No Taxes Paid

Okay so watch this video:

The Daily Show on Exxon and Taxes

Sooooooooooooo...let me get this straight.  Our media (which is more interested in entertainment as compared to journalism) doesn't bother with Exxon or any of the other big oil companies.  In the April month edition of Forbes magazine, apparently it was revealed that Exxon, GM and other big corporations won't be paying any taxes.  Well, that's not true.  Exxon did pay taxes, more than any other company...they just won't be paying any to Uncle Sam:

"Exxon tries to limit the tax pain with the help of 20 wholly owned subsidiaries domiciled in the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands that (legally) shelter the cash flow from operations in the likes of Angola, Azerbaijan and Abu Dhabi. No wonder that of $15 billion in income taxes last year, Exxon paid none of it to Uncle Sam, and has tens of billions in earnings permanently reinvested overseas."

So the Obama Administration wants to put an end to all of this:

"President Barack Obama proposed raising about $190 billion over the next decade by outlawing three offshore tax-avoidance techniques used by U.S. companies such as Caterpillar Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co."

It doesn't sound too bad, right?  I mean, what could be so bad about charging the Big Oil Companies so the U.S. can finally get some freakin' money!  Unfortunately it's targeted Obama, once again, with the icon that he is a Socialist:  

"No More Deferral.  On the tax hike, Obama’s proposed 2010 budget quite ominously signaled that he intends to end or significantly amend the U.S. practice of allowing U.S. multinationals to defer U.S. taxes on income that they earn abroad.  Currently, the U.S. has the second-highest corporate tax on Earth. U.S. firms can compete in Europe by opening a subsidiary in a low-tax country and locating the profits there. Since the high U.S. tax applies only when the money is mailed home, and firms can let the money sit abroad for as long as they want, the big disadvantage of the high rate is muted significantly.  End that deferral opportunity and U.S. firms will no longer be able to compete, given their huge tax disadvantage. With foreign tax rates so low now, it is even possible that the end of deferral could lead to the extinction of the U.S. corporation.  If any firms are to remain, they will be festooned with massive carbon-permit expenses because of Obama’s new cap-and- trade progkram."

Seriously?  Do these Teabaggers (how can I not say the name and not snicker) seriously think that the Oil Companies getting away with not paying any taxes and instead the burden being shouldered on the middle and lower classes of Americana are...American?  What the hell?!  How is it that people can be so moronic that they don't think logically?  "U.S. firms will no longer be able to compete..."  Uh-huh.  That's why they pay taxes to everyone else BUT the Uncle Sam.  \

It's plain and simple...the Oil Companies have the upper-class Conservative Republicans in their pockets.  How do I know this? Take a look at this graph link and see the results.  According to the graph, in the 2006 Congressional elections, oil and gas companies contributed over $19 million to political campaigns. 82% of that money went to the Republicans; the remaining 18% went to Democrats. In the 2004 election year, oil and gas companies contributed over $25 million to political campaigns. Over 80% of that money was donated to Republicans. In the 2000 elections, over $34 million was contributed; 78% of that money went to Republicans. Electric utilitie companies also heavily favor Republicans, their contributions ranging between $15-20 million.  From 2003-2006, the energy lobby also contributed $58.3 million to state-level campaigns. By comparison, alternative energy interests contributed around half a million dollars in the same time period.

Oil companies and their Republican constituents have, time and time again, lobbied against Climate Change, influenced the War in Iraq, and pandered uninformed citizens to lobby against needed change.  It's clear that Big Oil is the corporate enemy of democracy as well as a clean earth.  Why democracy?  Read this:

"According to the International Sustainable Energy Organisation for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, the second World Climate Conference 'was sabotaged by the USA and oil lobbies.' UNISEO then proceeded to set up a Global Energy Charter 'which protects life, health, climate and the biosphere from emissions.' According to the organization, these same 'reactionary energy lobby groups tried to boycott this Charter with the help from oil- and coal-producing nations and succeeded to keep energy out of the Rio Conference on Environment & Development (UNCED) in 1992, to continue this game in all Climate Conferences in Berlin, Kyoto, The Hague and Marrakech, where the USA boycotted the Kyoto protocol and still stubbornly tries to ignore the Charter.' "

In the meantime, three Democractic senators (Sens. Robert Menendez, D-NJ, Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ, and Bill Nelson, D-FL) are pushing for new legislation that requires oil companies pay more for any disasters that they cause.  Currently the fine cap is $75 million in economic damages for harm to the fish and tourist industry.  And why shouldn't they pay more? 

As a Pagan, my heart cries out for the damage to the Earth, Sea and Sky.  I am glad to see one of the Senators pushing for this change are from Florida.  I encourage Pagans to continue in the political process and call or write to Bill Nelson and support his decision.  If Big Oil wants to continue to try and govern how my government will do things and influence Climate Change legislation that can help us instead of harm us, then I say to unite on a front and start making our voices heard!! 

This approaching Full Moon I will be taking a page out of my boyfriend Nemesis' book and conducting a ritual to Aphrodite, for the healing of the seas.  Hey, I live in Florida, the last thing I want are the Ocean Gods to get angry and come back at me or mine!  My vow to Aphrodite will be to continue being a voice against Big Oil companies that pretend to have an interest in "America," when really all they are interested in is money and an empire they can help run behind the scenes.  If this isn't a form of Dark Magick, I don't know what is.  Last I checked, Dark Magick tends to hide behind a mask rather than show itself for what it is. 

~Oracle~