UPDATE: The Governor vetoed this bill.
NOTE: I am so pleased to see that both the Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce and the Bullhead City Chamber of Commerce signed on in support of the bill. I wonder where the Kingman Chamber of Commerce stands.
April 11, 2008
The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Office of the Governor
1700 W. Washington Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Dear Governor Napolitano:
As chambers of commerce across Arizona, we encourage you to sign HB 2220 to
permanently repeal the state equalization property tax. Signing this legislation would
prevent an approximately $250 million annual tax hike on businesses and residential
property owners during a time when Arizonans are experiencing economic strain.
The statewide business community has made permanent repeal of the state equalization
rate a top priority for the 2008 legislative session. Currently, commercial property owners in Arizona pay more than twice the amount in taxes that residential property owners pay. That places Arizona in the top highest for commercial property taxes and far above our neighboring states, thus harming our competitiveness.
The business community recognizes the severity of the state’s fiscal crisis. We remain
convinced; however, that the economy is best stimulated by private enterprise. Creating an environment in which businesses can flourish will allow companies to make additional investments that will advance our economy in a powerful way. During this economic crisis, we have an opportunity to put policies in place that position us for future success. Permanently repealing the statewide equalization rate is one important step in that direction.
Sincerely,
Ajo District Chamber of Commerce
Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce
Benson-San Pedro Valley Chamber of Commerce
Camp Verde Chamber of Commerce
Chino Valley Area Chamber of Commerce
East Valley Chambers of Commerce Alliance:
Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce
Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce
Chandler Chamber of Commerce
Gilbert Chamber of Commerce
Mesa Chamber of Commerce
Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce
Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce
Tempe Chamber of Commerce
Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce
Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce
Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce
Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce
Pinetop-Lakeside Chamber of Commerce
Prescott Chamber of Commerce
Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce
Sedona Chamber of Commerce
Southern Arizona Chambers of Commerce Alliance:
Marana Chamber of Commerce
Nogales-Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce
Northern Pima County Chamber of Commerce
Rio Rico Chamber of Commerce
Greater Sierra Vista Area Chamber of Commerce
Tucson Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered Chamber of Commerce
Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
St. John’s Regional Chamber of Commerce
Tri-City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
West Valley Chambers of Commerce Alliance:
Buckeye Valley Chamber of Commerce
Glendale Chamber of Commerce
Peoria Chamber of Commerce
Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce
Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce
Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce
Williams-Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce
Yuma County Chamber of Commerce
Friday, April 11, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
More Failure of Windpower
Hawaii Reporter: Hawaii ReporterMore Failures of Wind EnergyBy Michael R. Fox Ph.D., 4/6/2008 4:49:27 PM
While wind energy is being wildly supported by many in the U.S., there have always been drawbacks to the performance and costs of these machines. The U.S. has had a heavily subsidized romance with them for nearly 40 years and too few of the state and federal policy makers have taken a close look at what the tens of billions in subsidies have actually done for the taxpayers.
These wind energy programs have made many companies such as Florida Power and Light very wealthy because of the heavy subsidies, tax credits, and accelerated depreciation allowance. Additional benefits come from local taxing authorities. This source of energy remains very unreliable and limited, having produced only about 1% of the nation’s energy for decades.
Such companies are far less interested in windmills than in the legalized tax evasion programs at their disposal. There is little promise that this will improve in the future, for the simple reason that the wind remain unpredictable, unreliable, and intermittent. For example, during the years of 2002 and 2003, Florida Power and light owner of the majority of windmills in the US did not pay any taxes on revenues of more than $2 billion dollars (http://tinyurl.com/5tb7pj). It was estimated that FPL took more than $1.2 billion in deductions during those two years, avoiding payments of hundreds of millions in taxes (http://tinyurl.com/5tb7pj). You and I paid those for them.
Remarkably, even after all this time such tax evasion programs are wildly supported by state legislatures, Congress, the media, the greens, and too many state and federal agencies. Many states now have the onerous Renewable Portfolio Standards which require utilities to have a sizable fraction (often 20%) of their energy sales to be from “renewable” energy sources such as wind energy. That is, state legislators require that its citizens to pay the taxes for large corporations. We are not being protected from our own government’s costly edicts.
While wind energy is being wildly supported by many in the U.S., there have always been drawbacks to the performance and costs of these machines. The U.S. has had a heavily subsidized romance with them for nearly 40 years and too few of the state and federal policy makers have taken a close look at what the tens of billions in subsidies have actually done for the taxpayers.
These wind energy programs have made many companies such as Florida Power and Light very wealthy because of the heavy subsidies, tax credits, and accelerated depreciation allowance. Additional benefits come from local taxing authorities. This source of energy remains very unreliable and limited, having produced only about 1% of the nation’s energy for decades.
Such companies are far less interested in windmills than in the legalized tax evasion programs at their disposal. There is little promise that this will improve in the future, for the simple reason that the wind remain unpredictable, unreliable, and intermittent. For example, during the years of 2002 and 2003, Florida Power and light owner of the majority of windmills in the US did not pay any taxes on revenues of more than $2 billion dollars (http://tinyurl.com/5tb7pj). It was estimated that FPL took more than $1.2 billion in deductions during those two years, avoiding payments of hundreds of millions in taxes (http://tinyurl.com/5tb7pj). You and I paid those for them.
Remarkably, even after all this time such tax evasion programs are wildly supported by state legislatures, Congress, the media, the greens, and too many state and federal agencies. Many states now have the onerous Renewable Portfolio Standards which require utilities to have a sizable fraction (often 20%) of their energy sales to be from “renewable” energy sources such as wind energy. That is, state legislators require that its citizens to pay the taxes for large corporations. We are not being protected from our own government’s costly edicts.
Biofuels Hit the Fan
From a recent news article in the Hawaii Reporter:
"Time Magazine has a cover story called “The Clean Energy Scam” (http://tinyurl.com/2w84uj). Author Michael Grunwald illuminates a number of well-known problems connected to ethanol, as well as discussing some of the newer ones. He points out that ethanol production increases global warming, destroys forests, and inflates food prices. And as stated above, ethanol contains 33% less energy, gallon for gallon, than gasoline. In other words, your car’s mileage will decrease."
"People often talk about “unintended consequences”, but with a worrying level of declining science literacy among the public and their elected officials, “unintended consequences” looks more like government sponsored willful negligence. As P.J. O’Rourke said “Some people will do anything to save the planet except take a science course”."
Hawaii Reporter: Hawaii Reporter
"Time Magazine has a cover story called “The Clean Energy Scam” (http://tinyurl.com/2w84uj). Author Michael Grunwald illuminates a number of well-known problems connected to ethanol, as well as discussing some of the newer ones. He points out that ethanol production increases global warming, destroys forests, and inflates food prices. And as stated above, ethanol contains 33% less energy, gallon for gallon, than gasoline. In other words, your car’s mileage will decrease."
"People often talk about “unintended consequences”, but with a worrying level of declining science literacy among the public and their elected officials, “unintended consequences” looks more like government sponsored willful negligence. As P.J. O’Rourke said “Some people will do anything to save the planet except take a science course”."
Hawaii Reporter: Hawaii Reporter
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