To the American Petroleum Institute: We do not need to raise taxes on energy industries,

[Skidmore]

they need to pay their taxes and we would like to end the subsidies to them. If you believe in a free market, let them assume the risk of their business ventures.

[Curmudgeoness]

1. Yep, they certainly are assuming the profits of their business ventures.

I would love to have a business opportunity where I don't have risk of failure. Or taxes.

Give me my subsidy please.

[Drale]

2. I would not feel so bad about the gas being so high

if the gas companies where not making record profits every quarter.

[robinlynne]

6. Exxons profits were 70% higher this past quarter than the quarter before?

That is insane.

[madokie]

12. all the while saying its the speculators when how does a company make 6 some odd billions

profit in a quarter.

[Drale]

13. Well thats easy

The speculators work for the oil companies.

[madokie]

15. Duh

Hadn't thought of that :-)

[bbinacan]

3. Somebody at work told me that Exxon

paid something like $10 billion in taxes.

[Scuba]

4. That's off by only $10 billion. Plus the rebates of our tax dollars that went to Exxon.

[louis-t]

5. They got a check from the American people.

I forget how many millions. And they paid 0 in taxes.

[bbinacan]

9. Interesting article.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/dec/10/bernie-s/bernie-sanders-filibuster-exxon-mobil/

[Canuckistanian]

7. They were wrong.

Dead wrong.

[bbinacan]

8. Here's an interesting article about Exxon's

taxes.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/dec/10/bernie-s/bernie-sanders-filibuster-exxon-mobil/

[Canuckistanian]

10. Interesting

Still, Politifact doesn`t give the exact figure that Exxon DID pay in total taxes.

Regardless, they paid too little for the vast amounts of profits they pulled our of taxpayers` wallets.

[SmileyRose]

11. That IS interesting

The article makes it clear corporations play so many games with the numbers that THEY don't even know what they paid, let alone anyone else. We seriously need to get rid of all the loopholes and accounting games and just get rid of all corporate taxes and therefore their right to have any representation in government. Instead we need to shift the tax burden to the private individual who actually walks away with the profits.

[socialist_n_TN]

14. Well I'd say nationalize them.........

Expropriate their assets and only pay off small shareholders. But then I'm a socialist.