Will Larry Kissell Raise Energy Costs on North Carolinians During Hard Times?

The NRCC put out a press release this afternoon asking if Larry Kissell will raise energy costs for struggling North Carolinians just when they can afford it the least. It's a good question and one that Rep. Kissell should answer for his constituents in the Eighth District.

Will Larry Kissell Support Devastating Energy Tax?
North Carolina Families Would Suffer from Skyrocketing Home Heating Costs Under “Cap-and-Tax”

Washington- Despite Democrats’ promises to deliver tax relief to families who need it the most, the recent budget proposal from the White House includes a “cap-and-trade” provision that should more appropriately be named the “cap-and-tax” provision, because if it became law it would raise energy taxes on every single person who flips on a light switch. As Congress takes the President’s federal budget under consideration, North Carolina families deserve to know if Rep. Larry Kissell (D-NC) would support such a devastating energy tax proposal.

The cap-and-tax proposal made by President Obama would drastically increase electricity rates for every American, causing additional hardships for already struggling North Carolina families. A new analysis shows that electricity rates could rise by as much as $6.4 billion per year, costing a North Carolina family of four approximately an additional $2,797 per year.

NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain asks, “Will Larry Kissell put partisan allegiances ahead of struggling workers and support a fiscally irresponsible cap-and-tax proposal that will increase energy bills, raise taxes and overwhelm the budgets of American families? The last thing that American families need to worry about right now is whether they will be able to cool their homes this summer or keep their families warm next winter.”

Families in North Carolina would be even more drastically affected, as so many families’ homes are heated with expensive fuels: MIT researchers released an “Assessment of U.S. Cap-and-Trade Proposals,” which shows that the increase would be an increase of more than $3,000 a year for each household. (A Report of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Climate Change; Assessment of U.S. Cap and Trade Proposals; http://web.mit.edu/globalchange/www/MITJPSPGC_Rpt146.pdf.)

What’s more disturbing is that low-income families would take the hardest hit from this “cap-and-tax” proposal: Testimony from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) revealed that, “The rise in prices would impose a larger burden, relative to income, on low-income households than on high-income households for two reasons. First, low-income households spend a much larger fraction of their income than do high-income households. In addition, energy-intensive items compose a greater share of low-income households’ total expenditures.” (CBO Congressional Testimony; The Distributional Consequences of a Cap-and-Trade Program for CO2 Emissions. http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/100xx/doc10018/03-12%20ClimateChange_Testimony.1.1.shtml)

(Source: House Committee on Ways and Means Republican Staff, Analysis of Annual Increase in Electricity Costs, http://list.nrcc.org/t/2191043/10052024/3375/0/,
3/26/09)

Reader Mail: Tired of the New Change?

Linda, a teacher from Goldsboro, writes in to express her frustration with the administration and Democrats in Congress and also to raise awareness for the Goldsboro "New American Tea Party" coming up on April 15.

Are you already tired of the new CHANGE? The current administration is passing bills that will regulate our lives and leave our children and grandchildren in huge debt for many years. As concerned citizens, we are against more taxes, governmental controls and these huge deficits. When AIG received a federal loan guarantee of $180 billion to prevent bankruptcy, and then gave some $165 million to its company’s derelict executives the public was outraged.

Congress was in an uproar. Lawmakers rushed out to demand all sorts of penalties for these greedy bankers. Soon, they passed an unprecedented special tax law just to confiscate 90 percent of these contracted bonuses.

However, those who shouted the loudest for the heads of the AIG executives had the dirtiest hands. President Obama appeared to be outraged at their greed, but he signed their bonus provisions into law. In addition, Obama accepted over $100,000 in AIG donations during his campaign.

Rep. Charles Rangel, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, acted even more infuriated at such greed, but he helped pass the retroactive tax bill. Yet for years, Mr. Rangel - who is in trouble over back taxes owed and misuse of his subsidized New York apartments - had tried to entice AIG executives to fund his Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at the City College of New York.

Sen. Christopher Dodd was the fieriest in his denunciations of Wall Street greed. Yet he was the one who inserted the bonus provision into the bailout bill, despite later denying it. And Mr. Dodd has taken more AIG money than anyone else in Congress - in addition to getting VIP loan rates from the disgraced Countrywide Financial Corp. mortgage bank.

Then, there is the budget... Mr. Obama inherited an annual budget deficit and a ballooning $11 trillion national debt, but nevertheless promised us a new national health plan, bigger entitlements in education and a vast new cap-and-trade energy program.

But paying for Mr. Obama’s $3.5 trillion budget seems to be a problem. Proposed additional taxes on the "rich" still won't provide enough revenue to avoid tripling the present budget deficit - and therefore putting us on track to add another $9 trillion to the existing national debt during the next decade. It appears that under this administration, we will receive much higher taxes and higher deficits than under any previous administrations.

This presents a BIG problem. Our government is spending money we don't have! Our lawmakers are telling us that the “rich” will pick up the tab, even though there are not enough “rich” people to foot the bill. Our new political leaders, who have gained power by appealing to people’s emotions and prejudices, have diligently sought to convince us that more government control and big spending is the best course of action.

Likeminded citizens are invited to attend a “New American Tea Party” at Goldsboro City Hall, at 12:00 Noon, April 15, to pray for our leaders, and let our voices be heard.

Senator Burr Launches New Website for Re-election

From Senator Richard Burr...

Brooke and I wanted to let you know that my campaign has a new website which I hope you will visit soon. Through this website you will be able to read recent news articles about what I am doing in the U.S. Senate, stay up-to-date with my campaign activities and learn about ways you can volunteer for my 2010 re-election effort.

The new site, www.burrforsenate.com, will be a great place for you to stay connected to me and my campaign. From my site you can link to my Facebook page and other social networking sites. Tell your friends about the new site so they can sign up to receive campaign e-mail updates such as this one. There is even a link where you can let me know if you are wiling to volunteer on my re-election campaign.

Check out my new site today. Just go to www.burrforsenate.com. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for your support.

Richard Burr

Myrick Supports Proposal to Help All Homeowners

Press Release
March 26, 2009

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representative Sue Myrick (NC-09) today announced her support of a proposal to stabilize the housing market through tax credits for homeowners and additional incentives for lenders to work with homeowners to avoid foreclosure.

“Homeownership is one of the most important long-term investments families can make,” Rep. Myrick said. “By offering these tax credits, we’re giving Americans – who invest a responsible down payment – the incentive to buy homes, increase their own wealth, invest in the economy, and help the housing industry to reduce the oversupply of houses.”

The proposal also offers a $5,000 refinancing credit so that homeowners can cover the cost of mortgage refinancing, buy down points or reduce their principal balance. Lenders would be given increased incentive to renegotiate troubled mortgages in exchange for homeowners agreeing to share a portion of future home appreciation with their lender. Under the Responsible Homeowners Act, lenders would not be taxed on this future profit, and homeowners would not incur any tax liability as a result of the refinancing. Homeowners would be able to take advantage of these provisions on purchases made before July 1, 2010.

It would also direct the FBI, Department of Justice and FHA to increase efforts to identify mortgage fraud and prosecute these cases.

“This proposal will help correct the housing market without rewarding irresponsible lenders and consumers who took advantage of the system in ways that have led to the problems we see today.” Rep. Myrick said.

Foxx Leaving the Democrats Stumped

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx of North Carolina asks a simple question to Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy of Ohio. However simple, Congresswoman Kilroy struggles for answers.

Echoes From Across the Pond

Daniel Hannan MEP: The devalued Prime Minister of a devalued Government

Daniel Hannan, MEP for South East England, gives a speech during Gordon Brown´s visit to the European Parliament on 24th March, 2009. Read Daniel´s blog at www.hannan.co.uk

"You cannot spend your way out of recession or borrow your way out of debt."

Carolina Journal Online: Republican Leader Questions Gas Tax Payment

Carolina Journal Online had an exclusive interview with Republican Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) in which he questioned the use of gas tax revenue to join the Climate Registry while our roads and infrastructure across the state remain underfunded and in disrepair.

RALEIGH — State Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, isn’t keen on using North Carolina gasoline tax revenue to join the Climate Registry, a California-based nonprofit that seeks to fight global warming.

Berger recently criticized the use of gas tax funds for expenditures unrelated to transportation, including two payments made by the N.C. Division of Air Quality to the registry.

“We’ve talked for years about the transfer from the highway trust fund of the $170 million, plus the additional [money] that Easley and the Democrats approved over the last 10 years or so,” Berger said in a telephone interview with Carolina Journal. “There has not been a lot of discussion about the other transfers of those dollars, and this is just another example.”

DAQ authorized two contributions of $50,000 to the registry in 2007 and 2008. Half of the funds were drawn from DAQ’s share of the state gas tax (4/32 of a cent for each gallon sold), the other half from an Environmental Protection Agency grant to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, of which DAQ is a part.

The registry is a national nonprofit that seeks to convince companies, organizations, and state and local governments to report their greenhouse gas emissions in hopes of reducing climate change. ...

North Carolina has the 14th highest combined local, state, and federal gas tax in the United States at 49.5 cents per gallon, according to data from the American Petroleum Institute. In the Southeast, the Tar Heel State has the third-highest tax rate behind Florida and West Virginia.

One of the reasons for North Carolina’s transportation problems is because of lawmakers “siphoning off” gas tax funds, Berger said.

“I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be spending money on the Climate Registry,” he said. “What I’m saying is that, in terms of where the dollars are coming from and what people think that they’re paying taxes for, it certainly is not [appropriate] for the state of North Carolina to pay dues or to join a climate registry.”