[Mavdog]

Originally Posted by Usually Lurkin

or what, you'll tax my sun consumption? There are negative health consequences to not getting enough sun, also. You wanna control that balance of behavior, to?

so, what you're saying is that someone is proposing to tax this?
no? nobody proposes to tax this and you're just making crap up?
ok...

you just said too much of anything can be unhealthy. Besides, I'm pretty sure there are studies that show smoking isn't bad for you.

really? there are "studies that show smoking isn't bad for you"? studies that weren't made (some would call it cooked) by the tobacco industry?
please share those if you would.

I am having a hard time, mostly because you 're not making much sense. They are not taking public goods. The public made a deal through their representatives. The house analogy still seems fine.

they "are not taking public goods"??? they are without any ambuguity, without any qualification, taking public goods.
just who is "not making much sense"? yes. I see it is you.

the "house analogy still seems fine" to you because you want it to. that however doesn't mean it makes sense, nor does it mean it is applicable.

In the analogy, you made a deal that you now think was bad (based solely on someone else's ability to make a profit, unless you also want to tax the crap out of struggling oil companies), and NOW you want to go back and take some money from the person who profited. Replace "you" with "public" and there is your argument for increased taxation of profits.

oh. I see what you're saying, change the wording and replace the players and it is a fair analolgy.....wow, that makes a ton of sense

Personally, I don't think that there should be anything magical about the public (or their gov. reps.) that they should be able to just go take money because they feel slighted or because they want to make up for a previous deal because someone is making some money from it.

fine, you can think whatever you wish.

me, I believe that a fair price should be paid for being given the right to extract from our property (yes, it is OUR property) and there are leases that do not pay a fair price for that right.

if someone came to you and offered $1 per year for the mineral rights on a hundred acres you own, would you take it? I doubt it...

the interesting point that you apparently fail to grasp is it is a tax on the PROFITS. the producers still make a return on their investment, they just share a part of that return with the public (that's you and me, and every citizen btw) and it is the public who owns the oil in the first place.