State fair-goers learn about what oil industry means to ND

MINOT, N.D.—Helping people grasp the impact petroleum products have on their lives was the goal of a stage show that took place at the North Dakota State Fair Thursday.

Petroleum is in everything from smart phones and iPads to shoes and sunglasses. It is used in wood treatments, paints, cleaners, plastics, lipstick and numerous other products.

Scott Hennen, host of the “What’s On Your Mind” radio program, emceed the presentation of “North Dakota Energy — What’s In It For You?”

State Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger told the crowd they would pay about three to four times as much in sales tax or income tax if they had to make up revenue now being collected in North Dakota oil taxes.

The average family pays about $700 in income taxes, Rauschenberger said. That amount would be $2,500 to $3,000 if North Dakota tried to fund government at the current level without oil, he said. If tax income from coal and wind energy were included, those income taxes would go even higher, he said.

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