our children and grandchildren may enjoy and learn from it for years to come.  However, we must draw the line when protecting our environment  becomes a shield for political maneuvering.  This bill is nothing more than an attempt by the liberal, Democratic members of Congress to enforce standards on businesses, which will in turn create a certain and drastic increase in taxes.  This is clearly a concerted effort to fulfill President Obama’s quest to ‘spread the wealth’ around.

“The worst thing during a major decline in the economy is to raise operating costs for, and taxes on, those organizations which keep people employed.  As a small business owner, I know what it is like to have families depending on you each week for a paycheck, and I also understand how difficult it is to hire new workers when your expenses and taxes continue to rise.  This bill will no doubt make it harder for existing businesses to strive and new businesses to be created.  Over 194,000 folks in Alabama do not have a job, most want one, but simply can’t find any work.  If this bill is allowed to pass, this staggering number will surely increase.

“Enough is enough.  It is time that we as Americans and Alabamians tell the federal government to get out of our lives.  The Tenth Amendment is clear: states like Alabama should be allowed to govern themselves on certain issues, and especially on an issue like energy costs, which vary from state to state and city to city.  Our state cannot afford to stand by any longer and allow the overreaching policies of a left-leaning Congress, deceivingly cloaked behind the noble aspiration of environmental protection, to destroy our economy, and our right as a state to govern itself.”