Published: June 04, 2006 02:29 pm            

6/04/06 Letters to the editor

Oil companies at least provide something useful



Dear Editor:



While you are listening to Sens. Clinton, Schumer, Boxer, Kennedy, etc., after they arrive in their chauffeured limousines telling you that a windfall tax on oil companies would correct all our problems. Remember that unlike our politicians the oil companies at least find and provide something we can use. You might consider the following.

After President Jimmy Carter imposed a windfall tax on oil companies in 1980, domestic oil production tumbled. From 1980 to 1988, The Christian Science Monitor reports, “the windfall tax brought in $80 billion in gross revenues — far less than the $393 billion projected — before it was abolished, according to analysis released last month by the Congressional Research Services. It also lowered U.S. domestic production, the analysis found by somewhere between 1.2 percent to 4.8 percent during that period.”

The best figure I can find states that the price of crude oil would be approximately 30 percent lower if we could eliminate the speculators from the system and allow oil to simply flow from the wells to the refineries. Maybe we should tax the traders? After all, in the third quarter of 2005, just one of many many trading companies (Goldman-Sachs) made a profit of over $100 million on petroleum trades alone.

Back in my college days Dr. Kurt Richebacher was just an economist. Today he is considered the senior economist. He said recently: “In America today, you have an inflated service sector trading inflated assets. The assets that are traded do not produce any widespread wealth. They simply produce wealth for the individuals who trade them.”



W. V. Bonds





Thanks from Hop Stop organizers



Dear Editor:



The Girls of Grace Circle of King’s Daughters would like to thank the following sponsors for helping to make this year’s event our most successful yet: Lawn Tech, The UPS Store, Cleburne Independent School District, Barrera’s, Ronny McBroom, Dr. Sharron Miles, Dr. Robert Kelly, Crystal Plaster, Brenda Webb, Dr. Ronald Sherwood, Drs. Jason and Elizabeth Berry, Barbara Boulware, Card & Party Factory, Frito-Lay, Wal-Mart, H-E-B, Staples, Splash Station, Cinema 6, McDonald’s, KFC, Taco Bell, Jack In The Box, Sonic, Cotton Patch, Dairy Queen, Burger King, Whataburger, CiCi’s and Blockbuster.

Special thanks to Adam Miles, Danny Leigh and the Cleburne High School Spanish Club. Thank you to the Times-Review and Cleburne Chamber of Commerce for helping us to publicize our event.

Thank you to the citizens of Cleburne for supporting the Hop Stop. All proceeds from this event will go to provide Christmas for local children through Goodfellows. Thank you for helping us to make a difference!

In his name,



Girls of Grace Circle of the

International Order of

King’s Daughters & Sons





Taylor has disclosed what is required



Dear Editor:



For the record, Van Taylor in his bid to unseat Chet Edwards for the U.S. House has disclosed all the financial information required by the Federal Election Commission. He is not trying to hide anything. He has also not received money from any energy PAC, something Edwards has routinely done.

The PAC money may have more affect than owning stock on one’s decision concerning energy as Edwards has voted twice against funding $30 million for renewable energy programs. He may be for alternative energy but his record does not indicate this.

Stating that Taylor is unable to make energy decisions because he owns energy stock is like saying he cannot make a decision about the military because he is a Marine or he can’t make a decision about foreign policy because he was deployed to Iraq.

He can and will make decisions that will benefit all Americans and not the few stock holders.



Alton L. Flynn

        

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