By Ross Balano, Midwest Voices columnist 2008
Today President Bush, speaking in the Rose Garden, put forth a four-point plan to lower gas prices but predictably the Democrats basically told him (and us) to take a hike.
The president’s speech was way overdue but his four point plan was right on! It reminded me of my own four point plan as set forth in the Midwest Voices column of The Star on May 5th of this year, genius!
The president encouraged the Democratic- controlled Congress to lift restrictions on drilling in ANWAR, the Gulf of Mexico and the Continental Shelf and to allow drilling for shale oil in the Dakotas and other places.
I know that it would take time to get to this oil and bring it to market but just the fact that we are taking action will result in lower oil prices in the near term. The latest Rasmussen poll shows that 67% of Americans favor more drilling.
The Democratic reply was basically that the only places they will allow new drilling are in our (yours and mine) pockets. It will take increased supply to bring the price of gas down and Democrats have not come up with one idea that will result in one additional gallon of gas.
The president then went on to ask for new refineries in this country. He asked for congress to speed up the approval process. It is worth repeating that there hasn’t been a new refinery built in this country on over 30 years. One has been recently, although tentatively, approved but construction hasn’t started yet.
Some Democrats now want to nationalize this country’s refineries. Can you say Hugo Chavez? Is that what we want in this country?
Finally Bush asked for increased use of nuclear power and the building of new plants. This is a highly productive way to generate electricity and is non-polluting.
I would like to have seen Bush add a bonus for new technology as well; say something like a $5 billion prize for the viable alternative to the internal combustion engine that would burn an abundant and non-polluting fuel yet would be priced so that the average person could afford to buy one. We’re nowhere near having such technology in the near future however, so for now we need more oil.
The Star should print a list of all running for office in the fall and it should detail who favors more drilling and who doesn’t. It’s something we all need to consider when voting.
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Ross's bloviation aside
Let's consider who benefits if restrictions on oil drilling are lifted, given the reality of the market today.
Will it be us, U.S. consumers? Well, even if supply immediately became available (and it won't -- it'll take years to develop), oil companies are under no obligation whatsoever to sell it to us at a preferential price. That oil's on the world market, on sale to the highest bidder, and prices are no longer driven by U.S. consumption. We're competing against China, Japan, India, Europe, and an ascendent third world for this valuable resource.
Who do you think that ExxonMobil's going to sell to? Americans? Only if we're the highest bidder. Who's going to benefit? ExxonMobil, BP, and the like.
Ross can raise the unholy bugbear of that dreaded "Communism" all he wants, but that doesn't really change the fact that easing restrictions on oil companies benefits oil companies (who care about THEIR bottom line above all -- that's the nature of a corporate entity), and not the average American.
As far as health care, I don't see that there's been much of a call for nationalizing health care in this country, by either Republicans or Democrats. Ross seems to be confusing the need to ensure that uninsured folks have access to health insurance with actual government control of healthcare, which isn't in the cards for either party. If you've not noticed by now, Ross does confuse easily. :-)
For the record
Just for the record it was Maurice Hinchey (Democrat from NY) who called for the nationalization of the oil refineries. There were several other Democrats around him but I couldn’t make out who they were. You can see the video clip for yourself at http://polijamblog.polijam.com/?p=1495. I don’t make this stuff up; I couldn’t! A few years ago I would never have believed we would be talking of things like this.
So let’s see; you would like to nationalize the oil industry, the health care industry and what else? I guess next would have to be the arms industry because based on your statement we can’t have our national security dependent upon profit making companies. Then I guess we would have to go after the auto manufacturers because they haven’t invented cars that get 90 mpg with no emissions yet.
There used to be a term for these kinds of beliefs. Should we start calling each comrade?
Ross Balano Midwest Voices 2008
Nationalization
"Some Democrats now want to nationalize this country’s refineries."
I've no idea which Democrats you're referring to (or indeed, whether you just made this up), but, let's step back a bit and look at this issue.
Stipulate that fuel supply is a matter of national security. I think we may agree on this, yes?
Given that stipulation, doesn't it make some sort of sense that the government, for reasons of national security, should consider significant regulation of the oil industry?
Does it make sense to allow our national security interests to be controlled by a profit-making entity that lacks a vested interest in our national security?
Irrelevant
There is no one more irrelevant today than George Bush.
Energy shortage and Illegal Immigration..
If the U.S. grants amnesty and gives citizenship to 12 to 30 million illegal migrants, as Senators Obama and McCain propose. Those naturalized citizens could possibly add 120 million U.S. and foreign-born relatives to the U.S., in the next 20 years who all consume energy. Then again, if America adopt the SAVE ACT and millions of illegal aliens leave these shores, gas would be more obtainable.
Our highways are clogged with vehicles, but since Arizona started clamping down on illegal workers, the road traffic has thinned out. Along with nuclear energy, wind power, off-shore drilling these resources and other avenues might sustain us for years to come. Drilling for oil, natural gas in the gulf or both oceans, has new innovative methods that will not cause contamination. Diversity Alliance for Sustainable America. www.earthtimes.org/ You must decide your children's future, your jobs by demanding Democrats sponsor the Federal SAVE ACT (H.R.4088 enforcement in the workplace) Call toll-free (2022243121 )
NUMBERSUSA. Tell everybody..!