Showing posts with label RipOff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RipOff. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Not paid for the Greatest Rip-Off in Texas - the oil companies have their taxes in Years

Random jokes around the water cool would seem, are not so loose, not more, oil companies are actually paying taxes in billions, and the federal government can be involved in the charter with him. New York Times recent reporting shows that the program of the Ministry of Interior to determine the money in the oil and gas companies on the leading federal countries has been a flop, too. The company has billions, but very little is actually steeredabove.

A former investigator with the agency, Randall Little, even went so far to say, these companies are getting a ride "free" and "taxpayers should be outraged."

Sure, we all joke about it - the fraud of all - but many of us have held a secret hope that maybe, just maybe, we were not lied. Maybe the gas prices jumped because he was really a crippling loss of revenue and supply problems. According to a recent report, however, prepared byHead of the department of independent researchers, there were "fundamental errors [s]" studiously ignored by the Ministry of Interior, which will be for years of unpaid taxes. In 2006, government officials could be 10 billion dollars from a single defect, the loss of a legal error, with the oil and gas leases, which had ignored for six years, too. Ethical mistakes, mismanagement, and failures to protect those who demonstrate or not, fraud, are not obvious.

Texas is a state that couldbe particularly affected by these "mistakes." The most important settings in Texas, or are associated with the global economy, or sectors such as production of oil and gas, according to Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. These funds could be used to dig Texas out of the state of health deteriorated and the environmental crisis of the nation - and a lot of debt that, at least in part, by oil. As more and more are residents of Massachusetts, for example, received by the new legislation providesProviding subsidized health insurance, more than twenty-five percent of the population of Texas without health insurance, the worst in the country. Many officials cite the lack of adequate funding.

Although the number one Texas oil reserves, but also the number one in 1999 in the amount of carcinogenic chemicals in air and water, the number of hazardous waste incinerators throughout the poisonous emissions into the environment and dioxideand emissions of mercury in 1999, after November / December issue of Sierra magazine. In 2000, the majority of Texans live in areas that are not federal ozone standards and Houston - as the nation's petroleum and petrochemical industry to capitalize - in fact, Los Angeles, this year, an amount of air pollution. Dallas and Austin, it was not much better on environmental assessments. But the clean government subsidy and health plans are often funded by taxpayers' money - dollars, according to recentRelationships that are not paid regularly.

Department of Interior Inspector General Earl E. Devaney line is the result of four years of investigation, the accounts are still at the agency who are senior officials have said that they blocked the collection of millions owed more than two dozen oil companies. Although the auditors were either dismissed or demoted for their efforts, have continued to pursue the issue, including the submission of their own complaints against the Agency, the falseClaims Act - the will to believe that private individuals to sue their companies, they may have committed fraud against the government.

Auditor Bobby L. Maxwell cited Andarko Petroleum, said the oil company had defrauded the government of more than 7 million dollars. He lost his job a week after the case went to the public, internal officers called his dismissal a reorganization. "The jury decided in his favor, but the judge overturned the ruling on technical grounds and strangely concluded it was Maxwellnot entitled to the False Claims Act Devaney confirmed that the report of Maxwell has been ordered to eliminate the problem by his superiors, even if Devaney chalked up to a simple disagreement on the merits of the case. The officer directly responsible for auditing the work of Maxwell, said the choice was not to collect "a high level of MRM [Minerals Revenue Management, a part of the U.S. Department of Interior Minerals Management Service] official" not provided " documentary made its supportDecision. "These statements were deleted from the final report of the officer.

Randall Little and Lanis Morris, auditors of the extra complaints after a senior official said had refused to collect 1.5 million U.S. dollars with an oil company. The official answer to say that to calculate the arrangement of society, should have an emergency situation, but the Department of Interior does not maintain itself, running their systems with the figures. Small and Morris were fired from theirPositions at Minerals Management Service.

"How do you define the problems precisely because they had a lot of money," said Lucy Querques Denette agency's associate director, questioned by investigators.

Devaney said during a hearing in Congress, "Short of crime, anything goes at the highest levels of the Interior Ministry," he said, not really criticizing the department for intentional irregularities, both in its inability to collect, or tax dollars in the treatmentEmployees. Drove the differences, "disagreements", communication problems and mechanical failures.

Randall Luthi, director of the Minerals Management Service, the Auditor claims were the result of a "lack of knowledge of auditors, or the fact that simply disagreed with management guidance and decision," and that his statement was Devaney's report supported. Luthi continued, the auditors chose not to follow the correct procedure if no sharestheir suspicions with supervisors.

Report Devaney behind the assertion of the agency or flagrant crimes oil companies', but has sharply criticized the Mineral Management Service failures to collect money. Devaney suggested that the agency and the oil companies were a bit 'too easy, and that the informants had good reason to fear that their suspicions.

If all this seems a bit 'too easy for you, you're not alone. Many of us would have reactedDenette the question with "Well, not really with a lot of money would be a difficulty. What is their excuse?" If the poorest among us, file taxes, and even the poorest among us - they just feed their families - in jail or cough on the money they do not return if taxes are due, it seems only fair unfairly deny a little 'suspicious of the Ministry of Interior to flat-out right to demand money owed to major oil companies, much less likely thatlegal implications. Billions of dollars that help fight against the real needs of redress for citizens today - the lack of health care, poor education standards and living conditions disappear environmentally disastrous - simple. The only event that would have been worse in this situation is when America is the fundamental commitment to justice and was wounded.

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Not paid for the Greatest Rip-Off in Texas - the oil companies have their taxes in Years

It would seem casual jokes around the water cooler aren't so casual anymore: oil companies really aren't paying their billions in taxes, and the federal government may be involved in letting them get away with it. Recent New York Times reporting reveals that the Interior Department's program to collect money from oil and gas companies that drill on federal lands has been a dismal failure. The corporations owe billions, yet very little of it is actually being turned over.

One former auditor at the agency, Randall Little, went so far as to say these companies are getting a "free ride," and "the taxpayers ought to be outraged."

Sure, we all joked about it -- the fraud of it all -- but a lot of us still held out the secret hope that maybe, just maybe, we weren't being lied to. Maybe gas prices were skyrocketing because there really was a crippling loss of revenue and a shortage of supply. According to the most recent report, however, prepared by the department's chief independent investigator, there were "profound failure[s]" within the Interior Department, resulting in years of unpaid taxes being conveniently ignored. In 2006, officials admitted the government might lose $10 billion from one mistake alone, a legal blunder with oil and gas leases that had been ignored for six years. Ethical failures, management failures, and failures to protect those who would, or did, reveal the fraud, are apparent.

Texas is a state that could be particularly affected by such "mistakes." Most of Texas' major taxes are either associated with the general economy or with industries like oil and gas production, according to Susan Combs, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Such monies could be used to dig Texas out of the worst healthcare and environmental crises in the nation -- and many blame the latter, at least in part, on oil. While more and more Massachusetts residents, for instance, are getting insured under new laws providing subsidized health insurance coverage, more than twenty-five percent of the Texas population is going without health insurance, the worst rate in the country. Many officials cite the lack of adequate funding.

Although Texas ranks number one in crude oil reserves, it also ranked number one in 1999 for the amount of cancer-causing chemicals in the air and water, in the number of hazardous-waste incinerators, in the total toxic releases into the environment, and in carbon dioxide and mercury emissions, according to the 1999 November/December issue of Sierra magazine. In 2000, most Texans lived in areas that failed federal ozone standards, and Houston -- considered the nation's oil- and petrochemical-industry capital -- actually beat Los Angeles that year in air pollution levels. Dallas and Austin didn't fare much better on environmental evaluations. But government cleanup and health subsidy plans are often funded by tax dollars -- dollars, according to recent reports, that aren't being rightfully paid.

Headed by the Interior Department's inspector general, Earl E. Devaney, the year-long investigation was the end result of four persistent auditors at the agency who claimed senior officials blocked them from collecting millions owed by more than two dozen oil companies. Though the auditors were either fired or demoted for their efforts, they continued to pursue the issue, including filing their own lawsuits against the agency under the False Claims Act -- a provision that allows private citizens to sue corporations they believe have committed fraud against the government.

Auditor Bobby L. Maxwell sued Andarko Petroleum, claiming the oil company had cheated the government of more than $7 million. He lost his job a week after the trial went public; Interior officials called his release a "reorganization." The jury ruled in his favor, but the judge reversed the decision on technical grounds and, oddly, concluded that Maxwell was not entitled to use the False Claims Act. Devaney's report confirmed that Maxwell was ordered to drop the issue by his superiors, though Devaney chalked it up to a simple disagreement about the case's merits. The official directly in charge of reviewing Maxwell's work said the choice to not collect was made by "a senior-level MRM [Minerals Revenue Management, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service] official" who did not provide "documentation to support his decision." Those statements were eliminated from the official's final report.

Randall Little and Lanis Morris, also agency auditors, filed lawsuits after claiming a senior official had refused to collect $1.5 million owed by an oil company. The official responded by claiming that ordering the company to calculate what it owed would be a hardship, but that the Interior Department itself could not get its own systems to run the figures, either. Little and Morris were fired from their Positions at Minerals Management Service.

"How do you define the problems precisely because they had a lot of money," said Lucy Querques Denette agency's associate director, questioned by investigators.

Devaney said during a hearing in Congress, "Short of crime, anything goes at the highest levels of the Interior Ministry," he said, not really criticize the department for intentional irregularities, both in its inability to collect, or tax dollars in the treatmentEmployees. He has brought the differences of "differences", communication problems and mechanical failures.

Randall Luthi, director of the Minerals Management Service, the Auditor claims were the result of a "lack of knowledge of auditors, or the fact that simply disagreed with management guidance and decision," and that his statement was Devaney's report supported. Luthi continued, the auditors chose not to follow the correct procedure if no sharestheir suspicions with supervisors.

Report Devaney behind the assertion of the agency or flagrant crimes oil companies', but has sharply criticized the Mineral Management Service failures to collect money. Devaney suggested that the agency and the oil companies were a bit 'too easy, and that the informants had good reason to fear that their suspicions.

If all this seems a bit 'too easy for you, you're not alone. Many of us would have reactedDenette the question with "Well, not really with a lot of money would be a difficulty. What is their excuse?" If the poorest among us, file taxes, and even the poorest among us - they just feed their families - in jail or cough on the money they do not return if taxes are due, it seems only fair unfairly deny a little 'suspicious of the Ministry of Interior to flat-out right to demand money owed to major oil companies, much less likely thatlegal implications. Billions of dollars that help fight against the real needs of redress for citizens today - the lack of health care, poor education standards and living conditions disappear environmentally disastrous - simple. The only event that would have been worse in this situation is when America is the fundamental commitment to justice and was wounded.

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Thursday, March 11, 2010

The Greatest Rip-Off In Texas - Oil Companies Haven't Paid Their Taxes In Years

It would seem casual jokes around the water cooler aren't so casual anymore: oil companies really aren't paying their billions in taxes, and the federal government may be involved in letting them get away with it. Recent New York Times reporting reveals that the Interior Department's program to collect money from oil and gas companies that drill on federal lands has been a dismal failure. The corporations owe billions, yet very little of it is actually being turned over.

One former auditor at the agency, Randall Little, went so far as to say these companies are getting a "free ride," and "the taxpayers ought to be outraged."

Sure, we all joked about it -- the fraud of it all -- but a lot of us still held out the secret hope that maybe, just maybe, we weren't being lied to. Maybe gas prices were skyrocketing because there really was a crippling loss of revenue and a shortage of supply. According to the most recent report, however, prepared by the department's chief independent investigator, there were "profound failure[s]" within the Interior Department, resulting in years of unpaid taxes being conveniently ignored. In 2006, officials admitted the government might lose $10 billion from one mistake alone, a legal blunder with oil and gas leases that had been ignored for six years. Ethical failures, management failures, and failures to protect those who would, or did, reveal the fraud, are apparent.

Texas is a state that could be particularly affected by such "mistakes." Most of Texas' major taxes are either associated with the general economy or with industries like oil and gas production, according to Susan Combs, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Such monies could be used to dig Texas out of the worst healthcare and environmental crises in the nation -- and many blame the latter, at least in part, on oil. While more and more Massachusetts residents, for instance, are getting insured under new laws providing subsidized health insurance coverage, more than twenty-five percent of the Texas population is going without health insurance, the worst rate in the country. Many officials cite the lack of adequate funding.

Although Texas ranks number one in crude oil reserves, it also ranked number one in 1999 for the amount of cancer-causing chemicals in the air and water, in the number of hazardous-waste incinerators, in the total toxic releases into the environment, and in carbon dioxide and mercury emissions, according to the 1999 November/December issue of Sierra magazine. In 2000, most Texans lived in areas that failed federal ozone standards, and Houston -- considered the nation's oil- and petrochemical-industry capital -- actually beat Los Angeles that year in air pollution levels. Dallas and Austin didn't fare much better on environmental evaluations. But government cleanup and health subsidy plans are often funded by tax dollars -- dollars, according to recent reports, that aren't being rightfully paid.

Headed by the Interior Department's inspector general, Earl E. Devaney, the year-long investigation was the end result of four persistent auditors at the agency who claimed senior officials blocked them from collecting millions owed by more than two dozen oil companies. Though the auditors were either fired or demoted for their efforts, they continued to pursue the issue, including filing their own lawsuits against the agency under the False Claims Act -- a provision that allows private citizens to sue corporations they believe have committed fraud against the government.

Auditor Bobby L. Maxwell sued Andarko Petroleum, claiming the oil company had cheated the government of more than $7 million. He lost his job a week after the trial went public; Interior officials called his release a "reorganization." The jury ruled in his favor, but the judge reversed the decision on technical grounds and, oddly, concluded that Maxwell was not entitled to use the False Claims Act. Devaney's report confirmed that Maxwell was ordered to drop the issue by his superiors, though Devaney chalked it up to a simple disagreement about the case's merits. The official directly in charge of reviewing Maxwell's work said the choice to not collect was made by "a senior-level MRM [Minerals Revenue Management, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service] official" who did not provide "documentation to support his decision." Those statements were eliminated from the official's final report.

Randall Little and Lanis Morris, also agency auditors, filed lawsuits after claiming a senior official had refused to collect $1.5 million owed by an oil company. The official responded by claiming that ordering the company to calculate what it owed would be a hardship, but that the Interior Department itself could not get its own systems to run the figures, either. Little and Morris were fired from their positions at the Minerals Management Service.

"How do you define hardship, just because they have a lot of money," asked Lucy Querques Denett, the agency's associate director, when questioned by investigators.

While Devaney told a Congressional hearing, "short of a crime, anything goes at the highest levels of the Department of the Interior," he did not actually accuse the Department of conscious wrongdoing, either in its failure to collect tax dollars or in the treatment of its employees. He attributed the discrepancies to "disagreements," miscommunications, and technological failures.

Randall Luthi, director of the Minerals Management Service, claimed the auditors' lawsuits were the result of "the auditors' lack of knowledge, or the fact that they simply disagreed with management guidance and decision," and that his statement was supported by Devaney's report. Luthi went on to say the auditors did not follow proper procedure when they elected not to share their suspicions with superiors.

Devaney's report fell short of accusing the agency or the oil companies of blatant crimes, but it did pointedly criticize the Mineral Management Service's failures to collect money owed. Devaney suggested the agency and the oil companies were just a little too friendly, and that whistle-blowers had valid reasons to fear reporting their suspicions.

If all this seems just a little too convenient to you, you're not the only one. Many of us would respond to Denett's question with, "Well, actually, not having a lot of money would be a hardship. What's their excuse?" If the poorest among us have to file taxes, and if even the poorest among us -- those barely feeding their families -- have to either face jail or cough up money they don't have when back taxes are owed, it seems more than just a little suspiciously unjust for the Interior Department to flat-out refuse to demand large oil companies' rightfully-owed money, let alone not to threaten legal repercussions. Billions of dollars that could help remedy the very real hardships faced by today's citizens -- lack of healthcare, poor educational standards, and environmentally disastrous living conditions -- are simply disappearing. The only event that would be worse in this situation is if America's basic commitment to justice was injured as well.

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