Letters

No new taxes on energy

Congress is gearing up for an important debate this fall on funding the government and increasing the debt limit. Obama, Pelosi and Reid — are renewing their calls to “slash tax breaks” and “eliminate subsidies” for U.S. oil and gas firms.

Fortunately, Congress – and the American people – see through this. They know that there are no “subsidies” for domestic energy producers – only tax deductions that are legitimately written into the tax code to recover the cost of doing business.

Raising taxes on domestic energy producers is reckless in the extreme. Adding an estimated $40 billion in new taxes, as some calculate, will drive up energy costs, kill jobs and hobble one of the few bright spots in our economic landscape.

A rise in energy taxes would not only push up direct energy costs – gas at the pump and our utility bills – but also the cost of the goods and services we buy. Nothing in our economy is produced without energy inputs. And the poor, who pay a disproportionately high share of their income on energy, would suffer the most.

Because of the boom in shale gas and oil in many states, the United States is cutting consumption of foreign fuel and vastly enhancing our long-term energy security. We are now producing 87 percent of our own energy needs, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The state of Texas now produces more oil than Iran!

Obama, Pelosi and Reid would reverse this energy trend by piling more taxes on energy companies that today already pay significantly higher effective tax rates than other U.S. corporations and contribute $86 million daily to the federal treasury.

Congress and the American people must hold firm: No new taxes on energy.

Bill Carns, Chairman

Nye County Republican Party

A special thank you

As for the Elks Annual Soccer Shoot, it was very well attended September 21 at Ian Deutch Memorial Park. Everyone had a great day. We out-did last year with 109 participants and the Elks who showed up were more than enthusiastic. Gary Davis, Dave Hickey, Carol and Mardel Weaver, Martha Frame, Earl Gray, Linda Bates, Harold and Sue Jones, and Exalted Ruler Carol Diedrick worked in very windy conditions. The shooters ranged in age from 4 to 14. Again, a special thank you to all who participated and attended.

Edward Underhill

Chairman, Elks Soccer Shoot