'FrackNation' hits NWOhio

The movie FrackNation, a journalist's search for the fracking truth, is coming to Ohio...and if you're in the Van Wert or Wausean areas, you can see it March 16th.

If you can wait, the movie will also be screened by the Northwest Ohio Conservative Coalition on April 23 at 6:45 p.m. at the Maumee Indoor Theater.

It is especially important to educate yourselves with the truth about fracking because Josh Fox, the producer of the anti-fracking and highly inaccurate movie Gasland, has a sequel ready to debut - and it's just as bad as the first.

In the sequel he's claiming, without any evidence, that fracking causes breast cancer.

I hope you can make one of the screenings in Northwest Ohio.

Here are the details for the 6 p.m. screening in Wauseon:

Christ Church, 410 North Shoop Ave., Wauseon, OH 43567
Sponsored by the Northwest Ohio Freedom Alliance.

Here is the press notice for the 2 p.m. screening in Van Wert:

VAN WERT HEART LAND PATRIOTS SPONSOR "FRACKNATION" SCREENING

The Van Wert County Heart Land Patriots invite northwestern Ohio/northeastern Indiana residents to a FREE public showing of the independent documentary film FRACKNATION on Saturday, March 16th, at 2:00 PM in the main auditorium of Calvary Evangelical Church, located at 10686 Van Wert-Decatur Road, Van Wert.

The 75 minute documentary follows journalist Phelim McAleer as he faces gun threats, malicious 911 calls, and bogus lawsuits when questioning green extremists for the truth about fracking, a safe and economical procedure for extracting shale gas and oil from the ground.

Fracking is going to make America one of the world's leading energy producers, but has become the target of a concerted campaign by environmentalists who want it banned.

In FRACKNATION McAleer travels across America and Europe to uncover the science suppressed by environmental activists and ignored by much of the media.

He talks with scientists and ordinary Americans who live in fracking areas and who tell him the truth behind the exaggerations and misrepresentations of anti-fracking activists, including those who produced the film Gasland and promoted it's claims on the unsuspecting American public.

Not only does McAleer's film reveal truths about fracking and the possiblities for unlocking the great storehouses of energy underground huge portions of America, but it makes a clear statement about the state of much of modern journalism.

Further information on the film's showing may be obtained by telephoning Rev. Keith Stoller of the Patriots: 419-968-2869

What you'll pay taxes on if Kasich's budget plan is approved

The Columbus Dispatch has provided the complete list of Gov. John Kasich's sales tax plan included in his budget proposal. While he'd lower the sales tax by a half a percentage point, to 5%, he's adding it to more things.

As if we don't pay through the nose for our garbage through the (questionable) trash tax, refuse services are on the list. We'll be paying sales tax on top of our garbage tax!

While Kasich's proposal will lower individual income tax rates, and taxes on business, how much more will individuals and businesses be paying when they have to pay sales tax on accounting and bookkeeping, attorneys and other consultants? Of course, those costs will passed on to consumers, so you will probably pay twice.

But look at the entire list. Aren't funerals bad enough without being hit with sales tax on top of the other costs?

And if you're in need of debt counseling, do you really have enough money to pay sales tax on it?

How, exactly, are you going to pay sales tax on a coin-operated washing machine? Do they even have slots for pennies?

Magazine subscriptions? Downloaded books, movies and music? Parking lots and parking garages?

As Matt Mayer of Opportunity Ohio wrote in an email:

Yes, I know that Governor Kasich's proposed budget contains an income tax cut, but that tax cut is funded by tax hikes elsewhere instead of government spending reductions. And, yes, taxing consumption is generally preferred over taxing income, but, by refusing to reduce high government spending, that choice really is a choice between the lesser of two inferior choices. Some of those tax hikes will come right back to consumers as businesses will pass along those taxes to consumers or, worse, businesses and consumers who can move the location of their service purchases will do so, thereby harming Ohio businesses.

To back that up, he included some startling budget data:

1. Governor John Kasich's Budgets: 24.4% increase in General Revenue Fund expenditures in 4 years or 6.1% increase per year average.

2. Even within his own budgets, Governor Kasich increases General Revenue Fund expenditures by 20.7% from 2012 to 2015.

3. From 1990 to 2015, General Revenue Fund expenditures grew by 182% or 63% adjusted for inflation.

4. Ohio Governor Term General Revenue Fund Expenditures Growth: Voinovich Term I=19.8%; Voinovich Term II=20.3%; Taft Term I=25.7%; Taft Term II=11%; Strickland=4.4%; and Kasich=24.4%.

Additionally, Kasich is again proposing to raise the severance tax on oil and gas drilling (fracking). This idea was rejected by the legislature previously, but it's back - and he's hoping to *purchase* the new tax on one of our most economically promising industries through a class warfare approach: we'll tack from the evil big oil and big gas and give to you, the average, hard-working Ohioan. How is that any different from Pres. Barack Obama's class warfare of tax the rich and give to the poor?

It's the spending, stupid. Cut that and maybe we can truly lower the taxes - without having to increase them elsewhere.

And here's the kicker: counties get to add a percentage to the state sales tax and collect it as well, though the amount varies from county to county. In Lucas, they add 1% for a total of 6.5%. So local governments will see an increase in revenue just because the taxable list has been expanded to apply to additional items. Some might think this is a good thing as it could avoid other taxes, but remember: sales taxes are regressive - hitting lower income individuals harder than others.

This is not the path to growth for Ohio - only a path to the growth of government.

Here are the previously exempt items that you'll have to pay sales tax on - if his budget plan is approved by the General Assembly:

* Pet Grooming
* Intrastate Courier Services
* Marine Towing Services
* Packing and Crating
* Refuse Collection
* Insurance Services (not policy purchases)
* Investment Counselling
* Loan Broker Fees
* Property sales agents (real estate or personal)
* Real estate management fees (rental agents)
* Real estate title abstract services
* Service charges of banking institutions
* Tickertape reporting (financial reporting)
* Accounting (Personal services)
* Cutting, coloring, styling of hair
* Dating Services
* Debt Counseling
* Fishing and hunting guide services
* Funeral Services
* Laundry and dry cleaning services, coin-op
* Legal Services (Personal services)
* Mailbox Rentals
* Tax Return Preparation
* Travel Agent Services
* Accounting and Bookkeeping (Business services)
* Advertising agency fees (other than ad placement)
* Architectural, engineering, and related services
* Bail Bond Fees
* Call Center
* Check and Debt Collection
* Commercial art and graphic design
* Credit information, credit bureaus
* Interior Design and Decorating
* Legal Services (Business services)
* Lobbying and Consulting
* Magazine Subscriptions
* Mailroom Services
* Management consultant services
* Marketing
* Process Server Fees
* Sale of Advertising time or space (billboards, magazine, newspaper, local radio and television)
* Public relations, management consulting
* Secretarial and court reporting services (excludes temporary hiring)
* Telemarketing services on contract
* Telephone Answering Service
* Test laboratories (excluding medical)
* Software - custom programs - programming and modifications to pre-written program
* Downloaded books, music, movies/digital, other electronic goods
* Parking lots and garages
* Admission to: cultural events; professional sports events; school and college sports events' park admission and rides; circuses and fairs - admission and rides.
* Billiard Parlors
* Bowling Alleys
* Cable TV services
* Coin-operated video games
* Pari-mutuel racing events
* Pinball and other mechanical amusements
* Rental of films and tapes by theaters
* Professional Services: accounting & bookkeeping; architects, attorneys; credit rating services; data mining services; engineers; land surveying; public relations; sound recording; Stenographic services.
* Trailer Parks - overnight

Ohio Watchdog round-up: sales tax, hypocrisy, several tax

A round-up of article from Ohio Watchdog:

Sales tax, property tax and - oh yeah - children: Discussions about how to fund education in the state include raising the sales tax to replace the property taxes being charged locally. How much, who gets it and who decides is always the discussion - but where do the children fit into the equation?

Dear Mr. President - your campaign is out of control: The same day Ohio was celebrating being recognized as an All-Star state for our efforts to protect the military vote, the Obama For America campaign, the Democratic National Committee and the Ohio Democratic Party sued the state to overturn the very law that help us win the recognition.

Oh - and overlooked by everyone is the sheer hypocrisy of the ODP, along with chairman Chris Redfern, of suing to overturn a bill that every Democrat - including Redfern - voted for.

Yes, you read that correctly. The ODP is suing to overturn a bill that received unanimous support when it was passed.

Kasich renews calls for high oil, gas severance tax: I written in opposition to the severance tax, and several groups (here and here) have announced their opposition as well. This article describes the proposal and what proponents and opponents have to say. Tom Blumer also lists Another reason to oppose gas hikes on Ohio's oil, gas industry.

Lastly, Ohio Watchdog has done a series of articles exposing the bias and 'untruthfulness' of PolitiFact's truth or lie conclusions. The latest article looks at how PolitiFact slams a GOP spokeswoman's 'literally true' statement as somehow untrue. Unbelievable! But read all the posts in the series and you'll see how PolitiFact is just a tool to support liberals while criticizing conservatives. That's my opinion, but you'll see how valid it is after reading the series and you can judge for yourself.

Another group says 'no' to Kasich's severance tax increase

An email from Americans For Prosperity - Ohio urges members to oppose Gov. John Kasich's proposal to increase the oil and gas severance tax in order to redistribute that extra revenue in the form of an income tax cut. They are the second group to do so.

It's the "Tell them to STOP!" campaign and here is the text of the email:

For the last several years, news of Ohio's economy and jobs picture has been bleak. But now, Ohio has a unique and very exciting opportunity -- the exploration for oil and natural gas.

The opportunity presented through shale exploration is nothing short of a boom for Ohio's economy. Whether you live on the eastern side or the western side of the state-- all of Ohio is bound to be positively impacted through the exploration and extraction of energy producing resources from our ground.

Unfortunately, some leaders in Ohio, including Governor Kasich, have suggested that taxes be increased on the oil and natural gas explorers to fund regulation and provide a tax decrease at legislative discretion -- in essence, the plan will slow or stifle energy exploration, pick winners and losers again, and fail to secure true tax reform which is necessary in Ohio.

If our elected officials want to lower taxes they should they should do it by following through on cuts to Ohio's bloated government rather than raising taxes on job creators and stifling the true creation of wealth by private landowners.

This issue promises to continue to be heated throughout the summer and fall and we at Americans for Prosperity -- Ohio aren't going to just go away.

You have responded to our calls to action before on this issue and NOW WE ARE ASKING YOU TO RESPOND AGAIN.

Please let your leaders know that you:

1. Want to them to stop picking winners and losers
2. Oppose this tax increase that will impact private land holder rights
3. Support exploring for energy in Ohio and are committed to keeping government intrusion at a minimum
4. Believe government stifling private economic growth WILL NOT lead to true job creation

Action items:

1. Email Governor Kasich (http://www.governor.ohio.gov/Contact/ContacttheGovernor.aspx) and the Senate leadership (http://www.ohiosenate.gov/leadership.html) including your Senator (http://www.ohiosenate.gov/directory.html) -- tell them you don't want to see new taxes raised on energy explorers and land holders in Ohio.
2. Email Speaker of the House Batchelder (http://www.house.state.oh.us/index.php?option=com_displaymembers&task=detail&district=69), the House leadership (http://www.house.state.oh.us/index.php?option=com_displaymembers&Itemid=52) and your Representative (http://www.house.state.oh.us/index.php?option=com_displaymembers&Itemid=58) and thank them for standing up for landholders, job creation, and liberty in Ohio. Ask them to remain resolved to fight this proposal.

The general assembly might be "out of session" right now, but the fight for liberty and sound economic policy never ceases -- WE NEED YOU TO ACT NOW!

Ohio Liberty Coalition opposes Kasich's severance tax

The Ohio Liberty Coalition agrees with me that taxing one entity more to give a break to others is nothing more than redistribution of wealth. It's not a conservative position, a moral position, a good-government position, nor is it good policy.

OH: Kasich renews call for higher oil, gas severance tax has more information about Gov. John Kasich's tax increase proposal.

Here is the Press Release:

Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Liberty Coalition today came out against Governor Kasich’s proposed tax increase on the Ohio oil and gas industry. Tom Zawistowski, President of the OLC said, “What Governor Kasich is proposing is unnecessary and unwise. Under the current rules, the severance tax on oil and gas produced $11 million in state taxes in 2009, and by 2014 it is projected by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce to increase to $433 million per year. If the Governor wants to cut personal income taxes he can use that new money to do so. It is unnecessary to raise taxes when this industry is already on track to dramatically increase tax revenue. It is also unwise to throw roadblocks in front of an industry that is critical to the economic future of our state. Some companies are already leaving Ohio. That is not what we want.”

He went on to explain, “We understand the argument that the Governor wants to bring energy taxes in line with other states, but we do not agree that this is what Ohio should do. If we have a tax advantage then we think we should exploit that advantage and use it to attract more businesses. Then we will get more tax revenue from taxes generated by ‘downstream’ industrial and business activity.”

Zawistowski concluded by saying, “From a TEA Party perspective, to raise taxes on one group to give a tax cut to another group is simply redistribution of wealth. It is not the Governor’s job to pick winners and losers; his job is to run the state government as efficiently as possible. If he wants to cut taxes, he should cut state spending so he can cut taxes. We will encourage our member groups to contact their state senators and house representatives and ask them to oppose the Governor’s proposal.”

The Ohio Liberty Coalition is a coalition of Ohio Liberty Groups whose purpose is to unite conservative grassroots organizations for greater effectiveness in the state and nation, and to provide resources for member organizations to strengthen their groups. The OLC currently has over 75 liberty-minded groups across Ohio who are members of its coalition.

###

Kasich's severance tax increase a bad idea

I'm not sure what's up with Gov. John Kasich, but he wants to increase taxes on one segment of our state in order to provide a tax cut to other segments.

In case you're not clear, this is exactly the same line of reasoning Pres. Barack Obama has when he says he wants to 'tax the rich' to provide funds for various government give-aways.

Kasich believes that an increase in taxes paid by oil and gas drillers in the state would be enough income to cover a reduction in taxes paid by individuals. Many individuals, not versed in Economics 101, hear 'tax cut' for themselves and are ready to jump all over the provision.

But if oil and gas drillers are taxed more, they'll just add the extra taxes to the cost of their product, driving up what individuals will pay. Which means that tax cut we'd get will go right back out to pay for the increased costs of the gas and oil products.

Not smart ... but appealing to people who don't think.

Jason Hart at MediaTrackers.org recently interviewed Jerry James, president of Marietta-based Artex Oil Company, about the proposal. As Hart writes, "While it may go without saying that James opposes higher taxes on oil and gas drilling, the perspective of Ohio employers should not be discounted simply because they have a financial interest at stake."

You can view the interview here.

Hart writes (emphasis added):

According to James — who currently serves as president of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association — leaving the severance tax unchanged would not only benefit Ohio landowners, energy companies, and blue-collar workers, but would drive overall economic growth in eastern Ohio. James predicts this would result in greater tax revenues under the more competitive current rate.

As a supplement to his comments in the above interview, James provided a chart showing a 50% drop in drilling activity in Arkansas after that state passed a comparable tax increase early in a similar energy boom. The Arkansas example was also cited by industry spokesman Terry Fleming of the Ohio Petroleum Council when Kasich’s proposal was first being discussed this spring.

James noted that in addition to the severance tax, energy companies in Ohio pay income tax, sales tax, an “ad valorem” tax on the value of underground minerals, and the state commercial activity tax (CAT). He disputed drilling cost and output estimates from the governor’s office, pointing to the oil & gas industry’s narrow profit margins.

Kasich’s proposal, which remains delayed in the General Assembly, has been endorsed by the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce and the Columbus Chamber of Commerce on the premise that increased energy production from the Utica Shale in eastern Ohio should be leveraged for lower taxes statewide.

The combined severance tax hike/income tax rebate plan is opposed by the National Taxpayers Union, although it has been deemed compliant with the Americans for Tax Reform pledge.

The last thing Ohio needs is to duplicate Pres. Obama's mantra and politics of division by raising taxes on one industry in order to provide tax relief to others.

It's robbing Peter to pay Paul, which certainly makes it popular with Paul.

But it's bad policy and will hurt all of us in the long run.

Ohio - the new front in the fracking war

I thought this summary from the National Center for Policy Analysis was especially timely considering that Gov. John Kasich will be discussing fracking in his State of the State speech, which you can watch live here at 1 p.m.

A New Front in the Fracking War

The state of Ohio has become one of the main battlegrounds in the fight over the controversial horizontal hydraulic fracturing process, known as "fracking." Though the state is several years behind neighboring states in the exploitation of the fracking system, its abundance of deep natural gas deposits makes it a prime target for future extraction, says the Weekly Standard.

• Unique to the state of Ohio is the large concentration of natural gas in Utica shale rock, which is several thousand feet below the normal Marcellus shale that is already widely fracked.

• Within that layer of rock, state officials estimate that as much as 15.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas are trapped.

• In the last month, foreign investors committed more than $2 billion to shale operations in the state.

• According to a study by the Ohio extraction industry's educational arm, exploiting this resource could create more than 200,000 jobs and net the state billions of dollars.

• Amy Meyers Jaffe, a fellow in energy studies at the Baker Institute at Rice University, estimates that enough gas is recoverable from shale in North America to fuel the country for 45 years.

Despite the enormous benefits to be gained from exploiting a high-demand natural resource, Ohioans have turned out in droves to protest fracking on a number of grounds. However, concerns -- which are largely related to the environment -- are unfounded and place unnecessary red tape on an industry that could significantly strengthen the economy of a state with 8.5 percent unemployment.

The most recent claim against the fracking industry is that their disposal wells (storage for fracking residual materials) can cause seismic activity if drilled too close to fault lines. This concern gained momentum because of the strong series of minor earthquakes that hit Ohio during 2011, with a 4.0 magnitude quake striking on New Year's Eve. However, this concern precludes the fact that wastewater wells have been in the state since the 1980s and now number 176 sites.

A number of other concerns relate to the possibility that unchecked wastewater wells could leak into the groundwater supply. However, Ohio has specifically addressed this issue by doubling inspection staff and mandating assessments four times as often as the Environmental Protection Agency requires.

Source: Kate Havard, "A New Front in the Fracking War," Weekly Standard, January 30, 2012.

Guest Column: Let states regulate fracking

The following is a guest column from Rep. Bob Latta who serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee:

Latta Op-Ed: “Let states regulate fracking”

Too often, Washington ignores the complexities inherent in our vast and diverse nation and reverts to a one-size-fits-all approach in which Washington “knows” best.

Most federal agencies operate under this assumption. The Environmental Protection Agency provides a perfect example. It sets uniformstandards for the effects of energy production on air and water, regardless of the characteristics of different localities. The obvious problem with this is that many of these municipalities are as dissimilar as my hometown, BowlingGreen, Ohio, and San Francisco, entirely different geographically and demographically.

EPA’s impulse to regulate first and ask questions later is contrary to the wishes of many states, which have spent years crafting stringent, well-tailored regulatory frameworks at the state level and desire little intrusion from Washington.

In the past decade, the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing — techniques used to extract shale gas from tight pockets deep underground — has allowed access to large volumes of natural gas that were not accessible just a few years ago.

The production boom of natural gas from shale formations has sparked a vigorous debate about how much regulation is necessary and who should oversee it — Washington bureaucrats or state regulators who reside in the communities they regulate and have detailed knowledge of local geologic formations?

State regulators know their natural resources. They know the local geology, geography and production characteristics, making them bettersuited to regulate local energy producers than distant federal bureaucrats.

The fundamental question that must be asked is: Who is best suited to protect the health and safety of Ohioans — experienced Ohio regulators and geologists, or somebody in Washington?

Today (Monday, Nov. 14th), I’ll ask this question at a natural gas forum in Washington at which we will hear from esteemed energy experts and industry leaders who can help us better understand the natural gas revolution that’s changing our energy landscape for the better.

At a similar forum that I co-hosted in Ohio, I posed this question to state regulators, shale oil and gas development companies and end-users.

The answer was loud and clear: Ohio has it under control, no need for Big Government to step in.

Dave Mustine, director of Jobs Ohio, a nonprofit focused on business development, said, “We have a very advanced oil and gas law that was updated in the last General Assembly. We believe we have the regulatory framework in place to provide effective oversight to this industry, protecting the environment, doing it right — and we’re very proud of that here in our state.”

In 2010, the Ohio Legislature approved the most stringent oil and gas laws in the country that address every phase of shale development: site preparation, drilling and well completion, hydraulic fracturing, production, treatment and storage, waste management and disposal, plugging and restoration and orphaned well sites.

Still, Ohio’s work appears to fall on deaf ears in Washington, where the EPA is spending taxpayer money to study the need for federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing, despite Administrator Lisa Jackson’s recent statements that she’s not “aware of any proven case where the fracking process itself has affected water.”

EPA also recently announced its intention to set new regulations for shale wastewater, a process that Ohio has already perfectedwith numerous well-regulated and EPA-approved underground injection wells. As the old adage goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Kathryn Klaber, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, reiterated the point, stating, “EPA’s announcement was yet another Washington solution in search of a problem.”

Rick Simmers, statewide enforcement manager with Ohio Department of Natural Resources, who oversees wastewater management, says Ohio’s 28-year-old state-run wastewater disposal program, composed of 180 underground injection wells, is a safe, well-managed, disposal program. Thesystem in Ohio has been run so efficiently and effectively that drilling operations in Pennsylvania pay for wastewater disposal services in Ohio.

Still, Washington bureaucrats ignore the success of state regulatory bodies. This is especially troubling because one-size-fits-all EPA rule making could jeopardize the expected creation within the next four years of 204,500 jobs in Ohio and annual state tax revenues of $478.9 million, according to the Oil and Gas Energy Education Association.

To avoid a scenario of cavalier regulations by federal agencies, Washington should take the advice of Tom Stewart of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association and allow states “to follow the state review process,” a program that has demonstrated success.

The practice brings together a variety of stakeholders — the environmental community, state and federal regulators and industry — who go to state governments and peer critique one another’s programs, finding out what works well and what doesn’t. Based on their evaluations, they recommend how to make state-specific improvements. This is the most effective way to ensure the needs of states and their citizens are accounted for.

Finally, we have to understand that when we talk about regulations, we are discussing potential threats to employment opportunities at a time when our country needs new jobs more than ever. Right now, we are seeing an influx of Americans moving to towns across America in which shale deposits have been discovered.

As a father of two, I want my kids to be proud of their home state and to find jobs that allow them to stay in Ohio. But this can only happen if the federal government allows Ohio to manage its resources and foster an environment conducive to job creation. We need more jobs than more job-killing federal regulations.

Government cannot create jobs, but government can help create an environment that attracts job creators and allows them to hire workers. We have all the tools we need to spur an economic recovery and rejuvenate our society if we can get the right regulatory environment in place.

Our forefathers meant for states to be laboratories for experimentation with the right governance. Regulation of hydraulic fracturing is the perfect example of a process better left to state governments, whichhave the best, firsthand knowledge of how to deal with their specific circumstances.