vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen

6.22.2007

Fueling the debate

Democrats in Washington tried and failed yesterday to do what some Democrats in Montpelier wanted to do this year: tax big oil companies to pay for alternative energy.

In Washington, Republican lawmakers blocked the move to raise taxes on oil companies by about $32 billion and used the money on tax breaks for wind power, solar power, ethanol and other renewable fuels.

In Montpelier this past winter there was talk of taxing big oil to pay for the energy efficiency program that’s now the subject of a gubernatorial veto. Trouble here was that the Exxons of the world are not based in St. Albans or Bennington, so there were jurisdictional issues. Instead, the Legislature opted to tax Vermont Yankee, the governor vetoed it and there we sit.

The bill in the U.S. Senate would raise gas mileage standards from about 25 mpg to 35 mpg by 2020. Sen. Bernie Sanders also touted grants in the bill for state and local energy efficiency projects and job training for "green-collar" jobs.

The New York Times story on the bill includes a photo of the Greening the U.S. Capitol news conference depicting part of Rep. Peter Welch’s head behind Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 9:43 AM |

Comments:

Republicans blocking taking money out of big oil's pockets? Gee, that's a shock. Will this cause the GOP base to view its party leaders differently? No way. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can always fool the GOP base. Just inject abortion, gun control and God. To hell with the pocketbook issues that are shredding the middle class and placing even larger demands on local economies to provide increased services for the poor. What would Jesus say?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:59 AM, June 22, 2007

Until corporate leadership gets fixed, I'll never be on the side of corporations.

I don't care if the issue seems to treat them unfairly.

There should be no liability restrictions. Corporations are supposed to pay a higher tax and in return get reduced liability which means less accountability for those owning and running the company. They are alos allowed to show losses over a few years while still benefiting from reduced libility without penalty. The problem is that, the people running these bodies are so shady they purposefully hide profits to minimize the tax while at the same time pushing for even more reductions in liability and paying those running the company salaries that are just unrealistic. Fiurthermore, the people who set those salaries are those who benefit from those salaries. Executive salary review boards are composed of executives from other companies.

Corporations were built with the blood, sweat, and in some cases tax money of US citizens. The current globalization under corporate executive's terms is what amounts to back stabbing US citizens. In the end, corporations will be the undoing of the US as a world leader.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:27 AM, June 22, 2007

She still hasn't denied that she's running.

See the headline in today's Times Argus: "WILL SHE OR WON'T SHE". It's all about Terri H's stealth campaign against Congressman Welch in 2008.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:02 PM, June 22, 2007

Please stop beating the "will Terri run" dead horse. It was only cute the first 10 times.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:31 PM, June 22, 2007

It isn't a joke.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:29 PM, June 22, 2007

No joking - I ain't running. Not now nor at any other time, other than the kind of running that involves sneakers and sore achilles tendons. The notion that someone would mention my name in that vein indicates just how few known, realistic candidates are out there. But really, out of 600,000 or so Vermonters, I'd rank pretty close to 599,999th as being a realistic candidate. Time to spin the speculation-o-meter and see where else it lands.
- TH

# Posted by: