Greenpeace exposed a strategy memo in which the CEO of the American Petroleum Institute explains that economic scare tactics are their best approach. They found that after spreading exaggerated estimates of job losses and rising energy costs of the Waxman-Markey bill, "these audiences changed their opinions on the bill significantly." Of course, their cost estimates rely on bogus Heritage Foundation studies funded by oil companies and they ignore more down-to-earth EPA estimates.
A principle organizer of Springfield's polluter rally is Illinois Petroleum Association lobbyist Dave Sykuta. Someone tipped me off that Sykuta is experienced at setting up front groups to push chicken-little predictions about clean air regulations. Back in the 90's, he created the hilariously named "Partnership for Environmental Progress" to fight EPA regulation of soot and smog.
The group produced outrageously exaggerated cost estimates for the regulations and even suggested they would take away your snow blower.
"The regulations could easily, in effect, be mandating a lifestyle police. See here my friend, the snow blower, all of us will be using the next several days, this could become an endangered item in the city, the common barbecue grill, once again, perhaps an endangered species." - David Sykuta
He made that claim over ten years ago. Did anyone reading this blog ever have EPA agents break up their family backyard cookout and confiscate the barbecue?

(PUT THE SPATULA DOWN!!!)
Polluting industries know that frightening people with horror stories of economic collapse and lost jobs is their best argument. It's not just Sykuta, who's simply doing the job he's paid to do. They all do it, all the time.
What's surprising is that no one in the press ever holds them accountable when their fear-mongering turns out to be total bullshit. Why should we be expected to keep falling for the same old tricks?