H.R.5351
March 11, 2008 05:03 PM (10 months ago) | Overall Score: 5.0 | Replies: 0

H.R 5351 is a small incentive towards freeing our country from dependence on foreign oil and gas. Exxon made over $40 Billion in profit last year and the effect of this bill at worst would have made their profit $39.7 Billion. In the meantime, me and my family has spent the last four decades serving in the military with the majority of combat time spent protecting Oil interests. Investment in Renewable energy and the Production Tax credits (PTC) provides incentives for Jobs and keeps us competitive in Renewable Energy technologies. China, Japan, and Europe are making large investments in this field while we continue to give taxpayer money to our most profitable oil corporations at the expense of our future. As a competitor I do not like to lose the race for Renewable Energy to China and Europe as our auto industry has lost to Japan and Europe. There is a direct correlation between the expiration of the PTC and reduced investment in Renewable Energy. Insuring the PTC are renewed maintains over 116,000 jobs and creates thousands more. In February 2008 alone the US Labor department reported the economy lost 63,000 jobs. Are member of the Senate willing to throw nearly twice that number of American under the economic bus in order to give our tax dollars to Big Oil companies? How do representatives who vote against this bill proposing to employ the thousands of service men and women returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan while domestic oil companies are profiteering on public resources? Wind and Solar power provide a resource for educating and employing millions of Americans in coming decades. The most effective and economical way available to us now to help this process is promote the renewal of the Energy Production Tax credit. The U.S. Department of Energy recognizes Wind and Solar energy as the most viable future sources of energy for our country. See http://www.doe.gov/energysources/index.htm and http://www.doe.gov/energysources/wind.htm We are rich in these resources and the sooner we develop them the sooner we free ourselves from exporting our money and soldiers to the Middle East. The Nobel Laureate, Richard Smalley lists Energy as the #1 of Humanities problems for the next 50 years. It is in our national interest to do all we can to develop our Renewable Energy resources. I paid $3.43/gal for premium gas today. Last week it was $3.37. It's obvious that the price of gas is going up whether we do something about it or not. It's time to be leaders and not fear to invest in our future.