Administration tax hike will hurt jobs, cut government revenue
Mark Green
Posted February 14, 2011
(Editor's note: Earlier today, American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Jack Gerard responded to the President's budget proposal to raise taxes on the oil and natural gas industry which would harm job creation and lower government revenues long term. Below is the text of his statement.)
"It's no surprise the administration is proposing yet again to raise taxes on the U.S. oil and natural gas industry. But it's still a bad idea and comes at one of the worst times in our economic history. The administration continues to ignore the fact this industry is among the nation's largest job creators and delivers enormous revenues to government at all levels. The industry pays income taxes, royalties and other fees totaling nearly $100 million every day and pays income tax at an effective rate far higher than most other industries.
"Besides eliminating thousands of new potential jobs, the increases, over the long term, would actually lower revenue to the government by many billions of dollars as a result of foregone revenues from projects the tax hikes would prevent going forward.
"The irony is that the administration wants to increase taxes on the U.S. oil and natural gas industry so the government can create green jobs, but the industry is already doing that more efficiently and with less burden on American taxpayers through its own green investments. It invested more than $58 billion from 2000 to 2008 on low- and no-carbon energy technologies, more either than the government or the rest of the private sector combined."
API represents more than 450 oil and natural gas companies, leaders of a technology-driven industry that supplies most of America's energy, supports more than 9.2 million U.S. jobs and 7.5 percent of the U.S. economy, and, since 2000, has invested nearly $2 trillion in U.S. capital projects to advance all forms of energy, including alternatives.
About The Author
Mark Green joined API after a career in newspaper journalism, including 16 years as national editorial writer for The Oklahoman in the paper’s Washington bureau. Previously, Mark was a reporter, copy editor and sports editor at an assortment of newspapers. He earned his journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma and master’s in journalism and public affairs from American University. He and his wife Pamela have two grown children and six grandchildren.