Weekly Address: Taxpayer Subsidies for Oil Companies are Neither Right, nor Smart, and They Should End
每周电视讲话：用纳税人的钱为石油公司提供补贴既不正当，也不明智，必须终止
WASHINGTON – As oil and gas companies make tens of billions in profits and the government scours the budget for savings, President Obama called on Congress to stop handing them $4 billion annually in taxpayer subsidies. America’s oil production last year reached its highest level since 2003, but we need to invest in the energy of the future, instead of subsidizing the energy of the past.
华盛顿：政府正在想方设法节约预算，石油气公司却坐拥数百亿美元的利润，奥巴马总统呼吁国会终止用纳税人的钱给他们提供40亿美元的年度补贴。美国去年的石油产量达到了自2003年以来的最高值，但我们还是需要为未来的能源进行投资，而不是继续为过去的能源提供补贴。
After the worst recession since the Great Depression, our economy is growing again, and we’ve gained almost 2 million private sector jobs over the last 13 months. But I also know that a lot of folks aren’t feeling as positive as some of those statistics might suggest. It’s still too hard to find a job. And even if you have a job, chances are you’re having a tougher time paying the rising costs of everything from groceries to gas. In some places, gas is now more than $4 a gallon, meaning that you could be paying upwards of $50 or $60 to fill up your tank.
经历了自大萧条以来的最严重的经济衰退之后，我们的经济又开始增长了，在过去的13个月里，我们私营部门增加了大约200万个就业岗位。但我知道很多人也许并不像统计数据显示的那样感到乐观。找到一份工作依然十分困难。即便你有一份工作，依然会面临着日用品乃至汽油价格持续上涨的重大压力。在一些地方，汽油价格现在已经超过了4美元一加仑，这也意味着你要花50甚至60美元才能将油箱加满。
Of course, while rising gas prices mean real pain for our families at the pump, they also mean bigger profits for oil companies. This week, the largest oil companies announced that they’d made more than $25 billion in the first few months of 2011 – up about 30 percent from last year.
当然，油价上涨意味着我们的家庭在加油站承受着痛苦，也意味着石油公司有了更大的利润。本周，最大的石油公司宣布他们2011年前几个月的利润达到250亿美元——这一数字已经达到去年年利润的30%。
Now, I don’t have a problem with any company or industry being rewarded for their success. The incentive of healthy profits is what fuels entrepreneurialism and helps drives our economy forward. But I do have a problem with the unwarranted taxpayer subsidies we’ve been handing out to oil and gas companies – to the tune of $4 billion a year. When oil companies are making huge profits and you’re struggling at the pump, and we’re scouring the federal budget for spending we can afford to do without, these tax giveaways aren’t right. They aren’t smart. And we need to end them.
对于任何公司或行业因自身的成功而获得的回报，我没有任何意见。正当的利润刺激是激励企业家以及推动我们的经济向前发展的动力。但对于用纳税人的钱给这些石油气公司提供不适当的补贴，我很有意见——这一数字达到了每年40亿美元。石油公司获取了巨额利润，而大家却还在加油站前挣扎，我们还在想方设法去调整联邦预算，量入为出，这些税收的优惠很不合适。而且也不明智。我们必须终止这些补贴。
That’s why, earlier this week, I renewed my call to Congress to stop subsidizing the oil and gas industries. Understand, I’m not opposed to producing oil. I believe that if we’re serious about meeting our energy challenge, we need to operate on all cylinders, and that means pursuing a broad range of energy policies, including safe and responsible oil production here at home. In fact, last year, America’s oil production reached its highest level since 2003.
这也是本周早些时候我再次呼吁国会终止对石油气公司的补贴的原因。要知道，我并不反对生产石油。我相信只要我们认真面对能源挑战，我们就需要进行全方位的运作，这也意味着追求广泛的能源政策，包括安全负责的国内石油开采。实际上，美国去年的石油产量就达到了自2003年以来的最高值。
But I also believe that instead of subsidizing yesterday’s energy, we should invest in tomorrow’s – and that’s what we’ve been doing. Already, we’ve seen how the investments we’re making in clean energy can lead to new jobs and new businesses. I’ve seen some of them myself – small businesses that are making the most of solar and wind power, and energy-efficient technologies; big companies that are making fuel-efficient cars and trucks part of their vehicle fleets. And to promote these kinds of vehicles, we implemented historic new fuel-economy standards, which could save you as much as $3,000 at the pump.
但我依然认为我们不能为过去的能源提供补贴，我们应该为未来的能源进行投资——这也是我们现在正在做的事情。我们也已经看到，在清洁能源领域的投资将带来新的就业岗位和新的产业。我亲眼看到了很多的这类公司——中小企业是太阳能和风能产品以及高效能源利用技术的主要参与者；大的公司也开始用节能汽车和卡车替换现有车辆。为了推动这类车辆的发展，我们制定了全新的节能标准，这将为大家在油费上节约3000多美元。
Now, I know that in this tough fiscal environment, it’s tempting for some in Washington to want to cut our investments in clean energy. And I absolutely agree that the only way we’ll be able to afford the things we need is if we cut the things we don’t, and live within our means. But I refuse to cut things like clean energy that will help America win the future by growing our economy and creating good-paying jobs; that will help make America more secure; and that will help clean up our planet in the process. An investment in clean energy today is an investment in a better tomorrow. And I think that’s an investment worth making. Thanks for listening, and have a great weekend.
我知道，在目前艰难的财政环境下，华盛顿有些人想削减在清洁能源领域的投资。我也完全同意这一观点：我们要想承担起我们需要做的事情的唯一的出路就是削减掉那些不需要做的事情，量入为出。但我拒绝削减在清洁能源上的投资，这些投资能帮助美国促进经济增长，创造优质的就业岗位，赢得未来；还将使得美国更加安全；并帮助我们在这一过程中净化地球环境。今天在清洁能源领域的投资就是为了更加美好的明天的投资。我认为这是一项值得进行的投资。谢谢收听，周末愉快！ |