Local opinion: Clean energy tax credits must be retained

Across the United States, the impact of climate change is devastating. Flooding in the Northeast; drought and wildfires in the Southwest (which are currently destroying property forcing evacuations in Greer), tornadoes and downpours in the Midwest, wildfires in Minnesota, excessive heat in the southwest, all occurring well before the onset of the Arizona summer which will bring severe burns when someone falls onto 180-degree sun-heated pavement or worse dies from heat stroke while working outside.

On May 14, the House Ways and Means Committee voted to eviscerate the Clean Energy Tax credits which would have helped Americans pay for investments in technology and products that reduce and even stop emissions that cause the planet to heat. Those tax credits would have reduced the cost of purchasing induction stoves, heat pump water heating, heat pump cooling and heating, upgrades to electric panels, the purchase of a new or used electric car or truck, the installation of charging equipment for that car or truck and other changes that will both mitigate and reduce the long-term impact of climate change caused by burning fossil fuels. The rationale for removing those clean energy tax credits is it is necessary to reduce taxes.

In fact, most of the tax reduction will be concentrated on Americans who are far wealthier than the rest of the populace. It’s not like they need it. Jeff Bezos takes a salary of a little over $80,000 per year — yet, somehow, he can afford huge mansions and a yacht that cost over $500 million. He paid an income tax of less than 1% while Elon Musk paid just a bit over 3% in income tax. You probably paid around 15%. The tax code does need to be reformed, but it doesn’t need to be reformed to make the obscenely rich ever richer. Warren Buffett said he shouldn’t be paying income tax at a lower rate than his secretary. Buffett is right. That’s the tax reform that is needed.

The one that is being pushed by the Republican Party will add $5.3 trillion to the national debt though that will be somewhat offset by removing health insurance from 10 million poor Americans, raising health care costs for others, and removing the clean energy tax credits that would have helped you and your family. That’s not the tax reform that is needed.

The tax reform that is needed is a way to:

help you and your family lower your monthly electricity bill.

let your children breathe cleaner air.

help you and your family send your children to school without breathing diesel exhaust.

help you purchase a car that doesn’t send more planet warming carbon dioxide into the world.

put solar panels on your home

The Clean Energy Tax Credits were helping you and yours do all of that and dozens of other things that would have benefited you and your loved ones. Now that help is being stripped by the House Ways and Means Committee.

The House Ways and Means committee may not be interested in helping you by retaining those clean energy tax credits, but you should be. You’re not powerless. You can call (Ciscomani 520-881-358, Gallego 480-697-3600, Kelly 204-222-2435) or write your elected representatives and tell them you don’t want those credits removed. Tell them you will be watching your newspaper to see how they vote. That’s how a democracy is designed to work. Let’s make sure it does so.