Ex-vice president and environmental crusader Al Gore appeared at a rally in California to lend his support for Proposition 87, an initiative targeted toward oil companies. If it passes Nov. 7, oil companies will be taxed on oil taken from California, and charged billions to produce alternative energy sources to reduce California’s reliance on fossil fuels.
Gore arrived to the rally in his eco-friendly “100 miles per gallon” Toyota Prius hybrid, but his entourage followed in two limousines and a Dodge Ram pickup truck. They may not be so excited about leaving the style and comfort for alternative fuel vehicles.
Posted by Angie Holladay
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16 Comments
I know environmentalists who have two 4,000 square foot houses. We should all live in pop ups and herd sheep.
“Oil companies will be taxed…”Only indirectly. Who do you suppose will end up paying for the tax? The consumer?Stupid libs.
“They may not be so excited about leaving the style and comfort for alternative fuel vehicles.”
Spoiled brats! What happens to tough guy who can overcome all hardships image that America is proud of exhibiting? Has it all gone since we now bubble-wrapped our kids at all time?
The California proposal to tax instate oil production is actually common, the idea being that a state resource should generate public revenue.
In this instance, the proposed revenue stream will fund alternative-energy research and development, something that makes sense for California, because it already has the largest alternate-energy R&D and manufacturing cluster in the nation (solar, wind, geothermal). In essence it’s not a start-from-scratch blue sky proposition.
The alternative energy products will not simplistically “rob” the oil companies and gasoline-vehicle drivers, they will put California far ahead of the rest of the nation in the race to create a post-petroleum economy. So, for example, if Californians make the most durable and efficient wind generators, where are Kansas going to buy wind generators? From the companies that make the most reliable and efficient generators. California companies.
It’s like those overhead irrigation systems out in western Kansas and your home’s lawn sprinklers. Where are they from? California. That’s because California pioneered diesel-powered high-volume, groundwater pumping and spraying technology and suburban greenscape sprinkler systems (e.g. Rainbird, Nelson, Toro, Hunter). The innovators started out trying to meet local needs, but then they shrewdly expanded their marketing to farmers, homeowners and business office parks in every state that didn’t get enough rain to grow crops, or keep lawns green in the summer.
So by getting a big headstart, which Californians will be paying for in higher gasoline costs, Californians will develop advanced technology that will be cheaper for people in other states to purchase, rather than doing their own start-up R&D. For example, California companies will hold patents on top-efficiency technologies, thus forcing other states to either buy things like wind and solar generators from California or else futz around, trying to invent their own new products, a costly and inefficient process. The patents will expire after 20 years, making it possible to eventually manufacture the products anywhere, but by then Californians will have come up with even better newly-patented products.
So this isn’t a payment-transfer “welfare plan for scientists and engineers” scheme, it’s a seed-grant proposal to create a viable, world-leading profit-generating industry.
Moreover, “cheap” gasoline is a mirage. Americans pay billions of dollars annually for smog-related illnesses, such as asthma. Communities across the nation have spent large sums trying to clean up MTBE contamination, and in many cases, pollution of groundwater wells can’t even be addressed except by shutting down wells, and then buying more expensive clean water from other sources. We could cite numerous other real-money costs of fossil fuels that the producers have not had to bear, and society really hasn’t given much thought to previously.
The wellhead-tax initiative may not pass next month, because there are several high-cost infrastructure-improvement measures on the 2006 ballot. But it has a chance of passing, and if it doesn’t pass this time, it will within 2-6 years. The proposal is a winner, if one looks at the benefits to California’s economic future.
Then there simply wont be any oil produced there. But I believe Hotlicks is on to something. I did some tax reading a while back and the dude had a far out idea. Why are businesses taxed at all? They do not have money printing privileges. The only money they have is what you and I give them. So guess where they get this money to pay these taxes. Yep, from you and I.
It seems the politicians would rather tax those “evil” businesses than tax you DIRECTLY. They still get the money..but you dont feel like a complete whore.
The pols even like the lottery and gambling better. The lottery is the absolute best way to scam poor people and make them feel good about it at the same time.
Remember every dime the local bread store or refinery or dress shop pays in taxes….comes from YOUR pocket. Not theirs , since they do not have any money other than what YOU give them when you buy something.
Angie Holladay,
Re your headline, and “his entourage followed in two limousines…”
An eyewitness, http://www.citizengreen.com/?p=33 claims that the “two limousines” were “normal, 4-door Lincoln’s”, and were security.
Was the security group a permanent part of Gore’s staff, or just hired for the event?If hired for the event, who hired them? Was there even a choice of hiring security driving high mpg vehicles?
Hands-on conservation is for the little people. Politicians and celebrities are doing their part by just speaking out about it, don’tcha know?
chuckle.
Mr. Bill-You are a genius. Corporations don’t pay taxes.Cosmos and all the rest of you commie lib bastards-Linking to Slate, Olberman, citizen green gets you nowhere except with your other commie lib bastards.Why don’t you admit it? Whine nationally, whine eternally.THE SKY IS FALLING!Liberals:Saving the Earth with everybody elses money.
Quite the little rant you went on their hothead. We always are interested in the take of our resident bi polar idiot who alternates between political rants and random thoughts of food. My advice is to get back on your meds.
There is plenty of room for corporations to pay their fair share. Let’s start by putting a salary cap on CEOs and reinstituting the capital gains tax. Then maybe Exxon will not so enjoy their NEXT economic quarter as they have their last 2 record ones.
“Saving the Earth with everybody elses money.”
Damn right, coldick, and hopefully it’s yours.
outlander,
Which celebrity and/or politician in recent times was/is least “green”?
For #2, I nominate actor/politician Reagan, who rolled back CAFE standards, and caused oil demand (and imports) to rise.
This 1990 op-ed explains the damage he caused,http://www.rmi.org/images/other/Security/S90-26_MakeFuelEffGulf.pdf(I wont bother naming the obvious #1).
mrbill,
Duuuuhh… if businesses didn’t pay taxes, individuals would have to pay more anyway.
hotlicks,
Is impotent name-calling, attacking the messenger, and ranting the best game you’ve got? That’s very weak.
Please, try to give me a credible source proving this is bogus: http://www.citizengreen.com/?p=33
If you cannot, then I’m right, and you’re wrong.
Piss and moan you liberal commie panty wearing america haters. I’m gonna teach you to pee standing up or make you sit in my whiz. It’s a new american dawn and I am king freaking kong on steroids hennese and cheetos. I am the striped ass ape of this blog.
Yes, I know we would pay more anyway, but we are paying them already with prices. Thats what the pols want, to get more money, and they would rather do it indirectly. See how everyone is all hopped up to make the cig or oil companies pay more taxes. But who pays that 40 cent tax on your gallon of gas…??? Not the evil oil co. Who do you think pays the 10 billion dollars in tax that Exxon will pay this year. Exxon has NO money unless you and I give it some.
But by getting them to pay it with OUR MONEY for YOU and I, the pols make us feel better
But they know its harder to get you and I to pay if they have to tax us directly. They do it under the guise of taxing the evil corp. But as you say we pay it one way or the other. Since we are the only entity that has the money, and we give it to the business so they then pay their taxes.
If we could get the pols to tax us directly we could maybe hold them more accountable, by voting on them or the taxes. All the indirect taxes are to make you feel good about it. Sin taxes and the like.
But as you say , it takes X amount to run things and it has to come from somewhere.
Although I must agree with several of the points in the 12:20 AM post above,I did not write it.I think I have a friend on this site who does not care for my opinions. This person is most likely a cowardly liberal.I mean liberal. Cowardly liberal is redundant. Suck it.
“I am the striped ass ape of this blog.”
With no uncertainty, I can agree with coldick on that statement. All one has to do is read his posts to know his thought process shows the mentality of said “striped ass ape”.
Hey Al, have you hugged a tree today?