Are Chevron’s taxes too high? – Letter to the Daily Breeze by Michael D. Robbins

The following letter to the editor was published in the Daily Breeze newspaper Letters section (DailyBreeze.com/letters/) on Tuesday, February 28, 2012 in the Letters section. The Daily Breeze has a strict 150-word limit. Are they trying to model their Letters to the Editor section after Twitter?

http://www.dailybreeze.com/letters/ci_20057598

Daily Breeze

dailybreeze.com

LAX TO L.A. HARBOR

Letters to the Editor for Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012
Posted: 02/27/2012 06:48:46 PM PST

February 28, 2012 2:58 AM GMT
Updated: 02/27/2012 06:58:14 PM PST

Are Chevron’s taxes too high?

El Segundo’s shakedown of Chevron under threat of a $10 million annual tax hike must stop, or the city will suffer long-term damage to its reputation. City Manager Doug Willmore used a deceptive, one-sided analysis for the Chevron property, rather than a cost-versus-benefits analysis. It’s dishonest to compare tax revenues generated per acre by the refinery with that of other local businesses. Unlike El Segundo, land use in other South Bay cities is mostly residential. Willmore ignored the cost to provide and maintain infrastructure and services for all the residents and businesses that would otherwise exist on the Chevron property if the refinery never existed. And he reduced Chevron’s tax revenue per acre by failing to account for the area of all the public streets, alleys, parks, and schools that would be needed.

If an accurate analysis shows Chevron’s taxes are excessive, will the City Council reduce Chevron’s taxes and apologize?

— Michael D. Robbins, El Segundo

Note: Although this letter to the editor is a very short 150 words, it does a good job towards refuting the news media propaganda hatchet jobs against Chevron and Councilman Carl Jacobson by KCET SoCal Connected producer Karen Fochet (March 2, 2012 TV show, “Small Town Big Oil”) and L.A. Times writer Jeff Gottlieb.

(This note was not part of the letter.)