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118571244
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[Kansas]
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118571244
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[Kansas]
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Records of the Office of the Chief of Staff (Reagan Administration)
James Baker's Unanswered Correspondence Files
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118571244
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1985-12-31
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1985
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1981-01-01
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1981
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Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Digital Library Collections This is a PDF of a folder from our textual collections. Collection: Baker, James A.: Files Folder Title: [Kansas] Box: 13 To see more digitized collections visit: https://reaganlibrary.gov/archives/digital-library To see all Ronald Reagan Presidential Library inventories visit: https://reaganlibrary.gov/document-collection Contact a reference archivist at: [email protected] Citation Guidelines: https://reaganlibrary.gov/citing National Archives Catalogue: https://catalog.archives.gov/ Energol Engineering & Geologic Service Co. R.R. #2 BOX 87 INDEPENDENCE, KANSAS 67301 (316) 331-0440 Dear Sir: Please note the copy of the letter I sent the President, which is enclosed. Sincerely, J.R. Friedman Lease Evaluation * Solves Production Problems * Waterflood Design Lease Acquisition * Geologic Sitting of Wells * Reservoir Studies Title Work * All Other Engineering and Geologic Needs Energol Engineering & Geologic Service Co. R.R. #2 BOX 87 INDEPENDENCE, KANSAS 67301 (316) 331-0440 Dear Mr. President: Please don't take away the tax incentives in the oil industry. I'm a small company and rely on investors in order to drill and find more produc- tion. With 80% of the oil in the U.S. produced by small independents, this new tax law would kill the oil industry except for the large majors. The courts would be overrun with bankruptcy cases, hundreds of thousands of people would be out of work and without maintained good production in the U.S. the glut will end and before you know it with unrest in the Middle East oil to the U.S. at some point will be behind the 8 ball while Russia will be just fine through its Middle East contacts. I voted for you and have supported you both times, even though I'm a Democrate, don't make me feel remorse for the support I have given you. If you rid the depletion allowance and rid windfall taxes at the same time that would be fair. If you take away or alter deductions, tax invest- ment credits or depreciation, it will have devasitating long term negative affect on the U.S. and all the citizens of the United States. People who invest in American drilling for oil and gas are investing in America and this is what you should want! Concentrate your efforts on the free-loaders in the welfare program (your campain promise). Be thankful that people will invest in oil and gas and maintain the incentives for this helps to keep America strong! Sincerely, JR freedom J.R. Friedman Lease Evaluation * Solves Production Problems Waterflood Design Lease Acquisition * Geologic Sitting of Wells * Reservoir Studies Title Work * All Other Engineering and Geologic Needs December 18, 1984 President Ronald Reagan The White House Washington, D. C. 20500 Dear President Reagan: "Tax Reform for Fairness, Simplicity and Economic Growth" I will soon become a Consulting Petroleum Geologist and can assure you that the proposed tax law changes will make it most difficult to raise money for drilling ventures. It is doubtful whether even the major oil companies would find it feasible to drill exploratory wells or marginal offset prospects. Since this country needs all the oil and gas exploration and development possible to avoid importing increased quantities of oil, it is hard to imagine more direct methods of curtailing domestic production than the proposed tax "reforms". Specifically, the Repeal of Percentage Depletion, Expensing of Intangible Drilling Costs and Qualified Tertiary Injectant Expenses; Delay in Writing Off Dry Hole Costs; and Capitalization of Indirect Costs such as Interest are the most damaging. In addition, changing the rules on existing Limited Partnerships would impose a hardship on those of us who have invested in legitimate, reasonable Limited Partnerships for retirement income. A more equitable change would be the denial of tax advantages to those Partnerships which recognize more than a 100% write-off of investment. Yours very truly, Russell S. Clausing Russell G. Clausing 10341 Century Lane Overland Park, Kansas 66215 CC: Edwin Meese, III James A. Baker, III Robert C. McFarlane Robert J. Dole Nancy Landon Kassebaum Jan Meyers 131 S. Country Estates Rd. Phone (316) 624-0161 PAR PETROLEUM INC. Box 280 Liberal, Kansas 67901 December 14, 1984 James A. Baker, III Chief of Staff The White House Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. Baker: I am writing to you to protest the tax reform proposals. I am a Geologist by education and by profession and own and operate a small exploration and production company. The tax reform proposals will be very detrimental to me and my company. I regularly each year spend more than my gross income on new exploration and production. I am able to do this by acquiring money from outside the industry to support my drilling program. The Reform Proposals that would repeal depletion allowance and expensing of intangible drilling cost and also disallow deduction of dry hole cost until property abandomnent will be reason enough to discourage outside investments and keep me from being able to reinvest as much of my own income in new exploration. The added income tax, windfall profit tax, gross production tax, severance tax and ad valorum that would be lost by my inability to finance new exploration and development programs would exceed any tax enhance to be gained by the tax reform proposals. The oil & gas business is very depressed at this time. There is already less wells being drilled becasue of inadaquate financing. This brought our previous energy shortage and will be the reason behind the next energy shortage. Page 2 The campaign promised us reduction in deficit by tax revenue from a strong climate for small business. The independent oil business cannot continue to provide its strong tax base under the reform proposals. I urge you to oppose these proposals and allow us to provide the necessary energy and pay our fair share of taxes. Thank you for any and all support. Sincerely, Rulph M. Ralph M. Reynolds RMR/glr FROM THE DESK OF AL BROWN DEHR Jim, As you CAN SEE FROM THE ATTACHED LETTER TO OUR PRESIDENT, I Am VERY mucH AGAINST THE Go.no. WHERE TAX SimplificATioN PIAN. I FAIL To SEE How THIS TOTALLY DISRUPTIVE PROGRAM is EITHER FAIR OR HELPFUL. THIS "Ticy ANYTHING" CONSUMANT RECOMMENDATION is NOT WHAT I EXPECTED FROM my PARTY or ADMINISTRATION THAT I HAVE WORKED so LONG AND HARD FOR. BEST REGARDS, al isnum Mr. Alva L. Brown Circle B Orchard Route 5 December 21, 1984 Paola, KS 66071 Dear President Reagan: I am categorically "AGAINST" the proposed tax simplification. This plan is totally unfair to those who have committed their resources under current tax law. Investors in tax exempt bonds fill an essential need. Thousands of worthwhile contributions have been made to our life and economy as a direct result of this funding. Tax exempt investors accepted lower yields than comparable taxable securities. Taxing these lower yields makes their return significantly lower and noncompetitive. Additionally, the market value would be comparatively lower. Destroying comparable value and income with the proposed plan is ex- tremely unfair. The same is true with proposed changes in long-term capital gains. Millions of Americans have made decisions based upon current tax law. These people took their risk based upon that law. Taxing long-term capital gain as ordinary income unduly penalizes those that took the risk. Eliminating deductions for the other taxes paid is one of the most devisive systems ever imposed by a taxing authority. This concept presumes "taxes paid" are the same as "taxable income". Those that pay little or no other taxes benefit greatly. Those that do pay other taxes must on average make up for those who don't. Again, this is totally in- equitable and unfair. Proposed simplification has too much "luck of the draw". It too severely hurts the few that must make up the difference for the many. That's like saying to the chicken and the pig that "both" must be understanding about "their" contributions to the benefit of ham and eggs. In the name of fairness, I urge you and my elected repre- sentatives not to support the proposed tax simplification plan. May God bless you and keep you. Respectfully, CC: Senator Robert Dole Senator Nancy Kassebaum Jan Meyers-Rep. Elect James Baker-Presidential Aid Alva L. Brown Richard Darman-Presidential Aid December 26, 1984 MAX James A. Baker III, Chief of Staff and Assistant to the President The White House Above 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 RUMIX Crowd! Re: Treasury Department Tax Reform Proposals Dear Mr. Baker: I urge you to immediately take a strong position against the tax reform proposals recently issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury. The uncertainty of future legislation is causing havoc in the investment community. This uncertainty is likely to result in an acceleration of the recessionary pressures already building in the present economic climate. I believe that if enacted, certain provisions contained in the Treasury proposal would create a disincentive for capital formation, thus greatly damaging the economy of the United States. This in turn will cripple the construction and development industries resulting in the loss of millions of jobs, and ultimately creating a severe housing shortage and higher rents for millions of tenants across the United States. The proposal is economically damaging and ineffectual and conflicts with the underlying philosophy of the Reagan administration and re-election. I, therefore, urge you, in the strongest terms, to publicly oppose the recent Treasury proposal. REMAX Very truly yours, state line real estate, inc. an independent member broker Eddie R. Jacobs 8010 state line road prairie village, kansas 66208 phone: (913) 649-3100 December 26, 1984 MAX James A. Baker III, Chief of Staff and Assistant to the President The White House Above 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 Crowd! Re: Treasury Department Tax Reform Proposals Dear Mr. Baker: I urge you to immediately take a strong position against the tax reform proposals recently issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury. The uncertainty of future legislation is causing havoc in the investment community. This uncertainty is likely to result in an acceleration of the recessionary pressures already building in the present economic climate. I believe that if enacted, certain provisions contained in the Treasury proposal would create a disincentive for capital formation, thus greatly damaging the economy of the United States. This in turn will cripple the construction and development industries resulting in the loss of millions of jobs, and ultimately creating a severe housing shortage and higher rents for millions of tenants across the United States. The proposal is economically damaging and ineffectual and conflicts with the underlying philosophy of the Reagan administration and re-election. I, therefore, urge you, in the strongest terms, to publicly oppose the recent Treasury proposal. REMAX Very truly yours, state line real estate, inc. an independent member broker Melanie Jacobs McGraw 8010 state line road prairie village, kansas 66208 phone: (913) 649-3100