In the world of Washington policymaking facts and figures are regularly thrown around to frame arguments in support of or against a particular policy. In the case of the Waxman-Markey energy tax, one such figure made a late-hour entry, gaining broad currency for its catchy tune and visual: the largest regulatory intervention in U.S. history, a plan expressly designed to "bankrupt" one-half of our nation's energy supply and cause your energy prices to "necessarily skyrocket" (Barack Obama, January 2008), will actually increase your household energy prices by just $175 per year. Before you breathe a CO2-filled sigh of relief that your government is forcing you to shell out a mere $15 bucks more per month to save the planet, it's worth taking a look at the fine print.
