Koch brothers may fight California oil tax

[n2doc]

Joe Garofoli, Chronicle Staff Writer

Monday, May 9, 2011


To Peter Mathews, the political timing seems perfect. A gallon of gas costs more than $4, the five largest oil companies have made $30 billion in profits this year, and California's higher education system is losing at least $1.4 billion to help balance the state's gargantuan budget deficit.

The political science professor at Cypress College, a community college in Orange County, drove to UC Berkeley on Friday to begin gathering support for a ballot measure to tax oil companies on the petroleum they extract in California and send the money - about $2 billion a year - to public schools.

But should his measure qualify for the November ballot, Mathews and liberal groups worry that a pair of deep-pocketed brothers could emerge to fight the initiative: Charles and David Koch (pronounced "coke") of Kansas, who have used the billions they've made in the oil industry to try to reshape national politics in their conservative, free-market image.

"They'd probably weigh in because (the tax) would represent another burden on business," said Peter Foy, a Republican Ventura County supervisor and chair of the California chapter of Americans for Prosperity, which David Koch co-founded.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/08/MN561I5MQC.DTL

[nonperson]

1. The Koch brothers

Need a visit from Seal Team 6, IMO, along with quite a few others I can think of.

They're all economic terrorists.

[SpiralHawk]

2. Republicon FatCat Shirkers

Refuse to pay their fair share. Totally unPatriotic. Totally lacking in honor. Making everyone else pay their way.

No wonder decent Americans revile the FatCat Republicon shirkers and grifters.

[nonperson]

3. Yet these fatcats use the guise of "patriotism" and the U.S. military

To protect their corporate interests worldwide while they destroy the nation that created their wealth with their bottomless greed.

[Auggie]

4. Fine... let them blow more money in California

Now where do I sign that petition...?

[graywarrior]

5. I wish DU had a like button for posts.

[aquart]

6. No man should be so rich he has nothing left to buy but his government.