The Gas Buck Doesn't Stop Here
Posted April 26th, 2008 by Da King
In a press release dated April 24, 2006, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said:
“Democrats have a commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices by cracking down on price gouging, rolling back the billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, tax breaks and royalty relief given to big oil and gas companies, and increasing production of alternative fuels.”
Fast forward to this week.
TUESDAY (4/22/08): Republican House members send a letter to Pelosi, reminding her of that Democratic "comonsense plan" to lower gas prices. The letter is signed by House minority leader John Boehner (R-OH) and others in the GOP. Republicans say maybe now would be a good time to roll out that Democratic plan, seeing as how gas prices are a bit on the high side:
“Two years ago this week, you stated that House Democrats had a ‘commonsense plan’ to ‘lower gas prices,’ ” the letter said. “In light of the skyrocketing gasoline prices affecting working families and every sector of our struggling economy, we are writing today to respectfully request that you reveal this ‘commonsense plan’ so we can begin work on responsible solutions to help ease this strain.”
The letter points out that gasoline prices have risen $1.18 since the Democrats took over Congress last january. Take that, Democrats.
WEDNESDAY (4/23/08): Pelosi sends a letter back to Boehner (don't these two work in the same building ? What's with the letters ?), which points out the Dems have already fulfilled the "commonsense plan", and against the resistance of Republicans to boot. The letter names the following pieces of legislation — the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels (NOPEC) Act, the Energy Price Gouging Act, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008, and the market manipulation section of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. So take that, Republicans, and don't try to play politics on the gas price issue with the Democrats, or they'll play politics right back at you.
Thus, I judge…the Democrats win this little political game on points. They did implement the "commonsense plan".
Except for one minor detail — The "commonsense plan" to bring down skyrocketing gas prices won't do anything to bring down skyrocketing gas prices. It didn't really even have much to do with bringing down gas prices. It was more about raising taxes (Dem raison d'etre) on energy companies and conducting investigations of energy companies (the appearance of doing something vs. actually doing something). The "commonsense plan" also subsidized ethanol, which hasn't brought gas prices down either, but sure has jacked up our food prices. Putting our food supply into our gas tanks is starting to look like a world class bad idea.
Thus, I also judge…the "commonsense plan" was pretty lacking in common sense. It was more of a 2006 election campaign tactic than anything else.
FRIDAY (4/25/08): Barack Obama makes a speech about gas prices while standing in front of a gas pump (WHAT A TIMELY COINCIDENCE, EH ? BHO doesn't miss a trick). Obama's "solution" is to institute a windfall profits tax (Dem raison d'etre) on the oil companies (uh, won't that INCREASE the price of gas ?), give middle class america a $1,000 tax cut (to pay for the higher priced gas and pander for votes in the fall), and spend money to pursue alternative energy sources (everybody agrees on this one). The one thing Obama said that is undoubtedly true is that politicians have had decades to address this problem, and they have failed miserably. I only wish Obama truly was the post-partisan politician he pretends to be. Then, he would have acknowledged all the ways his Democratic party has prevented America from obtaining more energy independence through the years and called for an immediate end to it. Sadly, he didn't do that. Instead, he peddled the same old Dem energy talking points, all the while pretending the same old, same old was some new and exciting breakthrough in leadership on his part. Nuts.
So we have another Democratic plan to reduce gas prices that doesn't do anything to reduce gas prices, at least not for another 20 years, if ever. At this time, all the alternative means to power our automobiles are MORE expensive than gasoline. In addition, Dems are always wanting to declare war on the big bad oil companies, which won't help anything either (other than maybe the Dems #1 special interest group, the lawyers). Double nuts.
YES WE CAN (ride bicycles).
April 26th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Riding bicycles is a good thing—all the fatso's will lose weight—the food shortages will force the issue, too.
Health costs will go down as people quit eating themselves into their graves.
April 26th, 2008 at 11:58 am
King, it seems you have put the onus on Pelosi where it belongs. She made so many wild-eyed promises in 2006 leading up to the election and has failed on nearly every one of them. She says she needs more Dem representatives to get her program really going.
You listed all her half-way attempts to keep gasoline from going higher but all of them seems only to be more taxes on the oil companies for which the oil companies raise prices on the consumer to allow the consumer to pay the new taxes. This is only the way that business is done. When they tax us more we will allow you to pay the taxes for us. I wonder if there are any left handed legislators who can see that they don't really punish anybody but the people with their ridiculous attempts to punish
"big oil". Stupidity runs so rampant among them but maybe it is not stupidity as we could learn if we looked more circumspectly at what the far left is doing these days. Hmmmmmm.
April 26th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
King, I figured that at 2 cents per day raise on gasoline which is about where it has been for the past couple of weeks gasoline will be around $100 in 20 years. I guess bicycle manufacturers will be in huge demand by then. Also, we will all be eating what we produce from our gardens or from close truck farms. I don't think most of the businesses of the nation will still be in effect by then, contrary to what 2 cents seems to think. So many changes in our society as we work our way back into the 19th century because of the lack of motivating power. Won't it be fun?
April 26th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Yes—I do look forward to that time again—except this time we'll be able to stem-cell grow replacement organs, for which the smaller human population (about 5 billion smaller) will be most grateful for—eating out of our own gardens will do away with carbon-based pollution, and the fat that we have come to find sustenance from will no longer appeal to us.
When those swords are beaten back into plowshears, and the lion finally accepts that the lamb is also entitled to life, well, then the world will be what it is supposed to be—a Garden of Eden again and the God of us all will be quite pleased. And your grandchildren and my grandchildren will no longer need political parties nor a constant play-by-play narration of what is going on in the world, as our day to day living will again be very personal and meaningful, without television, Internet or phone or cars. And we can all sing "Kumbaya" together. Sounds like a plan.
April 27th, 2008 at 8:18 am
I can now buy a new battery for my car for less money than it costs to fill it up with gas.
April 27th, 2008 at 9:10 am
We have reached Peak Oil in this world. Other than new discoveries that may yield easy to get oil, The oil remaining is costly to extract now and yields for the present oil fields ate diminishing. The major oil companies here have a margin of profit less than 15% surely not extravagant. The gas stations make less than that. Further taxation of the major oil companies will likely result in their inability to fund exploration and expansion. Perhaps they will even begin to buy back their own stock and just ride out the business until the oil is gone.
In reality the solution is reducing consumption. If anyone deserves government intervention it is the auto companies. We need more fuel efficent cars. Not Hemi Challengers or 600hp Corvettes.
Most driving is less than 100 miles a day, We need Electric Cars and Algae Bio-Diesel for the trucks.
Hillary and Obama are Power Mongers that will say and do anything to win. We need true leadership, Al Gore will be our next president because we need him !
April 27th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Reality, what has Algore ever done to qualify him for President? He made a fortune off carbon credits, whatever those are, and he pushed global warming for years then changed the buzz word to climate change and all of a sudden we find qualified scientists talking about another ice age. I well remember them talking in the 1970s about the coming ice age, just before the warmers fooled Algore or he fooled them, whichever happened.
The oil is not gone although the speculators are having a ball acting like it is. This whole thing is politically driven from all sides. We all know, although most Dems don't want to admit it, that taxing oil companies heavier won't save any money at the pumps. We know that, but the Dem candidates are laughing at McCain for suggesting taking some federal taxes off oil products. Somehow people refuse to realize that a little bit is better than nothing. Cut taxes for oil companies or begin to build some cleanedup refineries and watch them come into line.
We need to have all of us come into line with some serious talk about alternative fuels and concentrate on something instead of just flying off in all directions.
April 27th, 2008 at 11:50 am
2 cents, I think you are living in a dream world and thinking we can get to it. You say we can all live off the food we grow in our gardens. Could you please explain to me where the people of New York City who live in high rise apartment buildings will have their gardens. Thousands of people in one building?
Your dream may well be a nice one but the chances of us riding bicycles instead of all the fossil fuel burning automobiles and at the same time working with things like stem cells is just a bit out of line with the way things in the real world are today. Taking all those steps backward won't work nearly as well as you think. An example, I live 55 miles from the nearest Walmart and 65 miles from the nearest city with all the shops and stores that I can buy the necessities of life from. Back in the day, my little town was the center of the world for people who drove their wagons to town once a month or less and hauled them back home that same day. For me to ride a bike 55 miles for the monthly trip to WalMart and then haul all those things back on the rear seat would be a bit too tough for me, an old man of 75.
I think 2 cents, that you need to look around at what you propose and give some real, serious thought to what you are saying. I don't mean to be nasty with you but what you propose can't possibly work, even though 1 billion people starve to get there.
April 27th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Roy—I realize what I am saying is a bit "tongue in cheek", however, I did plan ahead with the future in mind. I planned that my three jobs are all within 2 miles of my home, so I actually could ride a bike to and fro—I also have planted numerous fruit trees in addition to the ones I already have—I am planting grapevines of all shades, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, currants, all my vegetables for this summer and have a plan to can the surplus for the winter—I also have a chicken who bears me one egg a day—delicious! I wear my children's hand-me-downs now, and because I am always within ten miles of my home, filling my Honda with my Get-Go points from Giant Eagle, the tank lasts me at least three weeks and costs me roughly forty dollars. My electric bill is so low, the reader always does a double-take—my house has plenty of light, so lights on are really rare. Since I am an early to bed and early to rise sort, lights on aren't very necessary. I let my grass grow pretty high (say, up to 3 or 4 inches), until I am sure my fastidious neighbors are wondering when I will mow it—but I mow it much less often than they do.
I use no chemicals in my home—surprising how lemon juice and salt, or baking soda work just as well as harsh cleaners, or vinegar and water. No applications of chems or ferts on my lawn and I love dandelions and the little purple violets that are bountiful around me. My vacation is in my hammock under the old apple tree—reading is my pass-time as is skating outdoors, which costs me nothing. My glasses come from Marc's or the Dollar Store, even though I need a prescription, they do just fine. I rarely eat meat—perhaps once every two weeks or so, and usually I buy chicken on sale two for one—make home-made soup, then chicken salad, feed the rest to my dog and cat. I was raised by parents who grew up through the Depression, so frugality is second nature to me and is helpful for sustaining the earth that I love. I don't watch television, but when I do, I surf for about five minutes, then I'm done. This Internet is my addiction and I have a rough time for a day or two without it—but I manage.
I would love the life from simpler times and I tend toward optimism, even though I'm poor—I made less than 7 grand last year, with three children—and they are all A/B students still. So, to me, life is good. I just want some darn health care, is all, and perhaps some savings for when I'm too old to matter much to anyone anymore. I want my children to have the America that I had growing up. That's all.
April 29th, 2008 at 9:06 am
2 cents, you are fortunate that your needs are so small. Now how do you plan to convince very many other people to live like you say you do? I don't mow until my grass will stand to be about 3 inches mowed, and could easily have three jobs closer than you do since i live in one of those small, backward towns but I know that few people in this nation live like that.
I think you are very fortunate to have all the land you seem to have for gardening and for fruit trees. Not many people are that fortunate. Look around you in any city in the region. Even out here in the real sticks what you have is found in very few situations.
My sons drive 40 miles one way to get to their jobs and can't get much closer since they are agriculture mechanics and there just aren't any facilities closer. One of them is one of those people who have enough property at home to live like you do but he is single and seldom gets home before dark and leaves home about 7:00 am to get to work. His main contribution to the fuel problem is his wood stove that he heats his home with but now and then he has to use gas to supplement with.
Lots of people are going to find themselves living more frugally in the near future but of the 300 million of us that can live as you say you do there just aren't many.
Good luck in your frugal living and rest assured that most of us will have to change our ways but most just can't live as you say you do for all kinds of reasons.
April 29th, 2008 at 10:44 am
If everyone started growing their own organic foods the entire continent would be a desert within a decade.
April 29th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Ghost, People do need to change their ways—the planet will force the issue, so might as well get a head start, as I have.
I have less than 2 acres of which .75 is brush and woods–it does not take much land to grow stuff for a family of four.
As far as other people? I can only do my part. As far as having enough? Well, I had to do alot of soul-searching and crying to come to terms with the fact that I have to do more with less. We all will. It is not like this is how I wanted to have my second half of life turn out—but I do see the wisdom of My Maker working within my life. I am grateful for what I do have and I feel good about doing things in the most sustainable way I can.
Larry d.—not all people will be living off their land—lots will still run to Mickey D's for cheap eats—they will die younger and be a burden on the health care system as they eat themselves to great rolly fatness.
In the words of my late Mother: "If every one lit their own candle, the whole world would be lit".
April 29th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I did it again—I get so frustrated with talking to Ghost, who I will never get through to, I forget to look at who I am responding to. Sorry.
April 29th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
2 cents says, "Riding bicycles is a good thing—all the fatso's will lose weight"
You have a point there, but I think we must refer to our obese brothers and sisters as "girth-challenged americans" rather than "fatsos".
One caveat, however. america has been city-planned around the automobile (suburbia). A transition will have to take place.
April 29th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Roy,
You know I'm seldom critical of San Fran Nan (except when I speak or write), but I think it would be nice if one of the Dem plans to lower gas prices would at the very least not cause gas prices to go UP.
I guess I'm asking for too much. Every idea I hear that might lower the price of gas is OPPOSED by the Democrats, usually because the Dems are worried about an owl or a moose having to relocate.