Nelson Otto
Jefferson City
Dear Editor:
Over the last few years we have heard of the Citizen's Climate Lobby and seen many letters referring to them as an authoritative group on climate. Who are they? Citizen's Climate Lobby, basically has over 400 chapters across the USA that are organized through a website that keeps them all updated on activities and helps them coordinate their efforts, but mostly they provide training in lobbying techniques and organize campaigns. According to the website their only goal is to pass a carbon tax. One of the tactics is to use letter writing campaigns, a part of which is letters to the editor. They provide editorial packets with suggestions on what to write. After the letters are published the lobby team takes them with other letters to members of Congress and use them as evidence of community support for the tax. Another is a tactic to go to the editors of the local papers to try and get them to endorse the tax which will also be taken to congress. So many people think that the LTEs were to convince you the public but they are actually being used to lobby Congress. There is even a training program on how to use the editorial staff of a newspaper to influence members of congress. One suggestion was if there isn't an editorial board, pitch news stories to the paper. A perfect way to do that would be to get on a Reader Advisory Board.
It is more important than ever that people realize that a handfull are misrepresenting the support for this tax in order to get members of Congress to pass this bill. We as citizens of Missouri need to organize, take action and start monthly letter writing campaigns and call members of congress and let them know we do not support this bill or any carbon tax. If you don't take the time they will and in five years you will be paying a 58 cent tax on a gallon of gas, plus taxes on anything where the energy is produced by fossil fuels. The worst part is, it will not have even the slightest effect on stabilizing the climate. That is proven by both history and science. So start writing and calling because our future depends on you fighting back.