President Obama has proposed a $10 per barrel tax on carbon fuel.

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   jackclee lmposted 9 years ago

   Do you think this is a good idea considering oil prices are at a historic low right now? Whether you agree with climate change or not, do you think this is the best policy to fund and incentivize renewable energy? What are alternative solutions or policy that will be better suited?

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      ahorsebackposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      If renewable energy sources cannot  stand on their own without the  constant subsidization we are seeing today , it shouldn't be force-fed  growth by taxation . Subsidization is the ruin of our economy today .   From  cattle growing to ethanol ,   from  cheese making  start ups to energy company  subsidies .  Enough is enough .
      
      Wind tower cost  -  say a million dollars ,  development subsidy  a million  and a half ,   guaranteed  power rates = 20% higher than  power by other sources , local ,state , federal tax breaks?  ..........Just who's paying for the end  factor - the tax payer .
      
      Carbon tax trading ?  Who gets them  and who do they sell them to ? Coal companies ?
      
      Nothing but corporate welfare !

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         jackclee lmposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I totally agree with you. What do you think is a better policy for government to pursue to help with renewable energy ?

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            jackclee lmposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Here is a good idea -
            http://wattsupwiththat.com/2016/02/04/p … arbon-tax/

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      wildernessposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I have to agree with ahorseback - if a company/product/idea can't stand on it's own merit we should not be subsidizing it.  This is nothing more that increased "corporate welfare" that we hear so much about and that we all hate - another effort to squeeze more money from the consumer so politicians can gather a little more power into their hands.  I also absolutely detest the idea that government should be in business of simply taxing out of existence anything they don't like people doing.  It's a "back-door" approach that we've come to commonly use as a method of hiding what is actually happening and is disgusting and immoral.  A modern "snake oil" method of lying to and deceiving people.
      
      Government doesn't need to "help" with renewable energy outside, perhaps, of funding research.  It would be a shame, for instance, if the only people that can find new, improved methods of making solar cells are giant corporations that then use the knowledge to extract profits at obscene levels.  Better to let government do the research (at the inflated cost levels that is the only way it can operate) but then make the information freely available to American companies.
      
      Of course, even that is rife with fraud.  Which research is worth pursuing?  Which might produce the most good?  What's the potential cost/benefit of the research?  Personally, I'd fund fusion power and perhaps batteries but probably not wind or solar - others will disagree, and we'll all disagree on who should be paid to DO that research as well.

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         jackclee lmposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Very true. I do like the idea of a tax holiday for renewable energy profits. If they ever get to a profitable state.

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            wildernessposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Why?  Another "subsidy" for big corporations?  Another increase in their profits at taxpayer expense?
            
            I'm basically against any form of government providing subsidies to companies; if they can't stand on their own profits then they should not exist.  Social Engineering via the tax code always leads to abuse; A great example is the big solar cell plant in my state that was being constructed almost entirely through subsidies, from land to sales tax to energy credits for the electricity being used.  It never even made it into production status before the owner took their profits and left!  Now we're stuck with rising electricity rates because of the millions that company didn't have to pay, and nothing else.
            
            We're also seeing rising rates because of renewable energy: the law requires that our electric company purchase that power even though it cannot use it.  Renewable energy has become a big bandwagon every politician wants to jump on, and every time they do our cost goes up again.  Give them a tax break and the consumer has to pay more in their taxes (politicians aren't going to reduce their spending of our money and that means somebody has to pay).  This kind of artificial engineering through "loopholes" promoting some special political project has to stop, not grow.

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   Don Bobbittposted 9 years ago

   When a person is so out of touch with the reality of living in the US as a normal working class man with his existing tribulations, they can think increasing a tax that penalizes these same people with higher food costs, higher day to day expenses and more, is better than

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   ahorsebackposted 9 years ago

   Al governments , but especially Obama's , are for increased revenues anytime !   Another ten million in revenue , another increase in the SIZE of government .  Why , ?  Got to have another dept.  to regulate it , with    another ten thousand federal employees .

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