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9.05.2011

Mo. lawmakers seek to end tax break for poor


MO State Wire
DAVID A. LIEB
Published: Yesterday

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The downturn in the economy already had cost Kim Ellis more than half of her clients at her small janitorial business. Her troubles were doubled by her vehicle, which after nearly 300,000 miles had saddled her with thousands of dollars in repairs and cast doubt on her ability to work.

Thanks in part to a $750 state tax credit for certain low-income residents, Ellis has at least solved her transportation problem. She used the money from the state income tax break to pay the sales taxes and licensing fees on the purchase of a newer, used car.

"It helped me quite a bit," Ellis said, "and I would hate for them to take it away."

Yet during a special session that starts Tuesday, Missouri lawmakers are poised to repeal the low-income tax credit that benefits at least 106,000 disabled and elderly residents living in rental housing. The move could save the state $855 million over 15 years, and some lawmakers want to redirect a portion of that money to new tax breaks intended to lure Chinese cargo planes to the St. Louis airport and more businesses to Missouri.

Advocates for the disabled and senior citizens are gearing up to fight the tax-credit repeal. But they may face a tough battle, because the elimination of the so-called "circuit breaker" tax credit for low-income renters is the single largest budgetary savings being proposed to offset the cost of the new business incentives.

Supporters of the special-session proposal contend Missouri must do something dramatic to spur job growth - even if it means less money in the pockets of the poor.

"While we're not very happy with the elimination of some provisions that help people in need, we've got to get our people to work if we're ever going to have enough money in the state coffers again to support human need issues," said Herb Johnson, secretary-treasurer of the Missouri AFL-CIO, which has joined the Missouri Chamber Commerce and Industry in backing the plan.

Since 1973, Missouri has offered a state income tax break intended to offset the property taxes or rent payments of low-income seniors. Over the years, that "circuit breaker" tax break has been expanded to also cover the disabled and the surviving spouses of deceased seniors.

For the 2010 tax year, Missouri paid out nearly $117 million in such tax breaks, with about $57 million going to people in rental housing.

Last year, the Missouri Tax Credit Review Commission - appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon - recommended the tax break be eliminated for renters but continued for homeowners under the theory that renters do not directly pay property taxes. Nixon initially opposed the recommendation, saying in December that the challenging economy made it an especially bad time to end the tax break for the poor.

"Maintaining the ability of seniors to get those income-eligible circuit breakers - whether they rent or whether they own - is an important consumer protection," Nixon said in December.

But the Democratic governor has now changed his position. Last week, Nixon said he could support ending the tax credit for renters, so long as an equivalent amount of money is dedicated to be spent on senior services. Nixon said his administration is working with lawmakers drafting the legislation to include a fund earmarked for senior citizen programs.

But state Sen. Chuck Purgason, who hopes to handle the legislation, said the fund amounts to little more than a political gimmick. If it's not immediately the case, politicians would eventually use the money from the dedicated fund to offset cuts in other sources of revenue for senior programs - resulting in little net gain for seniors, Purgason said.

"The reality of it is, if you're going to believe politicians are going to set up a fund and appropriate to senior programs, that is another wool over the eyes of taxpayers," said Purgason, R-Caulfield.

That's what stokes the concerns of people such as Minnie May, 75, who recently sold her house in the southeast Missouri town of Patterson and moved into a small rental home in nearby Piedmont. May, whose gets $686 a month in Social Security payments, said she has received about $300 annually from Missouri's homeowner tax credit, which she has used to help pay her bills. Now that she lives in a rented home, May's tax break could be in jeopardy.

May uses an analogy from her farming background to describe her distaste for the legislative proposal.

"When one chicken plucks a feather out of another chicken, all the other chickens do too until there's nothing left of the chicken," May said. "And that's just what these lawmakers are doing, they're taking one feather off at a time until the elderly and disabled have nothing. And there's just no need of it, absolutely no need of it."

Ellis, 43, of south St. Louis County, has received the income tax break for renters because of her disabilities, which include rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. She calls the proposal to end the tax credit "one of the worst ideas ever."

"I think they're making a big mistake if they were to get rid of it, especially now," Ellis said. "People need something they can depend on."

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Executive Order Eighteen - Leading By Example Towards A Clean Energy Economy & Sustainable Natural Environment

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Executive Order Eighteen

TO: HEADS OF ALL STATE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

RE: LEADING BY EXAMPLE TOWARDS A CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY & SUSTAINABLE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

For more information, please see: Fact Sheet and Press Release

WHEREAS, the transition to a cleaner energy, low-carbon economy and the importance of addressing climate change present Delaware with unprecedented challenges and opportunities to strengthen the State’s economic competitiveness, create thousands of well-paying jobs, improve public health, protect the environment, and enhance the quality of life; and

WHEREAS, an important part of the State’s economic development strategy is advancing climate prosperity, through which companies and individuals can become more prosperous by seizing market opportunities in the State's emerging clean energy economy and using resources more efficiently; and

WHEREAS, State government must lead by example as it works towards transforming Delaware into a national model clean energy economy built on economic growth, environmental protection, energy conservation and efficiency, renewable energy, cleaner transportation options, and sustainable buildings and operations; and

WHEREAS, the State government faces significant budget challenges that require creative solutions to reduce and stabilize operating expenses, including reducing the more than $35 million expended annually on energy; and

WHEREAS, the Governor’s Energy Advisory Council has made numerous recommendations worthy of adoption, including the State of Delaware focusing on leading by example; and

WHEREAS, the steps identified in this order have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from State government operations and demonstrate that the adoption of responsible policies to minimize our impact on the environment can simultaneously reduce operating expenses and create a more efficient government;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JACK A. MARKELL, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Delaware, do hereby DECLARE and ORDER that: Article Continues:

Executive Order Eighteen - Leading By Example Towards A Clean Energy Economy & Sustainable Natural Environment

creating sustainable energy systems of the future

  1. The climate problems are becoming ever more urgent, but the energy systems of the future present even more issues. 
  2. Technologically, we have good opportunities for creating sustainable energy systems

However, climate change is not the only energy challenge:


  • We need energy services to drive global economic development
  • We need to provide equal access to modern energy worldwide
  • We need to provide electricity to the 25% of the world's population still without electricity
  • We need to provide modern energy to the 50% of the world's population still relying on energy from wood and other solid fuels
  • Security of supply is vital as even the slightest disruptions of the energy supply have major social and economic impacts
  • We need to solve the health problems related to energy production. This applies to both climate-related diseases and diseases caused by pollution from energy production
  • An increasing proportion of the world's population will be living in urban areas. This growing urbanization creates megacities that both contribute to climate change and feel the effects of climate change. We need to provide smart energy for the smart cities of tomorrow

The fifth Risø International Energy Conference is over and the conclusions of the three-day conference are clear continue reading here>  Article Continues









What if solar got fossil fuel subsidies? [infographic]

What if solar got fossil fuel subsidies? [infographic]
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Hydrogen Energy Storage for the Smart Grid

  • a practical, multi-home storage solution for surplus energy 

Creative Energy Homes (CEH) project, which aims to stimulate ideas for sustainable design and promote new ways to provide affordable, environmentally sustainable and innovative housing.

Under a new phase of the CEH project, the university plans to store surplus solar and wind energy using a solid hydrogen system from France's  McPhy Energy. The system is aimed at enabling greater energy autonomy for the residential microgrid. 

  • the ongoing CEH project aims to stimulate sustainable design ideas and promote new ways of providing affordable, environmentally sustainable housing that are innovative in their design. McPhy Energy has a safe, innovative and environmentally friendly solution for storing energy as solid hydrogen. The McPhy solution will be used for storage of surplus solar and wind energy under a new phase of the CEH project, which targets greater energy-autonomy for the homes 
  • While hydrogen has long been considered an excellent energy source, it has traditionally required high-pressure storage, which presents security concerns. Storing hydrogen in its solid state using environmentally friendly, low-cost, readily available and fully-recyclable magnesium hydrides involves a unique technology implemented by McPhy Energy. McPhy's solid hydrogen storage tanks are safe, energy neutral, cheap, easily transportable and quickly chargeable and dischargeable. No other current means of hydrogen storage can list all of these advantages, making it a particularly attractive solution for renewable energy.
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9.04.2011

White House Lawn Protest 243 Peeps Jailed

Dear Friends—

I'm writing this from the lawn in front of the White House.

In front of me there's a sprawling rally underway, with speakers ranging from indigenous elders to the great Canadian writer Naomi Klein. In back of me, another 243 courageous people are being hauled away to jail -- it's the last day of Phase 1 of the tar sands campaign, and 1,252 North Americans have been arrested, the biggest civil disobedience action this century on this continent.

But we've been just as cheered by the help that has poured in from around the world -- today, activists in front of the White House held a banner with a huge number on it: 618,428. That's how many people around the world who signed on to the "Stop the Tar Sands" mega-petition to President Obama, including many of you in the 350.org network. Check out this beautiful photo of passion and courage on display:

(Photo Credit: Josh Lopez. If you can't see the photo above, click here to see it and more inspirational photos from DC.)

But this movement does more than sign petitions: many of you stood strong in front of the White House risking arrest, and protesters on every continent have picketed outside embassies and consulates. That makes sense, for global warming is the one problem that affects everyone everywhere.

And the next moment to prove that is Sept. 24 for Moving Planet -- the massive day of climate action that will unite people all over the world. We've heard news of amazing actions from every corner of the earth -— from a massive bike rally in the Philippines to an incredible eco-festival in Philadelphia. I truly can't wait to see the pictures pour in.

But here's why it's important: we're not just a movement that opposes things, we're also a movement that dreams of what's coming. And we don't just dream, we also transform those dreams into reality. On September 24, on bike and on foot and on boards, we're going to point the way towards that future. By days' end, we'll have shown why the bicycle is more glamorous than the car, and why the people have the potential to be more powerful than the polluters. 

On some days fighting global warming means swallowing hard, mustering your courage, and making a sacrifice -- other days it means getting all your friends up in the saddles of their bikes to have some fun and help move the planet forward.

September 24 is the second kind of day; it's going to be powerful, it's going to be beautiful, and I can't wait to see how it turns out.  Please find or join a local event to get involved. 

Onwards,

Bill McKibben for the whole 350.org team


350.org is building a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis. Our online campaigns, grassroots organizing, and mass public actions are led from the bottom up by thousands of volunteer organizers in over 188 countries. You can join 350.org on Facebook by becoming a fan of our page at facebook.com/350org and follow us on twitter by visiting twitter.com/350. To join our list (maybe a friend forwarded you this e-mail) visit www.350.org/signup. To support our work, donate securely online at 350.org/donate.

What is 350?
350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Scientists measure carbon dioxide in "parts per million" (ppm), so 350ppm is the number humanity needs to get below as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change. To get there, we need a different kind of PPM–a "people powered movement" that is made of people like you in every corner of the planet.


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9.01.2011

Custom Bay Window-Energy Star



Custom Bay Window Designed, Built, and Installed by Scotts Contracting




Rough Framing Build Photo



Custom Bay Window Installation Photo




Interior View of Custom Bay Window Flooring- Pre-finished Oak Flooring



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