Pump Pain – Lay Off Big Oil

Good grief. Does Congress ever do ANYTHING productive anymore? I just read yet another news article linked from Google news where again Lawmakers bemoan high gas prices, big oil profits. Our elected “leaders” are harping on big oil companies once again and threatening to heap more taxes on them unless they begin to solve our energy woes. They are complaining that big oil is making too much of a profit at the expense of the American wallet. Whoa…let’s back this truck up. Congress regularly votes themselves huge pay increases over and over while regularly increasing their own benefits and has the gall to call big oil out about their profit margins? I’ll admit I’ve lost a lot of faith in the American government. The thing I laughed at was the most was the quote by the Rep. Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota. She wants us to solve our problem with ethanol. She states “One solution for the oil addiction is increased production of ethanol if we put the proper policies in place.” Obviously her staff is failing her, and she’s too lazy to do her own investigation and reading. Every report that I have seen and read that references ethanol states that although it has its benefits, it will cost more money to produce one gallon of it compared to one gallon of gasoline…as well as the fact, and more importantly…the United States does not have the growing capacity to yield enough corn for human consumption and energy use. Further I thought it humorous to find Congress lecturing oil executives about approval ratings. Rep John Hall of New York when you get done grandstanding give your soap box to an elderly couple to burn for heat next winter because you sure are not looking to help resolve the problem.

Congressional representatives bemoan about how big oil has record profits these days. Well, if our country believes in the laws of supply and demand controlling the cost of a commodity, then why is everyone standing around stupefied by this end result of limited gasoline, large demands and big ol’ profits? Congress and the environmentalists will not let the energy companies explore and drill for energy anymore. We aren’t allowed to build new nuclear facilities and oil groups are not allowed to build new production facilities. On top of that Congress has tagged oil companies with a 44% tax rate…higher than most other large companies…all the while Americans, and specifically most Congressional reps, putter around in the largest SUVs snarfing up our limited resource and receiving in return an amazing 11 MPG! Furthermore, what incentive is there for Detroit to build anything else because Americans are buying the beasts and accepting the 11 mpg.

Now I agree that most large corporations in America abuse the tax laws, are greedy and are more concerned with money than with your best interest (Comcast, Comcast again, Sears), however the ultimate point of failure lies with Congress. And they are excellent at tuning the machine to polish the lying and spinning of the issue to the point where it’s hard to believe what the truth is anymore anyways. If America is going to solve her energy woes whether Congress wants to admit it or not, it will have to start with them. They create the policies and laws…but more importantly have power of the purse. Until they make it worth while for companies to engage in research and development of new energy resources, until they make new laws and policies that stimulate the economy we will simply continue to pay higher and higher prices at the pump. Unfortunately after watching the hogs at the trough, I think I will be paying $4.50 for gas soon.

~Kryptikos

1 Corinthians 1:25 ” For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”