Thursday, May 13, 1993
Dear Mr President:
I am writing to express our support for substantial taxes on all nonrenewable forms of energy. Please do not allow this brilliant initiative to be compromised by special interest lobbying!
Your administration faces some tough choices in its effort to reduce the deficit. An energy tax would improve America's economic and environmental security at the same time as it raised considerable revenue. Taxes on other resources, such as virgin raw materials, would have similar benefits. An increase in any other form of taxation would carry no such benefits. If the end cost of all nonrenewable forms of energy and virgin materials were to double over the course of a few years, I do not feel this would be too much, and I for one would gladly pay.
My business involves considerable energy consumption for production and shipping of our products. Our costs would surely rise due to such taxes. However, the long term improvement in the quality of all of our lives would be well worth it. Resource taxes would also provide an economic incentive to implement efficiency measures which currently are penalized on a playing field slanted in favor of poor resource management. Selling off the earth's capital of nonrenewable resources, including energy, at prices based solely on the cost of extraction is folly of the highest order. Resetting economic incentives towards thrifty resource management is top priority for this administration.
Best wishes for your program....
Sincerely,
Art Ludwig
Registered voter, small business owner