Obama, Aides Consider Appointing Energy 'Czar'

[jefferson_dem]

Obama, Aides Consider Appointing Energy 'Czar'
By STEPHEN POWER and NEIL KING JR.

WASHINGTON -- President-elect Barack Obama and his aides are close to naming a slate of appointees to run the departments of Interior and Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency amid debate on whether to establish a White House-level post to coordinate policies on climate change and dependence on Middle East oil.

The wrangle over the creation of a high-level energy council or climate "czar" could determine which appointees will run the three agencies, which have the biggest impact on energy and climate policy.

It also reflects the bureaucratic challenge some of Mr. Obama's advisers see in managing the many federal agencies that have a hand in energy policy, including the Transportation Department, which sets vehicle fuel-economy standards; the Interior Department; which controls access to oil and natural gas on federal land; and the EPA, which regulates air quality.

<SNIP>

Various policy centers -- including one led by John Podesta, who heads the Obama transition effort -- have advocated the creation of an energy council led by a high-level adviser within the White House. Some on the transition team have expressed reservations about the idea, people familiar with the matter said.

People familiar with the selection process said Mr. Obama's top aides plan to meet in Chicago this weekend to help the president-elect choose nominees for the top energy and environmental posts, and that an announcement could come as early Tuesday. A spokesman for the Obama transition team declined to comment Friday.

Among the leading candidates to run the EPA are Lisa Jackson, a former commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection who is now chief of staff to New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine; and Mary Nichols, chairman of the California Air Resources Board, people close to the selection process said.

The EPA administrator's influence on energy policy is expected to grow both as a result of Mr. Obama's support for regulating greenhouse-gas emissions and a 2007 Supreme Court decision that found the Clean Air Act authorizes the agency to regulate such emissions if it determines they cause or contribute to air pollution that endangers public health or welfare.

<SNIP>

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122851742327183933.html?xid=rss-page

[HereSince1628]

1. Why can't high level cabi-nuts learn to talk to each other? So as to save tax dollars?

Why do we have to have a freaking Czar for every problem? ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS ARE INTERCONNECTED, get over it and work together.


We bought them a freakingly large fancy cabinet table to sit the around. Maybe they should USE it????????

[glowing]

2. Why do we have to have Czar's .. WTF is up with everyone wanting to appoint

Czar? Can't people just do the jobs. We do have an EPA that used to be rather effective.

[Kdillard]

3. Maybe I am wrong or misunderstanding but I thought these various groups didn't meet

regularly and part of the problem and how Bush was able to get away with alot of his crap was due to one hand not knowing what the other was doing until it was too late. I understand the objections but I wouldn't mind a Energy Czar or whatever if it enabled the different groups that are interconnected to be able to communicate with each other more effectively and get things done that will be able to get us going in the right direction energy wise. In any case it doesn't sound like it is a done deal so we will see what happens.

[Fovea]

4. I guess the czar is there

to keep the peasants from demanding prez-elect Obama keep his oil windfall profits tax promise.

[AllentownJake]

5. I don't think people understand something

If there are no windfall profits, there is not tax revenue from windfall profit tax.

If we pass a windfall profit tax and the price of gas goes up we take the blame for the increase. It becomes a GOP talking point.

The reason for the oil price increase had very little to do with demand and more to do with poor regulation on commodity trading and over the American oil industry. Ask yourself this...at one time when gas was increasing in price did you have to wait in line to get gas like you did in the 1970s? The commodity traders created a scheme similar to the Holland Tulip Mania. Oil was never worth what we were paying for it but commodity traders with the aid of the White House bidded up oil to the point where the market collapsed. It was a classic bubble.

I know some people on here don't understand that yes Virginia...politics is involved in crafting an agenda. The oil companies and traders are going to work to keep prices down to prevent new energy policies...which is what we really need to be focusing on.

[polichick]

6. imo these are the most interesting positions - can't wait to see what he does!