Chris Hogan Defend my dividend countdown update

As we move closer to a new year, America’s investors are also moving closer to an equally significant milestone.  When we ring in 2010, only three short months from now, we also start a countdown that may very well lead to no celebration at all.

If Congress does not act, on December 31, 2010, investors from all walks of life – whether individual retirees or pension fund managers – will face markedly increased taxes on their dividend income.  In fact, the maximum dividend tax rate will jump from the current 15 percent to almost 40 percent!

091014 dmdupdate Defend my dividend countdown update

I was just in Albuquerque, New Mexico, speaking to more than two hundred investors who are concerned about what the future holds for them.  This event, an annual luncheon for members of the New Mexico Utility Shareholders Alliance, brought home to me the importance of face-to-face advocacy.  I had been invited to talk about this very issue and to let everyone in the room know that someone was looking out for them.

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Mike Pomorski Natural gas market indicators

091113.ngmi  Natural gas market indicators

For a brief moment during the shoulder month of October natural gas prices at Henry Hub firmed as expectations of increased economic activity and the view that domestic natural gas production was finally ready to take a tumble prevailed.

It is entirely possible that either or both of those things may develop this winter. However, they may not.Recent years have demonstrated that the November-December period seems to set the tone for winter fuels expectations.

Given the relative strength in underground storage and the uncertainty still surrounding the U.S. economy, a warm start to the 2009-2010 winter heating season may very well put a lid on seasonal price volatility and offer local gas utility customers significant relief from winter bills, as was estimated by the Energy Information Administration in the October 2009 Winter Fuels Outlook. That outlook saw the potential for reductions of 12 percent in home heating costs for natural gas customers compared to the previous winter heating season.

Visit this link to download the full Natural Gas Market Indicator. Topics covered include: Reported Prices, Weather, Working Gas in Underground Storage, Natural Gas Production, Rig Counts, Pipeline Imports and Exports, and LNG Markets.

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Dan Gibson Clean Cities Success Story: City of Kansas City

Clean Cities is a government-industry partnership sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE)’s Vehicle Technologies Program. With almost 90 local coalitions and more than 5,700 stakeholders, Clean Cities’ mission is to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector. We’ve written about Clean Cities a few times in the past.

They have a new section of videos showcasing alternative fuels (think compressed natural gas) and advanced vehicles that we showcased a few weeks ago. Here’s another one that focuses on the city of Kansas City.



In 1996, Kansas City instituted a fleet-wide alternative fuel program. Today that program has grown to include more than 200 compressed natural gas cars, trucks, and vans fueling up at the city’s central CNG station. Their 1,100 diesels run primarily on B20 and B50 biodiesel. Last June, Kansas City received the first 4 of 19 Diamond International trucks upfitted for CNG. Used to repair water main breaks, they are some of the largest rigs to run on CNG.

Sam Swearngin, Fleet Superintendent at City of Kansas City, said, “We’re kind of proud of the fact that these trucks are the cleanest trucks you can buy on the planet that do what they do and operate right here in our neighborhood.”

The program doesn’t stop there. Kansas City International Airport runs 35 shuttle buses run on CNG, making Kansas City cleaner and less dependent on oil.

You can view the video above or hop on over to the Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center Web site for more.

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Dan Gibson Natural Gas Roundtable: Rep. Dan Boren and Rep. Tim Murphy

Everyone is still talking about the last natural gas roundtable that featured U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Gary Gensler. Well, as they say, the hits keep coming. The next roundtable on Thursday, November 19th will feature Rep. Dan Boren, a Democrat from the 2nd District of Oklahoma, and Rep. Tim Murphy, a Republican from Pennsylvania’s 18th District. The two members of the U.S. House of Representatives are the co-chairs of the newly formed Natural Gas Caucus.

Here’s some short snippets from each from their bios.

Dan Boren1 Natural Gas Roundtable: Rep. Dan Boren and Rep. Tim Murphy

Congressman Boren sits on the House Natural Resources Committee where he helps protect the interests of America’s oil and natural gas industry and its millions of consumers.

Prior to public office, Dan served as the President and CEO of the Seminole State College Educational Foundation. He has also served as a senior aide at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and worked on the staff of former U.S. Congressman Wes Watkins. Dan is also involved in numerous organizations and is an avid outdoorsman and hunter.

Dan earned his B.S. in Economics and went on to obtain an M.B.A. at University of Oklahoma. He and his sister Carrie were born to former Oklahoma Governor and U.S. Senator David Boren and the late Janna L. Robbins. His grandfather, Lyle H. Boren, represented southeastern Oklahomans in the U.S. Congress from 1937-47. Carrying on his family’s tradition of excellent public service, Dan serves by the values instilled him at a young age – values of faith, hard work, and personal responsibility. Dan, his wife Andrea, and their daughter Janna reside in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

timmurphy Natural Gas Roundtable: Rep. Dan Boren and Rep. Tim Murphy

Congressman Murphy represents the 18th Congressional District of Pennsylvania. The district includes parts of Allegheny, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. He serves on the House Energy & Commerce Committee and is an influential voice for domestic energy production.

One of eleven brothers and sisters, he learned first-hand the many blessings of family, the importance of education, and the value of hard work and opportunity. His early jobs ranged from cleaning horse stalls, bailing hay, and making mail pouch tobacco. Tim paid his own way through college and graduate school, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Wheeling Jesuit University, a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Cleveland State University, and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. He worked at several Western Pennsylvania hospitals (Children’s Hospital, Mercy Hospital, Magee Women’s Hospital), consulted for many Western Pennsylvania schools, and established his own private practice.

Tim has served on the boards of the Western PA Historical Society, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, and the National Aviary. He also loves music and plays guitar.

If you want to attend, and really why wouldn’t you, you have to contact Ella at 202-824-7207 or at eproctor@aga.org by COB on Monday, November 16. Hope to see you there.

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