Dear editor,
I am in total agreement with Tory Perfetti and Stephen Smith (“Guest Column: Why Florida should cut taxes on solar energy,” June 25-28, 2016 edition) in regards to not taxing energy sources — that includes all energy sources.
Taxing one type over another is a clear biased opinion. If you want anything to disappear from the free market, just over-tax it, which is government's solution.
But now that we are speaking honestly, when government promotes one over the other by offering taxpayers’ money, known as a "tax write-off," as an incentive — poor people are not allowed this option — to purchase solar equipment is also government biased.
Remember the green energy push a few years ago, the shiny new power source that will fix everything that is wrong with the world? Germany and Spain — Spain rivals Florida in sunshine — were the new upcoming alternative renewable energy nations that the rest of the world should model itself after.
Germany now has the highest energy prices in the European Union, and is building combustion-powered electricity, producing plants as fast as possible.
Spain's people mortgaged their homes to build solar plants on their property to sell the energy back to the energy industry. Now many are in trouble, not able to pay back their loans, and may lose their property and homes.
The fact is, when paying full price for solar equipment — no taxpayer subsidy — it takes about 40 years to recoup the cost of the equipment from what you save in energy costs.
That 40-year number also varies with what repairs are required, such as weather damage to solar panels, or failed storage batteries, which actually are more of a maintenance issue than an unexpected failure …
The fact is the technology is still not perfected, and is not feasible due to cost, unless someone else — being taxpayers — is helping you pay for it!
Now, things change over time; power costs will continue to increase, and technology always advances. But in reality, today is today, and tomorrow will make no difference!
So unless government removes all taxes from all energy sources, let’s just be fair about who pays taxes!
Vote no for Amendment 4.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: LETTER: Let's be fair about who pays taxes