Spock wrote:Sprots>>>By voting YES on 58 we make the common sense decision to stop
giving the wealthiest companies in the world huge tax breaks in
Colorado.<<<
I have been thinking about this post for awhile. First of all, I am not familiar with the specifics of the bill-but on the surface-I concede or recognize that a YES vote might be good idea and I would seriously consider such a vote-if I lived in Co.
My question/comment relates more to the "Wealthiest companies" comment. I have been learning a lot about the oil and gas industry (Chiefly interested in the drilling side) in the last few months ie listening to conference calls and so forth. It is absolutely fascinating to me.
My impression is that the majors do not have a significant presence in Colorado-(IIRC-one of the majors has an long-term oil shale test going on)-Based on my impressions the typical driller in Colorado is a smaller-to mid-size company. I just question how much of a presence the Majors (ie wealthiest companies in the world) have on the ground in Colorado.
You might get a kick out of some the comments from companies that are not in Colorado (or the Rockies) and instead are focused on places like Texas/Gulf Coast. They tend to say that they are very glad not to be there because of the environmental restrictions/closed areas etc.
Significant compared to Texas, no. Significant compared to the rest of Colorado, yes. Their presence is huge, economically, politically, and any other way you can name because of the revenue they generate. Thanks to natural gas revenues, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, once among the poorest in the nation, now has an estimated net worth of anywhere from $1 to $4 billion. It's hard to say -- being a sovereign nation and all, they're not subject to the same reporting requirements as the rest of us. That's probably the low rent district compared to a major Houston operation, but in Colorado, it vaults them into premier status as an economic and political force, employer, benefactor, investor, you name it.
-- In Iroquois society, leaders are encouraged to remember seven generations in the past and consider seven generations in the future when making decisions that affect the people.
-- America would be a better place if leaders would do more long-term thinking. -- Wilma Mankiller
