By Sari Heidenreich, Contributing Writer
The Northeast Pennsylvania Tea Party is in the midst of launching a campaign against Congressmen Tom Marino (R-Lycoming) and Lou Barletta (R-Luzerne) for their support of legislation that would create tax incentives and subsidies to encourage the use and production of natural gas vehicles.
“We were fans of [Rep.]Barletta and [Rep.]Marino,” said NEPA Tea Party leader Bob Orbin. “And it’s disappointing to see them backing these types of plans whey they say they back the free market.”
A robocall was launched in Barletta’s district on Tuesday and to date there have been 10,000 targeted calls to Republicans & Independents. Orbin said they plan to start calls in the 10th district by next week and are looking to place half-page ads in local newspapers to “notify people of just what’s happening.”
Click here to listen to the version of the call set to go out in Marino’s district.
Barletta and Marino are co-sponsors of the NAT GAS Act (H.R. 1380), which would allow for an excise tax credit for alternative fuels, a tax credit for business that produce natural gas vehicles or alternative refueling stations, and an income tax credit for individuals who purchase alternative fuel vehicles. The resolution would expire in 2016.
It would almost certainly add to the demand for energy produced from Marcellus shale natural gas, one of the most significant natural resources in both congressional districts.
The website OpenCongress.org says that while an official budget estimate has yet to be conducted, “The bill would provide approximately $5 billion in subsidies over a five year period.”
This is simply too much money that the government doesn’t have, the NEPA Tea Party told the congressmen in an email.
“The national debt is now over $14 Trillion Dollars, which will soon to be over $17 Trillion; and, with the Federal government having to borrow over 40% of every dollar spent … The Tea Party and the conservative movement did not send conservative Members to Washington, DC to have them ‘gift’ taxpayer dollars (in the form of subsidies) to political entrepreneurs like T. Boone Pickens or to further interfere with the free market.”
Barletta’s spokesman Shawn Kelly, wrote in an email that “Rep. Barletta supports efforts to reduce America’s dependency on foreign oil, and he supports the sensible, responsible use of natural resources here in Pennsylvania.”
Kelly said Barletta would like the opportunity to speak with the NEPA Tea Party about their specific concerns. Kelly and Orbin both confirmed that a meeting was scheduled last week but had to be canceled because of the flooding due to Tropical Storm Lee.
Orbin said they “were looking forward to the meting with Rep. Barletta but it never materialized.”
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3 Responses
Dear Mr Bob Orbin
I am writing to you to voice my concern regarding your opposition to the legislation stuck in committee ie “The Nat Gas Act”. It is not often an opportunity comes around for legislation to come around that will positively impact every single american citizen. All summer long I spent 4 dollars a gallon on gasoline commuting back and forth to work. As I looked at the gasoline dispenser I became furious, knowing that gasoline is my only option. I need transportation to get me back and forth to work to support my family and if I could do it cheaper I would, and the savings that I recieve by choosing an alternative fuel would benefit myself and my family. We would have extra income laying around to spend on other items. My wife and I spend roughly 1000 dollars a month on energy for our home and automobiles. Enough is Enough. I understand your concern about the nations debt, however Im sure that given the amount of waste that is generated in Washington a measly 5 billion dollars would not be hard to find. This is not a bridge to nowhere, this is not an entitlement, this is a jump start to create an environment that would speed up the transistion for entities as well as private citizens to finally have a choice on how they fuel the vehicles they drive. If Pickens Plan would pass, it is my belief it would be money actually well spent by Washington. Give a great idea a chance and fight the ideas that make absolutely no sense. This black or white ideology cannot hamper the few good ideas that actually make sense for all Americans and not just a chosen few.
Sincerly Yours
Andrew Johnson
we import 5 million barrels of oil from OPEC every day. Gas costs nearly $4/gallon. The equivalent natural gas cost would be closer to $2/gallon and while not “green” will be considerably less toxic to the environment. Name one start up company with the capital to invest 5 billion dollars on a nationwide infrastructure project. The only companies that could would be big oil and those are the only companies which will be hurt by this legislation.
T. Boone Pickens initiated a plan to save our economy trillions of dollars… we can’t invest 5 billion? http://www.pickensplan.com check it out yourselves.
So is the Northeast PA Tea Party upset that Republican congressmen Marino and Barletta voted to End Medicare ?? Twice?? Guess not. They’re more concerned with Natural Gas Cars. ….The Tea Partiers are Wall Street’s Trained Monkeys. They’ve been programmed to care more about Oil and Coal Company profits and to fight back against Natural Gas Cars or anything else that might cut into oil & coal profits. The Wall Street Lobbyists SCAMMED the Tea Partiers into Helping Wall Street Hammer the Final Nails into America’s Coffin.
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