You Get What You Vote For
Unfortunately, this is about the only answer I have for people when we talk about the price of gas and the crude oil prices. That's what happens when you vote oil barrons into office. A recent study found that 90% of oil lobbyist money goes to the republican party. Dick Cheney has secret meetings with oil company officials to develop our nations energy policy, while keeping the details under court ordered secrecy. A Supreme Court, mind you, that is a 7-2 republican appointed bench. When it came to appointing the newest justices, Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts, all anyone fixated on was their stance on Roe vs. Wade, the abortion ruling. That's what happens when you fixate on one issue. Nobody seemed worried about their views on corporate powers. Nobody asked about their views that enlarge executive power, giving the President and Vice-President more power than at any time since the Nixon Administration. Nobody, except Russ Feingold, and to a lessor extent Pat Leahy of Vermont, questioned their views on our civil liberties. But I digress.
Back on the topic of oil, I find it simply astounding that BP, the company that just shut down the Alaska pipeline because of a leak, didn't see this coming. 8% of our daily oil supply has been interupted while they work to fix the leak. But they certainly aren't going to be hurting in the pocket book. They shut down the wells. So the oil stays in the ground. Crude oil traders are going to use this as a chance to inflict some irrational emotion into the crude market. So the oil that is in the ground today would sell at $76 a barrel. But if they hold it in the ground and watch the emotion of the market take affect, they could extract that oil at a later time when oil hits $80. They are out nothing.
Politics also plays a role. Big Oil is focusing a huge chunk of change on lobbyists to get ANWAR opened up for drilling. That is the controversial Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve oil drilling boondoggle that Republicans keep pushing for. It fails to attract the needed votes for passage time and time again. And for a good reason. The amount of oil is insignificant to our needs. Any oil extracted would be designated for export to Asia. It would NOT be piped down the the lower 48 states. It would do nothing to ease our dependence on foreign oil. But BP et, al keep pushing for it. Make no mistake about it. The ANWAR debate will come up again as a potential solution to the cracked pipeline problem. But at the end of the day, that dog won't hunt.
Do you think it's time for more renewable fuels standards?
Remember, you get what you vote for!
Back on the topic of oil, I find it simply astounding that BP, the company that just shut down the Alaska pipeline because of a leak, didn't see this coming. 8% of our daily oil supply has been interupted while they work to fix the leak. But they certainly aren't going to be hurting in the pocket book. They shut down the wells. So the oil stays in the ground. Crude oil traders are going to use this as a chance to inflict some irrational emotion into the crude market. So the oil that is in the ground today would sell at $76 a barrel. But if they hold it in the ground and watch the emotion of the market take affect, they could extract that oil at a later time when oil hits $80. They are out nothing.
Politics also plays a role. Big Oil is focusing a huge chunk of change on lobbyists to get ANWAR opened up for drilling. That is the controversial Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve oil drilling boondoggle that Republicans keep pushing for. It fails to attract the needed votes for passage time and time again. And for a good reason. The amount of oil is insignificant to our needs. Any oil extracted would be designated for export to Asia. It would NOT be piped down the the lower 48 states. It would do nothing to ease our dependence on foreign oil. But BP et, al keep pushing for it. Make no mistake about it. The ANWAR debate will come up again as a potential solution to the cracked pipeline problem. But at the end of the day, that dog won't hunt.
Do you think it's time for more renewable fuels standards?
Remember, you get what you vote for!
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