I got a nice e-letter from lloyd Doggett today. Text posted.

[jandrok]

I really love Doggett.



Knowing of your concerns on reducing the federal deficit and
preserving our environment, I offer this update from Congress.

Earlier this year, a majority of the House Ways & Means
Committee voted to protect and expand a tax scam which is
already costing the U.S. Treasury $4 billion per year. Section 29
of the tax code provides a tax credit for synthetic fuel produced
from coal. The so-called synfuel tax credit was created in response
to the energy crisis of the 1970's in a well-intentioned bid to reduce
U.S. dependence on foreign oil. However, the coal industry soon
found that - even with the tax credits - the production of usable
fuel from waste coal was not profitable. As a result, the output of
synthetic fuel was essentially dormant for many years.

Around 1998, tax credit-hungry companies discovered that the
technical application of the law allowed them to claim the tax
credit for the production of "synthetic" fuel. Companies began
exploiting this loophole by spraying or coating coal with
substances from starch to pine tar to diesel fuel. Annual production
of this faux synthetic fuel, which does not produce any more
energy and does not burn any cleaner than untreated coal, has
soared from 4 million tons in 1999 to approximately 50 million
tons last year alone. The credit is estimated to cost the federal
government as much as $4 billion per year, but provides no energy
savings and may actual increase pollution.

As a senior member of the Ways & Means Committee, I
introduced an amendment to the House Energy Bill that would
close this egregious multi-billion corporate giveaway.
Unfortunately, the unjustified credit was saved by Republican
lawmakers who acknowledged the problem but refused to correct
it.

In an effort to raise public awareness and increase the pressure on
lawmakers to end this corporate tax scam, I alerted NBC Nightly
News to the serious abuse of our tax-dollars. Last Friday, during
their "Fleecing of America" segment, NBC highlighted this
corporate tax loophole. You can view the segment by cutting and
pasting the following URL into your browser:
http://www.house.gov/doggett/NBC-Synfuel.wmv

As always, I will continue my efforts to earn your support. For this
reason, I appreciate that you have signed up for "Lloyd's List."
However, if you no longer wish to receive periodic updates from
me and want to be removed from "Lloyd's List," please let me
know by reply e-mail or by simply calling me at [phone].

Please do not hesitate to contact my office on this or any other
federal issue on which you might need assistance.



Sincerely,
Lloyd

---------------
U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett
201 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
[phone], [phone], [phone]
http://www.house.gov/doggett