Slashdot Mirror
Valley Firms Push California Oil Tax
isabotage3 writes, "Still smarting from California's recent enactment of emissions caps, the oil industry is confronting another assault in the Golden State — this one bankrolled in part by Silicon Valley tycoons pushing to fund conservation and alternative-energy initiatives with a tax on oil output. Slightly more than half the money raised by the Prop 87 tax would be earmarked to help cut gasoline and diesel use. Another 27 percent would be put toward alternative-energy research at California universities. The remainder would be used to help start-ups, retrain energy workers in new fields, and for administration." Oil companies claim the backers of Prop 87, some of them venture capitalists, would profit from state money flowing into the alternative-energy projects they are funding.
Wait until the Oil companies refuse to sell oil to anyone in California. I know that it will be interesting to hear about a tie up on the 105 and realize they are talking about a hitching post for horse and buggies and not a traffic jam.
I read Slashdot for the headlines, because the headlines, unlike the articles, are usually original and never duplicated
And this causes us to get out our little tiny violins? And they have the nerve to cry about this after record profits over the summer of 2006?. Give me a FUCKING BREAK, people! After decades of gaming the American political system and economy and treating us all like their little crack whores, Big Oil is crying in their bag of money that we're going to tax them to get out of the technological hole they've dug for us!! I am currently rolling something between my forefinger and thumb, and it's not the world's smallest violin playing "my heart bleeds for Lee Raymond." It's Just. A. Booger.
My book, podcast
Which is why I am completely in favor of California raising its gas prices to pay for research into alternatives.
... this legislation is being sold as "someone else" (i.e. the evil oil companies) is paying for it - and that the consumer is not going to be out a nickel more. That particular point is unmitigated bullshit, but is how this will convince all those economically astute voters to pass legislation of immediate and calculable benefit to a small group and of, at best, long-term and indeterminate benefit to those footing the bill.
But!
How about this? If Californians think that alternative fuels are the best path, then they can take the money that they'd be paying in additional taxes, and invest it in the company of their choice - and if they think it's a waste of their money, they can spend it on DRM-restricted songs. Ah, they wouldn't invest? Then, by golly, we'll legislate them to do so, for their own good of course.