Residents who want to put up small-scale solar, wind, geothermal or water energy devices on their property could see help from the state ensuring the device doesn't spike their tax bill under legislation before the House Energy and Technology Committee.

The panel heard testimony Tuesday on House Bill 4103, which would require the energy conversion devices receive a certificate exempting them from the property tax starting December 31, 2009.

Residents would apply for the certificate through the Next Energy Authority, which would certify the device. The actual tax exemption would come from the State Tax Commission under the bill.

The legislation mirrors a bill passed last session by the House, but did not make it through the Senate.

February 20, 2009

President Obama faces two wars and the worst recession since at least 1982. His prescription to remedy the nation's financial ills is now termed as Obamanomics -- the infusion of roughly a trillion dollars into the American economy and specifically into new transmission lines and green energy production.

But will such policies work and how do they differ from Reagan's legacy? The common thread running through both Obama and Reagan is that each displays the confidence and winning attitude that is necessary to unite the American people and to increase the level of resilience that it takes to let commerce flow. And while the two men have disparate political philosophies, Obama has incorporated some of Reagan's main tenets into his national economic plan and namely targeted tax cuts.

February 18, 2009
Source: Freep.com
by Tim Martin - Associated Press

LANSING — Gov. Jennifer Granholm's administration created a new section of its Web site Wednesday that broadly outlines her priorities for spending Michigan's share of the federal stimulus money.

The site includes a 1,200-plus page list of projects that educational institutions, local governments and state agencies hope might get a share of the federal stimulus cash.

But it doesn't give specifics on how much money the state will get or how it will be distributed.

"We are still analyzing the bill and we do not have final numbers on the level of funding that Michigan will receive," Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd said. "We continue to analyze the law to get a handle on the precise number of dollars that Michigan can expect to receive."

February 13, 2009

Green groups are embracing the White House's motto that a new day is ahead. But if their clean technologies are to spur the nation's economy, they say they need practical tax breaks so that the current demand remains steadfast.

Rather than using production tax credits at a time when most businesses will owe the government substantially less, green developers need the cash now. By making the current tax credit refundable, those advocates say that it will have an immediate effect -- and all in keeping with the Obama administration's stated goal of creating 3-4 million next-generation jobs. Legislation is now floating on Capitol Hill to do exactly that.

February 11, 2009

A national recession means that it's time to curtail excesses -- except on Wall Street. Despite having one of its worst ever years in 2008, top execs are taking home $18.4 billion in bonuses.

Private businesses can pay what they choose. But these financial institutions, which are at the core of the global recession, are the recipient the biggest taxpayer handout ever. To avert economic disaster, the United States federal government has taken several drastic actions that include bailing out some of the Wall Street firms and injecting hundreds of billions into the economy. And the projections are that are more banks will fail this year and hence require more subsidies.