In Response to Re: Election 2012 Debate Season : The cost of alternatives has to be weighed into the equation. Just keep in mind that there are people connected - livelihoods for them and surrounding areas.  What are you gonna do with them? The President and his Administration haven't done real well in picking winner and losers in the alternative energy area. We need a new way to help with start up cost other than grants in case of failure of the business enterprise - maybe a low interest loan with first dib on recovery of taxpayer money if the company does not make it. We have to also be competitive - if the Chinese can make it cheaper, they will be big time competition for any company wanting to get into the field whether it is batteries or wind or solar. Why should we subsidize energy efficiency in our tax structure?  Tax expenditures are massive for hybrid car buying, solar panel installation, etc. for both individuals and businesses.  Those are just the ones I know about off the top of my head. There is a whole lot more to it than just saying it is to be and throwing money, that we don't really have, at it.
Posted by GailL1

In Response to Re: Election 2012 Debate Season : You do know that this "royalty exclusion" goes back to 2005 Energy Tax Legislation that the (then) Senator Obama voted for -as well as many other Democrats because they wanted to up production of domestic oil and this was part of how they did it. Should they still get this? - Well that is a matter for the President to answer - does he feel that this legislation is keeping production up? This is no different than one state giving a tax incentive to a business whom they want to locate or relocate to their state. Tax incentives are the only way that government can really deal for what they want regardless of the industry or the focal point of any desired action or results from a business, industry or individual.
Posted by GailL1

In Response to Re: Election 2012 Debate Season : I think you are pinpointing the wrong villians here - Government can give and Government can take away but for every action there is a reaction - that is exactly the way government looks at their ability to receive a desired action. Want to increase employment of Veterans - government gives a tax break to employers that do it. Want to make energy efficiency a good thing for homeowners - government gives a tax break to them for buying certain energy efficient appliances Want to increase employers participation in employee health care benefits - give them a tax break for doing it OR penalize them if they don't. Want to increase production of domestic oil - give them a tax break for their efforts Want to increase the sale of hybrid cars - give them a tax break for buying such Want to make us more competitive in the world market - look at the capital gains rate as it compares to the rest of the world Want to increase retirement savings - give a tax break Right or wrong, it is the tax structure which government uses to get what they want from us.  When a matter is changed in this regards, all matters have to be taken into consideration as to what the effects will be. You have to ask yourself if removing some of these royalty incentives from the Oil industry would produce higher prices for all of us?  If it is a business expense as in any other industry, cost are passed along in the price of the goods or services. I rely on government to make the right decision on these things but many times there are extenuating circumstances.  Example:  I think we all agree that Defense spending can and should be lowered - keep us safe but don't overdo.  However, many places depend on these industries for jobs (just google Lima, Ohio and the tank industry) - the only time that we can get all of them together - Democrats and Republicans - is when they are fighting to keep jobs in their state. Whomever is elected on Tuesday, will have some real big decision to make and all of them will affect each of us, no matter who we are because we are all connected - rich, poor, in-between, abled or disabled, old or young, business, individual, urban, suburban, rural. No man is an island unto themself.
Posted by GailL1