Energy Challenges

By Brenda Bowser

Obama’s recently revealed budget for 2012 is further evidence that the current occupant of the White House is hopelessly out of touch with hardworking Americans. Unfortunately, his plan is not going to solve our country’s problems, nor will it get spending under control.

But the problems don’t stop there: The proposed budget includes new energy taxes that will raise prices on oil and gasoline. Furthermore, increased prices for oil and gasoline will have a significant impact on this state’s fragile economy and on hardworking Kansans. In effect, the new energy taxes would constitute a “hidden tax” on us all, as the price of food and other goods will also rise to accommodate the higher taxes. Worse yet, new energy taxes will do absolutely nothing to solve our energy crisis.

Besides raising prices, the proposed higher taxes on energy companies may also prevent new energy development projects from proceeding, which would actually decrease revenues paid to the government. As a result, these new energy taxes will eliminate new and existing jobs when we can least afford that; additionally, punishing domestic energy companies with new taxes could make us more reliant on foreign oil.

Obama has been itching to raise taxes for this industry for some time now—remember his support for cap-and-trade legislation? Americans rejected that scheme because they had the sense to know that higher energy bills would not solve anything. We deserve real solutions to our energy and economic challenges—not higher prices.