News & Articles

Energy independence? Or just Republican fact-free misinformation  

“...it is vital to our national security that America maintains our energy independence. We must work to ensure that an abundant supply of affordable energy is available to keep our economy moving,” says Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI). [It is] ... time to restore the American energy dominance that fuels economic growth and opportunity right here at home”  

As is typical, Tiffany's rants make no sense and ignores the facts. No one can own or control the wind or sun. So solar and wind energy (which Tiffany opposes) is clearly important to “energy independence.” Homegrown, clean green energy is the most “secure” and “abundant” energy source. And it is “affordable.” This is why it is being installed by people, businesses and power companies all over the country.  

Rather than accept reality, Tiffany defends the old technology – fossil fuel and nuclear industries. He is a corporate lap dog, not a visionary leader.      

“Rather than tapping into our own vast oil and gas reserves to lower prices at the pump and create good, family-wage American jobs, President Biden has chosen to make us more dependent on [foreign oil]  “It’s time to stop begging undemocratic Third World dictatorships for the energy America needs...”  

Fact #1: The U.S. is the world’s biggest oil and gas producer and has been most years during the 20th century.  According to the Department of Energy, “The United States became the world’s top crude oil producer in 2018 and maintained the lead position through 2022.” Oil and fossil fuels are a top U.S export.  

Fact #2: Oil and gas supplies and prices are controlled by world markets dominated the large oil companies, oil-producing countries and commodities speculators (free market capitalism). No one “begs” for oil. They buy it on the open market from the big oil companies. No President can control this process.   

Fact #3: The U.S major oil companies import and export oil and refined petroleum products all the time. The U.S is a net exporter but the big oil companies still import from foreign sources for various reasons. This international trade is much more complicated than Tiffany understands.  

Tiffany ranting about “energy independence” is just more Republican misinformation and Biden bashing.  

Abolish the IRS?  

The current tax laws are riddled with unfairness. But the Republican sponsored, and fraudulently named, “Fair Tax Act” is an absolutely stupid proposal. It will create the most unfair tax system imaginable. This isn't tax reform. It is a detailed plan to end the income tax,  abolish the IRS and, as right-wing extremists have advocated for years, “drown government in the bathtub.”  This bill would replace income, payroll taxes, estate and gift taxes with a national sales tax (a “regressive” tax that impacts low-income people most).

The 23% tax would be paid on purchases by individuals, but not by businesses or investors. The states would run the program and the IRS would get no funding after 2027.   The revenues from this sales tax would be “allocated” among all the competing funding needs. In other words every federally funded activity – big, small, vital or pork barrel fluff – will be on the chopping block every year in the scramble for funding “allocation.” Public safety, roads, health care, disease control, education, Grandma's Social Security – you name it – will be competing with the corporate lobbyists and defense contractors for the spoils. Any guesses on who will win? Given how incompetent Congress is at current budgeting this is a recipe for disaster.  

Creating fiscal disasters is apparently the real goal of this legislation. Buried in the fine print is an even more stupid idea. The “Fair Tax Act” will end the newly created “national sales tax if the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution (authorizing an income tax) is not repealed within seven years after the enactment of this bill.'' In other words the federal government will be left with collecting import duties for revenue as in 1789. Republicans will have succeeded in drowning government in the bathtub.   

The only thing dumber than the Fair Tax Act is working people voting for Republicans who want to screw everyone but their wealthy donors.   

Fairness is “neo-Marxian philosophy”   

Republicans have a problem with fairness (and good business practices) in government employment and university activities. Republican lawmakers recently voted to have the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau do an “audit” of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) activities in state agencies and on university campuses.  

Audits of public activities are done for financial accountability or to determine if a program is accomplishing its goals and is worth continuing.   

What is DEI? “DEI is any policy or practice designed to make people of various backgrounds feel welcome and ensure they have support to perform to the fullest of their abilities in the workplace” (from Built IN, a technology recruiting firm)   

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) had tried to get the Wisconsin University System to eliminate DEI programs. University DEI includes programming to help “students and staff from underrepresented groups, including people of color, first-generation college students, veterans, LGBTQ+ people and people from rural areas” to adapt and do better at school.  

What is wrong with helping people be more successful?

Sen. Eric Wimberger (R-Green Bay) says DEI is a “neo-Marxian philosophy” that amounts to “state-sponsored discrimination.”   What do business leaders say about DEI? “Variety, as they say, is the spice of life [and] diversity is another word for variety...Companies that are diverse, equitable and inclusive are better able to respond to challenges, win top talent and meet the needs of different customer bases” (McKinsey and Company, a multinational consulting firm with 45,000 employees).  

What is wrong with Republicans? Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) provides a clue.  Republicans are trying to gin up more division before the election. He says, “I see this as nothing more than trying to drag up a boogeyman.”  

Like all the other culture war stupidity, DEI is one more wedge issue to divide and conquer.