Many things in the economy are misunderstood, and the price of oil/gas is no exception.  The only thing worse than the media peddling half-truths and falsehoods, is when their ‘fact-checking’ suffers from the same ignorance with a dash of bias. 

And so it is with the San Antonio Express-News, syndicating from the Houston Chronicle this week.

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“American presidents have little control over fuel markets. Petroleum products are global commodities and their prices are dictated by supply and demand.”

Partial BS. 

They are indeed “global commodities,” which undercuts the goal of so-called “energy independence.”  Different countries produce slightly different grades of crude, which determines the type of refining capacity we have. 

The main reason we became a global leader in production and export (not a bad thing if you support the domestic industry) is where the president absolutely has control: the condition of the dollar.

Crude is priced in dollars worldwide.  In the absence of set exchange rates, such as when the dollar had solid gold backing, when a presidential administration supports and defends a strong dollar (think Reagan and Clinton), it takes fewer of them to purchase goods and services.  When they let it flail, and weaken, as has been the case this entire century so far, it takes more.

This is acutely true when it comes to commodities.  It’s no coincidence that hydraulic fracturing took off, unlocking vast quantities of American oil and natural gas, when President Bush failed to defend and support a strong national currency. 

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“Prices are high because supplies are tight and demand is high.”

BS. 

As measured in barrels per day, the demand for, and supply of oil is nearly identical.     

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“One could easily argue these policies are discouraging new investments in oil and gas projects … can and do eventually influence market trends, which could cause more pain at the pump in the future — if you’re still driving a gasoline-powered car.”

Partial slant.

Not only do policies absolutely influence the market, but it starts well before that.  Shrinkage in investment, already obstructed by the main source of high energy prices (the aforementioned weak dollar), starts when pro-government activist policymakers are campaigning for public office.  It sends a signal to owners (i.e. investors) and management of companies. 

The slant comes from the very last passage.

Currently, less than 1% of the automobiles on the road are electric.  The market is moving that way, but unlikely to meet goals set by politicians.  Moreover, such goals usually involved coercing industry to do this or that.  Downstream, government reaches into the pocket of one taxpayer to give to another to ‘influence’ their buying patterns. 

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“The interplay between the loss of Russian supply and recovering post-pandemic economies …”
“Fuel demand tanked when the pandemic hit …”
“Oil producers … also face pandemic-induced labor and supply chain constraints making it harder to ramp up production.”
“The world has lost 3 million barrels per day of refining capacity since the start of the pandemic …”
“COVID-19 changed the way they do business …”

BS.

Blaming everything on the “pandemic,” or “COVID-19,” or the “coronavirus” is pure slant.  People were adjusting to the spread of the coronavirus.  We were never given a chance to see that through, to sift from the millions and millions of actions and ideas from individual decision-making that could have shown the best way to navigate the pandemic. 

Instead, politicians at every level across the world either panicked, or saw an opportunity to seize control of our lives.  There is never any legitimate reason to rob people of their individual freedom, and freedom to associate with each other.  Every time policymakers, the media, bureaucrats peddle such authoritarian BS, citizens should push back fervently.

The post Fact-checking the Fact-checkers: Gas Prices first appeared on Infuse SA.

• Bribing seniors does not help the labor shortage
• The city has lost touch with productive citizens
• Homeowners should take advantage of flexible, political principles

The City of San Antonio (CoSA) wants to change that by offering seniors a break on their property taxes.  While total elimination of this odious tax is the best idea, any reduction of it in the interim is good. 

There are a few problems with this proposal though.

One thing that enables us to volunteer is our prosperity. Despite declarations by some politicos, things are shaky right now.  In addition to the eyewatering price of gas, and other residual effects of the government lockdowns, we’re experiencing continued labor shortages.

This credit would exacerbate that problem.

In a recent interview, councilwoman Melissa Cabello-Havrda (D6) asserted that the program is aimed at those “already” volunteering.  The council consideration request (CCR) implies otherwise. 

It cites a “Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults” study, and how getting them out of the house can stem cognitive decline, among other negative effects associated with aging. 

As a consequence of essentially luring them into public sector work, they’re pulled away from the private sector, where some seniors feel they “still have more to give.” Regardless of the modest size of the credit, seniors could still lose their home!  Over 3,000 are already more than two years late paying the taxman. 

Given that CoSA itself seeks to be an “’employer of choice’ in our community”, it’s distinctly possible they don’t see the link.  This leads to an underlying concern: the degree of disconnectedness that exists at City Hall.

In its “Financial Impact & Conclusion,” the CCR declares that “The City’s General Fund revenues performed well.”  The wording is consistent with the fact that the vast majority of CoSA staff and elected representatives favor a more active government.

Respect for individuals, and independent wealth-creators subconsciously takes a backseat.  The media add to this chorus by characterizing exemption savings to taxpayers as what the “city loses.”

As it is, the property tax system amounts to little more than a social engineering tool.  CoSA can dictate “the maximum number of participants and the maximum … reduction participants can receive,” protecting their own “so as to not adversely impact CoSA operations.”

“If the program works well,” they reserve the power to determine “other populations that may be vulnerable to rising property tax burdens.”    

As Bexar County’s chief appraiser Michael Amezquita points out later in the same KLRN episode, it’s also a mechanism for cronyism given how inequitable is the favoritism shown to commercial property.

The only time politicians extend such favor to homeowners is when the state compels them to.  Ironically, it’s the Texas constitution that permits levying this tax in the first place. 

Cracking that nut is another task altogether.

For the time being, to paraphrase a Chris Rock, just because the city can do it, doesn’t mean they should.  Alas, we keep getting the Will Smith treatment.  There might be a political opening however, that can be used to stop this annual smackdown. 

Councilwoman Havrda said “my vote is based on the needs of my constituents.  And what they’re telling me right now is that they need property tax relief.”

Too often elected officials twist this “belie(f) in representative government” as a way to take from some to give to others.  The paid sick leave ordinance is a recent example. 

Citizens should exploit these flexible principles, and the newfound religion the council seems to have (see D8 councilman Manny Pelaez), and insist on abolishing this antiquated seizure for good.

The post Manipulating Seniors and Holding Us All Hostage from the Commanding Heights of the Dais first appeared on Infuse SA.

• An increased debt-load is falling on a shrinking property taxpayer base
• Freeing up homeowners’ savings would genuinely boost area economic prosperity
• Politically-directed spending is inherently less efficient and effective than market-driven investing

Next month San Antonians will go to the polls to vote on $1.2 billion in bond proposals.  It’s a whopper of a debt-binge that includes funding for unfinished projects authorized by prior bond elections, some of questionable legality, and others representing wasteful jurisdictional overlap.

Also on the ballot will be two constitutional amendments, both aimed at reducing property taxes.  The issues are related.

Part of the tax we pay on the investment we put into our homes goes toward paying off that debt.  The city’s ability to continue tapping that source is subject to a couple of cross-currents.

One is soaring property appraisals by Bexar County.  This allows the city to pull in more revenue without raising rates.  Unfortunately, they opt to spend this windfall rather than cut those rates, or at least raise exemptions.

Texas has been picking up the slack on the latter.

In addition to the ones on the ballot in a few weeks, a couple more exemption-raising constitutional amendments were approved in November.  Any reduction in this damaging tax is progress, and it puts citizens on more equitable footing with businesses that get favorable tax treatment.

But only some taxpayers benefit.

To state the obvious, this is unfair, and it increases the burden on the remaining, shrinking tax base, some of whom may eventually say “to heck with this” and move outside city limits. 

Mayor Ron Nirenberg on the other hand, believes this exodus is happening due to a lack of “affordable housing,” and prospective homebuyers “losing … bidding wars … to outside investors.” 

The fact is, those investors are driven to these safer assets by poor monetary policy in Washington D.C. 

City council practically salivates at the opportunity to take advantage of this, and other federal largesse, to spend on their pet projects.  However, they can’t bring themselves to modestly raise exemptions on property taxes without the state compelling them to?       

During the last effort to raise exemptions a year ago, Councilman Manny Pelaez (D8) said the savings to homeowners of the proposed exemption hike to 5% would be “meaningless.”  We agree.  That’s why we believe eliminating the whole scheme would make it meaningful. 

The reaction of most politicians, regardless of jurisdiction or political party, is typically “but how will we fill the revenue hole in the budget?”  Whether that’s due to lack of respect for citizens, envy or ignorance is anyone’s guess. 

We tend to give them the benefit of the doubt that they just don’t know any better.

For one, taxpayers will not simply stuff the reclaimed $400+ million in tax seizures under the mattress.  They’ll inevitably go shopping, thereby pumping up sales tax revenue.  Or even better, some might use it to launch a business venture, hiring more sales tax-paying employees. 

Maybe in addition to appealing to residents to “buy local,” our elected representatives should also urge them to “invest local.”

They could also show more respect to enterprising individuals and businesses by eliminating city programs that are better- and/or already handled by these folks.  As it is, they appear to have more faith in their ability to spend taxpayer money than they do in that of the taxpayers’ themselves.

For example, rather than expanding control and increasing subsidization of “food access” programs, how about removing obstacles to its development, and selling plots of city-owned land to urban farmers? 

Members of council who have owned a business should know all of this.  If not, they’re more prone to cronyism.

If all this is a bridge too far for their ego, they could just add another percentage or two to the city’s sales tax rate.  If they agree with Councilman Pelaez’ aforementioned sentiment, one would assume they’d feel the same about consumers paying a few more dollars for say, another T.V.

If citizens are serious about stopping municipal versions of federal omnibus spending bills, it is critical to also demand the elimination of this coercive tax.  It would bump up the GDP portion of our state–high debt/GDP, which itself calls into question how much more we can take on with a handicapped ability to pay for it.

Shifting to the most efficient form of taxation would force the city to depend on the health of the economy for its spending, rather than on devalued dollars.  It would have more incentive to clear excessively burdensome hurdles to commercial activity.

Otherwise, they can count on us wasting valuable time protesting appraisals, putting on workshops to teach others how to do the same, numbing ourselves to it all by outsourcing the escrow process to our mortgage lenders, etc. 

How much more debt are YOU willing to take on, and how much more debt CAN the city take on?!   The bonds only raise those bigger questions about the tax burdens we already carry, and the burdensome solutions of increasingly higher taxes the city keeps falling back on.  Force the city to look for answers.   

Next month, citizens can put a stop to the city borrowing like a teenager who stole his parents’ credit card.  We should also put them in a timeout until they stop plundering our bank accounts.

The post A ‘No’ on the Bonds is Hollow Without a ‘No’ on Property Taxes first appeared on Infuse SA.