UT Young Republican Leaders: GOP Should Champion the Baker-Shultz Solution
In back to back op-eds, young Republican leaders across Utah are urging the GOP to lead on climate and champion the Baker-Shultz carbon dividends solution.
First, in an op-ed in Utah Policy, Young Republicans Chairman Mackey Smith and Vice-Chairwoman Gibson Green describe the unique appeal and effectiveness of the Baker-Shultz strategy:
Young people like us are rallying behind Carbon Dividends because it is fast-acting, economically advantageous, and politically viable. Baker-Shultz would reduce US greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 57% by 2035 and create 1.6 million jobs, while avoiding the risks of long court battles posed by a regulation-first climate agenda. A Carbon Dividends plan would also avoid the dramatic and unrealistic burden placed on Utah’s businesses and economy from irresponsible proposals like the Green New Deal.
Policies like the Green New Deal would balloon the size of government and hurt the US economy. Further, single-party executive actions—like those the Biden Administration is considering—are likely to get caught-up in the courts, create uncertainty for businesses, and accomplish little for the environment. By contrast, as Smith and Green outline,
The solution is clear: a legislative, bipartisan approach that eschews these risks entirely. The Carbon Dividends plan would put an economy-wide price on carbon, rebate the revenue to the American people, roll back now-redundant regulations, and hold polluters abroad accountable with a border carbon adjustment…Having worked in Republican politics for years, we can attest that our peers across the state want sensible climate policy and are hopeful our Republican elected officials work across the aisle to get it done.
Mackey Smith, Chairman, Utah Young Republicans
Josh Meyer, Chairman, Utah Federation of College Republicans
In a follow-up op-ed, leaders of the Utah College Republicans also joined the chorus of support for carbon dividends. The piece, which appeared in Utah Policy, is co-authored by Josh Meyer (Chair, Utah Federation of College Republicans and Chair, University of Utah College Republicans), Cole Larson (Chair, Weber State University College Republicans), Nick Compton (Chair, Utah Valley University College Republicans), Spencer May (Chair, Brigham Young University College Republicans), and Quincy Taylor (20-21’ Vice Chair, Brigham Young University College Republicans). In the op-ed, they speak to their personal motivations as young conservatives who hope to see the GOP seize the mantle of leadership:
Those of us native to Utah grew up skiing the greatest snow on earth, hiking the Wasatch mountains, backpacking in the Uintas, visiting national parks like Zion and Arches, and boating on Utah’s pristine lakes and reservoirs like Flaming Gorge and Lake Powell. These places have been the setting for some of our most precious family memories, and we want to preserve them for ourselves and future generations. If the Republican Party wishes to remain relevant to our generation, it must address this issue.
If our party intends to capture the hearts of our peers, it needs to engage in the climate conversation by proposing economy-wide solutions like Baker-Shultz.