Comments on: Big Oil Misleads on California Renewable Energy Initiative

By: Sustainability, Environment, Progressive Politics, Peak Oil, Being Green. - The Good Human » The quiet lie: California Renewable Energy Initiative

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 06:10:57 +0000

[...] are paid for by Chevron. I was going to do a post about this Prop. in the next couple of days, but Think Progress has a great one up today that makes sense out of it all. Take a [...]

By: Charlie Peters

Charlie Peters — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 19:21:41 +0000

The $0.51 per gal. corporate welfare to the oil refiners for adding 5.6% ethanol to California gas is about $500,000,000.00 per year.

The ethanol may add over $1.00 per gal. to the gas profit in California.

That may be about $100 billion in oil profit from California motorists.

The science is interesting but so is the money.

A $4 billion Prop. 87 oil tax may add $40 billion in oil profit.

Charlie Peters
(510) 537-1796
Clean Air Performance Professionals

By: Justin Levine

Justin Levine — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 00:26:24 +0000

Maybe oil companies in California pay their fair share. Maybe they don’t. But the key isn’t to simply compare the severance taxes between California and the other states – you need to compare all of the AGGREGATE production taxes between California and othes. After all, it really doesn’t matter by what MECHANISM a company is taxed – the only thing that matters in the end is how much money they pay as a percentage of revenues.

For instance, California does not have a Prop. 87-style “severance” tax on oil production. Let’s say State X has a severance tax on oil production at 10% of the oil’s value. But let’s also say that state X has no coporate income tax or property tax, while California’s coporate income tax is 10% and the property tax against the oil company is another 15% (That’s not what it is in CA – but I’m just using hypothetical figures here to illustate the point). California would then likely be taxing oil companies more than State X – even though CA has no Prop. 87-style “severance” tax and State X does have one.

California probably taxes oil companies more than many states, but less than others. But until you compare all of the AGGREGATE state taxes on oil production, this is just an academic discussion.

By: California’s green wave, bumpy ride at California Connected Newsroom

California’s green wave, bumpy ride at California Connected Newsroom — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 18:33:16 +0000

[...] The “No on 87″ campaign is mostly funded by oil companies, with about $30 million in its reserves. The “Yes on 87″ campaign is relying primarily on donations from progressive billionaires and currently has about a $5 million budget. (Think Progress posted responses to claims made by “No on 87″ spots) [...]

By: California hits a green wave at California Connected Newsroom

California hits a green wave at California Connected Newsroom — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 22:15:15 +0000

[...] Think Progress has posted responses to the claims of the “No on 87″ spot. [...]

By: Rosencrantz

Rosencrantz — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 15:58:56 +0000

Not to mention the fact that the oil companies (and many other corporations) have been pulling this same bull**** for years. They complain that if they have to pay taxes or see some sort of regulation it will hurt consumers and the price at the pump will go up. SO, in the past, nothing was done, the price at the pump went up anyway and oil companies see record profits which they use to further push their political or corporate agenda.

Now, obviously that is their business and they can do that. However, for politicians or the brainwashed consumerist public to believe this trip is complete stupidity and ignorance of anything that has happened in the last 20 years.

The price seems to be going up practically every day lately and EVERYBODY is saying that we shouldn’t expect prices to drop anytime soon. Meanwhile, oil companies are seeing record profits every single quarter.

Anyone with even the slightest amount of brain power should be able to realize that even IF oil companies are right, it is a million times better for those higher gas prices to go towards alternative fuel research (or anything that benefits the public) than into the massive vaults of the oil execs. We will never get off the oil habbit so long as people keep running scared like morons when gas/oil companies say “oh, but that will hurt the consumer when the price goes up at the pump.” Funny how only taxes or regulations causing prices to go up at the pump hurts consumers (according to oil companies) but prices going up to fuel their massive profit margins doesn’t hurt or impact the customers at all.

By: Cheney/Voldemort 2008 Campaign HQ

Cheney/Voldemort 2008 Campaign HQ — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 14:55:29 +0000

Well, duh! Of course the Big Oil isn’t going to give up its obscene profits without a fight!

By: Zimzone

Zimzone — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 13:10:13 +0000

Big Oil = Bush Co
These capitalistic fearmongers wreck havoc on anyone’s
common sense. Ultra clean Coal technology has emerged.
Montana alone had enough coal to provide the U.S. with all
of it’s energy needs for several hundred years.
No CO2, no mercury & no sulphur emissions.
What are we waiting for? The oil companies to provide a solution?
I wouldn’t bet on it.
‘Who Killed the Electric Car’? See the movie. Think about it.
The solution is staring us in the face.
Don’t let profit motive keep us off track.
Let’s outsource the oil companies for a change. Take control of
our energy market back & out of the hands of extremists and big
fat scumbages that think the American people owe them a fortune.
Bush gives AMERICA a bad name.

By: ccoaler

ccoaler — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 12:22:22 +0000

guardian
chemicals

Reports suggested the plot revolved around liquid-based explosives, and all passengers from the UK and the US were being told they could not carry liquid or lotions onto flights. Heathrow officials said all milk for babies would have to be tasted by an “accompanying passenger”.

By: ccoaler

ccoaler — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 11:51:19 +0000

123nytimes: bomb plot thwarted in britain

By: ccoaler

ccoaler — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 11:50:37 +0000

nytimes: bomb plot thwarted in britain

By: Vance

Vance — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 11:18:06 +0000

Lil dick cheney keeps telling us that its no mistake we havent been attacked since 9/11. No shit dick,the attacks have been in the planning stages. This proves how much of a failure this whole Iraq war has been,and this should be the talking point on every thread from here on out. Failure.

By: Jay Randal

Jay Randal — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 06:31:58 +0000

The Oil Cartels lie about everything, so nothing surprises me anymore > greedy oil bastards!

By: Juan C

Juan C — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 03:27:27 +0000

What is our problem?
Comment by kimmy â€” August 9, 2006 @ 11:13 pm

You like the roar of big motors. Must be a low self-esteem issue.

By: kimmy

kimmy — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 03:13:50 +0000

Being really stupid here.
I went to Europe several years ago where they have strict pollution laws.
I rented a Renault station wagon with a 2.2 litre engine.
With 3 adults and 2 teenagers and all their luggage I got twice the milage out of this car with little polution.
Why? Laws covering pollution was dependant on motor tune up rather than crap added to motors.
Everything in NA is totally dependant on the computer.
No-one knows how to repair. Everyone knows how to look at computer read-outs.
Over here we are under the control of corporations telling us what is right for them, (not what is right for us).
Not only did I get great milage, I got great horsepower.
What is our problem?

By: RUCerious

RUCerious — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 03:13:35 +0000

Once again Cali takes it in the backside for big energy. Could these bastards do anything that wasn’t shady or illegal? Buy electric cars Cali, put the fat asses out of business!

By: Bowdler

Bowdler — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 03:02:36 +0000

Over here in Michigan we have a snake called a puff adder. They are perfectly harmless, but if they get scared they puff up and flatten thier head like a cobra. One day, I had a buddy by, that is less inclined to leave things be than I am. He kept poking at a puff adder (not hurting him), and the snake went through a whole repetoire of stunts. I can’t remember tham all, but of course the cobra thing was first, then I think about 5th or so was playing dead. Anyway, this thing went through about 8 different stunts, and then it went back to the first one, the cobra one, and did all the rest again.

What has this got to do with anything? The bush crowd seem to rely on a limited number of stunts, and use them over and over again. Much like the scaredy cat puff adder. During the 2001 Cali energy crisis, when enron was illegaly manipulating the market for profit, and Grey Davis was begging the feds (bush cheney et. al.) to intervene, bush gave several excuses not to intervene. Like : these are normal market forces, Cali has too many environmental laws, etc. But really what they were doing was covering for kenny boy (since smitten) lay. Does any of this remind anyone of the current situation. Oil co.s making record profits, gas at record prices, the excuse that these are just normal market forces.

Much like the puff adder these jerks have a limited number of stunts. They are apearant.

By: Just plain mad

Just plain mad — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 02:53:36 +0000

There are no conservatives in the Republican party. Just an template that Sammual and Prescott Bush provided for Adolph Hitler in the creation of Nazi Germany, down to the support for eugenics. The Republican party is a pathetic piece of authoritarin clones with a mind incapable of thinking in any direction but rule through military imperial pltocracy. The Democrats have given up on the working person and is hardly liberal, but works for K-Street connections, just as the Republicans do. The term conservative and liberal should be retired.

By: Bill from Dover

Bill from Dover — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 01:42:13 +0000

“Why is this tax being portrayed as a way to penalize big oil when it really penalizes small business and land owners?”

This one is always my favorite. Like the poor farmer that will lose the farm cus the inheritance tax will cripple him (BTW, show me that farmer), it will be the little guy that gets burnt. Gimmie a break!

By: progressaurus rex

progressaurus rex — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 01:19:45 +0000

dear world,
we have come to the conclusion that we have no future, therefore, we have no reason to care for the future. furthermore, our children (and especially your children, since it is too late for you moonbats) need to learn the difficult truths about natural selection and, more importantly, that financial gain is far more important than everything else.

so, to put it bluntly, there will be no world without oil. that, we can assure you.

and really, can you blame us? things might suck for you but it’s been going quite well for us, actually. and it has been since, well… we probably shouldn’t get into that, should we? it would just be rubbing salt in the wound.

one final thought: revelations is such a beautiful description of the end of life as we know it, and hey, we’re not going to waste it! we have to fulfil the prophecy. otherwise, the bible wouldn’t be true, and we can’t have that, can we?

praise the lord and his godly gift of oil and, lest we forget, george w bush.
oh, and jesus. heh.

â€˜THE HANGMAN EQUALS DEATH!
THE DEVIL EQUALS DEATH!
DEATH EQUALS DEATH!â€™

love and smooches,
the oil industry