May 09, 2011 9:23 am ET
Senate Democrats say they will move forward this week with a plan to eliminate tax giveaways for the top oil companies, which would save taxpayers billions. Republicans have voted in lockstep to protect these giveaways - but lately, their rhetoric has shifted. Will they change course and put the American people before their oil company donors?
Define: Oil company profits are at record highs, but Washington Republicans are using high gas prices as an excuse to keep handing them billions.
Discredit: Taxpayer-funded handouts for oil companies won't do anything to relieve the pain Americans feel at the pump -- and only drive our deficit higher.
Expose: Giving tax breaks to oil companies to drill is like paying the sun to rise every morning, but politicians are protecting them for their oil company CEO donors.
Offer solutions: We can start reducing our deficit right now by getting rid of wasteful tax giveaways for oil companies and reducing our dependence on oil by developing clean, safe sources of energy that will create American jobs and never run out.
"Obama's energy policies are driving up gas prices."
"We need to continue subsidies for oil companies to encourage domestic drilling."
"Subsidies for wind and solar energy have resulted in virtually nothing."
CORE MESSAGE
Connect: American families are struggling -- oil companies aren't.Oil companies raking in record profits get enough of our money at the pump -- they don't need billions of our tax dollars, too.
Define: Oil company profits are at record highs, but Washington Republicans are using high gas prices as an excuse to keep handing them billions.
Discredit: Taxpayer-funded handouts for oil companies won't do anything to relieve the pain Americans feel at the pump -- and only drive our deficit higher.
Expose: Giving tax breaks to oil companies to drill is like paying the sun to rise every morning, but politicians are protecting them for their oil company CEO donors.
Offer solutions: We can start reducing our deficit right now by getting rid of wasteful tax giveaways for oil companies and reducing our dependence on oil by developing clean, safe sources of energy that will create American jobs and never run out.
ATTACKS& RESPONSES
"Obama's energy policies are driving up gas prices."
- Republicans are using rising gas prices as an excuse to protect their oil company donors and to launch false political attacks.
- U.S. oil production rose in 2010 to the highest it's been in years -- higher than during most of the Bush years, and increased domestic drilling would do nothing to reduce the pain Americans are feeling at the pump.
- Instead of protecting oil companies at the expense of taxpayers, we should get to work to reduce our oil dependence by developing clean, safe sources of energy that will create millions of new jobs and never run out.
"We need to continue subsidies for oil companies to encourage domestic drilling."
- Washington Republicans have made their priorities clear - they want to give away billions of our hard-earned tax dollars to oil companies, even though their profits are at record highs.
- Expanding domestic drilling would do nothing to reduce the pain Americans are feeling at the pump.
"Subsidies for wind and solar energy have resulted in virtually nothing."
- Wind power has been the fastest-growing source of new electric power for years, and the solar industry grew by almost 70% last year alone and put the U.S. back in the forefront of the global energy industry.
- The best way to bring jobs and prosperity back to this country is also the best way to end our dependence on foreign oil - by harnessing our limitless supply of clean energy and building wind turbines, solar panels, and energy-efficient products that say "Made in America."
- We have led every technological revolution of the last two centuries, from electricity to telephone to automobiles, and we can lead this one too.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- More than 70% of Americans want to get rid of subsidies for Big Oil, and nearly 75% support increased federal fundingfor clean energy innovation.
- More than 70% of Americans say they feeling financial strain from high gas prices.
- High gas prices mean massive profits for oil companies- Exxon's profits jumped nearly 70%as they raked in over $10 billion since January alone.
- In the past decade, the top five oil companies made nearly a trillion dollars in profits. In 2009 alone, the CEOs of five major oil companies took home almost $70 millioncombined.
- Oil and gas companies spent $16 million last year to elect Republicans, and $146 million on lobbyingin 2010 alone. Conglomerate billionaires the Koch Brothers have pledged to spend nearly $100 million to beat President Obama and Democrats in 2012.
- Republicanshave voted in lockstepagainst ending oil subsidies and recouping billions of hard-earned taxpayer dollars from them.
- The 2012 Republican budget would slash funding for energy research and development, eliminate incentives for developing wind, solar power and other alternative energy technologies, and protect subsidies for oilcompanies.
- Republicans have long opposed setting fuel economy standards or developing sources of clean energy, which would help reduce our dependence on oil.
- The GOP budget slashes more than $50 million from oversight of oil markets -- even though Wall Street speculation in oil markets has been a contributor to oil price surges.
Joram,
ReplyDeleteI wish I lived in a state that had a near balance of party affiliation. I however live in an extreme red state. My writing and email and calling is treated by my senators as if it never happened, and by the Governor and my Congressional Representative as if I am in agreement with them. I write or call to ask their support on something, and a month later I get a confusing letter that sounds as if we are in agreement on the issue and they voted with my intent, which they did not. Most of my political efforts are out of state, giving money and contacting what I see as targetable people in other states.
Joram:
ReplyDeleteCalif. Ballot Measure Would Create Oil Tax
Money Generated Would Fund Education
By Ed Joyce
May 9, 2011
Initiative supporters have just received approval from California Secretary of State Debra Bowen to circulate petitions.
The proposed measure would put a 15 percent tax on each barrel of oil extracted in California.
The money raised would benefit K-12 and higher education.
One of the three initiative supporters, Paul Garver, lives in San Diego.
Garver said California is the only major oil producing state that doesn't tax oil when it's removed from the ground.
"California produces about 600,000 barrels a day, which is just below Alaska's rate," said Garver. "We're the third largest producer in the country. If we tax at that rate we'll raise, depending on the price of oil, between $2 and $4 billion a year."
Garver said 30 percent of the oil tax revenue would go to K-12 education, 48 percent to community colleges and 11 percent each to the University of California and California State University.
He said the 15 percent tax would not be passed on to consumers by oil companies.
"And the reason is that there's no economic mechanism to pass this tax on to consumers other than collusion or fraud," said Garver. "But we have a provision in the initiative that if it appears that they have tried to do that illegally then that money can be recovered and returned to consumers."
Garver said there is also a provision prohibiting producers from passing the tax on to refiners, gasoline stations, or consumers.
________________________________________
Whit says, "Sounds like a good way to relieve the financial stresses on public school education in California."
I hope they are successful in reducing these damn subsidies. Love watching the Republicans squirm as they try to defend them, and try to recast the debate as "Dems raising taxes".....
ReplyDeleteI am having major issues with my blog. I will answer your comments shortly. Sorry
ReplyDeleteWhit -
ReplyDeleteRepublicans want to cut funding for Head Start, Pell Grants and cancer research. But what would make a whole lot more sense is to cut tax breaks for big oil companies, offshore tax havens and outsourcing instead.
Skinny -
ReplyDeletePressed repeatedly by Jon Karl to stake out a position on tax credits enjoyed by offshore oil companies, (R) Joe Barton argued that the subsidies represent equal treatment, and are required to keep the companies like Exxon-Mobil from going out of business.
"Over time if you put so many disincentives against any U.S. manufacturing or production company, or oil and gas exploration company, they'll go out of business," Barton said.
What a crock of shit!!!
fringe -
ReplyDeleteI guess it's like living between a rock and a hard place...they have by the "short hairs!"
illumination Guy's:
ReplyDeleteIf we can stop the oil companies from "lubing" the campaign wheels of the politicians, we will end the subsidies.