Collins Report

By Kevin “Coach” Collins

This is an excerpt from a recently obtained internal E mail written by a gleeful GE executive.
“On climate change we were able to work closely with key authors of the Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill, recently passed by the House of Representatives. If this bill is enacted into law it would benefit many GE businesses.”
“…benefit many GE businesses” becomes clearer by following the paper trail of “donations” from GEPAC the lobbying arm of General Electric Corporation.

GE/Democrat pay to play scheme
Last year most of GEPAC’s contributions went to Democrats. This year almost all of its cash bought Democrats. Over 24 months GEPAC “donated” 2.4 million dollars to Democrats. GEPAC greases every greedy Democrat they see.

In return the Democrats get Chris Matthews’ tingling leg and kid glove treatment from NBC news.

Under the “radar”

GE, however, got two huge payoffs that have gone under the radar thus far.
Folded into the new version of the Cap and Trade bill is Section 821(c) which requires the EPA set new standards for greenhouse gas emissions for “new aircraft and new engines used in new aircraft” by December 12, 2012.

General Electric Corporation is the only company that can produce these engines in meaningful quantities by then. Even modest projections put the company’s gross sales of “green” engines in coming years at $12 billion.

Last Friday GE it made an agreement with American Electric Power (AEP) to sell them 110,000 “smart meters.”
On September 1, AEP applied for a $75 million, sure to be approved, Energy Department stimulus grant to pay for them. Again only GE is equipped to fill this order. Of course the $75 million is our money.
GE CEO Jeff Immelt is on Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board.

Do you think that helps America or Obama?

Money pouring in from all sides

If American Electric Power were the only stream feeding our tax money into GE’s river of cash it would be sweet enough for them, but AEP is far from the only company who will require these “smart meters.”
There are about four dozen other privately owned energy companies across the country that have applied for grants of our money to buy this equipment from GE. With 4 billion dollars in the pot, every such company from Maine to Hawaii will be in Washington with its hand out looking for its “fair share” of this “free money.”
In defense of its raid on our treasury AEP announced our 75 million dollars will get them 500 jobs over three years. The math involved is interesting: our 75 million dollars will mean we will pay $150,000 per job in a part of Ohio where most jobs pay just over $47,000 on average.
Those interested in reading more about this outrage will find this site helpful:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/How-GE-puts-the-government-to-work-for-GE-8154266-54820577.html#

This day in history October 5

1793 – French Revolution: Christianity is disestablished in France.

Comments on this or any other Collins Report essay can be sent to kcoachc “at” gmail.com