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Commentary - Timothy Carney: Tax bandits will have plenty to celebrate this April 15

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Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM (179 days ago) by Timothy Carney, The Examiner
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Related Topics: WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - You may celebrate Tax Day next week because you will finally be finished (you hope) with your tax returns. You may even cheer the good news that you will be receiving a refund. But April 15 is the day when nearly every American becomes a bit a more conservative, both because of the burden of preparing tax returns and the drain that taxes impose on family wealth.

For a minority of Americans, however, Tax Day is worth celebrating because taxes — either the dollars you pay or the complexity of complying with the law (or both) — are good news for them. I call them tax bandits, and they fit into four categories: the tax spenders, the tax receivers, the tax parasites and the tax shelters.

Politicians and bureaucrats are the tax spenders. High taxes give them more power because high taxes give them money to spend. Without a huge chunk from your paycheck going to Washington, we would not have the John P. Murtha Institute for Homeland Security, the Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute or the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing. Armed with your money, these lawmakers can buy themselves re-election, prestige and campaign contributions. Murtha, for example, inserted $114 million in earmarks into the 2007 defense appropriations bill, and each of the 26 recipients gave money to his campaign. Lower taxes would mean fewer contributors for these guys.

Government contractors, road builders and government employees, if they’re grateful, all appreciate April 15 because tax money is their lifeblood. They are the tax receivers. It’s no wonder the top contributor to all federal campaigns over the past 20 years is not some corporation or ideological organization, but the American Federation of State, County, & Municipal Employees — with almost every dollar going to Democrats. Your taxes underwrite their paychecks, buy their new monitors and cover their health care costs even after they retire.

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But businesses are often tax receivers, too; for example, think of Murtha’s friends, who pocketed his earmarks. Similarly, in Virginia’s 2002 effort to increase sales taxes to build more roads, top donors to the pro-tax-increase campaign included the Virginia Transportation Construction Industry Association, the Washington Infrastructure Industry Association and Bechtel Infrastructure Corporation. In other words, road builders like tax increases because tax dollars become road dollars.

Then there are the accountants, the tax preparers, the tax lawyers and the tax lobbyists — I call them the tax parasites. If taxes were lower, we wouldn’t pay as much to find little loopholes, deductions and shelters. If taxes were simpler, more of us could do them ourselves. Most importantly, a stable, broad-based, low tax rate would put tax lobbyists out of work.

Milton Friedman made the case that lawmakers are tax parasites, too:

“Why is it that hardly a year passes without a new tax bill? The reason is that so long as a tax bill is under consideration, with many billions of dollars at stake, lobbyists are actively pressing for the introduction or retention of special provisions to benefit their clients. And so long as lobbyists are active, thousand-dollar-a-plate dinners and similar devices will tap them for campaign funds.”

The winners of the tax lobbying games then become constituencies for higher marginal tax rates, because they are now the tax shelters. Why are cabbies always smiling when it’s pouring outside? For the same reason umbrella salesman are: When it’s raining, people are willing to pay for shelter. It’s the same with taxes. The higher the tax rates, the more you’ll pay for a tax shelter.

Why has the National Association of Realtors spent more than any other business political action committee since 1989? To protect the home-interest mortgage deduction. Why has the PAC given a majority of its money in the last two cycles to Democrats? Because it doesn’t mind high tax rates; lower tax rates would reduce the incentives to buy homes.

Don’t get me wrong, some of my best friends — perfectly upstanding people who need to feed their families, too — are tax bandits. But if you’re a politician, a government employee, a shrewd businessman, a lobbyist or a tax accountant, maybe this week you could just say “thank you” to the rest of us.

Examiner columnist Timothy P. Carney is senior reporter for the Evans & Novak Political Report.

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3:15 PM MST on Tue., Sep. 30, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Steve said:
And how much power does the wind farm supply when the air is still? I'm more a proponent of geothermal power, Tidal power, Nuclear power or Satellite based solar reflection. For the time being it won't matter the upcoming depression will kill consumption for the next 10 years anyway.

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10:30 AM MST on Sat., Sep. 27, 2008 re: "Paul Howard: Pharmaceutical litigation for all, and safety for none"

 WEL said:
MAXIDEX WARNING I had eye surgery and in the post-op pack was MAXIDEX(dexamethasone) drops by ALCON LABS. Two days later I was BLIND Use Google and enter EPOCRATES MAXIDEX REACTION to verify

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9:49 AM MST on Sat., Sep. 27, 2008 re: "Terrence Scanlon: Is ACORN disenfranchising the process itself?"

 Examiner Reader said:
was obahama associated with this group?

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10:12 PM MST on Thu., Sep. 25, 2008 re: "Should felons have the right to vote? - NO: Felon disenfranchisement is actually a good idea"

 Examiner Reader said:
If you are born american your for father fought for your rights. No one shold be able to take your rights away because you made a mistake in the past. You do the time for your crime then when it is paid you still are american and you should have the rights of one. Yes I'M an exoffender I got a sentence of six years not a sentence to take my rights away and sure did not here the judge say you can not get a good job no more.Why can an employer deny me a job becouse of the past that is like not hiring becouse I'm black or white that is breaking the law right. I did they take my right to carry a handgun when my crome did no invole a handgun. I think my for fourfathers fought fo that right for me. Why does a illegal mexican have more rights than an american born felon.We are people that pay taxs like everyone else. We put are shoes on one at a time like you. We have familys we need to support just like you. ONly god can judge>>>>>> Lance Dishman

 10 agree | 4 disagree
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5:00 PM MST on Thu., Sep. 25, 2008 re: "Should felons have the right to vote? - NO: Felon disenfranchisement is actually a good idea"

 Powerful Wife said:
Yes felons should be able to vote just for the simple fact that they are people. That whats wrong with this world right now people no matter what they do still should have rigths. I think that the child molester should have all his rights taken away. People want to put people with felons down but need to look at what kind of person they are because GOD RULES THE WORLD NOT PEOPLE AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD THAT GOD GAVE THEM SOME LITTLE POWER ARE JACKING IT ALL UP.

 9 agree | 4 disagree
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10:00 AM MST on Mon., Sep. 22, 2008 re: "Should felons have the right to vote? - NO: Felon disenfranchisement is actually a good idea"

 flmom said:
I registered to vote today. I hope my vote makes a differance. Not every convicted felon is the same. Should we all be punished the same?

 11 agree | 8 disagree
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9:57 AM MST on Mon., Sep. 22, 2008 re: "Should felons have the right to vote? - NO: Felon disenfranchisement is actually a good idea"

 flmom said:
I was used as an example at a time when many women were being sentenced for being involved and supporting men who sold drugs. I myself had a very small child with this person and was in love, so I thought. I was charged and sentenced to 2 years in prison due the fact that I knew this person was doing what he was doing and I did nothing to stop this person. This was the roughest time in my life. I had never sold drugs myself and had no previous record. I was just that, guilty by association. I have alway been a productive member of society. I have served my time but this will follow me for life. I acept this and go on from day to day. This is very embarrassing for me. I cannot volunteer at my childrens schools or for their sports teams. I know most will say you get what you deserve for being involved with this person. I say to that...I have not seen or spoken to this person in 12 years. Should I pay for the rest of my life for a mistake I made when I was 18 years old? I registered to v

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9:49 AM MST on Mon., Sep. 22, 2008 re: "Should felons have the right to vote? - NO: Felon disenfranchisement is actually a good idea"

 flmom said:
As of 2007, the law changed to make it much easier for Florida residents to vote after having been convicted of many felonies. According to the new law, if you have been convicted of a nonviolent felony, have fully completed your sentence and have paid all restitution, if ordered, your right to vote has been restored automatically. You do not have to do anything to restore your right to vote. I am very grateful that this has taken place. I have had this right taken away from me due to the fact that I have not always made responsible decisions in life. During my young adult life (12) years ago, I involved myself with a person who introduced me to a not so responsible way of life. I was used as an example at a time when many women were being sentenced for being involved and supporting men who sold drugs. I myself had a very small child with this person and was in love, so I thought. I was charged and sentenced to 2 years in prison due the fact that I knew this person was doing what he

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10:00 PM MST on Sat., Sep. 20, 2008 re: "Thomas Schaller: Imagining a post-Sept. 11 world with Gore as president"

 Examiner Reader said:
Emily wrote that that there have been no attacks since 9-11-01 "attack" (really and Inside Job, by the Rumsfeld/Cheney/BushCo Gangster Administration to Benifit Halliburton and other War Corporations) . . . WHAT ABOUT THE ANTHAX ATTACKS>>>?

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11:22 AM MST on Tue., Sep. 16, 2008 re: "Paul Armentano: A billion dollars a year for pot?"

 Examiner Reader said:
Arresting people for pot possession takes hippies off the street - what can be wrong with that?

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12:28 PM MST on Mon., Sep. 15, 2008 re: "Peter Schweizer: Conservatives more honest than liberals?"

 Examiner Reader said:
I really wish you would list the exact sources for those studies.

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11:12 PM MST on Fri., Sep. 12, 2008 re: "Robert Cox: GOP candidates bailing out of PBS All-American Forum debate"

 firstchoicepharmacy.co.uk said:
Hi Guys, Just though i would say Hi!, sorry if this is the wrong section mods! cheers

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10:35 PM MST on Wed., Sep. 10, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Tax bandits will have plenty to celebrate this April 15"

 Norah Schaefer said:
I would like you to include in the tax bandits the county of Dade in Florida that has tripled and quadrupled the property taxes in the past four years, forcing people who own rental property into foreclosure because they are unable to pay taxes like $14,000 on a small 2 bedroom 2 bath home. People are so quick to blame banks, but the reality is that many of my rental properties have old loans with mortgage payments of around $1,200 monthly and an additional escrow for taxes and three insurance policies around $ 1,800. (Just about the amount I get in rent). This is criminal and leaves the property owner unable to keep good rental property with good long term tenants. The only alternative is foreclosure. It makes me sick.

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9:05 PM MST on Wed., Sep. 10, 2008 re: "Melanie Scarborough: Obama on Obama is scary truth"

 Emily said:
Obamas tactics are very concerning considering the unstable world we live in today. After Bush (with congress support)announced war against Iraq. Did we have any more terrorist attacks on our soil? Nope. Not a single one. Obama isn't taking this seriously enough. "Obama will secure all loose nuclear materials in the world within four years. … "--- Four years. Need I say more? What will happen between then and now?

15 agree | 16 disagree
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11:32 AM MST on Wed., Sep. 10, 2008 re: "Should felons have the right to vote? - NO: Felon disenfranchisement is actually a good idea"

 Examiner Reader said:
To say that felons should not be able to make or vote laws in becuase they dont follow them is not always the truth. I was conviced of a felony at the age of 20,(Im 36 now) and I served 3 1/2 years in prison for it. On my release I decided to change my life and becuase a LAW ABIDING citizen. In the 16 years since my trouble I have not been in trouble at all minus a few traffic tickets. While it was a very difficult climb out of being a felon to being a productive member of society, to this day I still seem to pay the price for my mistakes even though I am no longer considered a criminal ill always be a felon and always judged for it. I say ive been a productive member of society and I beleive my work ethic shows that. I have worked and thrived for companies like MS, HP, Apple, LSI Logic, and AOL. I make a decnt amount of money and pay my share of taxes... when do I get to start being a normal citizen? Dont I deserve it now? yet I still have issues renting apartments.

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6:20 AM MST on Wed., Sep. 10, 2008 re: "Rep. Howard McKeon: Why I will vote to keep secret ballots for union elections"

 Rick Veck said:
Republican spin, since when have they started looking after worker's best interest?

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8:38 PM MST on Tue., Sep. 9, 2008 re: "Jay Ambrose: Free speech for me, not for thee"

 Jay Ambrose said:
I'm a racist.

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5:49 PM MST on Sun., Sep. 7, 2008 re: "Robert Cox: GOP candidates bailing out of PBS All-American Forum debate"

 hythiptughFah said:
?????????? ????????? ? ?????????? ???? ????????? ?????????????? ????

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8:58 PM MST on Fri., Sep. 5, 2008 re: "Paul Chesser: Beware of climate control"

 Maddie said:
Im in First Lego leage and the research is on climate control! Thanks Paul Chesser

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9:13 AM MST on Fri., Sep. 5, 2008 re: "Should felons have the right to vote? - NO: Felon disenfranchisement is actually a good idea"

 Examiner Reader said:
YES:they should have an opinion also.

22 agree | 20 disagree
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11:03 AM MST on Tue., Sep. 2, 2008 re: "Should felons have the right to vote? - NO: Felon disenfranchisement is actually a good idea"

 Examiner Reader said:
If you agree to 'filter' who can vote and who can't, I say filter better: dont let felons vote, but also any other unqualified citizen due to theire incompetency in making a clear voting decision: any moron with an IQ lower than 120; the undeducated (higer degree or more required) ; the unemployed (you're not contributing to the economical advancement of this contry, you shoudn't have a say), any smoker, drinker or obese to fat (hey, you cant make healthy decisions for yourself, don't bother trying to decide this contries futur)...this list is endless, and in the end, any criteria can be 'logically justified' and I bet a lot of you dont mind until you're the one deemed as incompetent to vote. if basic human rights like the one to vote are not guaranteed for all, we fall back on totalitarism: sacrifice the small for the greater good. Not only was that the communist motto but Hitler was a strong believer too, well most dictators.

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3:11 PM MST on Mon., Sep. 1, 2008 re: "Logan Gage: What does being president have to do with evolution?"

 Examiner Reader said:
The Question should read; "What does being President have to do with belief in common ancestry". The term evolution is ambiguous. (not certain of any specific interpretation.)

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9:51 AM MST on Mon., Sep. 1, 2008 re: "Logan Gage: What does being president have to do with evolution?"

 StewDaPew said:
Allowing ideology and/or theology to dictate what is scientifically accurate or correct is fascism. Please stop demanding that others must share in your faith. One man's faith is anothers fiction. If you want to teach your children mythical yet comforting stories please do so in a private setting.

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9:51 AM MST on Mon., Sep. 1, 2008 re: "Logan Gage: What does being president have to do with evolution?"

 StewDaPew said:
Allowing ideology and/or theology to dictate what is scientifically accurate or correct is fascism. Please stop demanding that others must share in your faith. One man's faith is anothers fiction. If you want to teach your children mythical yet comforting stories please do so in a private setting.

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1:40 PM MST on Fri., Aug. 29, 2008 re: "Meghan Cox Gurdon: Uncommon death in the suburbs"

 Islam = Fascism said:
This kind of garbage flourishes in a culturer where our own Federal Government, despite being involved in the Global War on (dont say Islamic) Terror, goes out of their way to court the worst leaders aad countries in the Muslim world, like Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Pakistan, and mouths lying platitudes about Islam being a religion of peace.

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2:53 PM MST on Thu., Aug. 28, 2008 re: "Robert Cox: GOP candidates bailing out of PBS All-American Forum debate"

 bxtf opdiwrke said:
vxwre qcmswo xzts yfvcd iwjzdtbpf qziraosy tgmbhu

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8:01 PM MST on Wed., Aug. 27, 2008 re: "La Shawn Barber: Local liberals learning new lessons on ‘diversity’"

 no no los illegals said:
You should see Huntington Ave. in Alexandria (Fairfax Co.) - it's like a landfill was spread down the length of the street... What, they don't have trash cans in El Salvador (they certainly don't have recycling bins.. heh)?

24 agree | 21 disagree
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11:38 AM MST on Mon., Aug. 25, 2008 re: "Sen. Bill Frist: Free trade pact will benefit U.S., India and strengthen democracy"

 Examiner Reader said:
i always hang up on calls made by indi people, cant understand a word they say.

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6:25 PM MST on Fri., Aug. 22, 2008 re: "Mary Katharine Ham: Just go to Don’t Go!"

 Lifeofthemind said:
Mary Katherine, Please comment on the current conditions at TownHall. Since you departed have been reading a string of reports of anti-Semitic activty. This is most distressing. Perhaps you could help encourage them to clean their house. If quiet diplomacy does not work then you may feel a public statement is in order.

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5:51 AM MST on Wed., Aug. 20, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Examiner Reader said:
Folks I am going to ask a big favor of you..a friend of mine who has moved to the island of kythera,Greece is in the throes of will they or wont they get wind power on the island,,problems aplenty..could you send this article to him to help him in his quest. Here is e-mail address;james@kythera-family.net Thank you if you can...Geocoroneos@netzero.net

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11:55 AM MST on Mon., Aug. 18, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Examiner Reader said:
I've watched Picken's closely, he seems legitimate. As people have already mentioned he stands to profit from this venture. He requires our government to build and infrastructure that would allow for the energy produced by his wind farms to be sent to areas outside the heartland. The natural gas based cars are for fleets of cars not for the average citizen (I'm waiting for the volt). Most of you find yourselves in a bit of a pickle, you want cleaner renewable energies but you don't like big business. I loathe big government, as should any one who loves freedom and knows history. Big business needs to be regulated, we should see to that. We should not stifle new green energies because we don't trust big business; we should regulate big business because we don't trust them, let their greed power our homes and chevy volts, and let them compete with other greedy American business. I'd rather pay greedy Americans than transport 700 billion of our dollars to other countries.

 29 agree | 30 disagree
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10:01 AM MST on Mon., Aug. 18, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Examiner Reader said:
If he didn't own them you would be calling him a hypocrite.

28 agree | 27 disagree
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9:45 AM MST on Mon., Aug. 18, 2008 re: "Should felons have the right to vote? - NO: Felon disenfranchisement is actually a good idea"

 Examiner Reader said:
This article is flawed on so many levels, but I'll just touch on one here. People who have committed felonies and served their time deserve, on release, all of their rights back. The entire point of our prison system is to rehabilitate, yet when someone gets released we disenfranchise them and the system by saying that we don't trust them with a basic responsibility, like voting. It's hypocritical to say that a man being released from his debt to society is "free" when he can't do simple things like find a good job or live in "this" neighborhood or talk to "that" person. And it's made ten times worse when we deny them the most important right we have as Americans, and that's the right to better our situation and government by VOTING. You're effectively saying that an ex-con doesn't deserve any more rights than those he had while in prison except for a better view.

 29 agree | 30 disagree
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9:26 AM MST on Mon., Aug. 18, 2008 re: "Meghan Cox Gurdon: A glorious spectacle built on government repression"

 TurkeyRidge said:
Chicoms probably got idea from AmLibs who did the same to our American cities in the 1960's. It was called Urban Renewal. Only difference is speed.

26 agree | 26 disagree
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10:22 PM MST on Sun., Aug. 17, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Examiner Reader said:
When you all make billions are start handing out hundreds of millions of dollars at a time to push what you think is a good agenda and get mocked -- then you can start all this hullabaloo nonsense spouting off about corporate and political conspiracy to take everything you have. Since when have you green promoting, hippie land, liberal socialists promoted such green ideas as wind and solar, and then immediately criticize people for directly spending billions to follow your goals. Of course he wants the venture to not be in the red but to be an evergrowing business venture. That's what people with minds and degrees do. Stop sitting in your hippie coffee shop drinking a Chai Tea Latte out of styrofoam and petroleum-made plastic criticizing people at least making a real dent in the carbon footprint when you can't even stop using $.03 worth of stuff out of selfish and lazy reasons. I really will never check this post ever again but wanted to take this chance to let you all have it.

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2:46 PM MST on Sun., Aug. 17, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Examiner Reader said:
Communicating visually via print excludes the sound of the Greek chorus quietly humming in the background, "Drilldrilldrilldrill....."

 29 agree | 32 disagree
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1:45 PM MST on Sun., Aug. 17, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Phil said:
Pickens is a very devious & cunning scam artist. He has a long history of corporate raiding of Oil companies. He uses stealthy dealing and unethical business practice to acquire wealth. He destroyed Phillips Oil company, Gulf Oil... etc. He has caused a lot of unemployment. Pickens donated 165 million to golf program at Oklahoma State, got the Katrina deduction , paid no tax, then had the 165 mil invested in his own hedge fund. The California Proposition 10 is another scam venture that benefits his Natural Gas company in with taxpayer subsidies. His son was given probation for a stock fraud scheme in Dec. of 2007. Pickens paid $300000 to the victims of his son's fraud. How that for Family values? It is really difficult to tally all the ruin this guy has done... Is this guy to be trusted with any plan? His

36 agree | 38 disagree
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12:04 PM MST on Sun., Aug. 17, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Frank said:
Google "Pickens & water & eminent domain" and you'll get the actual story. Pickens is betting that water will soon be the new oil. He wants to sell the water to big cities in Texas. He's bought a bunch of land in the Texas panhandle. The land sits over the Oglallah reservoir, a reservoir relied upon by midwest farmers, a reservoir formed by ice-age melt so that it does not replenish quickly. He's formed a water district and is using eminent domain to take people's land to run his water. But so far he's still blocked. Pickens wants the wind farm and the power lines so he can run water alongside it. He's trying to use the warm fuzzies of being green to get his right of way so that he can suck the Oglalla dry, make billions of dollars, ruin the livliehood of many many farmers, and destroy much of America's agriculture. You'd think any journalist worth his salt would mention this, no?

 38 agree | 34 disagree
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12:48 AM MST on Sun., Aug. 17, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Examiner Reader Winslow Boynton said:
For myself the article didn't have serious content. The technologies for the top power pods is not advanced enough. The ones I saw on TV used DC generators with conversion to AC. That requires brushes and commutators which were long ago removed from cars. More brainpower must be used to have AC generators and drive trains to accomodate the normal power grid. Also- the ones on TV required weekly maintenance, thats too expensive. winslowgb@verizon.net WINSLOW BOYNTON 134 Becker Ave Northampton Pa. 18067

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10:18 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 16, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Examiner Reader said:
I think Carney raises some good points. Part of his plan involves continued reliance on expensive natural gas for transportation, when we could be switching to electric cars instead. Why should I buy a natural gas powered car, if I can charge my electric car hooked up to a few solar panels on top of my garage? Why should the taxpayers finance a national wind energy grid, when local solar/wind hybrid systems could directly generate enough for power for most of our needs? Seems like a national energy grid serves to keep the control of the majority of power generation in the hands of the largest utilities, or investor groups, at the expense of locally generated power systems which could be municipally owned and focused on public service, good paying jobs and not primarily aimed at profits for stockholders. I'd prefer to see the two parties disengage from their Imperial ambitions, (i.e. stop their damned wars, and start investing in locally based decentralized public power generation. IMHO

 37 agree | 34 disagree
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5:19 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 16, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Examiner Reader said:
good article,but the real point is left out.its all about our carbon footprint.saving this planet if you will.giving a tax break to pickens is ok by me.he does mention saving the planet from time to time.i have never ever heard a texas oil millionaire say crap about the planet.aren't those southern christians supposed to be stewards of the planet according to thier book,which obviously they never read.

 35 agree | 36 disagree
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12:33 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 16, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Examiner Reader said:
This opinion piece illuminates nothing. Pickens has been open in discussing his financial interest in wind energy development and has invested heavily in it. Also, don't overlook the fact that he's 80 and doesn't need any more money. (I'm trying to get past the Swift Boat scum.) That said, T. Boone Pickens plan is spot on. It was surreal to see him on Larry King with Ed Begley, Jr. agreeing with each other. I hope there are government subsidies and tax incentives. I hope Wall Street begins to pay attention and that there will be a lot of job creation with the introduction of wind and solar power. If we don't get behind this technology now, we'll be buying it from the EU. Finally, this isn't a Pickens vs. Al Gore thing. Pickens is a business man and Al Gore is a public servant turned messenger. They're both visionary and they're both right. It's time this country stopped being scared of everything and grew a pair. Ask your grandparents how good it felt to be self sufficient

 35 agree | 39 disagree
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12:01 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 16, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Wa Ho said:
It is not the "Wind Machines" that we should be worried about, they will at least provide a long-term clean energy benefit, whatever the intial cost. What is more horrifying is Pickens' plan to pump out the Ogallala Aquifer and pipe it to Dallas and others. The Ogallala Aquifer provides water for up to 60% of US produce and Pickens is planning to drain it for his own profit under the subtrefuge of public good. No water in the Aquifer means no water for food growth. You think $4.00 gas is bad, how about $15 bread...

 36 agree | 32 disagree
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9:57 AM MST on Sat., Aug. 16, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Examiner Reader said:
T. Boone Pickens is a traitor who paid millions to the Swift Boat Veterans for "Truth", then denied paying the reward to Kerry's swift boat mates (they designated the earnings to a charity group that serves injured vets) who answered his "$1 Million Challenge" and proved SBV"T"'s lies were wrong.

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9:05 AM MST on Sat., Aug. 16, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Examiner Reader said:
OK, then. Let us burn more coal. After all, birds thrive on coal burning power plants! And God forbid this rich man become richer. What I'm really trying to understand is if this means Carney hates solar energy, too. PV cells take lots of energy to manufacture, and -- gasp -- rich manufacturers and installers get richer because of -- gulp -- subsidies. Why doesn't Carney mention solar in his essay? California's solar power would be a minute fraction of what it is without subsidies paid, by taxpayers. Perhaps there's no target to aim at when ripping solar power. One thing I don't see in the essay is a solution. Carney tells us what's wrong with wind power, hydro power and hybrid cars, but he offers no solution(s).

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6:42 AM MST on Sat., Aug. 16, 2008 re: "Michael Warren: Congress not interested in probing lawyers scam"

 Ivan Fail said:
Unless and until majority electorate Consumers and the business community join hands ---, seize and impose majority electorate administration and full disclosure control over all phases of all 50 state attorney "discipline" bureaucracies --, we will continue to be ripped off, fleeced, bullied, exploited and enslaved by the lawyers. Currently the attorney "discipline" process is owned, administered, operated and controlled by the lawyers. That is a "fox guarding the chicken house" process. Continuing to try to use the lawyer owned, operated and controlled Congress and the lawyer owned, operated and controlled Courts to "shovel the rotten apples out of the legal profession" has to be one of the most stupid, impotent, tunnel visioned and "doomed to failure" missions in history. Effective clean up and accountability HAS to take place at the state attorney discipline level first! If we fail to do that the lawyers will write the "obituary" of our freedom in fine print legalese.

28 agree | 26 disagree
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5:57 AM MST on Sat., Aug. 16, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 5th Estate said:
Gore was mocked and dismissed, but Pickens' newly-minted opinion is promoted by the business press because only businessmen can be respected (Riiight). The biz-press is functioning as a PR firm as it often does (e.g/ Enron, Health Savings Accounts, big companies deserve bailouts whilst individuals deserve debtors prison, and so on). Changing the energy infrastructure WILL require taxpayer contributions,the question is who gets the best return? As wind, sun and water are public resources it should be communities who benefit first and foremost--otherwise it will be business as usual where private corporations control and charge the public for public resources which the public has already subsidized whilst the majority of profits go to the largest shareholders who then avoid the income taxes that would otherwise constitute the re-payment of the tax-payer loan. The energy business may be new but the business model is old.

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5:37 AM MST on Sat., Aug. 16, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Robin said:
Wind turbines don't displace any CO2, are extremely inefficient, are a developers dream come true as far as subsidies and double depreciation go and are taking money and time away from finding good solutions to clean up energy generation. Thank you for a thoughtful article.

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1:52 AM MST on Sat., Aug. 16, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Barry W said:
Whoever said the rich weren't going to make a profit? Nobody. The issue is about dependence on foreign oil...foreign intrigues...foreign anything. Why can't we be independent? Because you've been sold on the interdependence of the world markets. In other words we have to be a part of the global market. Crud on that. At least Pickens is doing something...risking something...taking a risk nobody else in the country seems to want to take....and with his own money. Sure, he'd like subsidies...they existed once before...but how in the heck are we going to build the hundreds of thousands of megawatts of wind energy capability without investment...without risk? They aren't going to magically appear. And do you really want nuclear? Really? The wind and sun can provide all we need today...with today's solar energy...not the energy from millions of years ago. Today's solar power today. Pickens is a hero...rich or poor...don't be jealous...applaud.

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11:52 PM MST on Fri., Aug. 15, 2008 re: "Timothy Carney: Shocking! Windmill owner wants subsidies!"

 Examiner Reader said:
Two quick things to consider. 1) Boone Pickens conveniently also owns all that natural gas that you read about in "[h]e would shift natural gas from electricity generation to transportation, replacing a third of our gasoline consumption with natural-gas-powered cars." 2) Boone Pickens owns massive (extremely lucrative) water rights in a giant Northern Texas aquifer, and sadly (for Boone Pickens), water districts don't have eminent domain. However, now that the electric transmission line routes have luckily been approved by Texas, using eminent domain, they are willing to run water pipes along the same route and install them at the same time. Isn't that neat? Regardless, wind power (and solar and cellulose biofuels) are the future and I'd rather subsidize that than oil any day - and don't think for a second that we don't subsidize oil far beyond providing "security" in war zones.

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