Sunday, May 29, 2011

Who really elected Tipton


At a time in America’s history, a time when we read headlines and view television news which talk about the proposed cuts to student loans, which results in limiting who can afford a college education,
At a time when those in power are aiming to cut or do away with Medicare, Medicade and Social Security, on which far too many of our elderly depend on for any type of health care, for food on their tables
At a time when each of us knows there must be a way to reduce out country’s debt, spending, we find in the news that the five major oil companies have broken all records with their phenomenal profits…and yet, as an example, we Colorado tax payers are paying $25 million every year to these big oil companies as subsidies, as charity.
Last week this played out again as the Senate, all its Republicans and 4 Democrats (from oil states) voted down a bill that would have cut those subsidies, that charity…

Those votes only serve to make it harder to cut government spending…these votes force the cuts onto Americans who can’t pay campaign contributions, our kids, our elderly, our veterans, the working class.
Take for example the fact that America, once on the top of the list, is now placed at 17 and 25 in education for our youth in science and math. Where will America’s innovation and leadership in those fields now be found?  Who said “Education is the foundation of Democracy” a quote our superintendent of schools recently used.

Congress seems to rather want to feed our money, our taxes to those very prosperous oil companies rather than feed the little ‘ole lady down the street, or the parents, or single parent who is out of work, who worries how they will feed their families, how to keep a place to live. Congress would rather give charity to big oil than fund programs to help our veterans who sacrificed all, their physical and mental well being for their country, as they seek to cut medical and other benefits for these veterans.

The list of cuts that effect the poor and the working class is long, while the list of those who do not need the tax loopholes, the subsidies, continues with relatively few cuts  because it is these entities who give that big money to campaigns and to lobbists….

Think about this…The top five big Oil earned nearly a Trillion dollars in 2010. Already this year, the number is up.

Having taken part in Scott Tipton’s phone conferences and having asked him questions about these subsidies and what he intends to do to help the everyday American, I received only the “canned” responses that evidently are written in the R playbook ,

With 44 Billion in profits so far this year, cutting subsidies which amount to 4 billion won’t hurt these companies one bit.
They will still have 42 billion with which to saturate media and they convince non-thinking citizens to actually vote against themselves.  (Example Ritter trying to boost funding higher ed tried to take Colo subsidies from oil and simply put the money over into higher ed fund…Oil saturated Colorado TV and other media with fear mongering ads about losing jobs, hurting business, and Rep. shouted the usual “tax increase, tax increase.” And what did voters do…voted to continue the charity for oil)
So there it is, cut ed. Cut programs that actually prevent crime, cut programs that keep people more healthy thus keeping emergency room costs down, help workers who then help productivity in business.

Who elected Tiption?  Who does he really serve, campaign contributors, the R party or the people of his district?

Just closing the loopholes for these 5 big oil co would result in a saving of 77 billion between 2011 to 2021.
This quarter’s Oil profits are up 38% over  2010’s quarter.
Gas prices have increased 28% compared to 2010….The result of Exxon and Conoco Phillips Oil using 53% portion of profits to spend as they repurchased stock to drive up their company share values in the first quarter of 2011….Remember, something which we don’t think about, it is the commodity market that increases the cost of gas…NOT oil industry regulations….

Then note this comparison…
Effective tax rates for Exxon paid 17.6% as average effective federal corporate tax rate in 2008 to 2010
YET
Average American individual paid federal tax rate of 20.4%  according to last available data in 2007.
Oil has the clout in money to fund campaigns which helps them influence Congress to keep their  “charity” loopholes. Just in the first quarter of 2011, they paid $273,500 to republican and $7000 to the Democrats from oil states.
And you saw how well this worked….The Senate voted to continue subsidies to the big oil.

When polled, the public…66% say gas prices effect their personal finances…
74% favor eliminating tax credits for oil and gas industry…
and  big surprise…. By a margin of 2 to 1, Republican voters supported ending those subsidies as well….that’s the little guy who happens to be a R.

Cutting those subsidies could have reduced the deficit by 21 B this year,  it could have reduced the deficit over the next 10 years by 77 Billion…

Think about the fact that the money could have gone to paying back Medicare fund from which the government borrowed big money to the tune of 30 billion…and now won’t pay back. 
Then add the fact that It could have paid for 18,000 teachers for a year….
Plus 251,000 pell grants essential to average and poor American students…worth $3,900 each.
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Tipton said “Our country cannot afford the debt we now have…”
But, while he touts cuts, he continues to support billions in charity…known as subsidies, for Big Oil…Why this corporate welfare?

Tipton also said “everything is on the table for cuts…” What he forgot to add was “everything but cuts for Big Oil….remember how the Republicans voted NO on the bills which would have helped SMALL business? Go figure!

Tax Payers for common Sense is a non partisan organization having worked for over 10 years to get government to assume fiscal responsibility.
We the tax payers foot the bills   Definitely, the oil Companies should be paying their fiar share, which they are not doing….

We the tax payers foot bills for our military abroad, for protection of shipping lanes, for the very salaries and huge benefits our Congressmen are given, and so much more…
JUST WHY DOES CONGRESS CONTINUE TO USE OUR DOLLARS AS CHARITY, AS A HAND OUT, TO BIG OIL?

Come on, Tipton and other Republican and some Dems…stop using ALEC and the KOCH brothers playbooks,….start representing we the people….



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