Leave it to our politicians to spin fairy tales that would make the Brothers Grimm green with envy. For example consider this promise by two senators pushing cost-spiking energy legislation:
Responding to critics who claim energy reform means increased costs and taxes, Kerry and Lieberman said energy-bill discounts and direct rebates would give back to consumers two-thirds of the proposal’s revenue that isn’t dedicated to deficit reduction. Additional tax cuts and an energy-refund program would help Americans “who may be disproportionately affected by potential increases in energy prices,” according to supporting documents Kerry and Lieberman supplied.
So, if consumers aren’t going to be on the hook, who is? The only thing worse than mail-in rebates used to sell products are government promised rebates to sell the “latest and greatest” harebrained scheme. Let’s consider this in the context of New Mexico. You might remember that not too long ago New Mexicans were given one time income tax energy rebates ranging between $64 and $289.
Yet, just five short years later, the government that gives in one-time rebates taketh away in recurring tax increases. The worse part is that what they take away in that additional year over year tax increase is always way more than what they gave us in the first place. It’s the government’s version of a car salesman’s four square worksheet game.