Bedford League of Women Voters to Host March 30 Forum on Carbon Tax

Submitted by Carol Amick, for the Bedford League of Women Voters

*Mike Barrett will speak about the carbon tax during the LWV forum*

The Bedford League of Women Voters will hold a forum on a system of taxation called “carbon pricing” — or the “carbon tax” — on Sunday, March 30, from 3-5 pm at the home of Carol Amick and Bill Moonan, 18 Crescent Ave. Bedford’s State Senator, Michael Barrett of Lexington, will be the featured speaker.

Near the end of the forum, Bedford resident Dave Enos, who is Bedford’s “Solar Coach,” will briefly describe the discount solar energy installation program currently being offered to Bedford residents and businesses in association with the Bedford-Lexington Solarize Mass program.

The public is invited to attend; refreshments will be served.

Carbon pricing was adopted in the Canadian province of British Columbia in 2008 and today is under consideration in some U.S. states, including Massachusetts. Under this system, a tax is levied on the carbon content of fuels including coal, petroleum and natural gas, in proportion to the carbon dioxide thrown off as a byproduct of each of these fuels. Proponents believe that, resorting to such a sliding scale tax system will change consumer behavior because users can switch from a “dirty” fuel, like coal to a less dirty fuel, like oil or natural gas, with the result being lower taxes. Or they can switch to an alternative fuel like solar energy, which is the least dirty of these options.

The British Columbia experiment has demonstrated that this “environmental tax reform” can result in dollar-for-dollar reductions in state income and sales taxes.

Senator Barrett will describe the reasoning behind this new tax system, provide details on carbon tax legislation under consideration before the Massachusetts Legislature, and answer questions.

The Bedford League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization that works to increase understanding of public policy issues through education and advocacy. It encourages informed and active participation in government.

More information on the carbon tax forum is available by contacting Carol Amick at 781-275-5278.