Study: Obama's revenue-raiser energy tax proposals may end up costing billions, destroying jobs

Are these among those “massive job killing taxes” President Obama promised to inflict if he is re-elected? Yup.

The study by an Louisiana State University finance professor, Joseph Mason, concludes that a couple of the administration’s proposals – projected to raise about $29 billion over the next decade – actually would cause long-term net losses of about $54 billion in tax revenues, because of impacts on the industry. The change “comes at the expense of industry cutbacks that can reasonably be expected to cost the economy some $341 billion in economic output, 155,000 jobs, [and] $68 billion wages,” the study says. The accompanying drain on tax revenues would actually outweigh the increase from changing the rules, the study contends.

The study was prepared with support from the American Energy Alliance, a market-oriented advocacy group that favors “freely functioning energy markets” and predictable, technology-neutral government policies. It suggests that easing federal restrictions on offshore drilling could have a much more beneficial effect.

The two tax provisions involved in the study are among the larger ones that Mr. Obama has proposed for the oil and gas industry. They include a domestic manufacturing deduction as well as a provision that can help oil companies reduce their U.S. tax when they pay taxes to foreign oil-producing countries, the administration says.

Advertisement

Pretty much everything Obama proposes turns out to be totally destructive of the economy and liberty, and everything he touches turns to crap.

Recommended

Trending on PJ Media Videos

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Advertisement
Advertisement