No New Energy Taxes - A Project of the National Taxpayers Union

Op-Eds and Commentary

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:46:57 +0000

The ‘Green Movement’ Can Become a Servant or a Dictator
Tulsa Beacon
March 4, 2010

Covering “ClimateGate”
Kansas City Star
February 25, 2010

How to Cap-and-Trade (away) Climate-Change Legislation
by Justin Kintz
The Daily Caller
February 22, 2010

Even More Defections from Global Warming
The Gazette
February 21, 2010

Urgency Unfounded on Cap and Trade Bill
Billings Gazette
February 20, 2010

The Sound of Alarm
The Boston Globe
February 19, 2010

Global Warming Backers Now in Role of Deniers
NewsOK.com
February 19, 2010

More Defections from Cap-and-Trade
The Orange County Register
February 16, 2010

The Red-Hot Scam Unravels
by Wesley Pruden
The Washington Times
February 16, 2010

What to Say to a Global Warming Alarmist
by Mark Landsblaum
The Orange County Register
February 12, 2010

Falling off the Climate Change Bandwagon
by Sarah Bull
Huddersfield Daily Examiner
January 29, 2010

U.S. Can’t Afford Cap and Trade
Argus Leader
January 9, 2010

Reader is against ‘cap and trade’ legislation
Tidewaternews.com
December 18, 2009

Cap and Trade in Practice
The Wall Street Journal
December 17, 2009

Cap and Trade eliminates Christmas in Beaumont TX
Gather.com
December 16, 2009

U. S. Should Not Sign Climate Pact Amid Economic Risks, Scientific Doubts
by Senator Roger Wicker
Clarksdale Press Register
December 16, 2009

‘Cap and Trade’ the Death Knell for American Industry
The Salem News
December 16, 2009

Will Cantwell’s Anti-Wall Street Climate Plan Catch On?
by Ben Geman
The Hill
December 14, 2009

Another Tax?
The Record
December 13, 2009

Answers Lacking on Cap and Trade
Capital Press Agriculture
December 10, 2009

Published Opinion

admin — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:17:45 +0000

Congress’s Energy Policy: What Others Are Saying

Various newspaper editorials and experts have agreed that excessive taxes on energy companies will create more problems than they will solve.

“Concerns that company insiders capture a substantial share of those profits are unfounded. These data strongly suggest that most of those profits go to the industry’s majority shareholders, who are middle-class U.S. households with mutual fund investments, pension accounts, other personal retirement accounts and small personal portfolios.”

“The Distribution of Ownership of U.S. Oil and Natural Gas Companies” Robert J. Shapiro and Nam D Pham, September 2007

“By taxing big oil companies, Congress gives them less cash to develop new sources of supply that would bring these prices down. America’s large integrated oil companies are profitable, but they also are the biggest spenders on exploration and R&D technologies. They have the greatest capacity to reach into the earth’s remotest regions to produce energy; now, they’ll do less of that.”

“Tax Cut for Hugo” Investor’s Business Daily Editorial March 3, 2008

“When crude-oil prices rise, so do gasoline prices. When oil companies’ tax bills rise, so do gasoline prices. Yet last week, when the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would raise the five largest oil companies’ tax tab by $18 billion over the next decade, the bill’s leading supporters hailed it as a path to lower energy prices.” -
“Supply, Demand and Gas Prices” The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC) Editorial March 5, 2008

If we want to make America more secure, decrease gasoline prices, have cleaner fuels, and increase the reliability of supplies, we need to get the government out of the way of the entrepreneurs who can deliver those things.” –
Andrew P. Morriss, “Energy Mythology”, Washington Times, July 4, 2007

“The tax code is a ball and chain around American Industry – putting US firms at a disadvantage.” -
Margo Thorning, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, American Council for Capital Formation, October 17, 2007

“High taxes and controls by the U.S. federal government raise world price of oil, which makes the U.S. more dependent on foreign producers and U.S. companies less competitive in a global market.”
Bob Murphy, IER, October 31 2007

“National energy policy should be guided by the principle of “do no harm.” The energy market should not be shackled with obstacles to resource access and development, and the market should not be forced to employ technologies before they are profitable. Mandates will only increase energy prices to consumers, exactly what Congress claims it doesn’t want to do.”
Mary Hutzler, Forbes.com August 24, 2007

“A tax on energy companies trickles down – what we get is a regressive tax that’s hardest on working class families, who will have to pay more to drive to work and heat their homes. Americans want the pain to be distributed in some way other than to be hardest on the poor.”
Bob Murphy, National Journal Interview, October 12, 2007

Real World Reactions

admin — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:14:31 +0000

“I am sick and tired of the government thinking they can tax their way out of everything. We need tax cuts, not more taxes. This is not the government’s money but ours and they need to be held to
account for every cent.”
Merrill S., Hooper, Nebraska

“The higher energy costs of not only gasoline, but electricity and natural gas, have caused all prices to climb. It has personally caused me to rethink my retirement date. I had planned to retire shortly after I turned 62 years of age, but may have to wait to see how energy will continue to affect the stock market.”
Donald M., Abilene, TX

Agriculture

Jamie Doggett

White Sulfur Springs, MT

Jamie Doggett is a Meagher County Commissioner and works with her husband, Jock, on their cattle and sheep ranch at Camas Creek. Jamie has worked in and around Montana state politics for two decades. She is also a leader in the humanities community in Montana.

“When fuel prices go up – all my costs go up. Feed. Operating equipment. Bringing cattle to market. When fuel prices spike because of new taxes – farmers and ranchers get squeezed even harder.”

Business Bill Penn Miles City, MT Bill Penn is the President of Energy Links, Inc., an energy consultancy firm based in Miles City. Prior to his work in private sector energy development, he was the Butte-Silver Bow Economic Development Director in Butte, MT.

“Montana’s economy has been outpacing what the rest of the country has been seeing. But new energy taxes will affect our employment situation. Energy jobs will be lost – and the rest of our economy will feel the impact. It’s just not what Montana can afford right now, while the U.S. economy is so fragile.”

Retiree

Linda Vaughey

Helena, MT

Linda served as Commissioner of Political Practices for Governor Marc Racicot, a position she held for eight years. She is now retired from state government, and still resides in Helena.

“So many of our public employees – our teachers and foremen and police – have pensions that invest in American energy companies. New energy taxes would take a bite out of their retirements, plain and simple.”