"Tax Certainty?" You Gotta Be Kidding

Near the end of a long -- and quite good -- Louis Porter story about the Public Service Board's approval of a wind turbine project in the Kingdom, one comes upon this:

But there remains the question of "tax certainty" for wind projects, Kearns said. An effort was made in the Legislature this year to create a set tax rate for wind farms to encourage their development, although the bill containing it was vetoed and the provision did not make it into law.

Sort of takes your breath away, doesn't it.  "Tax certainty?"  In Vermont?  Ask Entergy about "tax certainty."  Or, for that matter, ask any homeowner who has seen the bite on his property go up 100% in a couple of years.  We knew the alternative energy people considered themselves to be, somehow, special.  But we had no idea just how special.

Comments

[Chris Healy]

Kidding? I don't think so. Entergy used the argument of tax certainty succesfully to defeat a proposed tax increase, why shouldn't other energy producers expect the same? That's "the same" you'll notice, not "special treatment". Special treatment would be a LOWER tax rate then Entergy, not the higher one they have at the moment.

It sure sounded like you didn't want the facts to get in the way of a good rant on the alt-energy segment...