Gas soars; voters whine; oil profits boom; politicians pander
From the Wall Street Journal (subsc. req.):
Booming crude-oil prices and improved refining profits are poised to put a firecracker under Big Oil’s first-quarter earnings and set the stage for a year that could come close to rivaling the industry’s record year in 2008.
First-quarter crude prices averaged about $100 a barrel, or about 20% higher than a year ago, pushed upward by oil-supply concerns due to political unrest in the Arab World and a recovering global economy. That spike is expected to lift earnings by about 50% at Exxon Mobil Corp., and about 33% each at Chevron Corp. and ConocoPhillips, compared with a year earlier….
“Major oil companies are firing on all cylinders,” says Fadel Gheit, an analyst with Oppenheimer & Co. “Their first-quarter earnings are going to be much, much better than a year ago.”
If oil prices continue to climb, they could at least rival 2008. That year, U.S. producers reported astronomic profits as crude hit $147 a barrel for a time. Exxon that year earned $45.2 billion, more than any other U.S. publicly traded company in history.
And of course, those numbers don’t become any easier to swallow when you consider the $4 billion in subsidies that the American taxpayer coughs up each year on behalf of Big Oil. Efforts in Congress to eliminate those subsidies have failed because Republicans have cast the reform as a tax hike. So even in the midst of a deficit panic, government is required to keep on subsidizing one of the most profitable industries on the planet, a practice defended by the party that proclaims itself the champion of the free market.
Intellectually, the current situation is not that complicated. People are demanding more oil than the market can supply — an economic recovery is boosting consumption at the same time that disruptions in the Arab world threaten oil output. So the price is jumping.
However, that market-driven fact of life is hard for people to accept. With the price of gasoline approaching $4 a gallon — close to the record average of $4.11 in 2008 — consumers don’t want an explanation, they want a solution. And politicians in turn are motivated to give them one, or at least the illusion of one.
Republicans, for example, want to cast government, and more specifically the Obama administration, as the villain. They propose that the federal government drop environmental restrictions and open additional areas to oil exploration and production, suggesting that such steps will lower the price at the pump. But among energy experts, there’s really no debate. Even if we removed all environmental restrictions on domestic oil production — and last summer’s Deepwater Horizon tragedy in the Gulf suggests such a step would come with a heavy price — the amount of additional oil that could be produced in the United States would be too small to move the global market, where the price of oil is set. We may not like to acknowledge that fact — it drives home our relative helplessness — but it remains fact nonetheless.
(And of course, every additional barrel of oil pumped from beneath American territory today makes us even more dependent on foreign oil tomorrow.)
For his part, President Obama is following the futile course set by his predecessor. Last week, he announced a federal investigation into the role of speculation in driving up oil prices, just as President George W. Bush did in 2005 and 2006. Those investigations turned up little or nothing, as will this one. But politically, it gives Obama an alternative villain to whom he can point, which in his situation is important.
The uncomfortable truth is that because the need for oil is so ingrained in our economy and lifestyles, oil prices have to move a lot in order to produce even a slight decrease in demand. They have to rise high enough to make it hurt before people will curtail consumption.
So … are you hurting yet?
– Jay Bookman
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824 comments Add your comment
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
9:05 am
Wealth Envy!!!! Corporate profit envy!!!!!
We’re addicted to oil like a 60 year crack addict. There’s no way we can wean ourselves from it as it’s a daily way of life from gas to plastics and almost everything else we use. We should have learned from the 70’s, but an addict has to hit rock bottom and admit he has a problem before a solution can be found. I don’t think we’ve hit rock bottom yet, and I know there are many who refuse to admit we have a problem.
jm
April 25th, 2011
9:05 am
Coburn (R-OK) on Meet the Press indicated higher overall tax revenue was a needed and acceptable byproduct of tax reform.
Aren’t higher oil prices what Obama wanted? (yes) Now we just get them via the free market rather than government…
Um, natural gas (Pickens Plan) is the only practical way to go if you want an interim solution to our oil dependency problem.
jm
April 25th, 2011
9:07 am
“oil prices have to move a lot in order to produce even a slight decrease in demand”
Translation: Jay understands the elasticity of demand intuitively, if not intellectually.
Pennsylvanian
April 25th, 2011
9:07 am
“So … are you hurting yet?”
No. The price of gasoline is in the noise for me.
Mick
April 25th, 2011
9:08 am
**So … are you hurting yet?**
Yes – absolutely….
USMC
April 25th, 2011
9:08 am
On the bright side of things, maybe we can get some of these humongous SUV’s off of the road:-)
Scott
April 25th, 2011
9:08 am
When Bush was President, the media was all over him saying it was his fault gas prices were so high and that he was giving his cronies big breaks and more profits. With Obama president, the media says that he has no control over the gas prices. Do you think they would be saying the same thing if a Rep. was in the White House? The fact that he once again gets a free pass is such garbage. Enough said.
TnGelding
April 25th, 2011
9:09 am
Wrong! There is more than enough supply to meet the demand! Saudi Arabia just reduced prodution because of the glut and we’re running out of places to store it. It’s the speculators stupid! We simply have to change the way we get the oil to the refinery. Obama will eventually do something dramatic and controversial. His reelection depends on it.
What about converting the entire statewide school bus systems to natural gas? I’m sure the feds would finance it with more deficit spending.
godless heathen
April 25th, 2011
9:09 am
Based on the heavy traffic and the high rate of speed they were driving on I-75 this week-end, I’d say the peeps ain’t hurting yet.
jm
April 25th, 2011
9:09 am
“So … are you hurting yet?”
A Prius plus a good amount of oil futures plus exposure to less oil intensive investment alternatives has me effectively hedged….
TnGelding
April 25th, 2011
9:11 am
Every penny increase hurts the working poor, of which there are way too many in a country as wealthy as ours.
TnGelding
April 25th, 2011
9:12 am
Simply use less, somethng very easy for most of us to do. Park that gas-guzzler!
Aquagirl
April 25th, 2011
9:13 am
But Jay, drilling like a dentist on crack will make people feel better, and isn’t that what it’s all about? They absolutely refuse to accept our oil deposits aren’t as economically viable. They think a crowd of mythical enviro-wackos are keeping oil from magically jumping out of shale rock. Apparently the term “production cost” is beyond these free-market experts.
Pennsylvanian
April 25th, 2011
9:16 am
“Based on the heavy traffic and the high rate of speed they were driving on I-75 this week-end, I’d say the peeps ain’t hurting yet.”
How true! And look at the lines of people in cars idling in fast food drive through lanes, too lazy to park and walk inside.
jm
April 25th, 2011
9:16 am
Obama playing politics? That’s all he’s been doing for at least 2 months now. Shocker…
Obama watches Rome burn…..
“In our baseline macroeconomic scenario of near 3% annual real growth, we
expect the general government deficit to decline gradually but remain slightly
higher than 6% of GDP in 2013. As a result, net general government debt would
reach 84% of GDP by 2013. In our macroeconomic forecast’s optimistic scenario
(assuming near 4% annual real growth), the fiscal deficit would fall to 4.6%
of GDP by 2013, but the U.S.’s net general government debt would still rise to
almost 80% of GDP by 2013. In our pessimistic scenario (a mild, one-year
double-dip recession in 2012), the deficit would be 9.1%, while net debt would
surpass 90% by 2013.”
http://www.standardandpoors.com/ratings/articles/en/us/?assetID=1245302886884
Scott
April 25th, 2011
9:17 am
Aquagirl…..seriously get a clue. How many other countries are sitting off our shore in the Gulf of Mexico drilling away while we sit there and watch? How much oil sits in the ANWAR and we so nothing. Yes, we need to figure out a way to remove our oil dependence, however, we need to also figure out a way to sustain ourselves as the same time.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
April 25th, 2011
9:18 am
Blame Obama right? Opps…sorry. US Oil production is HIGHER than 2008, 2009 and at any point since 2003.
Drill, baby, drill….might as well say Stupid, baby, stupid! Its Wall Street. The same people who brought you the Near-Depression.
Call it like it is
April 25th, 2011
9:18 am
Its a silly game, that hurts no one but the common man. Obama will threaten to open up the gulf and Alaska, then the Saudi King will all of a sudden drop the price so Americans will be happy for now, and the cycle will begin again.
Road Scholar
April 25th, 2011
9:18 am
Even if the oil companies drilled when president obama took office, it would not be available for 5 more years. That is if there were existing platforms to be floated out to the discovered oil, that the oil had been discovered, and that the refinries were expanded, and , of course the new oil was only sold to the US. On the FREE MARKET the oil would still be priced at the going global rate, so, it would still be costly. Ah , the world ,arket! Deal with it!
Oh and do you really expect the oil companies to reduce the cost just for the US when they can make more on the world market? And India’s and China’s thirst will increase…
Stop the whining! Also drop the subsidies!
Gordon
April 25th, 2011
9:18 am
Jay,
How much of what is paid for a gallon of gas goes towards oil company profits?
jm
April 25th, 2011
9:18 am
If US debt gets downgraded, the world will get turned upside down.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
9:20 am
We have more rigs drilling in US territory than last year, but we also have well over 50% of all leases that are inactive. Why? It’s not the administration’s fault… they are approving plans to drill at the same pace as it has been throughout the 2000’s.
Could it be in the best interest of the oil companies to take leases off the market and not explore them so that supply remains tight? Hmmmm?
jm
April 25th, 2011
9:20 am
“politicians pander” Apparently that is their job. “Leader of the free world.” I think not right now.
TnGelding
April 25th, 2011
9:21 am
Drop the subsidies and watch the price go even higher!
getalife
April 25th, 2011
9:21 am
We wasted millions of lives, trillions of our money for Iraqi oil and the gop still want to hand out 53 billion to big oil.
The gop are to blame. Period.
Charlie
April 25th, 2011
9:22 am
Jay, both sides are going to have to give here.
I doubt your claim that expanded domestic production won’t put a dent in world markets. Regardless, domestic productio is falling, and we’re not even attempting to replace it. I listened to a former CEO of Shell Oil on CNBC last week. He’s hardly an oil industry apologist as one might expect from the title. But he also explained that the US is down over 30% in what we produce here in just over a 10 year period.
These windfall profits to oil companies will result in over $10BN to the US treasury. US Corp tax rates are already among the highest in the industrialized world. So the oil companies will pay thier part, but it won’t offset the loss to the economy after the effects of $4 gas.
Yet, look around those from your political ideology, and they don’t want coal (GA plant application rejected again last week) and they don’t want nuclear (scream Fukushima louder and I guess it’s supposed to end any discussion there), yet we’re all supposed to drive Tesla Roadsters powered by electricity that no environmentalist wants to let anyone actually produce.
The knee-jerks are winning this on both sides.
And America is losing.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
9:22 am
And Scott continues to mine that GOP meme that other countries are dilling in the Gulf of Mexico while we sit on our hands. NOT TRUE, Scott and you should learn to do your own research.
http://www.gpb.org/news/2011/04/01/tracking-oil-and-gas-rigs-in-the-u-s-yes-theres-an-app
Where are other countries drilling in the Gulf? Not in water we control. They are drilling off the coast of Cuba and Mexico and other Central American countries. We can’t drill there. Oh, and isn’t BP a British company? I seem to recall them drilling in our waters. How does that fit into your nonsense about other countries drilling while we sit on our hands?
Granny Godzilla
April 25th, 2011
9:23 am
Hurting yet?
Nope not us.
AGAIN – we reviewed and revised certain life choices when gas was about to hit 2 dollars a gallon and have reduced our use of fossil fuel nearly 60%.
There really and truly is only one way out of this mess – but most Americans are afraid of it.
Give up as much oil as you can. Now.
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
9:24 am
Before I get blasted by people who don’t know me, keepi9n mind that I am heavily invested in oil and natural gas exploration. Having said that, please get off the “if we only drilled here” platform. We could drill every last drop of oil on American soil, and it will still be sold by the oil company to whomever they choose.
Now, if you would like to offer suggestions as to how we stop oil companies from drilling and selling our oil for a profit on the world market I’ll be happy to listen. Otherwise, your arguments are empty and unrealistic.
jm
April 25th, 2011
9:25 am
Charlie 9:22 – US oil production increases would not affect world prices. It would, however, significantly improve our trade deficit / current account deficit. Because every $1 of US production is 1 less dollar of imported oil. This is an immensely important issue, since the US runs the highest current account deficit as a % of GDP in the whole developed world. There are good reasons to produce more oil in the US, but reducing prices is not one of them.
Granny Godzilla
April 25th, 2011
9:27 am
jm
“Because every $1 of US production is 1 less dollar of imported oil.”
And what guarantee is there that the oil produced in the US will be sold on the US market?
(ir)Rational
April 25th, 2011
9:27 am
Jay – these companies might be making “record profits” but what are their profit margins. If the supply of oil is interrupted, as it has been in the Gulf of Mexico, at least as far as procuring it for American’s is concerned, and in the Middle East wouldn’t the price of oil naturally increase under the laws of supply and demand? Do you honestly believe that not drilling in the US while at the same time looking for and developing new sources of energy will not help prices and later decrease or completely destroy our dependence on others for oil. This should be a clear goal for everyone who cares about our economic future. Especially considering the fact that most of the countries that supply a large portion of the oil for the world today consider us to be their enemy.
Left wing management
April 25th, 2011
9:27 am
Jay : “And of course, those numbers don’t become any easier to swallow when you consider the $4 billion in subsidies that the American taxpayer coughs up each year on behalf of Big Oil. Efforts in Congress to eliminate those subsidies have failed because Republicans have cast the reform as a tax hike. So even in the midst of a deficit panic, government is required to keep on subsidizing one of the most profitable industries on the planet, a practice defended by the party that proclaims itself the champion of the free market ”
You know, the more you look at things the more it’s enough to turn a good solid centrist into a wild-eyed Communist, ain’t it?
Top of the week to you, Jay!
Stephenson Billings
April 25th, 2011
9:28 am
Partly true (from Politifact http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/mar/15/barack-obama/barack-obama-says-us-oil-production-last-year-was-/)
“So, 2010 is definitely the highest since 2003. But we’ll note a couple of caveats.
First, production levels actually have been quite stable over the eight-year period. Comparing 2009 and 2010 statistics, petroleum production only rose about 3 percent. And the level for 2010 is only 11 percent higher than for the lowest year in that eight-year period. So the increase the president is referring to is not particularly dramatic.
The second caveat is that the Energy Information Administration projects that production totals are poised to fall from their current levels over the next two years.
Domestic crude oil production, the agency says, is projected to decline by 110,000 barrels a day in 2011 and by an additional 130,000 barrels per day in 2012. The agency makes that projection based on expected production declines in Alaska due to maturing oil fields. Production in the Gulf of Mexico is also projected to decline. Both are partially offset by projected increases in the Lower 48 states, but on balance, EIA sees the numbers falling.
So Obama is right that American oil production is at its highest level since 2003, but we’re taking the statement down a notch on our rating scale because the amount is projected to fall during each of the next two years, making it somewhat problematic to use the number as evidence that domestic oil production is on a healthy trendline. On balance, we rate the statement Mostly True.”
Normal
April 25th, 2011
9:28 am
Good mornin’ all y’all and especially to Granny G. I too, have made life choices about gas usage…especially this week. I’m sleeping in…on vacation…and not leaving the house…catch up work to do.
When I have to leave, it’s on my motorcycle…
Today’s funnies…
http://icanhascheezburger.com/2011/04/23/funny-pictures-sumfin-wuz-in-that-brownee/
and, oh yes….
http://icanhascheezburger.com/2011/04/24/funny-pictures-happee-frickin-easter/
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
9:29 am
GG – “And what guarantee is there that the oil produced in the US will be sold on the US market?”
Perhaps JM is advocating the use of Government controls in an attempt to take over the oil industry.
Charlie
April 25th, 2011
9:29 am
JM, agreed.
The drill here/drill now folks need to understand it’s not about reducing prices. It’s a national security/trade balance/value of dollar issue.
Doggone/GA
April 25th, 2011
9:29 am
“Drop the subsidies and watch the price go even higher!”
Yes, that’s probably what will happen…but it will be a visible cost increase, not an INvisible one
Common Sense
April 25th, 2011
9:30 am
Obama deflates currency, Dollar Falls, Gas soars; voters whine; oil profits boom; politicians pander
jm
April 25th, 2011
9:30 am
Granny 9:27 – well, 1, it makes sense to sell oil in the US, drilled in the US, because transport costs are cheaper when you don’t have to ship it across an ocean.
However, I’m guessing that won’t convince you, and this probably won’t either. Because the reality is, it doesn’t matter. Even if it was sold elsewhere, the profits and revenue from that oil would inure to the benefit of the US government (through the fees and rights they get) and US companies (through the oil profits and revenue they get), thus reducing our balance of payments deficit. So in reality, it doesn’t matter whether its sold here or anywhere else, it would still help the BOP issue which is huge.
Normal
April 25th, 2011
9:30 am
“And what guarantee is there that the oil produced in the US will be sold on the US market?”
The way I understand it is that “our” oil goes into a global pool and could be sold anywhere…even back to us…for a price.
jm
April 25th, 2011
9:32 am
Charlie 9:29 – indeed.
Flet 9:29 I would never suggest any such thing….
Stephenson Billings
April 25th, 2011
9:32 am
And don’t forget the effect of the weakening US dollar (via CNBC http://www.cnbc.com/id/42703813)
“Weakness in the US dollar, which is causing everything to go up—including gas prices, food and stocks—is unlikely to go away soon as a selling frenzy hits the currency market.
The greenback is approaching pre-financial crisis lows and threatening to smash through its all-time low when measured against the world’s predominant national currencies.
A combination of factors accounts for the weakness, with the Federal Reserve’s easy-money policies, huge national debts and deficits and the consequential possibility of a debt downgrade because of the financial mess in Washington leading the way.”
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
9:33 am
Normal – “The way I understand it is that “our” oil goes into a global pool and could be sold anywhere…even back to us…for a price.”
Unless you advocate the acquirring of current oil production facilites from the current owners i.e. exxon, bp, etc… then there is no “our oil” The oil belongs to the owners of the leases, and the owners of the leases determine where it will be sold. If it is more profitible to sell it to China and India, that is where it will go.
stands for decibels
April 25th, 2011
9:34 am
Jay, since you asked, yes it hurts to routinely dump 50 bucks on a purchase that was running 35 bucks not that long ago.
But not enough to significantly curtail consumption which, in my case, would mean taking the financially rather painful step of trading my reasonably fuel efficient vehicle for a somewhat less thirsty one.
jm
April 25th, 2011
9:34 am
“If it is more profitible to sell it to China and India, that is where it will go.”
Um, that’s not really how this works…. (excluding countries with fuel price controls like Iran)
stands for decibels
April 25th, 2011
9:35 am
The drill here/drill now folks need to understand it’s not about reducing prices.
We could confiscate and re-sell any vehicle with a “Drill Here – Drill Now – Pay Less” sticker and use it to pay for re-education camps, I guess.
Left wing management
April 25th, 2011
9:36 am
Jay: Intellectually, the current situation is not that complicated. People are demanding more oil than the market can supply — an economic recovery is boosting consumption at the same time that disruptions in the Arab world threaten oil output. So the price is jumping.
However, that market-driven fact of life is hard for people to accept
To which, I have just one thing to say:
Stupefaction, when it persists, becomes stupidity — Ortega y Gasset
For his part, President Obama is following the futile course set by his predecessor. Last week, he announced a federal investigation into the role of speculation in driving up oil prices, just as President George W. Bush did in 2005 and 2006. Those investigations turned up little or nothing, as will this one. But politically, it gives Obama an alternative villain to whom he can point, which in his situation is important.
Again, stupefaction.
That’s some Hope and Pocket Change ain’t it?
buck@gon
April 25th, 2011
9:38 am
Voters are whining about gas prices, true. Go with that Jay. Condescend to your fellow Georgians. I actually like that; it’s a winning Democrat tradition, and you ought to buy a bigger bullhorn to shoot it out of your mouth.
That buzzing noise ya’ll have been hearing for the past fifty years is actually whining too. It is the incessant whine about some people having more money and things than other people. It’s such background-noise by now that it’s like MARTA trains at five points–you just go with it. But since Barack Obama was established “ruler” of us all, that whine has actually gotten louder, as more and more people are earning less and less.
This is the ingenious Democrat methodology of solving a problem, through the artful method of making it far worse all while casigating your fellow citizens as being ungrateful.
I like it, Jay. Go with that for 2012, especially when gas is $10 a gallon.
We can have all that high speed rail running door-to-door by then, right?
jm
April 25th, 2011
9:38 am
Fletch – if the US was a net exporter of oil, then there would be the issue of the most profitable place to ship the oil (though with world prices, excluding transport costs, everywhere is equally profitable, but theorizing for a moment that the US was a net exporter, the oil would go to places in North, South, and Central America first to countries that were importers). Since the US itself is a net importer, any new US production is HIGHLY LIKELY to enter the refinery and distribution system in the US, not elsewhere, simply due to shipping costs.
stands for decibels
April 25th, 2011
9:38 am
With Obama president, the media says that he has no control over the gas prices.
Fret not, Scott. I guarantee you that when per-gallon gasoline retail prices hit the 2008 previous-peak level, every so-called librul media outlet will commemorate the occasion by duly noting that Obama is president and that it’s happening on his watch and o-noes-how-will-he-ever-be-re-elected-now?
DW
April 25th, 2011
9:38 am
If you honestly believe more local drilling will solve the problem, ive got some great beachfront property in Arizona to sell you…
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
9:39 am
jm – “Um, that’s not really how this works”
Um, that’s actually how it works. If it didn’t, then everyone would drill in their own back yard to satisfy their needs. There are rigs in the gulf and off the coast of Southern California,and wells operating in the Bakken Fields. Perhaps you would like to explain how it is we import so much oil when we have so much on our doorstep?
Common Sense
April 25th, 2011
9:39 am
Profit margins of oil companies: 7.1%
So you could eliminate the profits entirely and only save yourself 28 cents a gallon. Of course there would be no reason to bring those gallons to the market and you’d be walking.
The federal gas tax is 18.4 cents per gallon, the Georgia State tax is 7.5 cents and then you add 15 cents for sales tax.
Wow, the government makes more in sales tax than the oil companies do in profit on a gallon of gas.
Now who actually earned it?
Del
April 25th, 2011
9:41 am
Nice diversion on Obama’s lack of leadership in this crises. The campaigner and chief narcissist can only point to the lack of alternative energy sources as the issue and offer up his peter pan plan of wind mills or solar panels as the solution. We need to deal with the world as it is today and unfortunately it’s all about oil. The president can’t hide behind the DOJ, he needs to announce that this country must exploit every potential energy source within our borders and tell the radical environmentalists to take a long vacation.
The Woz
April 25th, 2011
9:41 am
Bush was branded as Satan becasue gas prices were high bu now that Obama is president the progressives just blithely suggest that consumers are whiners becasue they are concerned about massive short term price increases in the price of gas. From 1.84 to nearly four bucks in just two years and the president and the progressives just blame the people.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
9:42 am
jm: most of the oil extracted from the North Slope oil fields is routed to Japan. It’s cheaper to do that than to transport it to the lower 48.
poison pen
April 25th, 2011
9:42 am
Granny Godzilla
April 25th, 2011
9:23 am
Hurting yet?
Nope not us.
AGAIN – we reviewed and revised certain life choices when gas was about to hit 2 dollars a gallon and have reduced our use of fossil fuel nearly 60%.
There really and truly is only one way out of this mess – but most Americans are afraid of it.
Give up as much oil as you can. Now.
Granny, I’m sure that your smug remarks will be appreciated by the people who make minimum wages and have to drive to work.
Jay, I am old enough to remember the long oil lines during the Nixon years and guess what? not one President has done a Damn think to fix the problem. To blame the Repubs is just plain stupid.
Would you care to guess what Obama will do, well my Crystal Ball tells me nothing, he will pay lip service and that’s it.
Granny, you may be right in that if we get oil from our country we don’t know if it will be sold here, but guess what, if Obama is any kind of President he can put an order out that it must be sold only in the USA. After all it’s our oil so lets see what kind of President he really is.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
9:42 am
We buy oil from Canada, Mexico and the Saudis.
There is no political will to change anything in the oil industry so quit whining.
It is like whining about our corrupt system.
The me generation will not change anything so plan on it.
jm
April 25th, 2011
9:42 am
Fletch 9:39 – see my 9:38 on the previous page. I’m sorry, factually, you’re wrong. We import 2/3 of the oil we consume.
Jack
April 25th, 2011
9:44 am
High gas prices are cutting into lotto and beer purchases. Not cigarettes, though. Just gotta have that smoke.
Common Sense
April 25th, 2011
9:44 am
Whatever area in the US opened to drilling for oil would certainly be enjoying job growth regardless of what you think it would have done for oil prices.
What happened to that laser focus on jobs, Mr. President?
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
9:44 am
poison pen – ” if Obama is any kind of President he can put an order out that it must be sold only in the USA. ”
So you are advocating government regulation and intervention in direct conflict with the principals of the free market?
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
9:45 am
Woz: Bush was branded as Satan because he sowed war and corruption, which are most definitely in Satan’s bag of tricks. Gas prices? That was 3 hurricanes in a row in the Gulf taking out short-term production and refinery capabilities.
Consumers are whiners. Instead of using that as a wake-up call and permanently changing their behavior — they changed their behavior temporarily and SUV sales went to near 0 — they went back to the same stupid behavior expecting a different outcome.
larry
April 25th, 2011
9:46 am
Everybody is acting like oil is an infinite resource. It isnt. If we do not start adapting to that fact, we are going to be in a heep of trouble, no matter who is in the white house.
Meanwhile, a state price increase of 3.1 cents per gallon is coming May 1st unless the corrupt one suspends it.
poison pen
April 25th, 2011
9:47 am
DW
April 25th, 2011
9:38 am
If you honestly believe more local drilling will solve the problem, ive got some great beachfront property in Arizona to sell you…
DW, it will not solve the problem but guess what, it won’t hurt it either. Nobody really knows what we have until we try so hang onto your property.
Aquagirl
April 25th, 2011
9:48 am
Scott, I don’t think it’s possible to have an intelligent conversation with you if you think countries drill for oil.
Seems like a bunch of people are afflicted with Scott-itis, they’re convinced oil drilling is a finders-keepers arrangement, like if the well is drilled here it makes any difference. No more so than any other commodity produced affects our trade balance.
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
9:48 am
jm – “We import 2/3 of the oil we consume.”
And why do you think that is? I’ll help you, the companies that produce the oil, are not wholly owned and operated by the United States Government. They are corporations, and as such under free market principles, they are allowed to produce a product and in turn sell that product to willing buyers for a profit. There is no “our oil”, it belongs to the people who produce it, and they are free to sell it wherever they so choose.
Normal
April 25th, 2011
9:50 am
Poison,
you say, ” Obama is any kind of President he can put an order out that it must be sold only in the USA. After all it’s our oil so lets see what kind of President he really is.”
Show me where he gets that power. I believe something like that would have to go through Congress…President Obama is not a dictator.
buck@gon
April 25th, 2011
9:50 am
“We could confiscate and re-sell any vehicle with a “Drill Here – Drill Now – Pay Less” sticker and use it to pay for re-education camps, I guess.”
“Stupefaction, when it persists, becomes stupidity”
Stands and LWM,
Is this the “boot on the neck” that our great, intelligent, experienced and mature President talked about only a year ago?
You ladies aren’t stupid at least on your face, and I say this honestly because it’s difficult to tell actually when you are spouting such nonsense. I’m here simply to tell you that you are wrong. Price increases add to cost. Cost diminishes profit, decreases demand. It’s a law of economics. To deny it, is like denying gravity or denying the true age of the earth as you libs are always accusing fundamentalists of doing.
What you are is blind or insane. The jury is still out on that.
Like Jay, I urge you to ignore what I have to say henceforth, or you will have trouble sleeping at night. Because like Jay, I’m going to start asking you questions you can not or will not want to answer.
Consider this now your “re-education” camp, which, unlike your tyrannical liberal fantasies is completely and totally voluntary. Feel free to hang whatever uncivil label you want on me. I would gently urge you only that you be who you are, and that the more people get a glimpse of the true character of the modern liberal, the better it will be for the state and the nation as a whole.
jm
April 25th, 2011
9:50 am
ByteMe 9:42 – I buy that. And it depends on the type of oil and where its used based on emission regulations (light sweet crude)
Joe
April 25th, 2011
9:51 am
Wow u and Yucker trying desperatly to cover for Obama about these rising gas prices caused from his policys… LOL… Every far left pundit in the country is furiously in damage control because they see 20% approval coming….
sore loser
April 25th, 2011
9:51 am
There is currently an oversupply of oil, just a shortage of ‘paper barrels’. The Saudis would price oil at 80$ to maximize their sales, however the investors don’t care what price it is as long as it goes up. Its not fear in the middle east, its not. Why do we let people sit at computers and click buy and sell buttons all day long that send the price of oil, the lifeblood of the economy, skyhigh? I say only let people who actually take delivery of oil buy futures to set true demand, not speculative demand. If you want to restart the housing market, restart the economy, by getting investors who have no industrial interest in oil out of the market.
Mick
April 25th, 2011
9:51 am
I guess I can always get one of these-
http://www.brammo.com/empulse/
poison pen
April 25th, 2011
9:52 am
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
9:44 am
poison pen – ” if Obama is any kind of President he can put an order out that it must be sold only in the USA. ”
So you are advocating government regulation and intervention in direct conflict with the principals of the free market?
Fletch, when it comes to a Natural recource that is critical to our country, yes. Wouldn’t you want that? We cannot let outside influences destroy our country and right now we have an extremely fragile economy, in case you haven’t noticed.
10 Billion profit for Exxon in 8 weeks is out of line.
@@
April 25th, 2011
9:52 am
And as gasoline prices rise, so too, does government revenue.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/twip/twip_feature.jpg
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
9:53 am
Gas prices soon to be at $5…..what ya gonna do Mr. Obama? Tick Tock tick tock….
stands for decibels
April 25th, 2011
9:56 am
The solution is E-Z.
“What I think the president ought to do is get on the phone with the OPEC cartel and say we expect you to open your spigots. One reason why the price is so high is because the price of crude oil has been driven up. OPEC has gotten its supply act together and it’s driving the price, like it did in the past. And the president must jawbone OPEC members to lower the price. And if in fact there is collusion amongst big oil, he ought to intercede there as well.”
poison pen
April 25th, 2011
9:56 am
Normal
April 25th, 2011
9:50 am
Poison,
you say, ” Obama is any kind of President he can put an order out that it must be sold only in the USA. After all it’s our oil so lets see what kind of President he really is.”
Show me where he gets that power. I believe something like that would have to go through Congress…President Obama is not a dictator.
Then let him go thru Congress, whatever it takes, I don’t think the American people would be against it and the Repubs won’t be because they wouldn’t get elected to office if they tried to stop something that was good for the country.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
9:56 am
Gas prices soon to be at $5…..what ya gonna do Mr. Obama? Tick Tock tick tock….
Gas prices soon to be at $5…..what ya gonna do UGA1999? Tick Tock tick tock….
Or do you look to the government to solve all your problems?
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
9:57 am
ByteMe….nope just the ones that have control over. hahah WAKE UP!
Granny Godzilla
April 25th, 2011
9:57 am
poison pen
smug remarks? nope. truth.
personal responsibility. ya’ got it on this or ya’ don’t.
you state ” if Obama is any kind of President he can put an order out that it must be sold only in the USA.”
Oh exactly how can this be achieved constitutionally?
are you suggesting nationalizing oil production in the US?
why you closet commie you……
Aquagirl
April 25th, 2011
9:57 am
Poison pen, why not just set higher MPG standards on cars we drive? Oh, sorry, that’s heavy handed government extremism. On the other hand, nationalizing the oil companies isn’t such a big deal.
I really think you need another cup of coffee.
@@
April 25th, 2011
9:57 am
That should’ve been “as oil company profits rise, so too, does government’s.”
godless heathen
April 25th, 2011
9:57 am
The most recent numbers I could find on the goog were from July 2010 when the average price of regular gas in the US was $2.75 a gallon. At that time the price in Saudi Arabia was $0.45 / gallon, Kuwait $0.85 / gallon, Iran $0.32 / gallon, Venezuala $0.06 per gallon.
No what’s all that about “It’s a world market and local production won’t affect the price.”?
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
9:58 am
poison pen – “10 Billion profit for Exxon in 8 weeks is out of line.”
I won’t disagree with you on that. But you know as well as I do that any such move on Obamas part to mandate where and how oil will be sold would be disasterous. NO president would make a move like that.
Also, the oil and natural gas being produced is NOT owned by the United States, nor is it being produced by the Federal Government. You can’t arbitrarlity tell an independent company when, where and how they can market their product. What you suggest would be like Deal telling Coca Cola that they can only sell their product in Georgia, because this is where it’s made. It simply won’t work.
godless heathen
April 25th, 2011
9:58 am
No = Now
Yippee
April 25th, 2011
9:58 am
Pay attention to food prices and other areas of inflation. The hurting soon to come if the federal government doesn’t check spending will make gas prices the least of your worries. Be prepared.
jm
April 25th, 2011
9:59 am
Fletch 9:48 – and apparently the fee revenue the US government gets, the US exploration jobs, the US jobs that are implicitly part of the oil price production costs that are US jobs, and the revenue earned by US corporations mean nothing to you.
I grant you, if all the oil was explored and produced by foreign companies, a certain, though limited amount, would be lost to another country (assuming said company BP as an example didn’t have any US stockholders, which it does). But your thinking is just overly simple.
This probably won’t settle it for you guys, but here goes. The US exports 34,000 barrels per day in oil (http://www.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=WCREXUS2&f=W). We produce approximately 9 million barrels per day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_oil_production).
So we export 0.38% of our crude oil production. You want to continue making your erroneous argument Fletch?
Jay
April 25th, 2011
9:59 am
Charlie doubts my claim — and the claim of most experts — that we lack the domestic capacity to lower world oil prices.
So let’s run some quick numbers:
In 2009, we produced 5.4 million barrels of oil in the United States. Let’s pretend we increased that output to 6.4 million barrels, an 18.5 percent increase. I’m doubtful that an increase that large would be sustainable — oil-rich Libya, for example, produces less than 2 million bpd, so that’s a big jump. Furthermore, the U.S. Energy Information Agency predicts an increase in U.S. production to 5.7 mbd — a 5.5 percent increase — by 2035, “from onshore enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects, shale oil plays, and deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.”
A short-term increase of 1 mbd, in other words, would be really ambitious, more than 3 times the projected growth over the next 25 years. But for the sake of argument, let’s pretend we can do it.
In 2009, global oil production was 45.4 mbd. An additional 1 million barrels a day from U.S. sources would bump that to 46.4 mbd. I don’t really think that’s going to have much impact on global markets.
And if by some miracle it might, OPEC countries such as Saudi Arabia could offset it by merely cutting production, thus keeping prices nice and high, where they want them.
To cite another example, Iraqi oil production is up by more than 1 mbd since 2003. That additional oil on the world market hasn’t exactly brought prices down, from what I can tell at the gas pump.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
10:00 am
Then let him go thru Congress, whatever it takes, I don’t think the American people would be against it and the Repubs won’t be because they wouldn’t get elected to office if they tried to stop something that was good for the country.
Except that that’s not the in the long-term leases the oil companies have on the land they drill. So it would violate the Constitution and the Supremes wouldn’t allow that. So are you saying the government should violate established private property and contract law and ignore the courts just so you could fill up for a few pennies less? How would Ayn Rand feel about it? Let’s ask her.
@@
April 25th, 2011
10:00 am
LIHU‘E — The Tax Foundation reports Hawai‘i is one of nine U.S. states that siphons off more tax revenue when gas prices rise.
For every gallon of gas purchased, Hawai‘i drivers are taxed a total of five times: federal fuel tax of 18 cents per gallon; state fuel tax of 17 cents per gallon; Environmental Response, Energy & Food Security tax of $1.05 per barrel; county taxes ranging between 8.8 and 16.5 cents per gallon; and a state gross income tax for distributors of 4.17 percent that is then passed on to consumers as general excise tax.
Other states that double tax on gas include: California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York and Virginia. The Tax Foundation said Illinois leads the pack with a 9.25 percent sales tax, with proceeds split between state and local governments.
http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_e594782e-5c37-11e0-8c16-001cc4c03286.html
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
10:01 am
Seems like Obama is getting his wish…..remember what he said during his campaign.
Get work prez!
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:01 am
Flet 9:58 “But you know as well as I do that any such move on Obamas part to mandate where and how oil will be sold would be disasterous. NO president would make a move like that.”
You are series of non-factual statements sir. Apparently you forgot the Nixon years, where price controls were defacto moves that affected where oil was allocated.
larry
April 25th, 2011
10:01 am
At that time the price in Saudi Arabia was $0.45 / gallon, Kuwait $0.85 / gallon, Iran $0.32 / gallon, Venezuala $0.06 per gallon.
Those countries have nationalized their oil industries .
poison pen
April 25th, 2011
10:03 am
Granny Godzilla
April 25th, 2011
9:57 am
poison pen
smug remarks? nope. truth.
personal responsibility. ya’ got it on this or ya’ don’t.
you state ” if Obama is any kind of President he can put an order out that it must be sold only in the USA.”
Oh exactly how can this be achieved constitutionally?
are you suggesting nationalizing oil production in the US?
why you closet commie you……
Granny, show me where in the Constitution it states that we have to have Obamacare?
Not everyone has the oportunity to control all aspects of their lives, especially poor people, for someone so liberal as yourself I would have thought you would have shown more compassion for these people, I guess you are just a big liar.
Common Sense
April 25th, 2011
10:03 am
@Byteme
No we do not expect government to solve all our problems. Only the ones that they are complicit in creating.
Like the lack of drilling here in the US.
itpdude
April 25th, 2011
10:03 am
We should all thank the older generation for heeding Jimmy Carter’s warning that the US needed to shoot for energy independence back in the 70’s. Can you imagine if the older generation had not heeded that warning? It would have put the US in a bad spot!
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:04 am
Jay 9:59 CIA world factbook disagrees with your US oil production estimates.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
See also my previous post.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
10:04 am
Apparently you forgot the Nixon years, where price controls were defacto moves that affected where oil was allocated.
I seem to recall that his moves to freeze prices and reallocate resources didn’t turn out well for the country and was abandoned.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
10:04 am
The most recent numbers I could find on the goog were from July 2010 when the average price of regular gas in the US was $2.75 a gallon. At that time the price in Saudi Arabia was $0.45 / gallon, Kuwait $0.85 / gallon, Iran $0.32 / gallon, Venezuala $0.06 per gallon.
Which of those countries fall under the category of “Net Producer” and which fall under “Net Consumer? There’s a reason that those prices are different.
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
10:05 am
jm – “and apparently the fee revenue the US government gets, the US exploration jobs, the US jobs that are implicitly part of the oil price production costs that are US jobs, and the revenue earned by US corporations mean nothing to you.”
As I stated on my first post, I am heavily invested in oil and natural gas exploration and production, primarily in the Williston Basin. In addition, my family leases the the natural gas rights from our property to the state of Montana, from which I get a pretty decent check every quarter. So yes, it DOES mean something to me.
However, as I also previously stated, unless you are advocating nationalizing the oil and gas industry, thereby giving the U.S. governmnet sole right to dictate where and how our natural resources will be used and sold, your arguments for MORE drilling are useless.
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:05 am
Jay 9:59 – Jay, you seem to ignore the benefits from the balance of payments issue, which can be almost entirely allocated to the issue of our oil imports (if one so chose).
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
10:05 am
@Common Sense: so you’re saying that the report from the DoI that says we have more rigs looking for oil this year than last year is somehow reflected in lower prices at the pump? Uhhh…..
Really, start with facts and then look for reasonable explanations instead of starting with the Meme-of-the-day and trying to repeat it over and over.
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
10:05 am
How do you like all the HOPE and CHANGE ?
poison pen
April 25th, 2011
10:06 am
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
10:00 am
Then let him go thru Congress, whatever it takes, I don’t think the American people would be against it and the Repubs won’t be because they wouldn’t get elected to office if they tried to stop something that was good for the country.
Except that that’s not the in the long-term leases the oil companies have on the land they drill. So it would violate the Constitution and the Supremes wouldn’t allow that. So are you saying the government should violate established private property and contract law and ignore the courts just so you could fill up for a few pennies less? How would Ayn Rand feel about it? Let’s ask her.
Why can’t the Govt start now with new leases? you know like looking out for the future, do you think that this won’t happen again, your not that dumb are you?
Why not ask Granny, she has all the answers.
Aquagirl
April 25th, 2011
10:06 am
godless heathen, those countries subsidize their gas. Google “Petróleos de Venezuela” and you’ll see why gas costs 6 cents at the pump.
Saudi Arabia and Iran also subsidize their gas costs to consumers, just not quite as much as Venezuela.
Yippee
April 25th, 2011
10:06 am
The price of gasoline is more affected by speculation of future supplies than by how much crude lies in reserve deposits. If the U.S. begins an aggressive campaign to move to compressed natural gas for vehicle fuel, especially for long-haul trucking, and also opens up our domestic onshore and offshore oilfields, the oil futures markets will respond favorably relative to lower prices at the pump.
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:06 am
Fletch 10:05 – like I said, the US exports 0.38% of its crude oil. But keep handing out falsehoods. My arguments for more drilling (which I’m not a huge fan of) are perfectly sound.
Common Sense
April 25th, 2011
10:07 am
“In 2009, global oil production was 45.4 mbd. An additional 1 million barrels a day from U.S. sources would bump that to 46.4 mbd. I don’t really think that’s going to have much impact on global markets.”
And that’s why Jay is not an economist.
So what would a 2% increase in retail sales do? A 2% drop?
And ignore the impact of all those jobs being created.
A 2% increase in supply would have a tremendous impact, just as a 2% drop in consumption would.
Don’t quit your day job, Jay.
Left wing management
April 25th, 2011
10:07 am
buck@gon, I wasn’t sure from your post what exactly you were taking issue with about with me.
But when you say:
” I would gently urge you only that you be who you are, and that the more people get a glimpse of the true character of the modern liberal, the better it will be for the state and the nation as a whole”
I have to ask you, as I tend to ask frequently on this list: just what is the “modern liberal” ? It’s an honest question. I’m scanning the political scene for evidence of any, and it’s true there are a handful of good progressives who can fairly be described as “liberal” in the house and senate (Wiener, Pelosi, Sanders). But one looks in vain for anything genuinely reflecting this in the current administration or really any truly strong liberal force in the society at large right now. Perhaps the protestant churches? They’re on the wane. Unions? Also on the wane and under attack. So I just don’t see it. Perhaps you can help me out.
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
10:07 am
jm – “You are series of non-factual statements sir. Apparently you forgot the Nixon years, where price controls were defacto moves that affected where oil was allocated.”
No, I do remember that. I also remember gas lines and empty service stations while Nixon was running the show. Perhaps you’ve heard of a little blip we had back in the 70’s called the OIL EMBARGO?
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:08 am
ByteMe 10:04 – indeed, and thank heavens. Fletch is a fan of nationalization apparently.
Libertarian
April 25th, 2011
10:08 am
End all subsidies. We can no longer afford them. Farm, oil, corn, whatever it is.
Bosch
April 25th, 2011
10:08 am
“Like the lack of drilling here in the US.”
That is up to the oil companies — you know those private companies. We are drilling more domestically than ever before, so take it up with them.
Granny Godzilla
April 25th, 2011
10:08 am
poison pen
that was mean a spirited and ineffective dodge.
how can what you suggest be done contitutionally?
you said the words dude…..back them up.
I have no compassion for the weak who shoot nonsense out of their
pie holes with no ammo to back it up.
you are dismissed.
poison pen
April 25th, 2011
10:09 am
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
9:58 am
poison pen – “10 Billion profit for Exxon in 8 weeks is out of line.”
I won’t disagree with you on that. But you know as well as I do that any such move on Obamas part to mandate where and how oil will be sold would be disasterous. NO president would make a move like that.
Also, the oil and natural gas being produced is NOT owned by the United States, nor is it being produced by the Federal Government. You can’t arbitrarlity tell an independent company when, where and how they can market their product. What you suggest would be like Deal telling Coca Cola that they can only sell their product in Georgia, because this is where it’s made. It simply won’t work.
Fletch, Coca-Cola isn’t a vital product that affects our country, there is a slight difference between Coke & Oil.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
10:09 am
Why can’t the Govt start now with new leases? you know like looking out for the future, do you think that this won’t happen again, your not that dumb are you?
Right now, more than 50% of all existing leases are inactive. Why would anyone look to a new lease if they could just buy the rights to an existing inactive lease? We’re talking MILLIONS of acres sitting there because the oil companies don’t want to drill on them right now.
#FAIL.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
10:10 am
Hope and Change
Hope and Change
Hope and Change
Hope and Change
Hope and Change
What a joke!
Jay
April 25th, 2011
10:10 am
You’re right, jm. Those EIA numbers must have been discussing a subset of production. Let me rework.
Peadawg
April 25th, 2011
10:10 am
“End all subsidies. We can no longer afford them. Farm, oil, corn, whatever it is.”
Don’t forget subsidies for the poor and elderly…Medicare, Medicaid, and food stamps. We can’t afford those either.
Granny Godzilla
April 25th, 2011
10:10 am
“You can’t arbitrarlity tell an independent company when, where and how they can market their product.”
Unless you life in the magic wand world of poison pen where Obama can just make it happen….
lalalala land.
Mick
April 25th, 2011
10:11 am
No bites on the brammo electric motorcycle? Costs 10k and gets 100 mile per charge, not too bad. No good if you’re not into bikes. When I retire, I’ll most likely have one…
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:11 am
Common Sense 10:07 –
Indeed. Look at the price shift from an extra million +/- from Libya (even less than a million) or Saudi Arabia. When Demand fully taps supply, a small shift in supply changes pricing significantly.
That said, in the long run, this is a product that is going to run out and another 2.5 billion people want a better lifestyle. So any US oil production will, in the long run, be a drop in the bucket as far as prices are concerned.
poison pen
April 25th, 2011
10:12 am
Granny Godzilla
April 25th, 2011
10:08 am
poison pen
that was mean a spirited and ineffective dodge.
how can what you suggest be done contitutionally?
you said the words dude…..back them up.
I have no compassion for the weak who shoot nonsense out of their
pie holes with no ammo to back it up.
you are dismissed.
Granny, only Jay can dismiss me, if you don’t like the truth then don’t read it. You are the one who made the smug remark not me, trying to flip it won’t work, sorry.
Atlanta 1
April 25th, 2011
10:12 am
For his part, President Obama is following the futile course set by his predecessor. Last week, he announced a federal investigation into the role of speculation in driving up oil prices, just as President George W. Bush did in 2005 and 2006. Those investigations turned up little or nothing, as will this one. But politically, it gives Obama an alternative villain to whom he can point, which in his situation is important.
At least have the courage to fess up. What did the ‘left’ in this country scream for 8 years. The Bush Administration is tied to ‘big oil’ and that’s the reason gas prices are up. It’s greed, greed, greed.
The reasons then are the same reasons now, except it is worst. “Supply and demand”. T-Boone Pickens is predicting $5.00 to $6.00 a gallon? He feels that by the time we get into the fall that demand will out pace supply by 2 million barrels a week.
The other reason. A very weak dollar that will continue to weaken, thanks to this President’s ‘fed policy’ that continues to pump money into the system. Many are predicting the dollar will see an all time ‘low’ within the next year. That is basically taxing the American People on any imported product that we see ‘no benefit’ to.
WAKE UP OUT THERE! You have to understand that we have to get debt under control. This means ‘hard cuts’ in every aspect of our government (including defense). It is NOT a ‘left or right’ thing – literally means deciding our childrens and their childrens quality of life!
George W. Bush was not a good President. Neither is this one. Be honest folks – your ideology needs to take a break. Everyone needs to realize that this is serious. The U.S. Governments finanical health was actually ‘down graded’ last week. If that did not get your attention – then frankly – YOUR AN IDIOT.
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
10:12 am
poison pen – “Fletch, Coca-Cola isn’t a vital product that affects our country, there is a slight difference between Coke & Oil.”
Same theory applies. As myself and many others have posted, the government cannot arbitrarily rescind the rights of the corporation without changing the conditions under which we currently operate.
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
10:14 am
I’m hoping for $10 gas. That’ll likely cause a big drop in the price for that new Tundra or Titan pickup I plan to purchase.
larry
April 25th, 2011
10:14 am
When I retire, I’ll most likely have one…
Or move to Peachtree City and get one of those golf carts.
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:14 am
Jay 10:10 – the EIA and CIA data definitely does not jive…. don’t know what that’s about.
poison pen
April 25th, 2011
10:15 am
Granny Godzilla
April 25th, 2011
10:10 am
“You can’t arbitrarlity tell an independent company when, where and how they can market their product.”
Unless you life in the magic wand world of poison pen where Obama can just make it happen….
lalalala land.
It’s our land and if Obama wants it done I assure you it can get done. There are a lot of poor people out there who have to work one day a week just to fill up their car to get to work, but why should you care you are responsible and it won’t hurt you.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
10:15 am
The U.S. Governments finanical health was actually ‘down graded’ last week.
You’re Welcome
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
10:16 am
…the $4 billion in subsidies that the American taxpayer coughs up each year on behalf of Big Oil.
FOUR BILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR?
That’s a 4, followed by nine zeroes to the left of the decimal point. It looks like this – $4,000,000,000.00/year.
What’s up with these mooches? Can’t they make it on their own, without all of the massive handouts, give aways, subsides and tax loopholes? All that blustering about swimming with the sharks and sink or swim.
These giant corporations are a tragic joke, that are leeching off the Americana taxpayer, shareholder and consumer.
It has to end.
And they MUST, along with their myopic and dangerous sycophants, be held accountable to the Three Laws of Capitalism.
Big Business is opposed to Socialism. Until it helps them. ~AmVet
larry
April 25th, 2011
10:16 am
Same theory applies. As myself and many others have posted, the government cannot arbitrarily rescind the rights of the corporation without changing the conditions under which we currently operate.
It makes me wonder if these people are for nationalizing our energy production in general.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
10:17 am
It’s our land and if Obama wants it done I assure you it can get done.
Short of declaring a state of emergency and suspending the Constitution… which you’d also complain about… then you’re really mistaken about how all this works.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
10:17 am
Byte Me
That’s funny as hell!!!!!
Charlie
April 25th, 2011
10:17 am
OK, Jay is holding that increasing drilling won’t produce much additional oil. Yet Prudhoe Bay is already declining in production. Assets are moving out of the Gulf of Mexico. The reserves in West Texas aren’t getting any younger.
Domestic production has to remain active just to maintain where we are. By issuing road blocks to most offshore drilling, ANWAR, and frankly, just about anywhere worth drilling, we’re leaving ourselves exposed to giving a trillion dollars a year to people who want to kill us. That harms both national security and economic security.
I wrote up my proposal here:
http://www.peachpundit.com/2011/02/25/no-longer-time-to-ignore-energy-independence/
I essentially argue for an imported oil tax for oil/gasoline from non-NAFTA countries. That’s about 1/3 of our domestic consumption. It would need to be phased in over time, with an offsetting tax cut for individuals at all income levels (i.e., FICA tax reduction) to eliminate the income effect of the related gas price hike.
It’s how you keep the US oil we drill for here, as has been discussed throughout this thread. You make the oil from those who want to kill us significantly more expensive through a change in relative prices.
It also sends a strong price signal to both producers and consumers to change behavior accordingly. Consumers have incentive to become more energy efficient. Producers have incentive to keep production moving at domestic wells that have higher relative costs to produce.
Most importantly, it weens us from foreign oil over time as we continue to develop both alternative energy sources and more energy efficiency.
poison pen
April 25th, 2011
10:17 am
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
10:12 am
poison pen – “Fletch, Coca-Cola isn’t a vital product that affects our country, there is a slight difference between Coke & Oil.”
Same theory applies. As myself and many others have posted, the government cannot arbitrarily rescind the rights of the corporation without changing the conditions under which we currently operate.
Fletch, nowhere did I say that the Govt. should rescind anything.
Mick
April 25th, 2011
10:17 am
larry
I want one of those too, can’t wait to leave this fossil fuel era in the dust…
Libertarian
April 25th, 2011
10:17 am
Peadawg
Agreed. ALL subsidies.
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:18 am
Jay, maybe the CIA is engaged in propaganda and subversion of foreign oil producers….
I have no idea what’s going on…
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
10:18 am
Mick…..you will be waiting a LONG time.
Yahtzee
April 25th, 2011
10:18 am
current oil prices are not being inflated due to a supply problem Jay
our weaking dollar is the main problem, the fed continues to print away devaluing our dollar, and the main oil producting countries out there are finally starting to see it and don’t trust our dollar
and you’re about domestic production, we have more oil on US soil and territories than the rest of the world combined..additionly we havent built a refinary in this country in 30 years, why? because the oil industry is one of the heaviest regulated industries in this country..you talk about record profits? they are also paying record taxes, because the gov runs these companies
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
10:19 am
Granny, only Jay can dismiss me, if you don’t like the truth then don’t read it. You are the one who made the smug remark not me, trying to flip it won’t work, sorry.
Gosh, I could have told you Granny does not like THE TRUTH. Granny is lame’ she can not see beyond her liberal coated horn beam glasses.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
10:19 am
I have no idea what’s going on…
Can be said of most folks.
Blitz Wolfer
April 25th, 2011
10:20 am
Jay,
We’ve been hurting ever since Obama was elected. Democrats had full control of the House, a fillibuster-proof majority in the Senate, and the Presidency and they still couldn’t reign in the subsidies to the oil companies.
Obama and the Democrats are effet and feckless
bull
April 25th, 2011
10:21 am
do you really need 400 hp to haul your fat arse?
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:21 am
ByteMe 10:10 – touche.
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
10:21 am
Jay, the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress for two years and did nothing about these “subsidies” you’re talking about. I wonder why?
BTW, the “subsidies” are simply contractual terms between the Feds and oil companies put in place during the Clinton administration which the libbtards and environmental whackos now find objectionable.
Mick
April 25th, 2011
10:22 am
UGA1999
I disagree, we are at the tip of the iceberg. The volt is the beginning of the end of gas guzzling auto’s. Ten years from now, electric cars will be the rule rather than the exception…
poison pen
April 25th, 2011
10:22 am
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
10:09 am
Why can’t the Govt start now with new leases? you know like looking out for the future, do you think that this won’t happen again, your not that dumb are you?
Right now, more than 50% of all existing leases are inactive. Why would anyone look to a new lease if they could just buy the rights to an existing inactive lease? We’re talking MILLIONS of acres sitting there because the oil companies don’t want to drill on them right now.
#FAIL.
ByteMe, where are the leases located, in Anwhar????? and didn’t Obama put a moratorium on the Gulf?
Bill Orvis White
April 25th, 2011
10:22 am
“…the amount of additional oil that could be produced in the United States would be too small to move the global market, where the price of oil is set.”
WRONG: With various new technologies, companies like BP can use them to safely extract significant oil supplies throughout the Gulf, Atlantic, Pacific, mainland TX/OK/KS/NE and especially ANWR! The sole problem in this is environmental regulations which stifle the use of technologies with these solid, experienced oil companies. By the way, liberals like Jay scream about the so-called tax benefits “given” to these companies. These companies need all tax burdens lifted from them since they employees thousands, create new jobs by the thousands thus creating prosperity and wealth. It is a fact that oil is here to stay because it powers up our way of life and produces the plastics that we all need every single second of our modern lives. What could possibly replace oil to achieve what we already do on a daily basis? What brand of crack are you smoking, Liberal Jay? We need oil! The only reason that the prices spike is not because of the big, bad evil oil giants. It’s because Hussein Obama is weak in the Middle East with his muddled foreign policy. We also have to answer to Godless OPEC, Secular Europe, Red China, Red Russia, India and that tyrant in Venezuela! Like Mr. Trump says, “They’re laughing at us.”
When will you stupid enviro-whacko liberals get it? When we get to $10.00/gal., who will you look to for leadership? Hussein Obama? Nanny Pelosi? Hairy Reid? Bawny Frank? Now, that’s really putting your heads in the sand.
Let’s wake up and get that American oil which will make us self-sufficient and not with “alternative energy” which just doesn’t cut it!
GOOD NIGHT!
God Bless,
Bill
Jay
April 25th, 2011
10:23 am
My original EIA numbers — http://www.eia.doe.gov/forecasts/aeo/early_production.cfm — look to be roughly half the more accurate numbers, for reasons I can’t yet explain.
Anyway, with a global production of 88.3 million barrels a day in March, and U.S. production of 9 million barrels a day, an increase by the US of one or two million barrels a day — a 10 to 20 percent increase of domestic output — would translate into a 1.1 to 2.2 percent increase in global supply, not enough to move the market price much at all.
And FYI, the most likely peak production at ANWR would be 1 to 1.35 million barrels a day, and that peak could be sustained for roughly five years before falling off dramatically. Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/analysis_publications/arctic_national_wildlife_refuge/html/figure4.html
bull
April 25th, 2011
10:23 am
Walk, Run, Swim
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
10:23 am
bull…..do we need the government to tell us how much HP is too much?
Don't Tread
April 25th, 2011
10:23 am
“that market-driven fact of life”
ooooh…Jay said a bad word. Market-based anything is EVIL.
“[Oil prioces] have to rise high enough to make it hurt before people will curtail consumption.”
The left will be yelling for “gas welfare” for the poor when that happens. It is their Constitutional right to drive a car, after all, even if it is a Cadillac. (just like their “right” to free healthcare and their “right” to live wherever they want while someone else foots the bill)
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
10:24 am
Mick….I agree the Volt is a GREAT car. However do you remember the EV1?
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
10:25 am
and didn’t Obama put a moratorium on the Gulf?
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-10-12/us/drilling.moratorium_1_deep-water-drilling-drilling-rig-oil-drilling?_s=PM:US
Obama administration lifts deep-water drilling moratorium
October 12, 2010|By Tom Cohen, CNN
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar issued the moratorium in May, which was overturned, then issued a second ban in June.The Obama administration is lifting the moratorium on deep-water oil drilling — put in place after the Gulf oil spill disaster — for operators who comply with tough new rules and regulations, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Tuesday.
Joe
April 25th, 2011
10:25 am
What about Obama and his EPA blocking drilling on 27 billion barrells of oil in Alaska which is in a remote area… Wow what a wonderfull energy policy this genuis has…..
USMC
April 25th, 2011
10:25 am
Nancy has the answer to why oil is skyrocketing:
Nancy Pelosi blames the price of gas on the “two oilmen” in the White House
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUmqMl3ksos
President Hussein
April 25th, 2011
10:25 am
This is great! Barry Soetoro (aka Obama) and I are rich. We can afford $4 gallon gas. He’ll, we can afford $10 gallon gas. Soetoro’s limo weighs like 20 tons even! And he even has his own driver! Higher prices means less traffic for me!!!
Mick
April 25th, 2011
10:27 am
bill orvis aka dinosaur man – moving backward, fossil fuels are so yesterday. Electric, hybrid cars are the future with solar recharging capability. Oil is the earth’s waste product, time to move on…
martin the calvinist
April 25th, 2011
10:27 am
Profit margins for Oil Companies haven’t changed in years. Actually, the Federal Government makes more money off of oil than oil companies do! But I do agree that the Federal Government shouldn’t be subsidizing Oil companies, along with corn, sugar, steel, autos, or radio and television, aka NPR, or planned parenthood. It’s time the gov’t stops interfering in the market unless there is a viable reason to protect consumers, other than that….hands off!
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:27 am
Jay 10:23 – either way, US production, not huge but could be of benefit.
Anyway, on a related note that is very interesting, the car industry is trying to link their future fleet MPG requirements to the price of gas, arguing demand only exists for efficient cars when gas prices are high.
This makes perfect sense to me, especially in light of the fact that Congress doesn’t have the balls to impose a higher gas tax. In a way they’re arguing: we’re happy to meet market demand, but don’t ask us to do something incredibly stupid when you’re not willing to do your part by raising the gas tax (congress).
getalife
April 25th, 2011
10:28 am
The me generation does not want change so Jay’s job is safe because all Americans do is whine and cry like the Speaker on blogs.
Walk, ride a bike or motorcycle, take a train, etc……..
Mick
April 25th, 2011
10:29 am
UGA1999
EV1? is that the experimental pick up truck that everyone who had one loved, yet were taken back and destroyed?
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
10:29 am
According to a Greenpeace list, US Govt. “subsidies” to Big Oil includes several categories, some of which might reasonably be considered “subsidies” but are in fact not for Big Oil specifically. Rather they are tax code elements that are available for any business, primarily in the realm of accelerated depreciation of capital assets. There are also loan guarantee and construction bond programs; again, these are available for all industry, not just Big Oil. Perhaps Big Oil utilizes these tax code items more frequently than other industries, but that does not make these “Big Oil subsidies”.
The biggest “subsidy” is in fact not a subsidy at all. Some years ago, the Government leased oil fields and agreed on a per barrel royalty structure. When oil was $30/BB, the royalties seemed reasonable to all parties, so the contracts were signed. In some cases, the Government failed to stipulate any royalties at all! Now, though, those royalties are a pittance and the Government wishes it had structured the royalties differently. The difference between what they are making and what they *wished* they were making is often included in the calculations of “Big Oil subsidies”. Congress has moved in the past to try to retroactively modify the contracts and demanded that the oil companies accept new leases.
Greenpeace includes a few clunkers, though. For example, they include Sales Tax breaks. Last time I checked, the US Govt. does not impose Sales Taxes on any products. But somehow that’s a Big Oil subsidy.
Greenpeace also includes several intangibles in their “Big Oil subsidies” list. Things such as
* Giving money to international financial institutions
* The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve
* Construction and protection of the nation’s highway system
* Allowing the industry to pollute
Keep the nature of these fake “subsidies” in mind when discussing the issue. The “Green” industry partakes of several of these same tax code “subsidies” (e.g. Modified Accelerated Cost-Recovery System (MACRS), R&D credits, etc.), but also receive direct no-doubt-about-it subsides. Like ethanol’s $0.50/gallon production subsidy (not to mention ag subsidies used to prop up the growing of the corn that goes into ethanol, billions of dollars every year going intot he pockets of Big Ag), or EV $7500/car subsidy, solar subsides over the years.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
10:29 am
yteMe, where are the leases located, in Anwhar????? and didn’t Obama put a moratorium on the Gulf?
No and no.
The leases are primarily in the Gulf. And the administration did put a moratorium on deep water drilling given that the existing applications for drilling were flawed in their handling of emergency situations (remember the part where they all quoted the same procedures that turned out to be wrong and some guy who was dead?). That moratorium was lifted.
Backup to my data can be found at: http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=239255
Approximately 70% of the Undiscovered Technically Recoverable Resources currently under lease in all areas of the Federal Gulf of Mexico are not producing or not subject to approved or pending exploration or development plans.
* This includes an estimated 11.6 billion barrels of oil, and 59.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
In the Gulf of Mexico, 34 million acres are under lease. However, only approximately 10 million acres have approved exploration or development plans (see Table 1).
* 6.3 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico are producing acres.
In the Central and Western Gulf of Mexico, approximately 53 million acres were offered for lease in 2009, of which 2.7 million acres were bid on and sold. In the Central Gulf, approximately 37 million acres were offered in 2010, of which 2.4 million acres were bid on and sold (see Table 2).
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
10:31 am
Yeah, Obozo lifted the gulf drilling moratorium, now he’s using his little Eichmanns in the bureaucracy to bottle up drilling permits. A moratorium by other means.
Obozo: Lying fascist.
Kamchak
April 25th, 2011
10:31 am
Jay 10:23 – either way, US production, not huge but could be of benefit.
Not if other sources cut production to off-set the increase.
Charlie
April 25th, 2011
10:32 am
Mick,
How will this electricity be produced for these cars?
EPA won’t allow a coal plant to be built in GA.
Nuke under fire because of Fukushima
Wind and solar don’t provide required baseline power when the wind does’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine.
That leaves Nat Gas or diesel powered generators.
You’re back where we just started from.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
10:32 am
Anyway, on a related note that is very interesting, the car industry is trying to link their future fleet MPG requirements to the price of gas, arguing demand only exists for efficient cars when gas prices are high.
Their “out” is that high gas prices tend to be a short-term phenomenon, but MPG requirements are something that’s imposed 5+ years out. You can’t sync the two.
But, yes, Congress is a bunch of weenies for not putting a more logical gas tax in place and using it to fund transportation projects that will help us get off the oil drug.
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:33 am
Kamchak 10:31 – yes, even so. As I argued earlier, won’t affect price likely, but does very much help fix our gigantic current account deficit.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
10:33 am
Mick….wasnt a pick up truck…it was a car…..and yes they were ALL destroyed.
@@
April 25th, 2011
10:34 am
ALL subsidies? You bet. Green technology included.
President Hussein
April 25th, 2011
10:34 am
USMC, I didn’t know Barry Soetoro and “Plugs” Biden were oilmen…go figure
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
10:35 am
Granny Godzilla @9:27 am “Because every $1 of US production is 1 less dollar of imported oil.” And what guarantee is there that the oil produced in the US will be sold on the US market?
That’s not the point, and he didn’t say that. The poster was making a point about the trade imbalance.
The point was that if US production was sold domestically, it would reduce imports. If it was sold internationally, it would increase exports. In either case, the trade imbalance would improve.
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:35 am
ByteMe 10:32 – I’m sure they’re fiddling with some “formula” to deal with the issue you correctly bring up, if this actually comes to pass.
RMcCallie
April 25th, 2011
10:36 am
It all boils down to this. Oil companies and Investors in this stock
will do whatever it takes to make more money. It doesn’t matter what
happens to this supply or that supply. The truth is, there is sufficient oil to supply needs. They companies and investors will say
this economic situation or that causes prices up or down, but it all comes down to whatever it takes for profit, and it doesn’t matter to them what else happens. The oil prices are high because they want to
get more money. There can be excuses everywhere, but if the right
ones profit, that is what counts, even at the expense of world economy.
It might well backfire again and a lot will suffer again.
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:37 am
MPercy 10:35 – bingo
Aquagirl
April 25th, 2011
10:37 am
Uh, jm, we could simply use less oil, but that’s commiepinkoliberal talk for some reason. At some point refusing gluttonous piggery became Un-American. Watching the tri-state water wars provides a good example.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
10:38 am
They will wait until it runs out to get serious about alternatives but at least they started with electric cars and other alternatives.
We have a huge natural gas resource here and in governments.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
10:38 am
Yeah, Obozo lifted the gulf drilling moratorium, now he’s using his little Eichmanns in the bureaucracy to bottle up drilling permits. A moratorium by other means.
Yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly what’s going on. I bet even Oil companies are saying the exact same thing.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/when-it-comes-to-offshore-drilling-still-treading-in-deep-water/2011/04/15/AFWrB5qD_story.html
Oil companies say the government has had trouble finding people qualified to judge permit applications and monitor the 276 deep-water wells and 46 deep-water production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. And critics of the industry note that new wells will go deeper, testing the limits of technology that last year showed itself to be less robust than advertised. In this view, the industry and the government are like generals and admirals who have geared up to fight the last war.
[...]
The politics of drilling is especially contentious in Washington. With gas prices surging, Republicans in Congress have pushed legislation that would accelerate approvals of deep-water drilling and open up new areas off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to oil and gas exploration. One bill passed last week by the House Natural Resources Committee would deem drilling permits to be approved automatically if the administration did not act on applications within 60 days.
pat
April 25th, 2011
10:38 am
So, when gas went throught the roof 3 years ago, it’s Bush’s fault, but when a democrat is in office, it’s the citizens fault?
When Bush drops bombs on a country, he’s a war monger who likes to kill with imputnity, when obama drops bombs on people, there was no other choice. Syria is killing it’s own people, why haven’t we started bombing them? Or Yemen?
The only issue you care about is democrats=good, republicans=bad. The rest is spin.
As for me a 1970 Chevelle with a 455 big block is the only way to roll in these times.
Quick
April 25th, 2011
10:39 am
So, Jay, you’re saying the claim North Dakota’s reserves rival Saudi Arabia is a myth?
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:39 am
FYI, natural gas is a full $1.00 per gallon equivalent cheaper to gasoline right now.
Mick
April 25th, 2011
10:40 am
charlie
It will force our hand. We can get enough energy from the sun, wind, water. We can make deep cell battery’s that can sustain a charge through solar. It’s time to move forward and unlock the secrets to these clean energy sources…oil will one day be a footnote in the history of energy, and it will be a dirty one…
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
10:41 am
I pulled up to the gas pump the other day, I had HOPED for CHANGE at the gas pump, all I got was an empty pocket, a pump that would not listen to me and a future of emptiness. Sounds like the Obozo in the White House. Perhaps we could find a way to convert all the hot air coming out of the Campaigner in Chiefs mouth to fuel our vehicles. Gosh we would be able to supply the world and you know it would be cheap, because he never says anything of worth.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
10:41 am
“USMC, I didn’t know Barry Soetoro and “Plugs” Biden were oilmen…go figure”
Actually based on Obama being paid more by the Big Oil Companies than any other politician,
I believe that makes him an Oilman:-)
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
10:41 am
Having said all that about Big Oil “subsidies” I would wholeheartedly support eliminating any direct subsidies that might exist. Of course, I would remove those direct subsidies from ag., ethanol, solar, EVs, etc. too. The Government should not be trying to direct the economic viability of any particular industry or idea. Any industry, including Big Oil, Big Ag, or Big Anything for that matter, should stand on its own feet.
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:41 am
Oh, dear, appears Jay and Cynthia are switch hitting again…
http://blogs.ajc.com/cynthia-tucker/2011/04/22/furious-over-gas-prices-look-in-the-mirror/?cxntfid=blogs_cynthia_tucker
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
10:41 am
How will this electricity be produced for these cars?
All of the ways you mentioned. You can use a combination of sources to generate power and diversify the risk instead of putting all our eggs in one basket. Germany’s on the way to doing that with their system. They used subsidies to increase their footprint in solar to the point that during peak sun times, they have to idle plants to cut down on overloading their grid. Last I read, their grid will have to be updated to deal with the peaks and surges.
Charlie
April 25th, 2011
10:44 am
Mick,
Pretending we have technology that we don’t is as empty a solution as screaming “drill here, drill now”.
At least if we drill here, we’ll have something to show for it in 10 years.
While we must continue to improve technology, there’s no reliable scientific information that says we’ll be wind, sun, and hydro powered in 10 years.
And I might add, your crowd told us 10 years ago that we would have all that today. If we had begun drilling then, however,….
chuck
April 25th, 2011
10:45 am
What a bunch of IDIOTS!!!
It has nothing to do with “addiction” to oil. That is the stupidest thing I’ve heard lately.
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:45 am
Pickens plan, pickens plan, pickens plan. It is the only intermediate term solution.
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
10:46 am
SoCo–thanks for helping make my case. Obozo is using bureaucracy as a de facto moratorium.
The Thin Guy
April 25th, 2011
10:47 am
I need my car to get to work, buy food, etc. I can’t afford MARTA (have you seen the price of AK-47s, flame throwers, bullet proof vests, brass knuckles, etc.). If I try riding a bike on I-285 they’d have to bury me in a pizza box. Horses just can’t make it to even 30 mph. Stanley steamers are over priced. Electric cars don’t have the range I need. Therefore, I will pay what it cost as long as the spondulics hold out. You don’t have to be a economist to understand supply and demand. It’s time to start drilling and forget about those stinking polar bears. The response of Jug Ears is he doesn’t care and it’s Bush’s fault anyway. So let’s start conserving Our Precious Oil. End all auto racing. Which redneck can make 500 miles of left hand turn in the shortest time is not vital to our national interest. Sell Air Force One, Two, Three and Marine Helicopter One, Two, and Three and force Øbungle and Plugs to ride mules to their fund raisers.
@@
April 25th, 2011
10:47 am
Uh, jm, we could simply use less oil, but that’s commiepinkoliberal talk for some reason.
Well, it would cause government revenue to fall. Un-patriotic?
USMC
April 25th, 2011
10:48 am
Sounds like Jay Bookman and Phil Gramm are on the same sheet of music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBVIwO5n9hk
Mick
April 25th, 2011
10:50 am
charlie
As southern comfort stated there are countries that are doing it now. Every roof fitted with photovoltaic cells can produce electricity and be sold back to the grid. We’ll get there or rather better get there. Even saudi arabia is creating solar farms out in their deserts. We need to push harder but big oil has a firm grip on this world, it seems over you too.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
10:51 am
“Republicans, for example, want to cast government, and more specifically the Obama administration, as the villain. ”
What’s wrong with that, Jay? That’s exactly what all you libs did when gas went up during the Bush years.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
10:51 am
Other countries do not have to fight the me generation for change so we are falling way behind.
I remember when our country fought to be number one.
The good ole days.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
10:52 am
“the amount of additional oil that could be produced in the United States would be too small to move the global market, where the price of oil is set.”
Looks like somebody flunked Econ 101 and parachuted over to the school of journalism…
Dave R.
April 25th, 2011
10:53 am
I love it when oil companies show massive profits!
Smells like – victory!
jm
April 25th, 2011
10:53 am
SoCo 10:41 – unless you provide a link, I’m not buying that. In Spain, they have had to idle production from wind energy production.
Not so much from solar in permanently cloudy Germany.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
10:53 am
Anybody else been getting panhandled while pumping gas lately? Seems like more times than not when I’m pumping gas, some Obama voter approaches me and starts spilling some sob story about needing gas money to get home.
carlosgvv
April 25th, 2011
10:55 am
Jay, the uncomfortable truth is that Big Oil will gouge us at the pumps as much as they possibly can and our bought and paid for Congress will do nothing. Of course the politicians will wring their hands and pay lip service to improving things, but, money talks and BS walks.
President Hussein
April 25th, 2011
10:55 am
Thin guy, “Jug Ears”…love it!!! But “Dumbo” may be more appropriate
Jay
April 25th, 2011
10:56 am
On the other hand, the increases in CAFE standards announced in 2009 are predicted to save us 1.4 million barrels of oil a day by 2020 — more than the high-end peak production estimate for ANWR. And unlike ANWR’s production peak, which fades quickly after five years, those savings continue day after day after day.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
10:57 am
But…but…but…what about the ecstatic Obama voter who crowed on video that Obama’s election meant that she wouuld no longer have to worry about paying her mortgage, or putting gas in her car? Was she duped? Was Hope and Change really just a hoax?
Mick
April 25th, 2011
10:57 am
Seems like every time I go to the pump a republican protected oil company is raising the price…
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
10:58 am
“On the other hand, the increases in CAFE standards announced in 2009 are predicted to save us 1.4 million barrels of oil a day by 2020″
Assuming people actually buy the crapwagons…
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
10:59 am
“Seems like every time I go to the pump a republican protected oil company is raising the price…”
Your guys is in charge, Mick. Gas has gone from $1.89/gallon on the day of his inauguration to $3.69 this morning…
getalife
April 25th, 2011
10:59 am
Perhaps barton should apologize to big oil again to lower prices.
MiltonMan
April 25th, 2011
10:59 am
…yet no mention of the nearly $8 billion annually that the Obozo administration hands out to subsidize just corn???
chuck
April 25th, 2011
10:59 am
What a bunch of IDIOTS!!! We are not “addicted” to oil. Anyone that says that is either the most jaded cynic imaginable or just plain stupid. Jay, REALLY?!? WE HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE! Obama’s Volt is nothing more than a smokescreen. $40,000 for a car with a 40 mile range. It’s just stupid to think that that is a solution. Just like the so calleed solution for saving electricity that our government is pushing to save the world by changing our light bulbs…forgetting the fact that disposal is a huge problem because they contain mercury, the current hysteria over oil will lead us to a similar problem when we have to dispose of all of the worn out batteries of these “electric” cars. Add to that that half of our electricity that will be used to RECHARGE the batteries of these cars comes from OIL FIRED plants and yourso-called solution is no better for us than what we have.
Our President is a dispicable human being. With one 2 minute statement he could drop gas prices tomorrow. All he has to do is ANNOUNCE that he is pushing for new drilling in the gulf and throughout the midwest and in ANWAR and prices wwill FALL like a rock. It doesn’t matter how long it will take to get oil from those new rigs (even though it would take a year or 2). These are SPECULATORS, (aka gamblers) that are contributing to this outrageous increase. THERE IS NO SHORTAGE. The only other thing he would have to do is encourage commodities markets to increase the margin on oil speculators.
DONE.
rightwingextreme
April 25th, 2011
11:00 am
and the profit margin for the oil companies was…..??
buller? buller? buller?
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
11:00 am
President Hussein
April 25th, 2011
10:55 am
Thin guy, “Jug Ears”…love it!!! But “Dumbo” may be more appropriate
Now lets be a bit more respectful, it should be Odumbo.
jm
April 25th, 2011
11:00 am
Jay 10:56 – second that… though a higher gas tax would be more efficient and effective than CAFE standards at getting people off oil.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
11:00 am
Here Harry, just in case someone says “can you back up that statement?”
Obama is going to pay for my gas and mortgage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36×8rTb3jI
Boy, how time flies!
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
11:01 am
chuck…you have posted 500 words of facts and logic. Unfortunately for you (and for America) liberals are pretty much immune to facts and logic.
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
11:01 am
Harry, we’re paying those idiots $7500 each to puchase one of the 100 or so crapwagon Volts GM manages to produce each year.
Senior Citizen Kane
April 25th, 2011
11:01 am
Here’s a serious question: If the oil companies totally eliminated any profit, how much would that cut the price of gas? I don’t know the answer, but I know Exxon’s profit margin is about 9 percent, not extremely high.
MiltonMan
April 25th, 2011
11:01 am
Hey liberals, if you don’t like paying higher prices at the pump, I recommend that you develop your own oil company and/or develop a way to become totatly independent of any oil.
jm
April 25th, 2011
11:02 am
Jay, BTW, if this keeps up, Obama is going to lose re-election. As was discussed on every Sunday talk show.
Heaven only knows, what Obama policy wonks want (and I don’t tend to disagree) is a higher gas tax. That would certainly make him a one-termer. Instead, they lie.
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
11:02 am
godless heathen 9:57 am The most recent numbers I could find on the goog were from July 2010 when the average price of regular gas in the US was $2.75 a gallon. At that time the price in Saudi Arabia was $0.45 / gallon, Kuwait $0.85 / gallon, Iran $0.32 / gallon, Venezuala $0.06 per gallon. No what’s all that about “It’s a world market and local production won’t affect the price.”?
You are aware, certainly, that those governments provide huge direct subsidies to keep gasoline prices low in their countries?
China’s gasoline subsides run about $40B/year.
Indonesia spends more on fuel subsidies, $20 billion this year, than any country except China.
Before adjusting the prices in 2008, Malaysia was spending 7.5 percent of its entire economic output on fuel subsidies, a greater share than any other nation.
“Every time you fill up your gasoline tank, you’re filling it up with the cheapest in the world; and the government is subsidizing over 90 percent of what it really costs,” [Venzuelan President Hugo] Chávez said in a television address to the nation. [http://www.marketwatch.com/story/low-gas-prices-plague-venezuela-2011-03-16]
[wikopedia] “Fuel subsidies are common in oil-rich countries. Venezuela, which has vast oil reserves, maintains a price of Bs.F 0.097 per litre (around US$0.02), and has done so since 1998.[15] Other countries with subsidized fuel include Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Burma, Malaysia, Kuwait, Trinidad and Tobago, Brunei, Nigeria and Bolivia. On December 26, 2010, the Bolivian government issued a decree removing subsidies which had fixed gasoline and diesel prices for the past seven years. Arguing that illegal export (contraband) to neighboring countries was harming the economy, Bolivia eliminated the subsidies and raised gas prices as much as 83%. United States gas and heating oil subsidies are not so visible and are generally in the free or reduced rate lease of government land, tax incentives, grants, and other compensation from the federal and the state governments.”
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
11:02 am
“Here Harry, just in case someone says “can you back up that statement?”
Obama is going to pay for my gas and mortgage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36×8rTb3jI ”
Thanks USMC…I’m pretty sure the lady in the video is the same lady panhandling me at the QT pumps last night…
President Hussein
April 25th, 2011
11:02 am
Dave R….me too. Hell, if I was an oilman, I’d vote for Barry for a third term! Just pull the strings a little more and have Soetoro do a folk minstrel dance while he does their bidding.
I wonder if they made Barry kneel before them when they ordered him to launch the Libya raids…
Mick
April 25th, 2011
11:02 am
harry
One thing I’ll admit to; it doesn’t matter who is the president, big oil and the market can render any president powerless when they want to gouge the consumer..
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
11:02 am
chuck – “All he has to do is ANNOUNCE that he is pushing for new drilling in the gulf and throughout the midwest and in ANWAR and prices wwill FALL like a rock.”
We’re already drilling in the midwest buddy. Look up BEXP and ESTE on the NASDAQ. These are just 2 companies currently working in the Williston basin.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
11:03 am
jm @1100: I think they should go hand in hand. Create the new cars that are more efficient then start quickly raising the tax so that people are “incentivized” to either drive less or get the new cars (thereby improving the car market in a huge win for that industry)… and then use the extra tax money to fix the transportation issues that have come from years of underfunding our infrastructure.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
11:04 am
“Harry, we’re paying those idiots $7500 each to puchase one of the 100 or so crapwagon Volts GM manages to produce each year.”
Maybe now that Barack runs GM, they can design a 6000 lb Escalade that gets 50MPG.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
11:04 am
“Your guys is in charge, Mick. Gas has gone from $1.89/gallon on the day of his inauguration to $3.69 this morning…”-Harry Callahan
That can’t be, Harry. It has to be the fault of that evil genius and his Rich, Big Oil Cronies down in Crawford, TX!
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
11:04 am
godless heathen 9:57 am
A NY Times article (not providing link since that tends to put my posts into moderation…)
“The oil company BP, known for thorough statistical analysis of energy markets, estimates that countries with subsidies accounted for 96 percent of the world’s increase in oil use last year — growth that has helped drive prices to record levels.
“In most countries that do not subsidize fuel, high prices have caused oil demand to stagnate or fall, as economic theory says they should. But in countries with subsidies, demand is still rising steeply, threatening to outstrip the growth in global supplies.
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
11:05 am
Gas prices would drop more if government wasn’t profiting from it. The government profit far exceeds the profit of the company that did the work and took the risk to produce it.
Government: Biggest parasite in the world.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
11:05 am
“One thing I’ll admit to; it doesn’t matter who is the president, big oil and the market can render any president powerless when they want to gouge the consumer..”
Mick, in a perfect capitalist economy, excessive profits would lead new competitors to enter the market. Unfortunately, our government has created significant barriers to entry into the energy market.
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
11:06 am
Nah, it’s the Koch brothers!!
jm
April 25th, 2011
11:06 am
ByteMe 11:03 – Congress will never raise the gas tax. They don’t have the balls. Though it might slip into some kind of omni-budget reform tax reform deficit reduction package.
There is no “plan” to raise CAFE then raise the gas tax…. (which would be generally logical, but Congress doesn’t work on logic, because the voters don’t work on logic)
1811/1801 - 0311/0317
April 25th, 2011
11:06 am
AND WHEN OBAMA IS GONE WE’LL ALL GET BAKT TO NORMAL !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5iypuYl4E0
Paul
April 25th, 2011
11:06 am
Sorry I’m late to the party – haven’t read earlier posts to see if these points have been made – but busy day today.
Demand? China’s up only five percent over last year.
US has more barrels of oil on hand than last year.
Goldman Sachs told its clients to dump commodities because ” “The record levels of speculative trading in crude have pushed their prices up so much in recent months that in the near term risk reward no longer favors holding those commodities.”
But Bank of America said otherwise.
The Obama Administration launches a speculation investigation, but it’s not to see if speculators play a role (altho one gov’t official alluded that it might assess that). It’s to see if speculation ‘involving fraud’ is occurring. That’s a big, big difference. One can have a speculation component without fraud or illegal activity.
One columnist makes the case for a culprit: the Fed flooding the market with ‘too much liquidity and record low interest rates.” It distorts markets, particularly commodities markets.
But, he says, we can always blame China.
http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/04/22/3020546/oil-were-being-had-again.html
ken
April 25th, 2011
11:06 am
Gas prices soared when Bush was president and the news media talked about oil men in the White House. And now , the same news media silent. They cover his a$$ 100% .
Soothsayer
April 25th, 2011
11:07 am
What if I told you that oil has not increased in price but, rather, that the dollar — which oil purchases are traded in — has gone down?
Rather than “fix” our fiscal problems by raising taxes and cutting spending, Ben drops $1,500,000,000,000.00 of them little green paper thingies out of the helicopter window to cover the difference. This has the effect of debasing the dollar.
So, in effect, we have is what amounts to a “stealth” tax on everyone in America because everyone in some way or another is affected by higher oil prices whether you buy gasoline or not.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
11:08 am
MPercy: here’s the link
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/28/business/worldbusiness/28subsidy.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
jm
April 25th, 2011
11:08 am
Byteme 11:03 – oh, and if you raise gas taxes, you don’t have to raise CAFE, because demand will automatically shift to more fuel efficient cars. Only in DC is all this crazy BS necessary.
Jay
April 25th, 2011
11:09 am
Yes, Li’l One, and I’m sure you were equally exercised over this one circa 2003, right?
“The Bush administration has proposed tripling a little-know tax deduction that dermatologists, real estate agents, accountants or business consultants can use to buy the biggest SUVs.
It’s a highly stimulating provision in the administration’s economic stimulus program. The loophole would allow someone who buys an $102,581 Hummer H1 for “business purposes” to deduct $87,135 from his taxes immediately. Seriously. Good deal if you can get it.
In December, The Detroit News first reported that lots of self-employed dentists and lawyers were getting it. The auto industry’s hometown paper also was the first to figure out that the new Bush plan would turn the SUV loophole into a four-car garage in the tax code.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding,” said Skip Barnett, a Hummer dealer in Atlanta when the News told him about the Bush tax plan’s new SUV subsidy. “That would make a Hummer practically free.” Bingo.
So now a chiropractor in Sausalito can buy a top of the line Hummer for that $102,581 and then claim a $75,000 deduction for capital equipment, an $8,274 post-Sep. 11 bonus capital equipment deduction and a first-year depreciation allowance of $3,861. The total deduction: $87,135. Assuming the driver is in the top income bracket, the federal tax savings for buying a Hummer is $33,634.”
You were saying?
jm
April 25th, 2011
11:10 am
also related
Ford Quarterly Profit May Climb as Fuel-Efficient Models Gain
http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aUqsCUOBDKhM&pos=6
Left wing management
April 25th, 2011
11:10 am
Government: Biggest parasite in the world.
Pftt …
getalife
April 25th, 2011
11:10 am
The gop will block any energy policy for big oil but go ahead and blame the President.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
11:11 am
jm @ 1106: All true.
I’m not surprised, but no one seems to be talking about the role Oil ETFs are having on this. If you have thousands of investors piling into an ETF that locks up futures contracts with no intention of taking delivery, that will drive up prices in the short-term. Basically, it magnifies the existing move just as it’s doing with gold.
President Hussein
April 25th, 2011
11:11 am
Truth, Odumbo? Oh I get it, he’s Irish, as in O’bama. He’s not Kenyan afterall!!! Phew!…..
Paul
April 25th, 2011
11:12 am
Harry
[["On the other hand, the increases in CAFE standards announced in 2009 are predicted to save us 1.4 million barrels of oil a day by 2020″
Assuming people actually buy the crapwagons…]]
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, signed by Pres Bush, applies to all vehicles – cars and light trucks.
So ‘crapwagons’ – vehicles affected by CAFE increases, includes Suburbans, Escalades, F-150s, etc.
Jay
April 25th, 2011
11:13 am
jm, I very much doubt that a higher gas tax would have that effect. Higher gas prices haven’t, and they’ve jumped a lot more than any conceivable increase in the gas tax. Again, gasoline use is pretty inelastic. People will keep doing it regardless of price.
chuck
April 25th, 2011
11:13 am
Thanks Harry, and you are right. The VERY PEOPLE that they think they have to take care of (minorities, the poor, single mothers, etc.) are the ones hurt the most by these policies, yet in 2012, they will be the same ones out there trying to get the libs back in office.
Fletch, I was talking about NEW DRILLING.
jm
April 25th, 2011
11:13 am
Higher commodity prices, higher food prices, higher oil prices, plus high unemployment and wage stagnation = lots of people in America getting poorer and stagflation.
Not going to be fun times if you’re anything other than wealthy. And voters can blame themselves and DC.
jm
April 25th, 2011
11:15 am
Jay 11:13 – see the Ford link I just posted. Sales of fuel efficient cars go way up when gas prices go up. Ergo, higher gas tax = better fleet fuel economy without the very inefficient and “allocative” CAFE standards. Since cars last 8-10 years, change can happen quickly.
President Hussein
April 25th, 2011
11:15 am
Getalife, we blamed Bush didn’t you? What goes around comes around…
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
11:15 am
chuck – “Fletch, I was talking about NEW DRILLING.”
I know you were, and they are sinking new wells everyday. I’m invested in both the drilling and leasing side, so I can assure you that where ever there are places to drill, they are being explored. At least in my area.
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
11:16 am
Jay, G.W. is not in the White House. Obungles is Campaigner in Chief, perhaps if you Liberals would stop looking back we might focus on the present or even the future.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
11:18 am
“Getalife, we blamed Bush didn’t you? What goes around comes around…”
So, what has Obama done to use less oil in our future compared to bush?
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
11:18 am
Jay
April 25th, 2011
11:09 am
———
Hehe heh…that’s either a red herring or a straw man. Maybe it’s a “straw herring”. In any case, it looks like Jay admitting that the so-called “subsidies” to oil companies are no such thing, just bait for the capitalism-hating lefties.
President Hussein
April 25th, 2011
11:20 am
As a conservative, I hope Soetoro’s re-elected. He’s done wonders for my oil portfolio. Barry’s big oil’s best friend!!!
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
11:20 am
poison pen – “10 Billion profit for Exxon in 8 weeks is out of line.”
Last year, ExxonMobil had revenues of $383.22B. Their reported profits were $30.46B.
That works out to a profit margin of 7.95%.
Hardly seems out-of-line to me.
Del
April 25th, 2011
11:20 am
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/04/25/energy-america-oil-drilling-denial/
Jay
April 25th, 2011
11:21 am
jm, a doubling of gas prices can have that effect. An increase of 10-20 cents a gallon — i.e., a doubling of the federal tax — could not.
jm
April 25th, 2011
11:22 am
Alan Mulally (the Ford CEO) should be given a $1 Billion bonus. Pay differentials and complaints against the rich corporate jerks be damned. The guy saved an American car company without government help and keeps making it better and better.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
11:22 am
At least jm is debating like an adult today.
jm
April 25th, 2011
11:22 am
Jay 11:21 – I agree. They should phase in a gas tax of somewhere from $1.50 to $2.00 per gallon, then to be increased with inflation.
Bill Orvis White
April 25th, 2011
11:23 am
The fact is that this anti-Colonialist-in-Chief is rooted in Marxist beliefs that free markets should cease to exist. It’s a fact that this installed-administration hates America’s way of life which is the car, SUV, minivan, road vehicle, off-road vehicle and so forth. Does anyone remember the Honorable Ari Fleischer announcing ten years ago that oil is the American Way? He was right then and I’m sure that great man would say it again and he would be right now! I have no idea what liberal source Liberal Jay is getting his EIA numbers or whatever. The fact, those numbers don’t mean squat when you factor in the high technologies that oil companies are trying to develop and get out on the market. Those advances will not be realized if folk like Hussein Obama and Liberal Jay keep pushing to tax and regulate these companies. Sorry @Mick, but you’re not being realistic. Electric cars have to use batteries that were shipped to the dealers, by guess what? Huge patriotic gas guzzling trucks! LOL! Plus, what happens when those batteries go bad? They end up in lakes polluting your precious fish! LOL! You idiot libs are funny to read in this forum. None of you understand reality and free markets!
GOOD NIGHT!
Amen, Bill
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
11:23 am
Jay, regarding that information you provided at 11:09, how perverse and counter-productive was that sell out?
I remember it well, and it sickened me.
Instead of making it more difficult to justify polluting gas guzzlers, the neo-cons, in a fit of imperious self-destructiveness, rewarded it! Needlessly.
Not JUST in foreign policy, these perpetually stuck in the past Republicans are the most dangerous segment of our entire population…
President Hussein
April 25th, 2011
11:23 am
Getalife, oh I don’t know, drive a 20 ton limo, have 2 identical Air Force One, Marine One copter…same as Bush….or did Barry put hybrid engines in them secretly??
Jay
April 25th, 2011
11:23 am
“Hehe heh…that’s either a red herring or a straw man. Maybe it’s a “straw herring”.
In other words, L’il Barry, you have no idea what either of those terms mean, but you’ve seen other people use them. So now that you’ve been confronted with facts you can’t address, you are trying that escape route yourself.
JKL2
April 25th, 2011
11:24 am
Mick- Seems like every time I go to the pump a republican protected oil company is raising the price…
Go to Citgo. That way you are helping Hugo Chavez defeat the evil empire.
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
11:24 am
jm – “They should phase in a gas tax of somewhere from $1.50 to $2.00 per gallon, then to be increased with inflation.”
No argument on that!
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
11:25 am
Jay @1121: Both jm and I are not talking about $0.20. In my mind, the number needs to be more like $0.50 – $1.00 and climbing from there to permanently put a floor on gas prices that will force consumers to take another look at their use of fuel… as well as raise needed money for infrastructure used by those same cars.
In the end, though, I think all cars need to be electric and just use what’s on the grid from their local power companies, so that the most efficient fuels are used in each area of the country (e.g., coal in coal country, natural gas near the gulf, wind in the plains, etc.)
getalife
April 25th, 2011
11:25 am
Try using the Google hussein.
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
11:25 am
“10 Billion profit for Exxon in 8 weeks is out of line.”
———-
If you have a problem with it, sell your shares and/or refuse to do business with them. Other than that, it really isn’t any of your business.
@@
April 25th, 2011
11:25 am
When gas was at $3.00 a gallon (average), who was gouging whom?
Who is getting rich at the gas pumps?
For starters, many average Americans who hold stock in the oil companies, either directly or indirectly through their 410k or mutual fund. But the fact is, the gross profit margin for a gallon of gas in America today, is what it has always been, on average, .08 cents per gallon, (2.5% at $3.00 per gallon). Though retail gas prices fluctuate with crude prices and supply vs. demand, the gross profit margin per gallon remains roughly the same at all times. (No evidence of price gouging here.)
However the federal government profits approximately .59 cents per gallon through gasoline taxes, 7 ½ times or 750% that of the oil producers themselves and 20% of the price at the pumps. Pay attention here, Washington liberals are attacking oil companies for their 2.5% gross profit margin, while Washington is profiting 20% per gallon. Democrats answer? Tax some more?
http://www.jb-williams.com/4-25-06.htm
That which is seen and that which government doesn’t want you to see.
http://bastiat.org/en/twisatwins.html
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
11:26 am
Jay
April 25th, 2011
11:23 am
——–
Another straw herring, Jay?
jt
April 25th, 2011
11:27 am
Relax………………..as we speak……………………………….
there are private individuals working..and solving….. our energy needs, despite the Federal leviathon and its cronys fighting them EVERY INCH of the way.Not unlike our life-saving drugs which are tied up in FDA arm-twisting,pay-off heiarchy hell, our energy means have already been solved….And it is INDEED a brighter future.
Private ….rugged…individuals.
For those who look toward Washington………Pelosi,Ryan,Obama, or Trump to solve your problems and influence your future……………….you deserve EXACTLY what you get.
Go in Peace.,you frightened masses…….let your soccer-type shackles rest comfortably upon your shoulders………ignore the fleecing of a devalued currency,ignore the soft tyranny at your doorstep or workplace, ignore the American children’s lives spent on establishing an Islamic government in foreign lands,……just don’t expect the smart ones to go ….peacefully………with you brain-washed state worshipping metro-sexual hen/state pecked ninnies.
Hey FEDERALIES………………………….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0JvF9vpqx8&feature=related
ken
April 25th, 2011
11:27 am
From cows to computers oil prices are making it more expensive to produce and transport everything. High oil prices are just like a tax increase. It forces one to change their way of life. Lower consumption, fewer jobs. Not a good scenario.
onpatroll
April 25th, 2011
11:28 am
chuck, you obviously don’t know the definition of addiction. We are addicted to oil because our economy can not continue without oil. If we run out tomorrow the economy and life as we know it is gone. You may ride your bike to the supermarket but there will be nothing to buy when there is not 18 wheelers to bring the food. In fact, there will be no oil to use for the machines that harvest crops. We use oil to till the fields, sow the seeds, and harvest. Every piece of plastic we use is made from oil. The main reason we have unused oil leases is the cost of getting the oil. Anwar is a pointless argument. If we drill in anwar how exactly do you suppose we get the oil from there to here without a pipeline? Which doesn’t currently exist. Why do we drill in the gulf when it cost way more money? The land based oil is gone. Even Saudi Arabia is starting to drill off shore. That tells you the land based oil is running out. Look up how much oil we use to actually refine oil. Its not the end of times but to think its going to get cheaper to buy oil is a dream. The price goes up, we cut back and the price goes down. Then we pick up consumption and the price goes back up. $1.89 to $2.69, $2.09 to $3.49, $3.09 to $3.79. When oil dips from this current hit ($4-$6) is a guess for the end of summer back to $3.69 we will think that’s a deal. It will then climb back up until we think $6/gallon is a deal eventually. Doesn’t matter if our govt. subsidizes it or not. Its a limited resource that will cease to exist. Then what?
jm
April 25th, 2011
11:28 am
… and for the record, if someone were to slap a (never going to happen in DC) $1.50 level tax on gas, then the lowest income tax bracket needs to be cut and the government better start giving the freight rail industry “eminent domain” powers for acquiring new right of way.
@@
April 25th, 2011
11:29 am
Whooaaaa!
AmVet’s gotten all fancy schmancy with his online moniker.
A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward.
This coming from a guy who’s stuck in the 60s.
Too funny!
Common Sense
April 25th, 2011
11:29 am
So this is what you want us to do:
1) Sell paid for and fully functional SUV which gets 15 mpg, and purchase 40 mpg fuel efficient vehicle, paying a car payment of $300 per month for the next five years.
2) Continue driving average 1000 miles per month, saving me $166 in fuel costs.
3) Pay higher auto tag and insurance costs on the new vehicle of $40 per month.
Monthly increase in my expenses: $174 per month.
So just who will be benefit from my choices here? Certainly not me.
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
11:29 am
Our President Bush merely stimulated the sale of Hummers. It’s not like he confiscated the company from its rightful owners or anything–the Idiot Messiah did that, twice.
LydiasDad
April 25th, 2011
11:29 am
Obama fails; Jay whines.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
11:30 am
@@: you’re quoting someone making up stuff.
The Federal Gas Tax is 18.4 cpg. Has been for years and years.
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
11:32 am
Perhaps higher gas prices are what is needed to get people to support new technology. Of course, the cost of that new technology has to be low enough relative to the old technology to make it worthwhile. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on the cost of hybrids and all electric cars though because higher gas prices are the new reality no matter how many holes we drill.
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
11:33 am
Amvet (not) you propose the GOP has never learned to walk forward, well my friend it is the Liberals who continue to look backwards, you are still trying to blame past presidents and giving that idiot in the White House now a free pass. I am a proud conservative who looks to the future, I can’t wait until 2012 when we can all stand and sing NA-NA-NA-NA HEY-HEY HEY GOOOOOD BYE– to Obungles.
Paul
April 25th, 2011
11:34 am
Common Sense
I’ll offer another alternative, which is to keep running the current vehicle until it costs more to maintain than it’s worth (or until the driver’s tired of wondering when it’s going to break down again), then get another vehicle that meets their needs (not so much wants). And if that means another SUV, well, in another five years that SUV is part of a category that will need to average 30mpg anyhow.
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
11:34 am
Barry using the words Bush and stimulated in the same sentence is a bit unsettling.
But I’m not sure if it is a red straw or a herring man!
The vanguard Carter put solar panels on the roof of the White House in 1979.
The anti-environmental, BIG government Reaganistas took them down.
Carter looked forward, cons live in the past…
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
11:35 am
I see lil BB is still worshipping an idiot. Some things never change.
LydiasDad
April 25th, 2011
11:35 am
Exactly Common Sense. Libs don’t get it. The so-called “fuel-efficient” vehicles are so ridiculous expensive it would take decades to break even given the cost of gasoline. The liberal green economy isn’t helping at all. It’s making fools of the idiots who fall for it.
carlosgvv
April 25th, 2011
11:36 am
Jay – “people will keep doing it regardless of price”
Are you suggesting we do something else? What? Drive our electric cars, our hydrogen powered cars, ride mo-peds, bicycles, go back to horse and buggys, walk? If you have a good, viable alternative to gasoline use, we would all love to know what it is.
President Hussein
April 25th, 2011
11:37 am
Getalife, oh I use google plenty. That’s why I know Barry is an evil Marxist Kenyan. Plus, Jay keeps referring to him as one
Keep Up the Good Fight!
April 25th, 2011
11:37 am
Ahh…the idiot messiah commentator. Why I do believe that Lil bar is Grady Warren. Could be wrong but they seem to share a lot of descriptions of the President. Grady is a presidential tea party candidate so I wonder? Will we hear more cries for Teahad?
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
11:38 am
THE TRUTH, and if you had to, in any way, prove that canard about how you look forward, the readers here would be able to tell otherwise.
But by all means tell me in great detail about your supposed, non-conservative conservative vision for the future.
And remember, this is a no lie and Republispeak-free zone. Give me specifics not slogans…
@@
April 25th, 2011
11:38 am
Byte:
Plus state and local. All government…all greedy.
http://www.gaspricewatch.com/usgastaxes.asp
Common Sense
April 25th, 2011
11:38 am
Paul,
Don’t disagree. But that is not want the progressives want.
And what they seem to fail to grasp is that all the oil they save, regardless of the cost to do so, will not be available for those that sacrificed to save it.
We have global markets. And that fuel will go to the highest bidder.
So in essence, we end up saving oil and subsidizing the costs for the rest of the world. And we will be bearing the cost.
I encourage the rest of you to go out there and spend your way to a fuel efficient future. My SUV and I thank you.
onpatroll
April 25th, 2011
11:39 am
And Common Sense uses none. Nice post. Exactly who is asking you to do anything you just stated? You will have to adjust eventually whether you like it or not. That’s fact. Unless you don’t mind paying $100 bucks to fill up/week. When it costs me $70 to fill up. I stop going places. the once a month backpacking trips have now turned to zero for 2011.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
11:39 am
“I know Barry is an evil Marxist Kenyan.”
No, that has changed.
No he is a lying fascist according to lil w bailout..
Try to keep up.
Paul
April 25th, 2011
11:41 am
Lydias Dad
“The so-called “fuel-efficient” vehicles are so ridiculous expensive it would take decades to break even given the cost of gasoline”
You may want to check the Ford Fusion, Prius, Escalade, Toyota Camry, etc.
The price premium is a bit less than ‘decades.’
Normal
April 25th, 2011
11:43 am
Well,
We could bring back the Gas Ration Cards that we had during WWII.
That would solve some of the problem, but a lot of you anti-gov types would holler…now wouldn’t you?
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
11:43 am
Gas would have to get to around $10.00 a gallon, and then I’d probably take the Prius out of storage for when I’m in Atlanta. However, I still need the enviro killer for commuting between middle and northern Montana. Unfortunately, there’s really no good alternative to gas power when the temperature gets down to about 30 below with 5 foor snow drifts.
Common Sense
April 25th, 2011
11:43 am
I don;t mind paying 100 dollars for gas. But you’ll be paying that car note, higher insurance, and higher tags whether or not you are saving that $30 a week.
Thanks for making the sacrifice for the rest of us that actually get how it works!
President Hussein
April 25th, 2011
11:44 am
Getalife, so Barry HAS changed out the engines of his limo, planes, and copters to hybrids, huh?
Paul
April 25th, 2011
11:45 am
Common Sense 11:38
And we can thank our politicians. Don’t know if the subsidy/tax break/welfare program’s still in place, but last I knew taxpayers were giving money to oil companies to encourage them to to refine certain types of diesel to encourage its use. They took the money, then shipped most of the fuel to Europe, where it would command a higher price.
I don’t think the Congressmen and their staffers are that dumb, or so lazy that once they discover the loophole they would not act to close it. But….. who benefits? Not us.
jm
April 25th, 2011
11:45 am
By the way, a question of sorts for those just advocating for no energy policy whatsoever. Would you rather give your money to the US government, or to Saudi Arabia? Because that’s really your choice, and its not a 0 sum game.
Economically speaking, it would be far better to give more gas tax revenue to the US government with an offsetting reduction in income taxes, rather than exporting our $’s to S.A., Mexico, Canada, etc.
Common Sense
April 25th, 2011
11:45 am
Thank God we have the EPA looking out for us:
Shell Oil Company has announced it must scrap efforts to drill for oil this summer in the Arctic Ocean off the northern coast of Alaska. The decision comes following a ruling by the EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board to withhold critical air permits. The move has angered some in Congress and triggered a flurry of legislation aimed at stripping the EPA of its oil drilling oversight.
Shell has spent five years and nearly $4 billion dollars on plans to explore for oil in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. The leases alone cost $2.2 billion. Shell Vice President Pete Slaiby says obtaining similar air permits for a drilling operation in the Gulf of Mexico would take about 45 days. He’s especially frustrated over the appeal board’s suggestion that the Arctic drill would somehow be hazardous for the people who live in the area. “We think the issues were really not major,” Slaiby said, “and clearly not impactful for the communities we work in.”
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/04/25/energy-america-oil-drilling-denial/#ixzz1KYB2Bp6G
Left wing management
April 25th, 2011
11:45 am
Gas soars … and Lil’ Barry Bailout bores ….
pffft …
President Hussein
April 25th, 2011
11:46 am
No slogans AmVet??? Might want to change your screen name…now go back to chain smoking while your waiting in line to see your pulmonologist at the VA
JKL2
April 25th, 2011
11:46 am
TaxPayer- I see lil BB is still worshipping an idiot.
You have Messiah envy…
getalife
April 25th, 2011
11:46 am
As a proud Independent with no ideology, I see the President is not the change but a start of the change.
We have electric cars and other alternative cars.
He wants to keep the change going by investing in alternatives.
The gop will fight this change for big oil so it is up to the American people to vote to keep the change going or go back to no change at all.
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
11:47 am
I’m gonna quit gasoline when it hits $10.00 a gallon, yep, that’s my limit except maybe I’ll pay $15.00 as long as I can get better mileage but then I might be okay with $20.00 but only if it is due to inflation but I’ll only use half as much. Yep, that’s my plan and I’m stickin’ with it.
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
11:47 am
Amvet (NOT) , how can you accuse someone of lying after all you make a false claim with your handle.
@@
April 25th, 2011
11:48 am
Ford Fusion — $20,332 – $29,187
Prius Two thru Five — $23,050 to $28,320
Escalade Hybrid — $71,725 to $85,693
Toyota Camry — $19,820 — $26,675 (Hybrid)
More than we’re willing to pay.
onpatroll
April 25th, 2011
11:49 am
I will not pay a car note. Like i said, the explorer just gets less usage. I bought a bike. Zero trips outside the city until my niece was born. $70 bucks to fill up. I get what your saying just not how you said it. sure a paid for car will be cheaper than buying a new one with more MPG but not forever.
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
11:49 am
You have Messiah envy…
Wait a minute. Shouldn’t that be idiot envy.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
11:49 am
@@….the Volt?
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
11:50 am
Mystery meat at 11:46,
Quit stalking me, it’s creepy.
At least, take a number and quit butting in line…
real john
April 25th, 2011
11:50 am
“Intellectually, the current situation is not that complicated. People are demanding more oil than the market can supply — an economic recovery is boosting consumption at the same time that disruptions in the Arab world threaten oil output. So the price is jumping,”
Actually Jay, US demand for oil is way down. This has nothing to do with demand. There is actually on over supply of oil right now. BTW, you might want to check the article on CNN and other media outlets. The rise of oil right now is speculators and the corrupt OPEC and Middle East nations CUTTING supply to force up prices. What we need to do, is go in, and demand the Saudi’s and Iraq to cut prices. The US does all of the military work and we get no benefit. I’m with Trump on this on; we should demand (not ask), Iraq to pay us back the 1.5 trillon for liberating their country. That is the least they could do.
The big oil companies have little say in most of these matters Jay.
ByteMe
April 25th, 2011
11:50 am
@@: the government is you, so when you call it “greedy”.
And the average state gas tax is about 27 cpg, so that still doesn’t get you to his number. Just because you saw it on a blog doesn’t make it true.
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
11:51 am
THE TRUTH, grow up.
And admit you’ve been bested by a veteran…
Were you just a little Dick………….Cheney?
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
11:51 am
People keep saying that the U.S. doesn’t have enough of a domestic supply and that drilling won’t solve the problem. Baloney! Drilling for more domestic oil won’t solve the problem but it sure as heck can alleviate some of the pain until we make the transition to the electric car or natural gas/electric hybrid. I have one question for them- If domestic production has no impact whatsoever then why did gas drop overnight by 10 cents a gallon and then start trending downward when President Bush lifted the moratorium on offshore drilling?
Paul
April 25th, 2011
11:52 am
@@
You can pick up a 1-3 year old of any of those for a significantly lower price, with many years’ life left.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
11:52 am
Come on Amvet you are the biggest liar on this board!
Aquagirl
April 25th, 2011
11:53 am
Common Sense
April 25th, 2011
11:38 am
And what they seem to fail to grasp is that all the oil they save, regardless of the cost to do so, will not be available for those that sacrificed to save it.
Since when did hauling one’s fat fanny out of an SUV become a “sacrifice?” Are you wanting the Drama Queen Tiara for the day?
Now, the people who have died overseas to guarantee cheap oil, so you can feel all testosterone-pumped riding to the grocery store in your Urban Assault Vehicle—THAT’S sacrifice.
Gman
April 25th, 2011
11:53 am
Mass transit and carpooling are great ways to save money but to many in the suburbs this must be a sin! Everyday, as I ride the CCT Xpress from Kennesaw to Downtown, the number of single passenger cars on I-75 makes me understand more and more why Georgia is a Red State.
chuck
April 25th, 2011
11:53 am
AMVET, A liberal is a man with 2 perfectly good legs without a leg to stand upon. Chuck
President Hussein
April 25th, 2011
11:54 am
AmVet, Stalking?? Hardly. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that a “vet” who spends as much time on the ‘net as you do, spouting the virtues of the VA is a chain smoking govt check collecting fella bored out of his mind at home……:)
Kamchak
April 25th, 2011
11:54 am
Tick…tick…tick….
onpatroll
April 25th, 2011
11:54 am
Doom, if you think 10 pennies will help you’re dreaming.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
11:55 am
Have they still not learned that OPEC sets the price for oil?
Typical of Jay and the far left they blame the U.S. oil companies but mention not a word of criticism towards the Saudis and OPEC, or possible Wall Street speculation. Why no blame for the people that really are to blame for setting the price of oil- OPEC. The blame America first crowd in all their cynicism.
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
11:55 am
So back it up, dawgmeat. Put you rmoney where your big mouth is.
Surely a well educated young man like you, can provide proof positive of my many lies.
Either that, or you’re just like all the other Athens rejects here – all hat and no cattle.
I’ll await your exhaustive evidence…
JKL2
April 25th, 2011
11:55 am
TaxPayer- Wait a minute. Shouldn’t that be idiot envy.
Never heard Bush referd to as the “idiot messiah” but since it was OK to call him every other name in the book it won’t hurt to tack another one on.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
11:56 am
“Getalife, so Barry HAS changed out the engines of his limo, planes, and copters to hybrids, huh?”
cons fixate on silly things that will not make a difference.
The President thinks long term and I can’t dumb it down for you so go read about it.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
11:56 am
onpatroll,
The price dropped 10 cents overnight and then began a gradual trend downwards from there. Go back and look it up.
chuck
April 25th, 2011
11:56 am
Mass transit is NOT a solution. They are time suckers. You have to wait for THEIR schedule to get anywhere and then have to waste time walking because they don’t go where you need them to go. Great if you are going to a Falcons game, not so great if you have to go somewhere else.
Left wing management
April 25th, 2011
11:58 am
getalife: “As a proud Independent with no ideology, I see the President is not the change but a start of the change.”
I disagree with you about Obama. The notion that we can escape ideology is precisely the ideology that’s most crippling today in my view, and Obama is the perfect example of the futility of this position. By herding ideological antagonists like so many cats, gathering them and trying to extract the best from both, committee-like, ends up being worse ultimately than merely futile. It’s brings out the worse tendencies of both sides. What we need instead is is bold partisanship and confrontation.
AngryRedMarsWoman
April 25th, 2011
11:58 am
“George W. Bush was not a good President. Neither is this one.”
This. Honestly, most poiticians suck, especially at the federal level. Unfortunately the easy part is discovering and declaring that – how to fix the problem and put decent people in power is the hard part. I wonder sometimes if the answer is not as simple as shifting where the power is by recognizing that we have gotten too big to run the way we do and that in order for this country to return to its former greatness we need to dramatically reduce the federal government and return to a more state-based government model. Let the feds focus on providing for the national defense and each of the states handle issues like education, environment, transportation, etc. Of course, I may just be silly and stupid. Happy Monday.
onpatroll
April 25th, 2011
11:58 am
how much you weigh chuck? crying about walking and all.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
12:00 pm
The oil run up under Bush
1) The oil companies do not set the price of gas/oil. Opec does. This is not debateable.
2) I remember when gas rose quickly in the Bush administration- I believe it was after Katrina that it temporarily ran up to $5 for a day or a couple days and gradually started dropping. The reason gas rose quickly was due to Wall Street speculation mostly likely from Obama’s largest campaign contributor Goldman Sachs and their buddies on Wall Street. Supply and demand also had a great deal to do with it. Panic and individual gas station proprietors also had something to do with it.
3)When this happened people like yourself, the libs, and the self-righteous blowhards in DC all called for investigations and studies of oil companies for running up the cost of gas. The truth is that before that there had already been 37 different studies done as to whether or not there was any collusion by oil companies to run up the cost of gas. Few of the studies found any evidence of the oil companies running up the cost of gas and the few that did concluded that if there was any collusion at all that it accounted for possibly 1 % of the cost of the gas. And that’s IF there was any collusion.
The rise in the cost of oil was always attributed to either market speculation of the product, supply and demand, and or kinks in the distribution system such as with Katrina that interrupted the supply of oil. If you will remember the main pipeline that help supplied oil to metro Atlanta was shut down for a few days.
onpatroll
April 25th, 2011
12:01 pm
doom, and where is the price now, like i said, 10 pennies ain’t going to help the fact. A gradual decline in price equals a gradual increase in consumption. that leads to another gradual increase in price.
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies
April 25th, 2011
12:02 pm
Putting Exxon’s Tax Bill In Perspective,
So Jay is actually whining about 4 billion in total subsidies to the oil industry. Read and learn Jay.
Over the last three years, Exxon Mobil has paid an average of $27 billion annually in taxes. That’s $27,000,000,000 per year, a number so large it’s hard to comprehend. Here’s one way to put Exxon’s taxes into perspective.
According to IRS data for 2004, the most recent year available:
Total number of tax returns: 130 million
Number of Tax Returns for the Bottom 50%: 65 million
Adjusted Gross Income for the Bottom 50%: $922 billion
Total Income Tax Paid by the Bottom 50%: $27.4 billion
Conclusion: In other words, just one corporation (Exxon Mobil) pays as much in taxes ($27 billion) annually as the entire bottom 50% of individual taxpayers paid in 2004 (most recent year available), which is 65,000,000 people! Further, the tax rate for the bottom 50% was only 3% of adjusted gross income ($27.4 billion / $922 billion) in 2004, and the tax rate for Exxon was 41% in 2006 ($67.4 billion in taxable income, $27.9 billion in taxes).
jm
April 25th, 2011
12:03 pm
Meet the libertarian Kennedys
politico.com
jt
April 25th, 2011
12:03 pm
Only a MORON (or a government worker) would claim that we were ADDICTED to oil or petroleum products.
In case no one knows, much of our IODIZED SALT is a by-product of petroleum products. Try doing without that………………………………………………….numbskulls.
The parasite class has always tried to cash in on the necessecities of the producing class of a well and civil society. (See boooze,rubber,silk,tobacco, pot,etc……………).(the actual CLIMATE has been real popular lately,not unlike the apex of collectivism of 40’s in the USSR and Germany).
And there has never been a shortage of fools to empower them.
Nonetheless, it is going to get much worse with a washingtonian managed economy before the great strides in energy technology comes to fruition………..IT WILL GET BETTER.
Let the Krugman’s and Bookmans cry the blues.The precarious few great American Individual who are left, will ultimantly save us……….Despite ………..an avalanche of food stamps,student loans, tax breaks, subsidy,state-sponsered propaganda ,Federal “help”……..Just say NO!
I WILL CHOOSE A PATH THAT’S CLEAR, I WILL CHOOSE FREEWILL!
Ron Paul 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnxkfLe4G74
onpatroll
April 25th, 2011
12:04 pm
The reason gas rose quickly was due to Wall Street speculation mostly likely from Obama’s largest campaign contributor Goldman Sachs and their buddies on Wall Street.
Oh, how we like to ignore the obvious. Why are you so fixated on political names like D and R when they are one in the same.
MiltonMan
April 25th, 2011
12:04 pm
AmVet – his “one-upmanship” in strong display today.
For a “man” who has stated over & over that you did not vote for Obozo, you seem to defend the guy to no end & constantly bash those who are “conservative.” Do us a favor pal, move back to Nebraska.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
12:04 pm
SoCo–thanks for helping make my case. Obozo is using bureaucracy as a de facto moratorium.
Didn’t make your case. If there’s not qualified people to process and/or adjudicate the permits, that’s not bureaucracy, that’s just a lack of training in the industry. Obama’s not responsible for training people to do that job any more than you are. However, I’m sure in your twisted logical way of thinking, Obama’s responsible for everything from sunlight to flatulence.
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies
April 25th, 2011
12:04 pm
onpatroll,
How many times do I have to repeat myself. The whole point is not that gas dropped overnight by 10 cents but that it gradually began declining right back down to the levels it was at before the big runup. That is the main point- the 10 cent drop overnight was just an example of how the markets react to new supply coming online in the futures markets.
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
12:05 pm
A liberal is a man with three legs who only knows how to use two of them.
jm
April 25th, 2011
12:05 pm
amen.
Bloomberg: Hands off the rich
Billionaire New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says it’s not time to soak the rich – yet.
Appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” Bloomberg praised Rep. Paul Ryan’s moxie for proposing a comprehensive budget plan but wouldn’t say which plan — Ryan’s or Obama’s — he backed.
“I don’t know that we are in big trouble, but we certainly could be very easily – this is a warning,” he said when host host Chris Wallace asked him about S&P’s outlook on downgrading on U.S. treasury bonds.
A Democrat turned Republican turned independent, Bloomberg said he favors an all-of-the-above approach to deficit reduction but thinks hiking taxes on the rich at the moment would kick the U.S. economy into a tailspin.
“Today, no,” Bloomberg said when asked if he backed White House plans to raise $1 trillion from tax hikes on families earning more than $250,000. “This economy is at a point, nationwide, where it could go either way. I do think we should have taxes. I do think that people should pay their fair share. I do think that the majority of the money is going to come from the wealthy, that’s where the money is. On the other hand, today is not the right ways to do it.”
Tamika
April 25th, 2011
12:05 pm
Bookman is just another faithful toady of the left saying whatever he must to keep Obama from being tagged with the high price of gas. Tucker is running the same story. How many more times have we seen the same pitch from the leftie pundits? An accident?
The spin doctors got thier orders from the spin masters and wrote thier editorials right on cue.
Hillbilly Deluxe
April 25th, 2011
12:05 pm
Don’t forget the role that futures speculation plays in all this.
As for the subsidies to oil companies, I’m for cutting subsidies to oil companies, ethanol producers, wind power, solar power and all the other energy companies. Probably every sector is receiving some subsidy. Cut all the subsidies and level the playing field.
@@
April 25th, 2011
12:05 pm
UGA1999:
A little over $28,000 is a no go. I can’t see low-income folks paying any of those prices.
I’ve gotta get out to the garden. I’m way behind in my horticultural endeavors. Can’t glaze the windows AND work the soil.
Paul:
We have a hard and fast rule in this household. Anything over $10,000 from which we gain 10 years of value is a waste personal investment.
You have your standards, we have ours.
Paul
April 25th, 2011
12:06 pm
Thulsa Doom
Any idea how the gross earnings of Exxon Mobil compared to the gross earnings of the bottom 50% of individual taxpayers?
LeeH1
April 25th, 2011
12:07 pm
Brazil drivers use cars that take 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. We can do this.
We won’t, because big cars and politicians are in bed with big oil. They won’t do naything to upset the apple cart, and let us be independent. If we had gone to 85% ethanol in 1979, we would be independent today.
If we start demanding that all new cars have 85% ethanol capability, we will be independent from foreign oil in 15 years.
Don’t hold you breath.
onpatroll
April 25th, 2011
12:08 pm
Only a MORON (or a government worker) would claim that we were ADDICTED to oil or petroleum products.
In case no one knows, much of our IODIZED SALT is a by-product of petroleum products. Try doing without that………………………………………………….numbskulls.
is this statement an oxymoron or am I reading this wrong?
Common Sense
April 25th, 2011
12:08 pm
@Aquagirl,
Barking up the wrong tree here.
I am talking about the idea that you are “conserving” when it still won’t be there for you in the future.
And I am all for bringing all the troops home yesterday. They are not there because I requested it.
As I stated, any oil Americans think they are saving, China will consume in a New York minute. How much are we willing to spend to give China that extra oil?
I can cycle anywhere I need to go. This ass ain’t fat.
Left wing management
April 25th, 2011
12:10 pm
I see you’re back, Thulsa. On reading Michael Gerson’s latest column I was reminded of our recent discussion of Churchill’s (in my view) ridiculous assertion that progressivism belongs in youth and conservativism belongs in mature adulthood. Though he’s talking about libertarianism specifically, I don’t see how you can avoid applying what he says to most of what passes for conservativism today. “Adult onset adolescence”, he calls it. If you’re interested, here’s the link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ayn_rands_adult_onset_adolescence/2011/04/21/AFv2JyKE_story.html?nav=emailpage
If Objectivism seems familiar, it is because most people know it under another name: adolescence. Many of us experienced a few unfortunate years of invincible self-involvement, testing moral boundaries and prone to stormy egotism and hero worship. Usually one grows out of it, eventually discovering that the quality of our lives is tied to the benefit of others. Rand’s achievement was to turn a phase into a philosophy, as attractive as an outbreak of acne.
The appeal of Ayn Rand to conservatives is both considerable and inexplicable.
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
12:10 pm
For a “man” who has stated over & over that you did not vote for Obozo, you seem to defend the guy to no end & constantly bash those who are “conservative.
Good boy, Uncle Milite!
Now YOU too can put your money where your big mouth is, and prove what you fallacious claim.
Ain’t gonna happen though is it, Miltie?
Because your claims about my defending BHO to all ends don’t exist.
And even if they did, you are nither bright or ambitious enough to do anything but bluster and make up lies any way.
Do you ever get tired of looking like a petulant little fool, Miltie?
Do us a favor pal, move back to Nebraska.
Sorry, but you and your pocket gerbil are gonna have to get even more accustomed to constant disappointment…
Yippee
April 25th, 2011
12:11 pm
Last week, he announced a federal investigation into the role of speculation in driving up oil prices, just as President George W. Bush did in 2005 and 2006.
Speaking about investigations and commissions. Obama says one thing (campaigns) but does something else (governs). So what is this man: forgetful; disingenuous; deceitful; or just your run of the mill liar?
Here is what candidate Obama said:
“We don’t need a commission to tell us how we got into this mess, we need a president who will lead us out of this mess, and that’s the kind of president I intend to be.” But…
Obama a Quick Study on Creating Commissions
http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2011/04/obama-quick-study-creating-commissions
Paul
April 25th, 2011
12:11 pm
@@ 12:05
http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/04/22/3020546/oil-were-being-had-again.html
As far as the 10k limit, fine. But the underlying theme in all this is, regardless of what one drives, don’t waste. Set the cruise control at the speed limit or 5 under. Don’t race to the stoplight. Simple stuff, multiplied by the number of drivers, pays big dividends.
chuck
April 25th, 2011
12:12 pm
onpatroll, I’m not nearly as big as your mouth. I walk all the time FOR EXERCISE. What I am NOT going to do is spend time that I DON’T HAVE walking 5 or 6 blocks from a bus stop to an appointment. PLUS, riding public transportation may inadvetrtantly put me in the company of people like you. I’d be willing to bet that you never set foot on a MARTA bus. If you had an ACTUAL ARGUMENT in favor of mass transit, I would LOVE TO HEAR IT.
BOTTOM LINE: 1) There is NO SHORTAGE of oil. We have a hundred plus year supply in the U.S. with reserves that we KNOW ABOUT. 2) Maybe in 20-30 years we will have an alternative. We do NOT have one NOW. OUR OIL SUPPLY would get us to that point. 3) Liberal ideas to this point on how to “save” the environment have actually done more harm than good. I’ll finish in a few minutes.
onpatroll
April 25th, 2011
12:13 pm
doom, I don’t think you comprehend what is happening. If we say and do drill here and now. we WILL NOT be paying 89 cents for a gallon ever again. EVER.
Prices are here to stay no matter what is done. the only direction in the long term is up and any short term dip in 10 pennies will not change anything.
TnGelding
April 25th, 2011
12:13 pm
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
9:24 am
I’d be interested in your solution. Nationalizing the oil companies is about all Obama could do at this point. And as with TARP and GM, why not? All I know is we’re being sold oil for a hundred times what it cost some OPEC members to produce it. THE USA doesn’t need a drop from the ME.
larry
April 25th, 2011
12:14 pm
Billionaire New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says it’s not time to soak the rich – yet.
Of course , he’s going to say that. Duh!!
getalife
April 25th, 2011
12:14 pm
“What we need instead is is bold partisanship and confrontation.”
Interesting but the gop blocked everything so he has to work with them.
He is getting the Clinton treatment, aka the vast rw conspiracy, so he is acting just like President Clinton.
TnGelding
April 25th, 2011
12:14 pm
A liberal is someone that used to be known as a consrvative.
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
12:15 pm
Amvet (NOT) You and Obozo are of the same making all full off hot air and rhetoric, playing the blame game and making fause statements.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
12:15 pm
SoCo 10:41 – unless you provide a link, I’m not buying that. In Spain, they have had to idle production from wind energy production.
jm – Ask and ye shall receive….
Solar power is intermittent and can arrive in huge surges when the sun comes out. These most often happen near midday rather than when demand for power is high, such as in the evenings. A small surge can be accommodated by switching off conventional power station generators, to keep the overall supply to the grid the same. But if the solar power input is too large it will exceed demand even with all the generators switched off. Stephan Köhler, head of Germany’s energy agency, DENA, warned in an interview with the Berliner Zeitung on 17 October that at current rates of installation, solar capacity will soon reach those levels, and could trigger blackouts.
Subsidies have encouraged German citizens and businesses to install solar panels and sell surplus electricity to the grid at a premium. Uptake has been so rapid that solar capacity could reach 30 gigawatts, equal to the country’s weekend power consumption, by the end of next year. “We need to cap installation of new panels,” a spokesperson for DENA told New Scientist.
Another one
Since 2000, the German solar power capacity compound annual growth is nearly 63%. The Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature, Conservation, and Nuclear Safety issued the following data for the past decade. Even in the midst of a major economic downturn, German solar capacity achieved a 33% CAGR.
[...]
German enthusiasm for sustainability and solar power creates possible problems. A report by the government’s energy agency warns that solar growth pressures the aging German electrical grid. A weekend of sunshine potentially can overload the system. Solar advocates believe the agency is exaggerated.
Or this one:
The electricity grid in Germany is actually in trouble because of too much solar power feeding into it. At least that’s what the chairman of the DENA agency, which advises the government on energy, has warned.
Thanks in part to subsidies by the German government, solar installations have been spreading like wildfire. UPI reports that between eight and 10 gigawatts of solar capacity, which is equivalent to about 10 coal-fired power plants, are expected to be installed this year alone.
Need me to find more for you?
jm
April 25th, 2011
12:16 pm
Obama is no bridge between the various divisions. The guy is a fraud. Yeah, he could do whatever he wanted when he ran things 100% under Dem control. Now that R’s have a seat at the table, he doesn’t want to play anymore.
Mick
April 25th, 2011
12:17 pm
Yes, brazil of all places is ahead of the US when it comes to energy. Their economy also is booming and many are buying up low priced properties in south florida. We need to follow brazil? That says a lot…
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies
April 25th, 2011
12:17 pm
Paul
April 25th, 2011
12:06 pm
Thulsa Doom
Any idea how the gross earnings of Exxon Mobil compared to the gross earnings of the bottom 50% of individual taxpayers?-Paul
Paul,
The tax rate for the bottom 50% was only 3% of adjusted gross income ($27.4 billion / $922 billion) in 2004, and the tax rate for Exxon was 41% in 2006 ($67.4 billion in taxable income, $27.9 billion in taxes).
The bottom 50% of taxpayers earned 922 billion in income and paid 27.4 billion in taxes. Exxon earned 67.4 billion but paid 27.9 billion in taxes. So obviously the bottom 50% of wage earners paid very little while just on corporation paid out more in taxes than 65 million American workers. Seems not only fair to me but more than fair.
MiltonMan
April 25th, 2011
12:17 pm
AmWay – I have already pointed out that you called out Dr. Price as a witch doctor in the past to which your one-cell processing capabilites denied doing. Remember? Your lap dog Normal came on this board defending you. You acted like a second-grade little girl who found out that some little pea-brained boy like Normal had a crush on them.
And now in an earlier post you are defending Jimmy Carter???
Pal, if anyone is a fool it is you.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
12:17 pm
jm
One more on Germany’s solar, that even you may find a bit surprising…..
Google recently ventured outside the U.S. to put EURO 3.5 million (~$5 million) into a 18.7-MW German solar power plant near Berlin.
http://www.matternetwork.com/2011/4/google-invests-5m-german-solar.cfm
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
12:18 pm
TnGelding
April 25th, 2011
12:14 pm
A liberal is someone that used to be known as a consrvative who forgot how to think for their self and became an Obungles Hope and CHANGE stoolie.
@@
April 25th, 2011
12:19 pm
Paul:
Howz’bout I limit my driving and distance to about 1/4 of what all others engage in and drive within 10 over the speed limit? I’m now on file as a speed demon, so….within 10 is supposed to fly with law enforcement, or so I’ve heard.
I’m gone.
onpatroll
April 25th, 2011
12:19 pm
moded
chuck you sound lazy as crap with that argument.
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies
April 25th, 2011
12:19 pm
Left wing management,
We’re talking oil today- not ayn rand, churchill, etc. Get with the program.
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
12:21 pm
Amvet (NOT) , how can you accuse someone of lying after all you make a false claim with your handle.
Manup, failure.
Admit you lie about veterans and hate the troops.
And what about this claim, liar?
…and giving that idiot in the White House now a free pass.
Where’s your proof, THE LIAR?
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies
April 25th, 2011
12:21 pm
Hope and Change! There. I said it. All of our problems are now solved. Cutesy slogans solve problems!
jm
April 25th, 2011
12:21 pm
SoCo – link 1 says nothing about actual power shifting occurring due to significant solar generation. Link 2 & 3 don’t work. But the text you posted doesn’t suggest anything like that happening either.
Link 4 is a step in the right direction but still doesn’t state exactly what you asserted.
By necessity, one might add: sure, they’ve built a lot of solar panels (in a cloudy northern country), and at what cost???? (answer: 3-5 times the cost of conventional power, so picture paying 4 times your current power bill, $0.50 / kwh, or for the average joe, $500 to $1,000 per month in electricity).
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies
April 25th, 2011
12:22 pm
Change you can believe in! WOW! I just solved the future funding obligations of social security, medicare, and medicaid with one Obama slogan! This stuff really works!
MiltonMan
April 25th, 2011
12:23 pm
TheTruth – shhh! AmWay thinks he is the only vet on this board.
The clown uses the VA due to wounds received – aka “friendly fire.”
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
12:23 pm
…you did not vote for Obozo, you seem to defend the guy to no end…
And Cong. Price has what to do with your lie?
More Miltie failure and ballerina imitations…
larry
April 25th, 2011
12:25 pm
Shock and Awe! There. I said it. All of our problems are now solved. Cutesy slogans solve problems!
Paul
April 25th, 2011
12:25 pm
Thulsa Doom
Thanks. Do you have a cite? I think we may be looking at articles that speak of quarterly earnings, not annual.
“. Exxon earned 67.4 billion but paid 27.9 billion in taxes”
The quick check I did for 2008 showed they had revenues of nearly $88 billion for one quarter alone.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/30/news/companies/exxon_earnings/index.htm
Ivan
April 25th, 2011
12:25 pm
“President Obama is following the futile course set by his predecessor. Last week, he announced a federal investigation into the role of speculation in driving up oil prices, just as President George W. Bush did in 2005 and 2006″
Mark up another one Obama copies from the administration he constantly bashed.
Paul
April 25th, 2011
12:27 pm
@@
That’ll work.
But I really, really get a kick out of the bloggers here (not you) who, when discussing immigration like to type “WHAT PART OF ‘ILLEGAL’ DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND???” but when it comes to their breaking the law by regularly driving over the limit they become very, very quiet.
Captain Comet
April 25th, 2011
12:27 pm
We all know the President controls oil pricing. Learned that right here on this blog when Bush was President.
TnGelding
April 25th, 2011
12:27 pm
Hope and change and ObamaCare are just catch phrases so you won’t have to offer any real solutions. He’s one man and doesn’t have that much power. The veto pen is his main weapon. Bush’s miserable failure and the feared demonization of Hillary got him elected.
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
12:28 pm
Amvet (NOT) wheres your proof you served . What year were you born ? What year did you serve ? How old were you when you enlisted ?
Hate the troops ? You can make false statements and claims all day long, but that will not change the facts . Will it ?
Our troops are brave men and women who I give my upmost respect. You on the other hand dishonor them with your handle.
poison pen
April 25th, 2011
12:30 pm
Didn’t Jay support Bloomberg about a week ago? I could be mistaken, but I wonder how he feels about him now?
poison pen
April 25th, 2011
12:32 pm
Paul
April 25th, 2011
12:27 pm
@@
That’ll work.
But I really, really get a kick out of the bloggers here (not you) who, when discussing immigration like to type “WHAT PART OF ‘ILLEGAL’ DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND???” but when it comes to their breaking the law by regularly driving over the limit they become very, very quiet.
Paul, how in the Hell can you equate Illegals with going over the speed limit. DUH!
TnGelding
April 25th, 2011
12:32 pm
Our troops are brain-washed drones trying to put food on the table. We dishonor them by allowing politicians to use them in ways unintended by the Constitution. Congress doesn’t even have the courage to declare war and the administrations don’t want to be restricted by the rules that would incur.
Common Sense
April 25th, 2011
12:32 pm
You know, if this were a real crisis, we would encourage all areas that can grow sugar cane be planted as soon as possible. This would include all medians along the federal highways.
Millions of acres of sugar cane could be harvested, allowing America to supply it’s own ethanol.
The only thing we are serious about is sounding the false alarms of impending doom.
Independent
April 25th, 2011
12:33 pm
What I don’t like about gas prices is the volatility. Don’t they sell one-year and 5-year gas futures? Otherwise, the last time gas was $4 a gallon, I bought a Prius, which is paying for itself by what it saves in gas. It was a good economic decision.
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
12:34 pm
TnGelding
April 25th, 2011
12:32 pm
Our troops are brain-washed drones trying to put food on the table. We dishonor them by allowing politicians to use them in ways unintended by the Constitution. Congress doesn’t even have the courage to declare war and the administrations don’t want to be restricted by the rules that would incur.
Are you talking about Obungles and Libya ?
Left wing management
April 25th, 2011
12:36 pm
getalife: “Interesting but the gop blocked everything so he has to work with them.”
One of the reasons they are blocking him is that he has splits in his coalition that they do not have (or at least not up until now, we’ll see about the upcoming months). And one of the reasons for the split in the coalition is that the Democratic party has ceded the debate to the right on economics.
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
12:36 pm
THE LIAR, it’s all been discussed here before.
But let’s make a little deal, shall we?.
Here’s the bet, I give so much detailed information that all the reasonable people here (who already know it anyway) are absolutely convinced that I served in the United States military in the 1970s, that you voluntarily leave this blog.
Permanently. I know, I know, you’ll just come back next week with a new, even more gutless name, but what the hell, it will be great humor for the good people here.
If they are not convinced, I will.
We’ll poll all the legitimate bloggers (excluding the mystery meats of many names) who want to vote.
Think about it, in typical chickenhawk fashion, you don’t even have to do anything!
Now that’s a pretty sweet offer.
Either you or out, or I am.
Let me know when you’re ready to play, big mouth troop hater.
BTW, all of the attempts at parodying FDR’s quote are very lame.
Maybe the world’s most unfunny comedian, Dennis Miller could give you guys some ideas…
TnGelding
April 25th, 2011
12:37 pm
Every military adventure since WWII.
shawny
April 25th, 2011
12:38 pm
Corporate profit envy. Gotta love it.
How about going after multinationals that can somehow find a way to pay NO federal taxes, such as G.E.? So Immelt, GE’s CEO, is Obama’s jobs czar. How about that fox in the henhouse? Anyone think that our fearless leader isn’t pandering himself?
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
12:38 pm
jm @11:00 am Jay 10:56 – second that… though a higher gas tax would be more efficient and effective than CAFE standards at getting people off oil.
If CAFE standards are so great, why not simply mandate CAFE of 100mpg? Certainly Pres. Obama can wave his magic wand and make it happen–he can give a speech and say “Let me be perfectly clear: we will have 100mpg cars next month because that’s the standard we’ve set for industry.”
And people like me–perfectly content to keep driving my 11-year-old, paid-for, 21mpg car and only 94k miles)–screw up that CAFE thing. OTOH, since the majority of the carbon footprint of a car comes not from the tailpipe but from the manufacturing process I think I may be doing a “green” thing.
Agree that a higher tax would be more effective at changing behavior than CAFE standards. Also, I recently sat down and worked out the numbers to find that a gas/diesel tax of $0.45 per gallon would fully fund all federal transportation spending (including the non-highway spending that is wrapped up in that spending). Since the per-gallon tax is a very strong proxy for direct user fee, I have no problem in arranging to fund transportation spending in this way, although I would favor installing language that limits non-road expenditures to a small fraction, e.g. no more than, say, 5% of gas taxes could go to funding mass transit — and no gas taxes could be used for non-transportation spending.
reebok
April 25th, 2011
12:39 pm
Am I hurting yet? Starting to…enough to provoke me to do what I should ahve done 3 years ago…buy a small, very fuel-efficient car and leave the SUV parked 4 or 5 days a week. The gas savings will nearly pay the car note.
DawgDad
April 25th, 2011
12:40 pm
The facts are as Jay acknowleges – this is exactly the situation the left wanted – rapidly rising gas prices with a moratorium on drilling here at home. That, and the fact the left remains in control of the Administration and Senate, are indisputable.
You got what you wanted, and perhaps engineered it to an extent or sat back and smiled while it happened. Trying to shuck the responsibility is a non-starter.
Start drilling here now, because 10-15 years out we will need that oil, AND WE NEED THE JOBS RIGHT NOW. Just like with the ballooning debt the left is selling our future down the drain. How is this so difficult to understand?
Betting on alternative energies that are not economically viable virtually guarantees failure and billions if not trillions in more debt. Forcing this strategy requires the tyranny of a dictatorial government, with the associated loss of freedom and economic viability of our nation. Not really hard to understand..
Hillbilly Deluxe
April 25th, 2011
12:41 pm
Reckon how much gas would be saved if they did away with drive-thrus?
chuck
April 25th, 2011
12:43 pm
@onpatroll…LAZY? What an idiot liberal. Making snap judgements about people because they don’t follow your particular party line. For your info, I have 3 jobs and I’ve been working since I was 12. (41 years, now). Keep spouting your ignorance.
President Hussein
April 25th, 2011
12:43 pm
Geez AmVet, calm down! It’s just a silly useless blog. Take another deep breath from your VA provided oxygen tank and smoke another cigarette…..
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
12:44 pm
Amvet (NOT ) Either you or out, or I am.
Let me know when you’re ready to play, big mouth troop hater.
You don’t have any proof or you would already say so, play your fiddle devil.
poison pen
April 25th, 2011
12:44 pm
getalife
April 25th, 2011
11:46 am
As a proud Independent with no ideology, I see the President is not the change but a start of the change.
We have electric cars and other alternative cars.
He wants to keep the change going by investing in alternatives.
The gop will fight this change for big oil so it is up to the American people to vote to keep the change going or go back to no change at all.
Getalife, Just to inform you, we had electric cars before Obama was born but it’s ok if you want to give him credit for that after all Gore invented the INTERNET.
Chris Matthews
April 25th, 2011
12:44 pm
We need to drill but Obama is clueless…that’s good because he will seal his fate…voted out of office in 2012! Who ever is elected will do better than Obama!
willie lynch
April 25th, 2011
12:44 pm
From the OPEC Charter:
The principal aim of the Organization shall be the coordination
and unification of the petroleum policies of Member Countries
and the determination of the best means for safeguarding their
interests, individually and collectively.
List of OPEC Members
Algeria- Africa
Angola- Africa
Ecuador- South America
Iran- Middle East
Iraq- Middle East
Kuwait- Middle East
Libya- Africa
Nigeria- Africa
Qatar- Middle East
Saudi Arabia- Middle East
United Arab Emirates- Middle East
Venezuela-South America
This doesn’t look like a list of America’s greatest fans. With China holding the purse strings America is in a pretty precarious situation.
You would think the national security implications alone would have told Americans to find another source to power us along. I guess when Jimmy Carter was trying to steer us towards conservation he wasn’t so far off after all.
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
12:46 pm
TnGelding – “I’d be interested in your solution. Nationalizing the oil companies is about all Obama could do at this point. And as with TARP and GM, why not? All I know is we’re being sold oil for a hundred times what it cost some OPEC members to produce it. THE USA doesn’t need a drop from the ME.”
Sorry buddy, I wish I had a solution. My arguments were based on the fact that as a country we can’t suddenly decide to deny the current oil corporations access to our oil if they don’t immediately sell it back to us. I’m by no means partisan to either the left or the right, but I do recognize that to achieve what some here have suggested would be nothing short of nationalizing the oil production in this country. Such action would be met with cries of oil independence and “caving” by the Left followed by accusations of communism and “free market interference” by the Right.
Unfortunately, the reality is that oil is traded as a commodity, and unless someone is willing to take some pretty radical, and most likely illegal action, we’ll just keep on moving down the road.
Left wing management
April 25th, 2011
12:46 pm
A liberal is a man with three legs who only knows how to use two of them.
What’s a “lib” dude ?
TnGelding
April 25th, 2011
12:48 pm
We can call in China’s bonds at any time. The fed would just have to print some more money. But wouldn’t it be great if the wealthiest among us would step up to the plate?
Common Sense
April 25th, 2011
12:48 pm
According to Valueline, the newspapers are forecast to have higher profit margins than the oil companies over the next five years.
What should we do about those high profits, Jay?
Normal
April 25th, 2011
12:49 pm
What? Nobody liked my ration card idea? Not willing to sacrifice for the good of the country? Shame, shame, shame.
————————-
Oh, before I forget…Truth,
AmVet has walked the walk. He’s served his country, have you?
jm
April 25th, 2011
12:49 pm
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Daniels said he was “deeply disappointed” by Obama’s recent budget speech. “At a time when we should seek to unify Americans around the big changes necessary to deal with this life-and-death issue, he was divisive and partisan,” he said. “In terms of content, it was worse than empty.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mitch-daniels-sounds-alarm-but-indiana-republican-hesitant-to-run-in-2012/2011/04/21/AFruhpdE_story_2.html
onpatroll
April 25th, 2011
12:49 pm
What an idiot liberal. Making snap judgements about people because they don’t follow your particular party line.
I believe that is what you just did, not me. I said your lazy because your argument about not wanting to walk 5 blocks is lazy to me. it has nothing to do with party lines since i don’t follow party lines. It has to do with you crying about walking. you probably circle the parking lot waiting on a spot up close while I beat you inside because i grabbed the 1st spot i found.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
12:50 pm
“A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward.”
A liberal is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, sits on his backside all day and lets other people do all the work.
TnGelding
April 25th, 2011
12:51 pm
Fletch
April 25th, 2011
12:46 pm
Thanks.
jm
April 25th, 2011
12:51 pm
MPercy 12:38 – I generally agree with everything you said.
onpatroll
April 25th, 2011
12:51 pm
chuck, what part of you having 3 jobs makes you less lazy or more fit? Anyone that whines about walking 5 blocks is overweight or nearing obesity.
Soothsayer
April 25th, 2011
12:52 pm
Take a good look at this chart. Notice how as the dollar rises (red line) the price of oil (blue line) declines and vice versa. This isn’t rocket science, friends. And OPEC are not a bunch of dummies.
Recall the Republicans held President Obama hostage over unemployment benefits preventing any increase in taxes. You can only expect more the same until we get our fiscal house in order.
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies
April 25th, 2011
12:52 pm
Paul,
I can’t remember the source I copied it from but the Exxon numbers were taken straight from Exxons quarterly or yearly earnings report which is easy to look up. And we have to remember that the numbers are from a few years ago because the corresponding income numbers were taken from the IRS will be a little behind. But the numbers are in fact credible and easily verifiable.
Also no matter what Exxons earnings for example if they are 88 billion dollars this year you can be sure that they are paying a substantial tax bill on top of that. Their marginal tax rates on their earnings are probably the same effective 41% tax rate that they were just a few years ago. The point is that they certainly pay their fair share and their profit margins are not unreasonable- usually 7-9% for the oil industry. They are making gobs of money but now but that is just due to the sheer volume of their business.
I believe that if the govt taxes on gas are 27 cents a gallon than the govt has made either almost as much or even more money off a gallon of gas than the oil companies. And the govt does nothing but sit on its duff- it doesn’t even do anything to get the oil.
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
12:53 pm
Calm as can be, mystery meat.
Just having a great time squishing you blog gnats…
And lo and behold, the big mouth takes the challenge.
All I need is from you, MR. NON-TRUTH is to acknowledge that the terms I stated above are the ones you agree to.
The other bloggers determine your fate. And mine.
And to give the evening shift a chance to play, the deadline is 1 PM tomorrow.
Got it?
Agree and we’re on, loser.
Oh, and when you leave for good, tomorrow, be sure to apologize to all of the veterans here and to say…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMvqPffzDMQ
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
12:53 pm
“Gas soars; voters whine”
Gee Jay…just can’t find any sympathy for the little people today?
willie lynch
April 25th, 2011
12:54 pm
With all the technology available to us the best we can do is an electric car? We about to retire the shuttle fleet and an electric car is tthe best we can come up with?
Billings
April 25th, 2011
12:55 pm
Paul@12:27 said
“But I really, really get a kick out of the bloggers here (not you) who, when discussing immigration like to type “WHAT PART OF ‘ILLEGAL’ DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND???” but when it comes to their breaking the law by regularly driving over the limit they become very, very quiet.”
It is all about risk. If speeders are willing to pay the fine then the risk is theirs to take. The same cannot be said for illegals. We pay the freight on the risk they take.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
12:55 pm
“Just having a great time squishing you blog gnats…”
AmVet, I don’t know whether to laugh at your posts, or just feel sorry for you.
Most times, I just do both…
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
12:55 pm
AmVet…this is a very leftist blog….pick another forum.
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
12:56 pm
Normal
April 25th, 2011
12:49 pm
What? Nobody liked my ration card idea? Not willing to sacrifice for the good of the country? Shame, shame, shame.
————————-
Oh, before I forget…Truth,
AmVet has walked the walk. He’s served his country, have you?
I have not made a claim as to my serving or not serving. All I have done is ask for proof as you Liberals are so notorious for doing,so wheres your proof, are you going to post some leftwing bs ?
Normal
April 25th, 2011
12:56 pm
GAWD AmVet,
Lawrence Welk is bad enough…but in canary yellow? Gag!
onpatroll
April 25th, 2011
12:56 pm
And the govt does nothing but sit on its duff- it doesn’t even do anything to get the oil.
you are wrong, our govt. fights wars and props up a-holes for the gas companies to get the oil.
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
12:57 pm
Jay @11:09 am “Yes, Li’l One, and I’m sure you were equally exercised over this one circa 2003, right?”
A perfect example of trying to use the tax code for purposes other than revenue generation. Unintended consequences and all that. Before the change, there was still a capital expense for business vehicles under 6000lbs GVW and had been there for several years. Allowing a larger deduction dollar-wise was partly an index for inflation, although the new limit was probably larger than it needed to be. Congress failed to consider the impact of the resulting change, which could easily have been rendered moot by scaling the deduction, only allowing the larger deduction for heavy trucks (e.g. dumptrucks) as capital expense, and a smaller one more appropriate to the value of the consumer-grade trucks and the even smaller GVW for cars.
Stop using the tax code as a back-door regulation mechanism. Otherwise you get things like this and the black liquor debacle.
Not familiar with black liquor boondoggle?
[www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=abDjfGgdumh4]
Paper companies may claim about $6.6 billion from a U.S. tax break meant to discourage use of fossil fuels, and they’ll burn more diesel to get it.
The tax credit is an incentive to mix an alternative energy source with carbon-based fuel. Papermakers already generate electricity by burning a wood byproduct from pulp-making called “black liquor.” To qualify for the windfall they are adding diesel fuel to the black liquor, following the letter of the law while violating its spirit, said Verle Sutton, editor of the Reel Time Report, a unit of Los Angeles-based Forestweb Inc., a provider of data on the paper industry.
“It’s an absolute government boondoggle,” Sutton said. “These companies were not using fossil fuels. They only started because they needed it for the tax credit to work. So there’s a negative to the environment, not a positive.”
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
12:58 pm
Enter your comments here
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
12:59 pm
“AmVet has walked the walk. He’s served his country”
Anonymous bloggers can claim anything on the internet.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
1:00 pm
I serve my country every day. I pay taxes.
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
1:00 pm
Normal, I had to endure that lame stuff when I was a kid and mom and dad controlled the TV viewing..
But whenever I got to take the controls, it was the Fab Four, the Doors, Steppenwolf, the Who, etc…
Dawgmeat, fix your previous lies about me and then come back and whine to me, son…
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
1:00 pm
Amvet (NOT), let me get this straight, instead of offering ANY REAL PROOF, you are betting on there being more liberals on this blog to support you. Talk about being a chickenhawk. Would it not be easier to provide proof if it were true ?
Normal
April 25th, 2011
1:01 pm
Truth,
Do you want to see my DD-214? Or maybe you want to see all my pretty medals?
But, bottom line, if you haven’t served, you have NO right to question the service of others. That’s just plain cowardly.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:04 pm
“Would it not be easier to provide proof if it were true ?”
He can’t even give a straight answer to the question “AmVet are you opposed to socialism”?
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
1:04 pm
MiltonMan
April 25th, 2011
12:23 pm
TheTruth – shhh! AmWay thinks he is the only vet on this board.
The clown uses the VA due to wounds received – aka “friendly fire.”
Milton Man,
I missed some of this. What happened? Did Amvet say he was hit with friendly fire while serving in the Air Force because I didn’t see where he said that? If that’s true then our AF had really bad aim back then in bombing our own air fields. I’ve heard of army and marine ground forces getting hit with friendly fire but air force personnel getting hit with their own friendly fire on an air base is nothing short of bizarre.
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
1:04 pm
Paul 11:12 am The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, signed by Pres Bush, applies to all vehicles – cars and light trucks. So ‘crapwagons’ – vehicles affected by CAFE increases, includes Suburbans, Escalades, F-150s, etc
Not really. CAFE, which stands for Corporate Average Fuel Economy, is a measure of the mean. It does not say that all vehicles must reach xxMPG, only that the average fleet produced must do so. That means they company can sell one crapwagon that gets 50MPG and sell an SUV getting 10MPG and get average fleet economy of 30MPG.
On a related note, CAFE standards have been linked to increased numbers of deaths, as lighter, less safe vehicles are needed to meet CAFE limits. I have seen reports of 1200-2600 deaths each year may be attributable to CAFE.
Soothsayer
April 25th, 2011
1:04 pm
“With all the technology available to us the best we can do is an electric car?”
As I’ve said many, many times on this blog we do not have an energy shortage. We simply are using the energy that is given to us every day. You can go outside and look at it. It’s shining down right there on your front lawn. For every square meter of area exposed to the sun that represents one kW (1,000 watts). For every hour the sun shines on that square meter that is one kW hour.
So why don’t we use this inexhaustible energy source to generate hydrogen to fuel our vehicles? It’s called status quo. The oil companies make giant profits the way things are now. Why would they want to change?
Unfortunately, a day of reckoning is coming. On that day, gasoline will become too expensive for all but the very richest. We can only hope that this harms oil company profits and forces them to explore alternatives.
By the way, I think electric cars are a waste of time. They are too expensive. The Lithium used in their batteries is in short supply. In short, they are unsustainable. Hydrogen, on the other hand, is easy to generate, transport, store, and will burn in the car you now own and the only by-product is water.
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
1:05 pm
Amvet ( NOT ) it looks like you have ONE supporter.
deegee
April 25th, 2011
1:05 pm
Why do people think that oil that is pumped and refined in the US will be cheaper than oil that is imported from the Middle East? The price per barrel is influenced by OPEC, the value of the dollar, commodity trading, and to some extent, supply and demand. From my perspective, US consumers are experiencing what European consumers have been experiencing for years. We can’t do much about the price but we can look for alternative modes of transportation. Why can’t I take a high speed train from Atlanta to Memphis? Why was the funding for rail cut out of the budget during recent negotiations? Why can’t communities all over the US use their right of way to build sidewalks so that people could run errands to the store either on their feet or on their bike? How expensive could that be?
stands for decibels
April 25th, 2011
1:06 pm
Reckon how much gas would be saved if they did away with drive-thrus?
I guess we shouldn’t necessarily ban them outright, but I can think of some pretty unappetizing disincentives that could greet drive-thru customers… some open heart surgery video while you place your order, perhaps?
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
1:06 pm
MPercy @ 12:57,
The law of unintended consequences at work.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
1:07 pm
For all those that are condeming oil and supporting electricty for vehicles. Can you tell me where the grid gets the electricty?
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
1:07 pm
THE TRUTH, so I take it you are not going to agree to the terms I’ve listed above? In spite of that play your fiddle comment?
Accept the terms or don’t.
But understand this, coward. I’m gonna post so much detailed, exacting information regarding my time in uniform, you are going to look like a bigger loser and brat than you already are.
Information that would shame the average adult.
But that does not apply to you, does it?
So one last chance, big mouth.
You wanna play?
Solutions are easy
April 25th, 2011
1:07 pm
Easy way for consumers to use less: DRIVE LESS.
Easy way for government to get people to drive less: RAISE GAX TAX SUBSTANTIALLY (and fix some fo the da** potholes). Low gas taxes in this country border on criminal.
And our stupid politicians (local and national) will propose that we CUT TAXES in order to “give taxpayers a break.” The cycle of stupidity is almost endless.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:07 pm
“Did Amvet say he was hit with friendly fire while serving in the Air Force”
Maybe some of the guys in his unit got tired of his ignorant leftist rants and launched a round or two in his general direction.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:08 pm
AmWay, are you angry?
LMAO.
chuck
April 25th, 2011
1:10 pm
onpatroll, what part of being able to post on a blog makes you less of an idiot? Sure you can read and write, but you are still an idiot.
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
1:10 pm
No, Frank Burns, as I said I’m just having fun swatting you blog gnats…
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:11 pm
AmVet…just FYI…I know you like to sling around terms like “coward”, “loser”, “big mouth”, etc. but you need to understand…anonymous internet tough guys are about a dime a dozen. NOBODY is impressed…
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
1:11 pm
Amvet (NOT) play your fiddle devil.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
1:11 pm
AmVet…you post like a three year old. Great job. Did you get any kind of gas that may have messed with your Brain?
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
1:12 pm
Soothsayer
April 25th, 2011
12:52 pm
Take a good look at this chart. Notice how as the dollar rises (red line) the price of oil (blue line) declines and vice versa. This isn’t rocket science, friends. And OPEC are not a bunch of dummies.-Soothsayer
Soothsayer,
True enough. A strong dollar buys more oil at a cheaper price. A weak dollar means imports-oil- costs significantly more. The main reason our dollar is weak and getting substantially weaker is because of our ever escalating deficit/debt situation. That blame currently goes squarely on Obama and the Dems.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
1:13 pm
Seriously? Was Amvet hit by friendly fire while in the AF or not?
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
1:14 pm
So why don’t we use this inexhaustible energy source to generate hydrogen to fuel our vehicles? It’s called status quo. The oil companies make giant profits the way things are now. Why would they want to change?
——–
The evil oil companies can’t stop you from implementing your genius plan. What’s stopping you?
Normal
April 25th, 2011
1:14 pm
Harry,
If you were called a liar and implied you were cowardly, you’d be angry too.
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
1:14 pm
OK, off to the gym and then to make some money.
You little girls and chickenhawks discuss my military service amongst yourselves until I get back, OK.
Here’s a teaser for THE LIAR and his fellow suckups.
AFSC 328X4.
Google it dumasses…
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:15 pm
I like it when Obama and the Democrats take credit for turning over budget surplusses to George W. Bush. There’s only two things wrong with that;
1) There weren’t really any budget surplusses, and
2) Clinton was essentially just signing the budgets sent to him by a Republican-controlled House (which Obama would be well advised to do as well)
Soothsayer
April 25th, 2011
1:16 pm
“That blame currently goes squarely on Obama and the Dems.”
Thulsa, would you be in favor of returning taxes to the same levels during the Clinton years and drastically reducing Pentagon spending to 2001 levels (about 1/2 what they are today)?
Recall that President Obama wanted to return to the Clinton-era tax levels but was blocked by Replublicans over the extension of unemployment benefits.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:16 pm
“Harry,
If you were called a liar and implied you were cowardly, you’d be angry too.”
AmVet has called me all that and worse. I just consider the source, and laugh…
jm
April 25th, 2011
1:17 pm
Soothsayer 1:04 – related to that post, Univ of Michigan engineers are working on a combustible engine design that uses 25% of the gas (or 4x the efficiency) that current engines do using shockwave effects. To be ready for full testing in a few months supposedly. A working prototype has already been subject to testing.
http://www.futurecars.com/news/gasoline-cars/new-gas-engine-design-gets-4-5x-efficiency
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
1:17 pm
Normal, these boys screwed with the wrong lib.
At least of three of the never-served cowards made up lies about me – out of the blue and for no good reason – and then cry when they get what is coming to them.
What a waste of blog space these kids are.
Over and out.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:17 pm
“You little girls and chickenhawks discuss my military service amongst yourselves until I get back, OK.”
Still of the mistaken impression that we give a crap, are you? LMAO
toodles
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
1:17 pm
Amvet (NOT) before you start giving us the year you were born, how old you were when you enlisted, how many years you served and what years you were in the military, perhaps you should at least write it down and try and decide if it makes any sense to you, unlike last time when the dates and times just did not work.
Soothsayer
April 25th, 2011
1:17 pm
Lil Barry: lack of capital.
deegee
April 25th, 2011
1:18 pm
What about the soccer moms that block traffic in front of their kids’ school for 30 minutes with the engine running and the air conditioner blowing cold air into the cockpit of their high performance, six cylinder, fully loaded SUV? That is disturbing on so many levels. Not only do I have to navigate around them, I have to stop and let the mostly empty school buses that I’m paying for in my property taxes exit the parking lot and pass the interminable line of SUVs idling in the street. GAWD!
Michael
April 25th, 2011
1:18 pm
This isn’t the 21st century I had imagined I’d be living. I would have thought history would have taught us that progress and social stability come more readily from cooperation than from competition. I would have thought we would have made progress at learning how to live without destroying our one and only home. I would have thought that organized religion would not be at the center of politics, and that wouldn’t be a problem for most sane people. I would have thought we would have learned that war costs too much and yields nothing. I would have thought we’d eventually agree that nothing is more important than nurturing and supporting our children (especially the real live ones who have made it more or less safely outside their mothers’ bodies). And I would have thought that totalitarianism and fundamentalism would be would be memories of an atavistic past we’d left behind.
It is hard not to see the United States as having become a nation of big, endlessly whining, fat, aggressively ignorant, selfish babies, endlessly repeating the same idiotic mistakes, endlessly getting taken in by the same simple, garden variety of puffed-up, egomaniacal, psychopathic demagogues who do nothing more than offer, over and over, nothing but the same-old, same-old brand of noxious, useless snake oil, offering it more than anything else because the mob can’t get enough of it. We cultivate leaders who continue to get worse and worse, possessed of ever smaller and more sere souls and ever more occluded vision, and we ourselves seem, as a group, to cultivate more deeply chronic sickness, more unpleasantness, more apathy, and more disengagement from anything beyond our own personal appetites. If there is a single image that stands well for what we have become, it is a badly damaged, atherosclerotic heart.
I hate to find myself wishing a catastrophe would come to my own people, but I honestly can’t see anything less drastic than total collapse as being the solution to our problems. Our forebears handed us the promise of liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and we have squandered their legacy and made a cancerous mess of the world. As Jonathan Swift said, we are “the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth.” May the world survive us and be healed of our existence.
jm
April 25th, 2011
1:18 pm
FYI, my 1:17 – is huge frickin news, if it comes to fruition. not a hobbyist garage project, the real deal.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:18 pm
“Normal, these boys screwed with the wrong lib.”
Oh gee…another anonymous internet bully has threatened me. Guess I better sleep with the lights on tonight.
(yawn)
Common Sense
April 25th, 2011
1:18 pm
As much respect as I have for those who have served in the military, it does not give greater weight to one’s beliefs.
And if one has to keep pointing it out as their reason for validity, that might be a problem.
Let the weight of the comments speak for themselves.
chuck
April 25th, 2011
1:19 pm
@solutions are easy. Do you want people to stop going to work? Do you want them to stop shopping? Do you want them to stop going out to eat? Your so-called solution is a sure path to bankruptcy and depression. The resulting unemployment would cripple our country and you would finally get your wish…socialism. Well, you’ll have to pry my steering wheel from my cold dead hands…
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:19 pm
“At least of three of the never-served cowards ”
Normal…see above…you paying attention?
AmVet - A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 25th, 2011
1:19 pm
Damn, I’ll never get out of here playing with these prevaricating clowns, THE LIAR and Frank…
AmVet
November 4th, 2009
1:25 pm
Normal,
November 1972, I was 17 years old and in boot camp. And as I was considered on active duty the otherwise 18 year old age limit to vote was removed.
And let me tell you brother, there was no way in hell I would have voted for Tricky Dick.
The first of many to come…
getalife
April 25th, 2011
1:20 pm
The con troll children are attacking vets again.
Way to support the troops cons.
Pitiful.
.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:22 pm
“The con troll children are attacking vets again.”
FAIL
getalife, I think you’re lost…the NASCAR and strippers blog is over at http://www.mindlessliberalrhetoric.com
deegee
April 25th, 2011
1:25 pm
I have total respect for the men and women that serve in the military. My dad served in the Pacific during WWII. He never talked about it and neither did any of his friends and acquaintances. They might have said a few quiet words about it to each other and then the subject would change. Why do this generation wear their military service on their sleeve? Even when we asked my Dad about the war he would tell us that he didn’t really want to talk about it.
Hillbilly Deluxe
April 25th, 2011
1:25 pm
jm @ 1:17
That’s an interesting idea. Of course, it’s a matter of can they get it to work and produce it at a cost that makes it affordable to the masses. There’s a lot of interesting ideas out there.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
1:26 pm
Soothsayer
April 25th, 2011
1:17 pm
Lil Barry: lack of capital.
Soothsayer,
I’m sorry but that is a patently absurd answer. There are plenty of venture capitalists who would invest in such a project. If one could invent a motor that does what jm talks about such as the univ of Michigan prototype he would have venture capitalists lined up around the block wanting to fund the deal. There is no lack of capital venture money for projects that could offer potentially explosive profits.
Normal
April 25th, 2011
1:27 pm
You know, y’all?
My Granny used to say the the one’s that were the angriest, were the one’s that knew they were wrong.
Judging from a couple here, I think she was correct.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:28 pm
AmVet.
1992 – Bill Clinton (never served) ran against George H.W. Bush (combat veteran) – Who did you vote for?
1996 – Bill Clinton (never served) ran against Bob Dole (combat veteran) – Who did you vote for?
2000 – Al Gore (never served) ran against George W. Bush (Texas Air Guard vet) – Who did you vote for?
2008 – Barack Obama (never served) ran against John McCain (combat veteran) – Who did you vote for?
Soothsayer
April 25th, 2011
1:29 pm
Thulsa: I already have a career. I can’t venture into something else right now.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
1:29 pm
jm
I’m guessing you’re reading the first link’s statement as theoretical as opposed to actual then.
Here’s the link to the 2nd one….
http://mygermantravels.com/2011/03/german-solar-power-%E2%80%93-nuclear-alternative/
I didn’t say that they did it on the cheap. We’ve had that discussion before about how they subsidized their solar advances. However, they’re putting far more money into research and application as a whole between country and private investment than we’re even thinking about. I guess I’ll have to keep that in mind when I have my German engineered and manufactured solar panels installed. Would be nice to have them American made, but we don’t seem to have that research and investment appetite anymore.
One would think that since the US has far more geographic area than Germany, we could outsize their installation numbers many times over. I guess our investment zeal is geared more towards rigged paper that’s completely worthless as opposed to something tangible that ALL people can actually benefit from.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
1:29 pm
hairy,
Go somewhere else and attack the vets.
We support our troops on this blog.
Right del and scout?
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
1:31 pm
It sure is a good thing that we have a free market to keep the price of gas under control.
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
1:31 pm
Amvet (NOT) November 1972, I was 17 years old and in boot camp. And as I was considered on active duty the otherwise 18 year old age limit to vote was removed.
WHAT KIND OF PROOF IS THAT ?
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
1:32 pm
ByteMe @11:50 am And the average state gas tax is about 27 cpg, so that still doesn’t get you to his number. Just because you saw it on a blog doesn’t make it true.
California is probably above average, but the recent numbers there have taxes at $0.67/gallon and oil company profits short of $0.13/gallon (that 13 cents includes “distribution costs, marketing costs and profits”). So that’s about 5.2x (likely more, as “profit” is just a portion of that 13 cents) not 7.5x.
Still, when government at all levels is garnering more than 5x in “profit” than the oil company does, it hardly seems right to rail against a profit margin of 7-8% as “obscene”, “excessive” or “out-of-line”.
Mick
April 25th, 2011
1:34 pm
harry
Al gore did serve in the army and went to vietnam, where was george in alabama?
AngryRedMarsWoman
April 25th, 2011
1:34 pm
I wonder how much oil we could save by syncing the damn traffic lights and/or setting them to work on sensors instead of timers? hmmmmm. Or how about not making people sit at a red-light left turn when there is NO traffic coming the other way? Or maybe empower the driving public to forcibly revoke the license of any idiot who doesn’t move when the light turns green because he is busy texting or talking or wanking off and then only 3 cars can make it through after he finally realizes what we are all honking about?
BTW, I drive a gas-guzzling V-8 with 425 hp because I enjoy it – but I shut it down at red lights. And I don’t whine about gas prices – I just hate crappy timed lights and idiots who don’t pay attention when they drive.
War hero?
April 25th, 2011
1:34 pm
So if Amvet was in boot camp in november of 1972 how much time did he really spend in Nam when all combat troops were gone in 1973? Assuming he left boot camp he then probably would have spent a month or several months in a technical school to learn the specialty he was going to go into in the AF. The timeline makes no sense. Why would he have been sent to Vietnam as we were scaling down operations and leaving. Typically a soldier or airmen served a 1 year duty in Vietnam which means the last of personnel being sent to Vietnam probably would have been sent for their 1 year of service in Sept. through Oct and possibly Nov as we were scaling down. If Amvet was in boot November and December is he saying he would have been sent there in Jan. as we were scaling down? Makes no sense.
US combat operations ceased in 1973 after relentless US bombing of Hanoi forced North Vietnam to sign the Paris Peace Accords. Nearly all American troops were withdrawn that year. Some advisors and logistical personnel remained to support our allies, the South Vietnamese.
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/When_did_US_get_out_of_the_Vietnam_war#ixzz1KYbFqlcU
jm
April 25th, 2011
1:34 pm
HD 1:25 – I agree. I think this one has more legs than many of the others
SoCo 1:29 – but the reality is, due to the cost, ALL people cannot benefit from solar panels. They’re inordinately expensive and the average person couldn’t begin to afford them, absent massive government subsidies that ultimately come from the same people (ie, just taking money out of one pocket to put in another).
Solar is advancing and getting cheaper. If they get it cheap enough, terrific. Wind is a better option for renewables.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:35 pm
“My Granny used to say the the one’s that were the angriest, were the one’s that knew they were wrong.
Judging from a couple here, I think she was correct.”
Yes, AmVet seems very angry.
Normal
April 25th, 2011
1:35 pm
deegee
April 25th, 2011
1:25 pm
A completely different set of circumstances. Your Dad (God bless him) served in the last Congressional declared war. I did not. My wars were undeclared, and While I won’t talk of specifics of my experiences, I’ll let anyone know who will listen that I served, even though I knew that to win was to survive and that I was being screwed by both Democrat and Republican. It’s a perverse kind a pride, I guess..just my opinion.
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
1:35 pm
Monday Mumblings…..If you have eaten at Hosea’s Feed the Hungry dinners at Easter and Thanksgiving for, say 5 years, it might be time to re-examine your life choices.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
1:36 pm
Again, cons.
Stop attacking our vets.
What is wrong with you?
Where are scout and del to pile on?
Normal
April 25th, 2011
1:36 pm
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:35 pm
Cheap shot Harry, and wrong. I was talking about you. Clear enough?
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:36 pm
“harry
Al gore did serve in the army and went to vietnam, where was george in alabama?”
My bad. I’m not an expert on liberal politicians and their military careers.
jm
April 25th, 2011
1:37 pm
AngryRed 1:24 – there is gobs of truth in what you say. The antiquated stop light control systems in this city and country are beyond absurd. Sandy Springs is ahead of everyone else, but still pretty rudimentary. They’ve cut trip travel times on roswell from 285 to abernathy by 50%.
Think what would happen if Atlanta got up to speed…..
Bosch
April 25th, 2011
1:37 pm
Hi blog peeps, late to the game today. In regards to oil subsidies — I’ve never had a problem with that, even with their record profits — the reason you might ask?
From what I’ve read, they are the leaders in working on alternative fuels and technology, which is good considering they are probably the best equipped to do so.
Paul
April 25th, 2011
1:38 pm
afternoon, poison pen
“how in the Hell can you equate Illegals with going over the speed limit. DUH!”
Simple. The only comeback many here have, not matter what they are presented with, is “it is illegal. They are breaking the law.”
So, if their absolute standard of what is right and wrong is “they’re breaking the law” then they cannot put themselves in the position of deciding what laws they can keep and which laws they can violate.
Or do you think it’s okay to break some laws and not another? If you do, then it doesn’t really matter, but you shouldn’t use ‘it’s the law’ as a bludgeon regarding illegals.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:38 pm
“Cheap shot Harry, and wrong. I was talking about you. Clear enough?”
I’m not angry at all, certainly not at anything said or written by anonymous bloggers, but you are certainly entitled to your opinion.
By the way, you seem very angry with me.
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies
April 25th, 2011
1:38 pm
Leave it to MPercy to come through with something that makes all the sense in the world. Hard to argue against this point.
Still, when government at all levels is garnering more than 5x in “profit” than the oil company does, it hardly seems right to rail against a profit margin of 7-8% as “obscene”, “excessive” or “out-of-line”.-MPercy
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
1:38 pm
Getalife….did you support the service of W?
joe
April 25th, 2011
1:38 pm
And what does Obama do about it…he authorizes a task force to look into it…heck a second grader can tell you why…Obama shuts off drilling in the gulf, won’t expand drilling in Alaska or in the Dakotas (where the 8th largest oil reserves in the world rest untouched) and allows the Brazillians to drill on our gulf waters. When you have a president who appoints a left wing lib to the energy czar post, who comments that we have to raise the price of gas to those of Europe, what do you expect? If you want jobs and lower gas prices…and an administration that doesn’t spend out the wazzou, you need to vote out Barry. Everybody now…Nobama, Nobama, Nobama…
Mick
April 25th, 2011
1:39 pm
harry
Why are you so hung up on liberals? I’d like to think we are all americans first and the political differences of labeling has run amok.
Chris
April 25th, 2011
1:39 pm
Demand is NOT outstripping supply. Speculation over the middle east instability is driving up prices.
Wow. Learn the fundamentals around the price of oil before you bash the Right.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
1:39 pm
Mick….why dont you ask the same question of getalife and AmVet?
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies
April 25th, 2011
1:40 pm
Bosch @ 1:37,
Dadnabit. Aren’t you usually supposed to be on the left? Not always I know but usually.
THE TRUTH
April 25th, 2011
1:40 pm
deegee
April 25th, 2011
1:25 pm
I have total respect for the men and women that serve in the military. My dad served in the Pacific during WWII. He never talked about it and neither did any of his friends and acquaintances. They might have said a few quiet words about it to each other and then the subject would change. Why do this generation wear their military service on their sleeve? Even when we asked my Dad about the war he would tell us that he didn’t really want to talk about it.
I agree my family members and my freinds and co-workers have never worn their service on their sleeve, it some personal, or perhaps once a Marine always a Marine, you just don’t let anyone in.
JKL2
April 25th, 2011
1:40 pm
LeeH1- Brazil drivers use cars that take 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. We can do this.
Short answer: No we can’t. Brazil uses plentiful sugar cane which easily turns into alcohol to fuel its cars (I believe it’s more like 97%). We use corn to make ethynol which takes as much energy (or more) to turn into alcohol and reduces our food supply, making corn flakes more expensive as a by-product. Wish we could but we don’t have the current ability or technology to do what they do.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:40 pm
“harry
Why are you so hung up on liberals?”
The older I get, the less tolerance I have for fools.
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
1:40 pm
BADA BING: Monday Mumblings…..If you have eaten at Hosea’s Feed the Hungry dinners at Easter and Thanksgiving for, say 5 years, it might be time to re-examine your life choices.
———-
No need to give up the cell phone, though, because the folks who work for a living are having their property confiscated to pay that bill for you.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
1:40 pm
“Getalife….did you support the service of W?”
As President?
No.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
1:42 pm
“The older I get, the less tolerance I have for fools.”
Yet, you will vote to end your own Medicare.
Pot to kettle.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
1:42 pm
Getalife….I was speaking if his military service.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
1:42 pm
Getalife….why are you so hung up on Medicare?
jm
April 25th, 2011
1:42 pm
Dems are rotten.
The Democratic negotiating team is an odd mix.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) voted against the White House fiscal commission report, and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) is the self-proclaimed “king of pork.” Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) is the ranking member on the Budget Committee. Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) is a centrist dealmaker. But neither is a known leader on deficit issues.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53613_Page3.html#ixzz1KYeYHUvb
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:43 pm
getaclue,
Disagreeing with AmVet does not equate to attacking veterans.
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
1:43 pm
JKL2, we could import cheap ethanol from Brazil, but the government taxes it to protect Iowa corn farmers. Ain’t government interference in free markets great?
Bosch
April 25th, 2011
1:44 pm
Doom,
” Aren’t you usually supposed to be on the left?”
That’s the thing here, lots of times, people make assumptions and are constantly using rhetoric or sound bytes to try and “prove” their points, whatever. I’m constantly having folks here TELL me what I believe or think, and 9 times out of 10, they are wrong. If you ASK me what I believe or think, I’ll be glad to tell you.
Wanna know what I think about the death penalty for instance?
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:44 pm
“Yet, you will vote to end your own Medicare.”
Maybe I have a better plan than Medicare.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
1:44 pm
Yawn.
Need new trolls.
Paul
April 25th, 2011
1:45 pm
Billings
“It is all about risk. If speeders are willing to pay the fine then the risk is theirs to take. The same cannot be said for illegals. We pay the freight on the risk they take.”
Really? You should ride with the police around here sometime. Lots of those ‘it’s all about me, I can take the risk” speeders cause lots of death, crippling injuries and ruined lives.
You can try to justify lawbreaking any way you want, especially by minimizing the results that occur, but the fact is, those who condemn others find myriad ways to justify their own hypocrisy.
MPercy
The vehicles I cited belong to the ‘light truck’ category. That’s separate from the “Passenger Car” category. Within a few years the light truck category will have to average 30 mpg, which does indeed mean some may get significantly less mileage, which means other trucks will have to get significantly higher.
Thulsa,
What gets me is, if I’m understanding it correctly, regardless of who drives up prices, oil companies profit. Their production costs remain the same, distribution and other costs are about the same, but the commodity price rises, their prices rise. It’s a distortion of the market.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
1:45 pm
Harry….any plan would be better than the current welfare Medicare system.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:45 pm
“Obama shuts off drilling in the gulf, won’t expand drilling in Alaska or in the Dakotas (where the 8th largest oil reserves in the world rest untouched) and allows the Brazillians to drill on our gulf waters.”
I heard that a George Soros controlled company stands to profit substantially from the Brazilian oil scam, by the way.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
1:46 pm
“current welfare Medicare system.”
You pay for it troll.
Dang.
Aquagirl
April 25th, 2011
1:47 pm
deegee @ 1:25, they didn’t come home to chickenhawks who think the Military is synonymous with “cheap forced labor.”
Paul
April 25th, 2011
1:47 pm
Thulsa
make the end of that post ‘their profits rise.’
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
1:47 pm
Getalife…..you pay for it…..
I pay for it…..so?
Doesnt mean it is effective….doesnt mean it is the best system possible.
Open your eyes.
Bosch
April 25th, 2011
1:47 pm
“any plan would be better than the current welfare Medicare system.”
Really? I hear very few complaints from the folks on it.
AngryRedMarsWoman
April 25th, 2011
1:47 pm
“So if Amvet was in boot camp in november of 1972 how much time did he really spend in Nam when all combat troops were gone in 1973?”
Seriously? Even a minute in the suck of Vietnam is admirable. But let’s assume he never made it over – I get the impression he volunteered rather than being conscripted and he presumably had no idea that combate would be over before he would be sent….so, he was ready, willing and able to get sent to a craphole where dudes were dying.
If he is lying about his service that is something he has to live with, but it ain’t my place to doubt him. Any time he did in the service is more than I have done – and let’s face it that especially nowadays anyone who is in has a good chance of being sent into the suck in the desert so no matter why they joined or what their MOS I thank them for doing it cuz I am sure too much of a chicken to do it.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
1:48 pm
Bosch…..really? You should speak to more of them.
Left wing management
April 25th, 2011
1:49 pm
“we could import cheap ethanol from Brazil, but the government taxes it to protect Iowa corn farmers. Ain’t government interference in free markets great?”
More neoliberal garbage from Lil’ Barry Bailout.
Bosch
April 25th, 2011
1:49 pm
Hi Paul! Happy Easter with the grandkids? I cooked a ham that should be highlighted in the next Southern Living, or Food Network Magazine. It was pure art and very tasty too!!
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
1:49 pm
JKL2….you are right, I have been to Brazil. Local farmers grow cane and make fuel in small local plants. They sell it locally, so no shipping costs. Brazil and Mexico were the last countries to produce the old, classic VW Beetles. The ones in Brazil were built to run on the sugar cane alcohol fuel, and hundreds of thousands are still on the road there.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:49 pm
“Is it a coincidence that Obama backer George Soros repositioned himself in Petrobras to get dividends just a few days before Obama committed $2 billion in loans and guarantees for Petrobras’ offshore operations? Hmmmmmmmmmm.”
Bosch
April 25th, 2011
1:49 pm
UGA99,
“You should speak to more of them.”
I do, every day. You?
Mr Anonymous
April 25th, 2011
1:50 pm
It’s quite simple really. I won’t vote for Republicans until they stop playing political games with OUR money. 4 billion in subsidies..REALLY? Stop. Just stop.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
1:52 pm
The st upid hurts my head.
It is not welfare ug.
Admit one fact.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
1:53 pm
Bosch….same. And although some may not complain about the coverage. The fact is that it is a broke program that is costing Americas too much. There has to be a more efficient plan for us all.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
1:54 pm
Getalife….it is welfare…it is a government run program that is broke like all of the rest of them. I know you think “if it is free I want it”….but believe it or not, we ALL pay for it.
Parasite.
Bosch
April 25th, 2011
1:55 pm
” And although some may not complain about the coverage. The fact is that it is a broke program that is costing Americas too much. There has to be a more efficient plan for us all.”
Yeah, I agree, that’s called single payer. It’s the only way to actually control costs.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
1:56 pm
I know you will vote to end your own Medicare ug.
We get it.
Just don’t use it and stop crying like your speaker.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
1:57 pm
Getalife….you are the one crying about us “Cons” ending medicare….dude you are hilarious!
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
1:58 pm
Our car engines are not built to run on a mixture of fuel that uses large percentages of ethanol. The ethanol has water in it that degrades plastic and rubber gaskets in the fuel system. Special engines would have to be used for newer fuels, requiring expensive manufacturing changeovers.
Paul
April 25th, 2011
1:58 pm
Hi Bosch!
Glad to hear it went so well. If you can find a good ham, you’re lucky. We’ve a local meat shop that gets them from a place in downtown Dallas that’s smoke’em the same way for the last 30 years. Price isn’t that much different than the supermarkets, either. I ordered one from Harrington’s of Vermont last year. Really good, but the Dallas ones are on a par and quite a bit less dollars.
Spent Easter with Mrs. Paul’s sister and her dad. Tradeoffs are part of marriage, but next year the twins’ll be old enough to chase after the eggs and stuff, so I’m fine with it.
“The stupid hurts my head”
Forget t-shirts. We gotta accumulate these and publish a book. Getalife’ll make us rich, I tell ya!
Disgusted
April 25th, 2011
1:59 pm
Hydrogen, on the other hand, is easy to generate, transport, store, and will burn in the car you now own and the only by-product is water.
Ever hear of the Hindenberg blimp? Ever wonder why helium became popular to replace hydrogen?
What a moronic idea. Given the sheer number of vehicle accidents in metro Atlanta alone, I can already hear the traffic reports: “Large parts of three blocks in downtown Atlanta are now ablaze after the collision of two hydrogen-fueled cars.” And hey, there’s a reason they call it a hydrogen bomb.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
1:59 pm
“It’s quite simple really. I won’t vote for Republicans until they stop playing political games with OUR money. 4 billion in subsidies..REALLY? Stop. Just stop.”
LMAO. As opposed to the #3 TRILLION of our money that the Democrats plat political games with?
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies
April 25th, 2011
1:59 pm
jkl2,
The other problem with corn based ethanol is that growing that much crop means a lot of fertilizer and nitrogen is getting into the miss. and draining into the gulf and we now have a large dead zone in the gulf that scientists say is the result of growing so much corn for ethanol. For this reason alone I am against corn based ethanol.
deegee
April 25th, 2011
2:00 pm
Yes, Aquagirl. I suppose that the WWII vets had a better definition of their job. God only knows what we are still doing in Afghanistan.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
2:00 pm
“Getalife….why are you so hung up on Medicare?”
Same reason he’s hung up on all the other welfare programs. He is a lazy parasite.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:01 pm
Harry…..AMEN!
Paul
April 25th, 2011
2:01 pm
Bada Bing
And as we speak, higher percentages of ethanol in gas are due to debut. Couple years’ back Congress mandated the amounts of ethanol that would be used. Think it was a Republican Congress. Couple gov’t agencies charged with certifying it’s okey dokey keep pointing fingers at each other with “you certify it!”
Bottom line, if your care is earlier than 1995, you’re toast. And things don’t look to good for lawn mowers, blowers and weedeaters, either.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
2:01 pm
I am just telling the truth ug.
Try it.
CNN is running more proof about the birth certificate from a Repub.
You will ignore that fact too.
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies
April 25th, 2011
2:01 pm
Bosch,
Come on now. You usually but not always lean left. Death penalty? Hell I’m against the death penalty for a number of reasons- cheaper to keep them in prison for life, lack of deterrence because it takes so long to execute someone, and what if you get the wrong man? Plus I’m just not 100% sure a Christian should believe in the death penalty. That’s just me though and I see the pros and cons of it.
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
2:03 pm
Paul @12:25 pm The quick check I did for 2008 showed they had revenues of nearly $88 billion for one quarter alone.
Revenue does not equal taxable income. You might examine their statements (e.g. http://www.stock-analysis-on.net/NYSE/Company/Exxon-Mobil-Corp/Financial-Statement/Income-Statement).
Exxon Mobil had total revenues of $383.221B in 2010. That paid for $197B of crude oil, $35B in production and refining expenses, $14B in marketing and general administrative costs, and a few more billion for other expenses (depreciation, exploration, etc.).
They paid $28.547B in “sales-based taxes”, $36.118B in “other taxes and duties”, and $21.561B in income taxes. All told, they paid $82.226B in various taxes and duties.
They had net income before income taxes of $52.959B and a final net income after income taxes of $30.46B.
Taxes as a share of revenue: 21.45%.
Profits as a share of revenue (profit margin): 7.95%.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
2:03 pm
Yeah, I am using the health care I paid for all my working life.
So, you are wrong as usual hairy.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
2:03 pm
Hey guys, I think Obama knows what he is talking about when it comes to Domestic Oil Drilling.
Heck the guy has been to all 57 states. Can anyone of us say the same? I think not.
Obama’s 57 state Remix:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4esTpYc4-cs
Bosch
April 25th, 2011
2:03 pm
Paul,
“We gotta accumulate these and publish a book. Getalife’ll make us rich, I tell ya!”
And if we just go on stupid things people say, this blog is a gold mine!!
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:04 pm
Getalife….way to change the subject!!!
oldguy
April 25th, 2011
2:05 pm
Wow; when it comes to misstating the facts Jay is 100%
consumption in the US is down….
Prices for crude oil are up because the speculators see thia administration is prepaired to do nothing; as a fact the administration has stated that it would welcome $6 a gallon gas to help drive users off driving ……
The devaluation of the dollar by printing money as fast as the presses will run is the major reason for all the rising prices……
The administration is doing all it can to block any opening of new resources..oil or otherwise (coal,oil shale, natural gas, nuke) unless it is “Green” blessed…..
Congradulations Jay! Unlike the Braves you are batting 1000!!!
OBAMA LIES…CONSUMERS CRIES!!!
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
2:05 pm
Unfortunately we are stuck with gasoline for many years. Ethanol doesn’t give the same energy per gallon that gas does, so less MPG. Natural Gas or LPG systems require larger tanks and you have to find alternative fueling stations in your area. Solar powered electric cars are still far off. Gas will be King for many years.
deegee
April 25th, 2011
2:05 pm
My brother works as a project manager for one of the big oil companies. We had a discussion about alternative energy sources. He claims that we could run on all of the liquid natural gas that we want. He says that the problem is that the market won’t bear the higher cost of LNG. So, big oil couldn’t take some of their profits on petroleum to subsidize the ramp up to LNG. No, that would be wrong, I suppose.
Bosch
April 25th, 2011
2:06 pm
Doom,
Yes, I do usually lean left, but for most folks around here, anything left of slobbering wingnut is “liberal” (whatever that means)
getalife
April 25th, 2011
2:06 pm
The intellect level from our cons has never been lower.
The gop attack on education is mission accomplished.
I mean seriously.
mm
April 25th, 2011
2:07 pm
Why do wingnuts continue to defend our greedy corporations? Because that’s what their bought and paid for politicans tell them to do.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:07 pm
Getalife…..HAHAHA you changed the subject again! You cant win one single point and keep changing the subject. HAHA
getalife
April 25th, 2011
2:09 pm
ug.
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
2:09 pm
Paul @12:27 pm But I really, really get a kick out of the bloggers here (not you) who, when discussing immigration like to type “WHAT PART OF ‘ILLEGAL’ DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND???” but when it comes to their breaking the law by regularly driving over the limit they become very, very quiet.
Off topic a bit. I try to always obey the speed limit and all other traffic laws. I expect there to be police on the roads who are looking for violators. If I happen to break a law by speeding, I expect that if I am caught I will be punished in accordance with the law.
I expect our immigration police to do the same thing. Illegal immigrants are knowingly violating a number of laws and with full intent to do. They should expect that when caught they will face the punishment prescribed by the laws they break (and they are often laws that if I were to break, as a citizen, would swiftly land me in jail but when done by honest law-abiding hard-working illegal immigrants are simply ignored).
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies
April 25th, 2011
2:10 pm
Thulsa,
What gets me is, if I’m understanding it correctly, regardless of who drives up prices, oil companies profit. Their production costs remain the same, distribution and other costs are about the same, but the commodity price rises, their prices rise. It’s a distortion of the market.-Paul
Paul,
I hear ya but so what if they make more money. It just means they pay more in taxes and as we’ve already seen the various govts make exponentially more money on a gallon of gas then the oil companies that actually do the dang work. At least the oil companies provide a tangible product. What does govt do with that money that they make off of oil? Saddle us with more debt is all.
oldguy
April 25th, 2011
2:10 pm
I’m going to watch SPONGEBOB now….. He makes a lot more sense that Jay!!
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies
April 25th, 2011
2:10 pm
For Pete’s sake the tax on gas here in Georgia goes up 3 cents on May 1st because of the rise in gas prices. Can anyone splain the gubment logic behind that one?
Bosch
April 25th, 2011
2:11 pm
Paul and MPercy,
I don’t know about where you live, but in my neck of the woods, the cops are usually the worst offenders in the speeding department.
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
2:11 pm
Left wing management
April 25th, 2011
1:49 pm
———
Oopsies!
Don’t fear facts, libbtards.
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6B74PU20101211?irpc=932
getalife
April 25th, 2011
2:11 pm
“Why do wingnuts continue to defend our greedy corporations? Because that’s what their bought and paid for politicans tell them to do.”
fox, rush, drudge and other rw sources contribute also.
The call Medicare welfare.
So, they want to end it.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
2:12 pm
“The intellect level from our cons has never been lower.”
Yeah, tell that to the Democratic Congresswoman here:
Go gata!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgbBP9Em00A
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:13 pm
Getalife…..And?
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:14 pm
Getalife and USMC…..”The intellect level from our cons has never been lower”
HAHA tell that to Hank Johnson who thought Guam would tip over HAHAHAHAAH!!!!
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
2:14 pm
“Why do wingnuts continue to defend our greedy corporations?”
I don’t know what a wingnut is, but conservatives defend corporations because they believe in freedom and free enterprise.
If you don’t like corporations, just don’t work there, don’t buy their products, and don’t own their stock. Seems pretty simple.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
2:15 pm
Well, that was silly racism USMC.
Geez.
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
April 25th, 2011
2:15 pm
Well, while everybody’s fussing about gas prices, nobody’s saying anything about the punks that painted a statue of Jesus Christ pink down in Roswell and got away with it.
We need Law and Order right now. If we don’t get it, next thing you know somebody will defile a statue of Saint Ronald Reagan.
Dave R.
April 25th, 2011
2:16 pm
“The gop attack on education is mission accomplished.”
This from the blogger who can’t put a coherent thought together if their life depended on it . . .
Aquagirl
April 25th, 2011
2:16 pm
deegee, we’re still in Afghanistan because it doesn’t directly affect 95% of the US population. We have a very strange hero worship/hatred of our military. Just say you’re “for the troops” and then go back to blogging. Usually to blather we should bring those sainted troops home, not to rest or retrain—so they can hang out in the godforsaken Texas scrub, shooting unarmed illegal immigrants.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:16 pm
Getalife….racism??? hahahah here we go!
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
2:16 pm
“…..”The intellect level from our cons has never been lower”
Or so says the guy who blows all his money in strip clubs and then wants taxpyers to provide his health care.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
2:17 pm
“The intellect level from our cons has never been lower.”-getalife
Democratic Congressman Hank Johnson:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZczIgVXjg
When did they legalize drugs in Dekalb County?
Peadawg
April 25th, 2011
2:18 pm
“”The intellect level from our cons has never been lower”
I don’t think you can get any lower than saying you’ve visited/will visit all 57 states….
getalife
April 25th, 2011
2:18 pm
Pink Jesus?
Code pink did it.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
2:18 pm
Cynthia McKinney is a really smart liberal.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
2:18 pm
“Well, that was silly racism USMC.”–getalife
How predictable:-)
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies
April 25th, 2011
2:19 pm
Getalife,
So now you wanna switch the topic to education. Lemme guess your solution. I already know it- spend more money! Read below- source is USAToday
The United States spends more public and private money on education than other major countries, but its performance doesn’t measure up in areas ranging from high-school graduation rates to test scores in math, reading and science, a new report shows.
The United States spent $10,240 per student from elementary school through college in 2000, according to the report. The average was $6,361 among more than 25 nations.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
2:20 pm
getaclue,
I notice most of your posts are 5 words or less. When did you intellectuals start communicating in the Dick/Jane/Sally vernacular?
mm
April 25th, 2011
2:20 pm
I bet half the righties on this blog are on SS, Medicare, or both.
My wingnut neighbor constantly spout the GOP talking points, but yet he is on disability. Typical hypocrite.
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies
April 25th, 2011
2:20 pm
Peadawg,
That was a good one. But I liked 2 other Obamaisms better such as when he said that Austrians speak Austrian or that coal causes asthma.
Dave R.
April 25th, 2011
2:20 pm
MPercy, speed limits are largely revenue generation devices for government, with no real bearing on their claim of safety.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
2:21 pm
At least you cons stopped attacking vets.
Good for you.
AngryRedMarsWoman
April 25th, 2011
2:21 pm
“God only knows what we are still doing in Afghanistan.”
At least there was some basis for going in – there was none for Iraq. Had we remained focused only on Afghanistan and the Taliban rather than rushing to declare victory and rolling into Iraq we might have a read handle on that worthless land of rocks and poppies…sigh. Hussein had been blustering about WMD forever, but he never backed it up, so we needed to go in because??? Heck, you got Ahmadinejad in Iran spouting even worse crap all day every day (with nuke plants to back it up) and we aren’t doing anything there. The people in Iraq needed an iron-fisted ruler like Hussein to keep them from wandering aimlessly like a bunch of idiots in a mish-mash of sparring cultures created by the darn colonial-minded Brits….and we screwed it up. Anyway….time to grab some oil (yeah, whatever, everyone thinks we were there for oil anyway so why not?) and leave them to manage their own freedom or lose it.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
2:21 pm
”The intellect level from our cons has never been lower”
Obama Gaffes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4gFdKuMYL8
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
2:21 pm
See getaclue run.
Run, run, run.
JKL2
April 25th, 2011
2:21 pm
Harry- “Is it a coincidence that Obama backer George Soros repositioned himself in Petrobras
Soros set up the deal but he actually sold out before everything came thru. I’m sure he’s getting a giant kickback somewhere, but he pulled out his money for some other evil scheme…
oldguy
April 25th, 2011
2:22 pm
So….We now have a defintion of racism…..
Racism is broadcasting, ver batum, a speach by a Demoncrat from the floor of the House!!!
Paul
April 25th, 2011
2:22 pm
MPercy
Not too sure about that. Here in TX immigrants keep a pretty low profile. They get caught, they’re gone.
But what started that entire conversation about illegals was my observation that those who use “but that’s the LAW!!!” excuse their own lawless behavior as ‘not that bad.’
I’m with you on the speed stuff. Just isn’t worth the few minutes saved for a few hundred dollar ticket.
Besides that, the law’s the law.
Bosch
I’ve seen’em turn on the lights, go thru a red light, then a few blocks up, turn into a restaurant…
Every profession has its share of unprofessional idiots.
Thulsa
Wasn’t one of the points that kicked this off about the gazillions they earn in profits while some still think we need to dig in our pockets to give them billions in subsidies?
Seems kinda nutty.
John Birch
April 25th, 2011
2:22 pm
Just need to increase taxes on the rich and levy a huge windfall tax on those evil big, big, big oil companies and we can give free gas to all the homeless. Oh, that’s right, first we’d have to give them cars! No problem, Obama’s got this one.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
2:22 pm
“At least you cons stopped attacking vets.”
Congratulations, 7 words. That’s almost a sentence.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
2:24 pm
Do we really need to go back over all the w’s or gop gaffes?
Lets not because it is silly.
barton apologizing to bp was epic.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
2:24 pm
I did not have relations with that woman:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiIP_KDQmXs
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:25 pm
Getalife…>Get a clue….W is not president anymore.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
2:25 pm
USMC,
Are you kidding. Democrat Corrine Brown of Florida blows that away with this speech congratlatin the Floduh gatas on dey national bsc champonsheep team Wayyyyyyy tooooo funny
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgbBP9Em00A
stands for decibels
April 25th, 2011
2:25 pm
Do we really need to go back over all the w’s or gop gaffes?
want some wood?
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
2:25 pm
Did Bookman serioulsy post a blog last week entitled “Why does GOP want to protect tax cheats?”
I guess he didn’t get the memo that paying taxes was optional in Obama’s cabinet?
USMC
April 25th, 2011
2:26 pm
“Do we really need to go back over all the w’s or gop gaffes?”-getalife
At least W knows there are not 57 states…(yet):-)
JKL2
April 25th, 2011
2:26 pm
Paul- Bottom line, if your care is earlier than 1995, you’re toast. And things don’t look to good for lawn mowers, blowers and weedeaters, either.
The next big thing is going to be additives for your fuel. When gas comes out of the pipeline it’s all the same. The gas company then adds their additives to make it “their own” kind of fuel. Eventually you’ll be mixing something for everything.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
2:27 pm
“At least W knows there are not 57 states”
Obama thinks Kenya is a state.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
2:27 pm
Democrat Corrine Brown
One, two, three, fo, five- dem dere gatas don’t take no jive!
Bob
April 25th, 2011
2:27 pm
Well, with the oil profits the big oil companies are making, maybe we should takeaway the $4 billion in tax break and “incentives” (hand-outs) and contribute half to fixing our roads and half to reducing the deficit.
I know, that would make too much sense. Here some more tax breaks and “incentives” for you to drill, big oil. I know you CAN afford to do it yourself but here’s Government money anyway.
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
2:28 pm
Natural Gas and LPGas seem like good alternatives until you figure in the other factors.Do you want half of your trunk space taken up by a large tank filled with explosive gas? Think of a hard rear end collision and you kids sitting a foot away from a bomb. Also, the fuel lines have to be checked regularly, have you ever had anything under pressure that didn’t leak? (Tires, radiator, etc. Liquid gasoline is stable, and is not as prone to explosions in car wrecks as a gas fuel. Are you ready for the huge hassles that alternitive fuels require? Do you want your teenagers refueling your car at a station using Natural or LPGas?
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
2:28 pm
And of course, Obama wants D.C. to be a state so Marion Berry can be a Senator.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
2:30 pm
“Well, with the oil profits the big oil companies are making, maybe we should takeaway the $4 billion in tax break and “incentives” (hand-outs) and contribute half to fixing our roads and half to reducing the deficit.”
I could say the same thing about GM, Chrysler, or all the banks that Obama bailed out.
By the way…$4 billion is chump change compared to the moolah Obama is handing out all over the place…
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
2:30 pm
USMC,
Back at ya. This is a good one with Democrat Alan Grayson talking about the Republican plan for health care- for old people to just die!
Very timely seeing as how both Jay and Cynthia were posting a couple of days ago about the need for death panels.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-usmvYOPfco
USMC
April 25th, 2011
2:31 pm
MAXINE WATERS OUTS THE DEMOCRAT’S SOCIALIST AGENDA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrA9zj94NuU
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
2:31 pm
Democrats would probably like to make Cuba a state, too. Having Castro in the Senate would be huge fun.
Paul
April 25th, 2011
2:31 pm
JKL2
Took one of the cars in for service. They wanted to do the $120 fuel line cleaning. I said I stick with Shell, Chevron, Valero, Texaco. They said ‘oh, in that case, no problem. You don’t need it.”
Years ago before additives became the norm Consumer Reports ran tests on gas cleanliness. Only Chevron passed muster. They’d just come out with Techron. Now it’s the norm. But ‘norm’ doesn’t mean you can be assured it’s in unless it’s advertised as in, as I understand it.
JKL2
April 25th, 2011
2:32 pm
getalife- They call Medicare welfare, so they want to end it.
I thought that’s what obamacare was for? Maybe you should read it and find out how great it is…
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
2:32 pm
The Democrats want to let Mexican el presidente set U.S. immigration policy. maybe we should just make Mexico a state.
Left wing management
April 25th, 2011
2:33 pm
Lil’ Barry Bailout 2:11:
You post a link to rebut me that only proves my point.
But you can’t admit that into your world view, so you think you’ve scored a point.
Like I said, neoliberal garbage. It’s epidemic in both parties.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
2:34 pm
Thulsa
Wasn’t one of the points that kicked this off about the gazillions they earn in profits while some still think we need to dig in our pockets to give them billions in subsidies?
Seems kinda nutty.- Paul
Paul,
I’m completely with you on that but its only 4 billion and that’s for the entire oil industry. But nevertheless I totally agree. End this corporate welfare even if it is just a drop in the bucket compared to the tens of billions of dollars we collect from all the oil companies in taxes. Exxon alone paid 28 billion almost in federal taxes and that’s just one oil company.
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
2:34 pm
LWM changes sockpuppets after getting smacked down on taxes on Brazilian ethanol.
Don’t fear facts, libbtards!
USMC
April 25th, 2011
2:35 pm
“The intellect level from our cons has never been lower.”-getalife
Once again for the hearing impaired:
Obama Is Going To Pay For My Gas And Mortgage!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36×8rTb3jI
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
2:35 pm
Anybody seen Granny Godzilla or Kamchak? Is Monday a “Liberal Day of Rest” or something?
mm
April 25th, 2011
2:35 pm
“speed limits are largely revenue generation devices for government, with no real bearing on their claim of safety”
You just can’t make this stuff up. Nevermind, I guess you can.
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
2:36 pm
I see the cons are contributing their usual today.
buck@gon
April 25th, 2011
2:37 pm
LWM @ 10:07,
Pelosi and Sanders I am familiar with, Wiener I am not.
As for liberals I seem to have meant you, in particular, or you and SFD anyway.
Regarding the administration, the political spectrum is not a question for me of absolutes. I have no interest in labeling anyone anything insofar as it affects my policies. Relatively speaking Obama is FAR more liberal than I am and than I care for in my policies. Speaking of that the whole of Washington DC is too liberal for my taste, including even George W. Bush.
As for a person who met the challenges of HIS time with conservative principles as President, I would have to go with Ronald Reagan, even though I see no point in the exercise of placing Reagan in this time and say, he would or should have done this or that right now.
Whatever liberal means, to me, it means truly left-wing. These days that means tending toward socialism, marxist thought. Surely Obama qualifies, does he not? He grew up with strong marxist influences, including his father, his high school teacher, Bill Ayers, Saul Alinsky (whom he once taught to other students) and Jeremiah Wrigt, the grievance-minded dean of black liberation theology. He favors a social agenda the likes of which even Planned Parenthood has said, that they weren’t going to support killing living babies of failed abortions.
Obama’s fiscal policies seem to recognize no debt crisis whatsoever, except that to which he needs to win the percentage of electorate of 2012 that believes in such a crisis. I don’t see Obama as ever having proposed anything himself but liberal policies, in fact. His capitulation to continuance of the Bush tax regime wasn’t really his choice anyway. He was required by politics, seemingly kicking and screaming, to a compromise. Right now in fact, he is reversing course on this, and even raising taxes higher, for the expedience of raising easy revenue.
As for Obama’s foreign policy, I’m afraid I have no idea what to call it. Bush’s foreign policy wasn’t dear to me, but it was crystal clear. Obama’s is a mess of political expedience and seemingly snap decisions consisting of caving to international pressure and demands of the Washington press corps. We should bomb this country, but not that. We will force Ghadafi out, but we aren’t going to. We will close Gitmo, except that we won’t. Anyone calling this foreign policy liberal or conservative is guilty of giving Obama undue credit for thinking before he acts.
As to the difference between Obama and Pelosi, I just do not see it, vis-a-vis areas where they can both be compared.equally, ie., you have to exclude things like foreign policy from the equation. Obama was the most left-wing senator and Pelosi is pretty much the most left-wing House member (there are others, sure (Sanders, Lee, Waters), but none of them have the power Pelosi did).
As for modern left-wingers who are not politicians, I’d go with Paul Krugman, Jay Bookman, The Cynthia, you., etc. I think it’s fair to call you all liberals, especially if to you, I am a conservative.
buck@gon
April 25th, 2011
2:37 pm
The Paul Krugman School or Rhetoric
Dear Mr. Bookman,
Welcome fellow traveler! Thank you for your interest in PKSoR, and we are pleased to grant you acceptance into our program. The Paul Krugman School or Rhetoric is an excellent place to learn to write or to hone your already proficient writing skills for the honor of the vision that we all share for our soon to be great country of which we will all soon be very proud as Michelle Obama said, “for the first time.” We here at PKSOR are making it happen.
In the Paul Krugman School of Rhetoric you will learn:
1. …how to confound conservatives with baseless accusations of racism, neglect, extremism, homophobia and hypocrisy.
2. …the tricks of the trade–convince your friends and the undecided that conservatives are a bunch of rednecks.
3. …how to turn the laws of economics around so that we can rewrite what it means to be successful.
4. …how to find successful economic applications in the fiscal and monetary policies of great nations like Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea.
5. …the tools of the trade. A new vocabulary that will help keep you looking civil while you go for the throat.
In our general roundtable entitled “Nothing to see here folks”, you will learn how to remain unmoved and unflinching when bad news happens., eg., the collapse of the dollar etc. You will learn psychological techniques for coping with bad news and then convincing your political opponents and undecideds that it’s really all the GOP’s fault.
In addition, if you sign up now and pay tuition by May 25, we also have a bonus evening of instruction and interaction with our founder and Nobel Prize laureate, Paul Krugman. This program is famously known as the Paul Krugman Night of Surprises, or PKNOS. We aren’t going to reveal the program just yet, but last years crowd was wowed by Joe Biden karaoke. The Trig and slide show was great for a few giggles too.
Hope to see you this July 4th for the kickoff.
Sincerely,
PK.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
2:38 pm
“I see the cons are contributing their usual today.”
Just another day of insanity called American politics.
JKL2
April 25th, 2011
2:38 pm
“God only knows what we are still doing in Afghanistan
Libya syas “What?”
No wonder Ahmadinejad said obama was a cowboy.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:38 pm
I guess we ran off Getalife…..that was not hard.
Left wing management
April 25th, 2011
2:39 pm
Lil’ Barry Bailout smacks down imaginary enemies and crows to the heavens like the town lunatic.
If you want to speak of “facts”, they are the following: neoliberal ideology, which dominates our politics and of which you are a foot soldier, is bankrupt. And on a certain level, even you know it.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
2:39 pm
USMC,
I got that one beat. This is Obama getting completely flumoxed when his teleprompter went out. This one will have you on the floor laughing. Its just that funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omHUsRTYFAU&NR=1
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:39 pm
Darn wishful thinking.
Paul
April 25th, 2011
2:39 pm
Thulsa
When my kids were little and they wanted something they’d always say “but it’s only ” then they’d say the price.
Some on this blog scream about the deficit and the Obama Administration’s spending but when it comes to corporate subsidies say “it’s only so many billion.”
Unbelievable.
I’m with you. Add up a few ‘but it’s only” and you’ve got a serious chunk of change.
But hey, I always thought four billion was a serious chunk of change…
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:39 pm
THULSA!! HAHAHAHAAHA I love that one.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
2:40 pm
USMC,
As Obama said in the last video I put up if they got asthma cure it with a breathalizer. I’ll try to find the one where Obama said coal gives people asthma. What is it with Obama and asthma anyway?
getalife
April 25th, 2011
2:41 pm
cons,
Who is your candidate that can beat the President?
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:42 pm
Getalife….who needs a candidate? Obama is doing a GREAT JOB of beating himself! Right now I would take Mickey Mouse over him.
JKL2
April 25th, 2011
2:43 pm
GOP gaff = They’re stupid.
Demwit gaff = You’re stupid for not realizing they operate at a higher level than you do. It was a simple mistake because they have bigger things on their mind. Why are you such a racist/hater?
USMC
April 25th, 2011
2:44 pm
That was hilarious Thulsa!
“Who is your candidate that can beat the President?”–getalife
It doesn’t matter who the Republican candidate is, getalife.
Obama will lose in 2012.
buck@gon
April 25th, 2011
2:44 pm
“Just another day of insanity called American politics.”
getalife,
I think that is pessimistic and cliche. If you are down on American politics, is it because you have no hope yourself (or hope and change), or is it because you seek to discourage others with this pap?
Frankly, I think politics is politics, but that liberals are insanity personified–especially given their bare nonchalant acknowledgement of the coming debt crisis.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
2:45 pm
So ug and USMC chose nobody.
I agree.
Nobody will beat him.
Four more years!
buck@gon
April 25th, 2011
2:46 pm
getalife:
“cons,
Who is your candidate that can beat the President?”
getalife
Just so.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
2:46 pm
Obama’s numbers are so low and will continue to shrink as we get closer to the 2012 election.
They will then replace Biden by putting Hillary on the ticket and still Obama will lose.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:46 pm
Getalife….he couldnt even manage to keep his base for two years. What makes you think he will be able to manage 6 more? Hahaha this is TOO easy.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
2:46 pm
Paul,
You’re right. Its still 4 billion and there is no dang way they should get 4 billion. I’m just making the point that 4 billion is a drop in the bucket relative to the mindnumbing amount of tax money they pay and the mindblowing amount of tax that local, state, and federal coffers get from a gallon of oil produced by someone else. That 4 billion is but a grain of sand on a beach if you compare it to the vast amount of tax revenues that oil companies and their product put into govt coffers. The overall tax revenues on gas and on the oil companies themselves would of course be the beach.
mm
April 25th, 2011
2:47 pm
” HAHAHAHAAHA I love that one.”
It doesn’t take much to keep the simpleminded amused.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
2:47 pm
HOPE means: “I don’t have a plan”:-)
getalife
April 25th, 2011
2:48 pm
buck@gon,
I paid very close to American politics during the w disaster.
Now, I see improvement.
I remember when the Clinton team balanced the budget. Then your party blew it so we will probably see history repeating itself again.
Paul
April 25th, 2011
2:49 pm
getalife
Republican candidates who could give him a run for his money will have a tough, if not impossible, time of getting thru the supercon-dominated primaries.
Rather ironic, isn’t it? The cons who hate Obama the most will very likely, by the candidate they’d pick, do the most to ensure Obama’s reelection.
Out for a bit.
mm
April 25th, 2011
2:49 pm
” 4 billion is a drop in the bucket relative to the mindnumbing amount of tax money they pay”
Were you asleep the last few weeks when word hit the news about many of our major corporations paying zero taxes?
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:50 pm
Getalife….”improvement” how?
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
2:50 pm
If you cons want Obama to give you cheap gas, you can start by getting down on both knees and begging.
Mick
April 25th, 2011
2:50 pm
It’s amusing to read supposedly grown adults debate like little grade schoolers. They really get a charge out of making fun of the president who stepped into the worst mess in the past half century courtesy of the previous failure…
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:51 pm
mm….what about the bottom lower class parasites that pay no taxes as well.
Hey those corporations that you speak of. How many people do they employ? How much in taxes do those employees generate? How much in taxes does the government make when the public buys their products or use their services???? GET A CLUE!!
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:52 pm
TaxPayer. But the left is already on their needs bowing to their king Barry Soetoro.
Doggone/GA
April 25th, 2011
2:52 pm
“:what about the bottom lower class parasites that pay no taxes as well”
They don’t exist
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
2:52 pm
UGA1999 and USMC,
The Obama and the asthma/breathalizer one is pretty funny but for me the Corrinne Brown on the Florida gatas one is more funny because she butchers about 600 words in the English language and does it all in only 3-4 minutes.
getalife
April 25th, 2011
2:53 pm
“The cons who hate Obama the most will very likely, by the candidate they’d pick, do the most to ensure Obama’s reelection”
It will be highly entertaining .They are attacking each other already. rove vs trump. beck vs gomer.
Great stuff.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
2:53 pm
Doggone…..really? Hmmm because I thought they thought that Obama (God) was going to pay their gas bill and their mortgages….Hence the previous Youtube video of the Dems finest!
USMC
April 25th, 2011
2:53 pm
Jay, why was my 2:49pm put under moderation? What did I say wrong?
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
2:53 pm
Thulsa Doom on those evil ole oil companies @1:38 pm
Doom, I’m humbled by your comments. Thanks.
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
2:53 pm
But the left is already on their needs bowing to their king Barry Soetoro.
Glad to hear that you are not one of those whining about high gas prices.
Mick
April 25th, 2011
2:54 pm
Even if obama has ticked off his base, they will still vote for him because there isn’t a republican out there that can be trusted….4 more years..
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
2:55 pm
Doggone/GA
April 25th, 2011
2:52 pm
“:what about the bottom lower class parasites that pay no taxes as well”
They don’t exist
Doggone/GA,
Really? People that live off of welfare, medicaid, and basically contribute nothing to society and certainly no taxes they just drain it. They don’t exist? Really?
Doggone/GA
April 25th, 2011
2:55 pm
“Doggone…..really?”
Yes, really
JKL2
April 25th, 2011
2:55 pm
getalife- “Who is your candidate that can beat the President?”
I’m still waiting for Jay’s endorsement. I’m sure he’ll tell us who the best one is since devotes at least one column a week to the topic.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
2:56 pm
“Corrinne Brown on the Florida gatas’
Yeah, Corrine said a mouth full didn’t she? That was entertaining.
But think about it… She is U.S. Congresswoman… That’s scary:-)
Aquagirl
April 25th, 2011
2:56 pm
I’d say John Kyl claiming “his remark was not intended to be a factual statement” is far funnier than ‘ol Hank’s fears about Guam-tipping—-but when you think about it, it’s not as funny any more. It’s friggin’ scary. Unlike the Gogators! woman, Kyl thought he was serious.
Doggone/GA
April 25th, 2011
2:57 pm
“People that live off of welfare, medicaid, and basically contribute nothing to society and certainly no taxes they just drain it”
They most certainly DO pay taxes.
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
2:57 pm
Paul: MPercy The vehicles I cited belong to the ‘light truck’ category. That’s separate from the “Passenger Car” category.
Ah, I failed to notice that. Carry on then.
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
2:58 pm
I think the Republicans will end up nominating John McCain.
Tommy Maddox
April 25th, 2011
2:58 pm
Yeah that hope & change business is working well.
Guy Incognito
April 25th, 2011
2:58 pm
Doggie,
They file Fed income taxes? Or is this your little 3rd grade semantic argument, “Nuh uh, they pay payroll tax and sales tax………blah blah blah
Child
USMC
April 25th, 2011
2:58 pm
“Even if obama has ticked off his base, they will still vote for him because there isn’t a republican out there that can be trusted….4 more years”
Boy, talk about dishonest…
Obama Lies 7 Times In Under 2 Minutes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfu1_Scgyow
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
2:59 pm
Just imagine how high gas prices would be if Bush had not attacked Iraq.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
2:59 pm
jm @ 1:34
You don’t get solar any cheaper without research and/or trial and error. Think about how far behind we’d be in automotive technology if Ford and others had decided to use your approach and just wait until automobile making got cheaper? We’re not putting much effort into making it cheaper, while, Germany has an entire region focused on research. We have far more land area and sun exposure than they do.
poison pen
April 25th, 2011
3:00 pm
getalife
April 25th, 2011
2:45 pm
So ug and USMC chose nobody.
I agree.
Nobody will beat him.
Four more years!
Getalife, I think you were saying the same thing last November.
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
3:00 pm
The cons did not vote for Obama! I’m shocked… awed. Was it because he lied to them.
Bosch
April 25th, 2011
3:00 pm
“because I thought they thought ”
That’s your problem right there.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
3:00 pm
MPercy,
I’ve always enjoyed your research on these blogs and have copied and pasted several of your research points from previous blogs- particularly on taxation issues such as when Jay was blogging about the effective tax rate on the 400 wealthiest Americans. On more than one occasion you pretty much ran Jay off the blog which is pretty funny and so I figured you’re research has to be pretty good if Jay up and quits his own blog. Keep it coming.
Doggone/GA
April 25th, 2011
3:01 pm
“They file Fed income taxes? Or is this your little 3rd grade semantic argument”
Nope, just waiting for you to come back with this EXACT statement. You said they “pay NO TAXES” – they do pay taxes, they just don’t pay income tax – because they are low enough on the economic scale that they don’t owe any. You can thank Georgie boy for the increase in their numbers.
It seems like everry other day or so we have to explain this fact to one or more of you clowns: that no INCOME tax is NOT the same as NO TAX
AngryRedMarsWoman
April 25th, 2011
3:02 pm
“Even if obama has ticked off his base, they will still vote for him because there isn’t a republican out there that can be trusted”
Why wouldn’t they instead demand that their party consider a candidate who doesn’t tick them off? Is there some rule that the incumbent president has to run for re-election? No, I didn’t think so. If any portion of the Democratic base is unhappy with President Obama then they should demand a new candidate to challenge President Obama for the nomination…simple as that. Make the convention exciting rather than a “done deal” long before it is held.
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
3:02 pm
SoCo,
Go easy on jm. He probably still believes that Swiss watch movements will make a comeback.
Mick
April 25th, 2011
3:02 pm
usmc
So, who’s your guy?
USMC
April 25th, 2011
3:03 pm
“They file Fed income taxes? Or is this your little 3rd grade semantic argument, “Nuh uh, they pay payroll tax and sales tax………blah blah blah”
Yeah, Guy, I think they still have to pay sales tax… even with their food stamps:-)
Dave R.
April 25th, 2011
3:03 pm
“I remember when the GOP Congress balanced the budget.”
Fixed your typo, getaclue. No thanks needed.
Reality is a b!tch, isn’t it?
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
3:04 pm
Doggone…..Do they pay federal income taxes. The answer is NO.
You speak of corporations cheating the system for taxes. However did you know the major of all tax cheats are lower class citizens lying about the number of chilren they have.
See they dont see their childrens as their youth…they see them as a paycheck……WHO DAT MY BABIES MAMA!! hahahaha
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
3:05 pm
USMC,
The 7 lies in 2 minutes wasn’t as much funny as it was maddening. Sure enough each of those statements is a proven lie- I just can’t figure out which one is the worst.
Mick
April 25th, 2011
3:05 pm
**On more than one occasion you pretty much ran Jay off the blog**
Your perception is your reality, but I don’t recall that ever happening. Besides, It’s pretty hard to have winners and losers on an opinion blog, even the best data can be manipulated to prove your own point.
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
3:06 pm
Po Folks don’t pay taxes! No taxes at all! Oh NO! How do they do that. I thought only GE could pull that off.
Bosch
April 25th, 2011
3:06 pm
“Do they pay federal income taxes.”
That was not the original point that Doggone was addressing.
Doggone/GA
April 25th, 2011
3:06 pm
“Do they pay federal income taxes.”
Once again…with feeling: not paying INCOME tax is NOT THE SAME AS NOT PAYING TAXES
Got it now? The original statement was that they PAY NO TAXES
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
3:07 pm
“Yeah, Guy, I think they still have to pay sales tax… even with their food stamps:-)”
LOL…I flummoxed Kamchak with this exact same point, so much so that he signed off the blog for the day.
If someone has no job, and all of their housing, food, etc is totally provided by taxpayer funding, can we really say they are “paying” sales taxes?
Mick
April 25th, 2011
3:08 pm
dave r
Yeah they balanced the budget by voting against the clinton tax increase – every last one of them. You can’t take credit when you have a no vote on record…
USMC
April 25th, 2011
3:08 pm
“So, who’s your guy?”
I’m not sure yet, Mick. I will play wait and see.
I think Romney is probably the most electable though.
(that’s who I voted for last time when McCain won the nomination)
How is the South Florida weather today?(dumb question)
Disgusted
April 25th, 2011
3:09 pm
However did you know the major of all tax cheats are lower class citizens lying about the number of chilren they have.
What a bunch of unadulterated bunkum! You can’t claim a dependent without supplying a Social Security number for that dependent. The Internal Revenue Service instantly checks that number against the Social Security database. The days of claiming an inflated number of dependents are long gone.
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
3:09 pm
Harry Callahan pays no taxes. Well, make my day.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
3:09 pm
Mick…you do realize that when Obama extended the Bush Tax Code that unemployment actually lowered? What do you think is going to happen if Obama raises taxes? unemployment 10,11,12,13%?
Doggone/GA
April 25th, 2011
3:10 pm
“can we really say they are “paying” sales taxes?”
yes, just as we can say that companies who buy things with the money their customers give them are paying taxes
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
3:10 pm
“Once again…with feeling: not paying INCOME tax is NOT THE SAME AS NOT PAYING TAXES”
Once again…with feeling; Social Security and Medicare are insurance programs, where you get a benefit in return…NOT really taxes. And my guess is that anyone paying zero federal income tax likely pays zero state income tax as well.
So, despite the lame attempts to split hairs, about 50% of Americans contribute little or nothing when it comes to funding our government.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
3:10 pm
Mick,
When we were debating the 400 wealthiest Americans and their effective tax rates Jay was on the blog most of the day. Then MPercy came on and produced some stats from the IRS about their effective tax rates that flat out proved Jay wrong. Jay not only did not have an answer for him but he simply left the blog. Go back and look it up.
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
3:10 pm
Jay….What kind of whine goes well with $4 gasoline?
USMC
April 25th, 2011
3:11 pm
“The 7 lies in 2 minutes wasn’t as much funny as it was maddening. Sure enough each of those statements is a proven lie- I just can’t figure out which one is the worst.”
I know Thulsa and yet the mainstream media just let’s Obama off the hook all of the time.
They treat Obama with kid-gloves.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
3:11 pm
Doggone: It seems like everry other day or so we have to explain this fact to one or more of you clowns: that no INCOME tax is NOT the same as NO TAX
And they all said, AMEN!
Taxpayer: Go easy on jm. He probably still believes that Swiss watch movements will make a comeback.
I actually like going back and forth with jm. He actually articulates things as an adult without all of the namecalling. He also backs up what he says with information as opposed to just expecting his word to be enough. I can respect that, even if we don’t see eye to eye on something. That’s exhibiting a level of class that we don’t often have in political discourse.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
3:11 pm
Disgusted???? Right…keep thinking that. Go talk to any CPA they will all tell you the same thing.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
3:12 pm
“yes, just as we can say that companies who buy things with the money their customers give them are paying taxes”
Congratulations…dumbest post of the day!
Doggone/GA
April 25th, 2011
3:13 pm
“Social Security and Medicare are insurance programs, where you get a benefit in return…NOT really taxes”
And *I* never mentioned either one of those. Stop trying to narrow it down. The original statement was NO TAXES, with no qualifications
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
3:13 pm
Doggone, do companies get money from customers without giving anything in return, you know, like welfare recipients do?
USMC
April 25th, 2011
3:14 pm
“Jay….What kind of whine goes well with $4 gasoline?”
answer: MadDog MD20/20!
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
3:14 pm
Doggone…..you are the one that is side stepping the subject. Great job.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
3:14 pm
“And *I* never mentioned either one of those. Stop trying to narrow it down. The original statement was NO TAXES, with no qualifications”
So tell us what taxes they pay, if that’s your insinuation.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
3:14 pm
Harry Callahan,
I was wondering the same point. Doggone/GA has the mistaken notion that welfare recipients pay taxes in the form of sales taxes. But if their housing, food, medical care, and welfare check are all provided to them via other taxpayers then how is it that they themselves pay sales taxes? Wouldn’t it be the other taxpayers who are actually generating sales tax revenue on behalf of the parasite?
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
3:14 pm
If someone has no job, and all of their housing, food, etc is totally provided by taxpayer funding, can we really say they are “paying” sales taxes?
Other than not having a job, you’re pretty much describing the military. If you have proof, I’d like to know of at least one person that fits the description that you gave: “… no job, and all of their housing, food, etc is totally provided by taxpayer funding“
Doggone/GA
April 25th, 2011
3:15 pm
“Congratulations…dumbest post of the day!”
Nope, far from it. Companies do print their own money. The ONLY money they have is what they get by selling their goods and/or services. Their CUSTOMERS pay all of their bills, including their taxes.
stands for decibels
April 25th, 2011
3:15 pm
If any portion of the Democratic base is unhappy with President Obama then they should demand a new candidate to challenge President Obama for the nomination…simple as that. Make the convention exciting rather than a “done deal” long before it is held.
AngryRed, that sounds fine in theory. But if anyone is in a position to seriously primary challenge Obama in 2012, Obama’s probably not going to win the general election. That’s just a fact of political life.
How it will likely play out instead is, we’ll maybe see someone like Kucinich on the margins, trying to keep Obama honest (and that’s cool, I guess) but I don’t see that person taking anything more than a token share of delegates.
Put another way, the national convention isn’t going to be “exciting.” You really don’t want it to be.
Mick
April 25th, 2011
3:15 pm
doom
Let me follow your logic here: You think because jay left his blog he capitulated? I leave, you leave, when something more important comes up. You are assuming, and in some professions when people assume, others can get hurt. Now, no one is correct 100% of the time but I’ll stick with bookman, it’s his job and he has to be more factually accurate before signing off on a column.
Doggone/GA
April 25th, 2011
3:15 pm
Oops! “companies do NOT print their own money
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
3:16 pm
Thulsa,
Your interpretation of the economic contributions to society made by the welfare recipient is essentially the same as mine.
AngryRedMarsWoman
April 25th, 2011
3:16 pm
“It seems like everry other day or so we have to explain this fact to one or more of you clowns: that no INCOME tax is NOT the same as NO TAX.”
I am sympathetic to the plight of people who are at a level where they don’t pay income taxes, but did you ever consider that once they get their EITC check and you credit it against the payroll, sales and other non-income taxes they pay it might work out to $0? A single mom making $25k with two kids gets an EITC check of $3.2k – okay, she doesn’t pay income taxes because she is pretty poor, but with the EITC she is getting back what she paid in Social Security and Medicare “taxes” plus most, if not all, of what she paid in sales tax. And that doesn’t even take into account the child support she is hopefully receiving each month – which is tax free to her and also not included in the EITC calculation.
I have sympathy for people. I really do. But this constant argument that while they may not pay “income” taxes they pay lots of other taxes is sort of illogical to me once you factor in the EITC and see that it covers most, if not all, of those other taxes. I know there are exceptions. I know there are people who do not receive EITC. I know, I know….but there are still way too many folks out there who are actually paying nothing.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
3:16 pm
MadDog MD20/20!
Only if it’s this one right here….
http://crimecrawlers.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/86458300-orange.jpg
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
3:17 pm
Taxpayer: Go easy on jm. He probably still believes that Swiss watch movements will make a comeback.- Southern Comfort
You never know Southern Comfort- Bell bottoms made a little bit of a comeback- not much but a wee bit.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
3:17 pm
“Other than not having a job, you’re pretty much describing the military.”
Well, gee, having or not having a job is pretty much the crux of the matter, is it not?
Disgusted
April 25th, 2011
3:17 pm
Disgusted???? Right…keep thinking that. Go talk to any CPA they will all tell you the same thing.
Nonsense! Just try submitting a federal tax return listing a nonexistent dependent. It will be flat-out rejected. Every CPA knows that. There’s a reason that taxpayers are required to supply the SSN of every dependent on Form 1040 or 1040A. And the SSN is checked against the SS database before a return is ever accepted.
Doggone/GA
April 25th, 2011
3:17 pm
“Doggone/GA has the mistaken notion that welfare recipients pay taxes in the form of sales taxes”
No I don’t. We do not…yet…have 47% of our population on welfare. There are good, hardworking people – hard WORKING people – who are still low enough on the economic scale that they owe no INCOME tax. They still pay taxes.
It’s not ALL just about welfare recipients.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
3:19 pm
” But this constant argument that while they may not pay “income” taxes they pay lots of other taxes is sort of illogical to me”
It’s way past illogical…it’s downright stupid.
Mick
April 25th, 2011
3:19 pm
usmc
The weather is so-so, heading into the mean season. Romney will get shellacked by romney care and his notorious flip floppin. With that being said, He is the most sane out of that whole minor league bench…
Keep Up the Good Fight!
April 25th, 2011
3:19 pm
Once all taxes are taken into account, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the richest one percent of Americans pay about 28 percent of total federal taxes, which is right in line with their 25 percent share of total income. And therein lies the real story: the richest one percent of Americans pay such a large share of federal income taxes because they make such a large share of the overall income.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
3:19 pm
“Only if it’s this one right here….”
Pass me a cup, Soco… Oh yeah, that’s the kind that you drink straight from the bottle:-)
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
3:20 pm
” But this constant argument that while they may not pay “income” taxes they pay lots of other taxes is sort of illogical to me”
And besides…it’s federal income taxes that are the crux of the current political debate in this country. NOT state taxes, or local taxes, or sales taxes.
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
3:20 pm
USMC…..I do believe that you could just pour that MD 20/20 in the gas tank and drive on that.
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
3:20 pm
Doggone….47% on welfare….good, hardworking people//////REALLY,,,,WOW
Keep Up the Good Fight!
April 25th, 2011
3:21 pm
The richest one percent owns as much financial wealth as the bottom 95 percent of Americans — 40 percent of all the wealth in America. Four hundred Americans — the richest 0.0001 percent of the country — have as much wealth as the bottom half of the country combined.
Yes, the rich should pay more.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
3:21 pm
Mick,
I understand what you’re saying. Just because Jay left doesn’t mean he left cause someone gave him a blog beatdown. What I’m saying is that this happened twice where Jay was on the blog the whole day- MPercy contributed some irrefutable data and logic both times- and Jay up and mysteriously disappeared. Could very well be Jay just had to go. I just found it odd that he was gone like a fart in the wind both times when presented with some evidence that he couldn’t refute. That’s all.
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
3:22 pm
That’s exhibiting a level of class that we don’t often have in political discourse.
SoCo,
You somehow managed to use “class” in the same sentence with “political discourse.” I commend you on your ability to post such a sentence. I break out laughing every time I try and therefore am unable to accomplish said task.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
3:23 pm
“The weather is so-so, heading into the mean season. Romney will get shellacked by romney care and his notorious flip floppin. With that being said, He is the most sane out of that whole minor league bench…”
I’m not sure if Romney will even get the nomination, but Obama wasn’t even a minor leaguer and won. Obama had NO experience period, so I disagree. But I do believe Obama will lose, even with Hillary Clinton on ticket, to whoever wins the Republican nomination.
We shall see, though.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
3:24 pm
“USMC…..I do believe that you could just pour that MD 20/20 in the gas tank and drive on that.”
LOL! You can also clean a rifle with it!
TaxPayer
April 25th, 2011
3:25 pm
And besides…it’s federal income taxes that are the crux of the current political debate in this country. NOT state taxes, or local taxes, or sales taxes.
Not really. I pay more in state local and sales taxes than I do in federal taxes and the Republicans want us to pay even more.
Mick
April 25th, 2011
3:26 pm
doom
Like I said, your perception is the reality, so if it seemed like jay got thumped, maybe he did. He seems to be pretty competitive about fact checking however, your take on it may very well be correct…
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
3:26 pm
Now some politician wants us to help the Syrian Rebels.Is there any ME country that we are NOT bombing already?
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
3:26 pm
Doom
Good point on the bell bottoms!!!
USMC
No cup. Straight out the bottle from a brown paper sack…
TaxPayer
I haven’t completely given up on us politically. We’re about 80% fubar, but there’s a slight chance we can pull a miracle from this mess.
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
3:29 pm
Yes, MadDog has some firepower behind it.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
3:29 pm
Mick,
Or I may very well be wrong! It just seemed obvious to me that he by far got the better of Jay on both days. But like ya said everyone’s perception can be different and “perception is reality”.
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
3:29 pm
“Four hundred Americans — the richest 0.0001 percent of the country — have as much wealth as the bottom half of the country combined.”
Given that the bottom half probably has a net worth of zero, due to their own decisions (buying houses they can’t afford/no equity, upside down in car loans, credit card debt, etc) this is hardly surprising.
Splavistic
April 25th, 2011
3:30 pm
I welcome high prices. It’s the only way to really get alternative energy to market. Just live near where you work, people. Yes, take personal responsibility! Carpool, ride a bike, take MARTA. It’s a lifestyle change that you either embrace or just stay miserable the rest of your life.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
3:30 pm
LOL! You can also clean a rifle with it!
Was MD 20/20 the precursor to WD 40?
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
3:30 pm
harry…>AMEN!
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
3:30 pm
“Not really. I pay more in state local and sales taxes than I do in federal taxes and the Republicans want us to pay even more.”
Republicans are lobbying for higher taxes at the state and local level? Really? Source?
@@
April 25th, 2011
3:31 pm
And what does Obama do about it…he authorizes a task force to look into it…
I found that very amusing. He announces one day that there’ll be an investigation of speculators, only to say two days later, that there’s “no silver bullet” when it comes to gas prices.
First he leaves people to think that he IS the silver bullet then declares there ISN’T one.
I think they call that a ricocheting silver bullet.
How many task forces has he formed during his 28 months in office? Seems like every time I check in, he’s forming “something”. Manure perhaps?
If you’re riding a horse and it dies, get off!
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
3:32 pm
Is there anybody out there that didn’t drink some mad dog 20/20 as a teenager? Or some boone’s farm strawberry wine?
Or dare I say the kickin rooster thunderbird?
What’s the word? Thunderbird?
What’s the price? Sixty twice!
Who drinks the most? Poor white folks!
Come on now! Fess up! I know I aint the only one in here that drank some of that stuff!
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
3:33 pm
“Was MD 20/20 the precursor to WD 40?”
No…that was Thunderbird wine.
What’s the word? THUNDERBIRD!!!
What’s the price? A DOLLAR TWICE!!!
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
3:34 pm
LOL!!! Thulsa and I were typing at the same time…
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
3:35 pm
How did MadDog get it’s name? Said backwards, it is the first you say after the first sip.
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 25th, 2011
3:35 pm
LWM, you got schooled on that ethanol import tax. No response from you except to drag out your usual straw herrings.
I win.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
3:37 pm
@@,
Last count was 37 when gas prices ran up during Bush. Congressman railed and wanted some studies done to prove collusion, etc. At that point in time something like 37 studies had all concluded the same thing at various times- that there is no collusion and that if there is it could ” could possibly account for a 1% rise in the price of gas”. “could possibly” mind you and that was for a possible explanation for about 1 % of the rise in gas prices. The rest was explainable with supply/ demand and mostly kinks in the distribution system such as the pipeline from LA. being disrupted for several days in the wake of Katrina.
USMC
April 25th, 2011
3:37 pm
“No cup. Straight out the bottle from a brown paper sack…
”
I’m with ya Soco! Bust that badboy open!
Keep Up the Good Fight!
April 25th, 2011
3:38 pm
Given that the bottom half probably has a net worth of zero, due to their own decisions (buying houses they can’t afford/no equity, upside down in car loans, credit card debt, etc) this is hardly surprising
Rather due to the greed of the unscrupulous, pay day lenders, title pwn shops, employers violating labor laws and failing to pay proper wages, “company stores”, and a housing market bubble that crashed because of the greed and stupidity of Wall Street.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
3:38 pm
Damn… Not the BIRD!!!!! There should be many livers harder than concrete from consuming Thunderbird.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
3:38 pm
Harry Callahan,
So are you fessin up or did you just like the jingle?
stands for decibels
April 25th, 2011
3:39 pm
If there’s some way to manage some positive spin over how the House GOPers have handled their DOMA legal case, I’m all ears.
see also:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-25/clement-quits-king-spalding-over-marriage-act-decision-2-.html
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
3:39 pm
“So are you fessin up or did you just like the jingle?”
I’ve drank it (drunk it?) before…college kids do stupid stuff
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
3:40 pm
Does anyone here remember a locally produced, cheap, Peach wine from the 60s. I forget the brand name. That was a rotgut.
stands for decibels
April 25th, 2011
3:40 pm
whoopsie, got dead threaded on a topic I just posted about @ 3.39… headin’ upstairs.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
3:40 pm
Doom @ 3:32
That list sounds like a post-football Friday night menu from high school…… How I still ended up less than 2 points from Valedictorian, I’ll never know…
USMC
You’re my kinda guy!!!!
UGA1999
April 25th, 2011
3:41 pm
Bada Bing…..Boones Farm?
Harry Callahan
April 25th, 2011
3:42 pm
“Rather due to the greed of the unscrupulous, pay day lenders, title pwn shops, employers violating labor laws and failing to pay proper wages, “company stores”, and a housing market bubble that crashed because of the greed and stupidity of Wall Street.”
Anything to avoid taking responsibility for your own decisions, eh?
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
3:42 pm
Southern Comfort,
As soon as I got my first part time job washing dishes at Quincys steakhouse I moved up to the good stuff like Old Milwaukee and the beast. Only did the kickin rooster once or twice and maddog- oh lordy. My liver is about to give out just thinking bout the maddog.
Bada bing was right about maddog spelled backwards cause that’s what you say after the first sip.
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
3:45 pm
Not Boone’s Farm, they might have had one, but that was not the brand I recall.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
3:45 pm
The truth comes out with all the fessin up from the mad dog, thunderbird, and boones farm drinkers. Ya’ll nasty!
onpatroll
April 25th, 2011
3:45 pm
Well, you’ll have to pry my steering wheel from my cold dead hands…
chuck must be huge.
RW-(the original)
April 25th, 2011
3:46 pm
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.–26th amendment
Where did they hide the clause that says 17 year olds can be deemed 18 year olds in federal elections?
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
3:48 pm
When I was a teenager, all of us would drive to Adamsville in SW Atl. and give old men on the street a few bucks to buy us some alcohol. Lord only knows what we were drinking, I could hardly force it down.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
3:48 pm
Bada
Just read that 3:35, and you got my sides cramping from laughin so damned hard!!!!!! I had never heard that before, but I completely agree with it.
Doom
I was around 10 when I had my first Old Milwaukee. My high school years were fueled by Boone’s, Mad Dog, Thunderbird, and Brass Monkey…. I’ll probably eventually need a liver transplant or something. Hell, one night, I tried stepping out of a car and missed the ground after drinking mad dog. That stuff is dangerous.
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
3:51 pm
As I recall, the booze we were drinking was so bad, that I held a gun on my friend and forced him to drink some. Then he held the gun on me.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
3:51 pm
Damn Bada. That had to be some bad booze..
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
3:54 pm
SOCO….I will trade you a liver for a tank of gas.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
3:56 pm
LOL!!! You sure? We’ll have to have that liver professionally examined first.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
3:56 pm
keep up the good fight at 3:38pm,
Its a strange day when I find myself in agreement with keep up. And no. I’m not even hitting the maddog 20/20 or the rooster that we’ve been talking about.
Everyone knows someone- a friend, family member, classmate, someone who went through hard times and made the mistake of going to a pay day lender, title loan place, etc. Its no secret that these places prey on poor people, people down on their luck, or yes- people who just made a series of poor decisions. I had a friend that was outta work and ended up doing the title loan thing- and lost his car. He was a monumental screw up but eventually made his way back and is now a successful tax paying businessman who is selling franchises to his business. Very proud of him but I’ve no sympathy for the pay day lenders or title loan places that prey on people at their weakest.
In an interesting note I used to have a lot of business with the military at the big base in Fort Stewart in Hinesville, GA. As everyone knows E-1-E-3 barely make anything and a lot of them ended up taking title loans, pay day loans, etc and just getting into a hole they could never get out of. The base commander forbade the soldiers from doing business with that particular industry. I don’t know how he enforced it but he made it a punishable rule. And this was the base that is home to the famed 3rd Infantry Division which did a lot of the heavy fighting in both Gulf wars with Iraq.
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
4:00 pm
SOCO, oh you want to haggle do you.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
4:01 pm
Doom
All one has to do is drive the roads that lead to the gates at posts and bases and see that. I’m in agreement with the both of you.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
4:02 pm
Bada
I don’t want to end up with two bum livers.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
4:04 pm
Bada Bing,
Putting a gun to your buddy to make sure he has to drink the same crap. Now that’s bad bad.
Reminds me of when I was 18 and me and a friend bought a boat together and got the bright idea of going skiing in February on the Alabama river. It was in the 60s so we figured how cold can the water be. So we flipped a coin and he went into the water first. When it was my turn I jumped in and damn near went into shock and swam back into the boat. He drove the boat away and wouldn’t let me in until I skied also. He later told me he wasn’t going to be the only fool to jump into a river in February so that’s why he drove the boat away and wouldn’t let me in. Thank God we had been drinking some manner of cheap beer that day cause that was the only thing that kept us going.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
4:13 pm
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
4:01 pm
Doom
All one has to do is drive the roads that lead to the gates at posts and bases and see that. I’m in agreement with the both of you.
Southern Comfort,
Its enough to piss you off on the title loan and payday loan thing. I’m all for capitalism and all that but on that industry I just think they prey on poor people and once there in a hole they are in a hole. Matter of fact I remember reading about a pawn shop owner in the business section- I think he was featured as the business personality of the week. Custrs spoke glowingly of him and he of his customers. He had one little ole lady month in and month out who just couldn’t make it till the end of the month on her fixed income. She would come to him with her diamond ring- he would lend her the $100-$200 or whatever it was till her check hit on the first. She would then retrieve it and pay off the loan and then 2 weeks later be right back to pawn the same ring all over again. This went on for years. Makes me sick to think how much this poor woman spent in interest on this viscious cycle. I guess she was too uneducated to understand how much this cost her over time.
BADA BING
April 25th, 2011
4:17 pm
Doom, been there, I used to jet ski in the Hooch off Roswell Rd. at the park on Azelia Drive. I went one year on my birthday in December. It was a record 70 degrees on Dec 1, 1990. I had a 1/2 wet suit on and it still turned me blue. That water is cold even in August.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
4:26 pm
Doom
I feel you. I’ve seen it first-hand myself. I’ve given family and friends money instead of letting them go that route. It’s a no interest loan that they can pay back when they can. I have no problem helping someone who’s trying to help themselves.
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
4:34 pm
mm @2:49 pm Were you asleep the last few weeks when word hit the news about many of our major corporations paying zero taxes?
The CBO produced a report “THE INCIDENCE OF THE CORPORATE INCOME TAX” in which it states:
“A corporation may write its check to the Internal Revenue Service for payment of the
corporate income tax, but that money must come from somewhere: from reduced returns to investors in the company, lower wages to its workers, or higher prices that consumers pay for the products the company produces.”
Read that over and over until it sinks in.
It goes on to say “Although economists are far from a consensus about exactly who bears how much of the burden of the corporate income tax…The short-term burden of the corporate tax probably falls on stockholders or investors in general…In the very long term, the burden is likely to be shifted in part to labor”
So, while trying to “Stick it” to big evil corporations, the people who end up getting hurt the most are the people who have invested in the companies in their 401(k), IRA, pension, and mutual funds and/or the workers who will receive lower wages or lower employment figures overall.
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
4:40 pm
Doggone/GA @2:52 pm “:what about the bottom lower class parasites that pay no taxes as well” They don’t exist
At the federal level, they sure do. There is an increasing number of households that pay, effectively, no federal income taxes *or* federal payroll taxes. Currently, this is about 20% of “tax units”. Their EITC and other credits more than offset their total combined income and FICA taxes.
Thus, the only federal taxes they pay are the gasoline excise tax and maybe some phone-related excise taxes, and there is a good chance that their excess income tax credits more than offset those as well.
Now, state and local taxes are another matter.
Thulsa Doom
April 25th, 2011
4:49 pm
Bada Bing,
We were too young and stupid to have on at least half a web suit. We just had shorts. A full wet suit probably would have made it bearable.I’m out yalll have a good one.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
April 25th, 2011
4:53 pm
Later Doom…
I’m right behind ya.
Gas Blues: The Price of Gasoline Climbs to $3.88 – ABC News - - ГАЗ България
April 25th, 2011
5:01 pm
[...] SunGas Posing a Political ProblemFox BusinessCNN -Dallas Morning News (blog) -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)all 1,838 news [...]
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
5:06 pm
Doggone/GA @3:01 pm
http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/numbers/displayatab.cfm?Docid=2408&DocTypeID=7
“Tax Units with Zero or Negative Sum of Income and Payroll Taxes, 2010″
Number (millions) 34.9
As percent of all tax units 22.8
I’ll conceded that they may pay some federal excise taxes, esp. gasoline excise tax. In the case where their excise taxes do not exceed their “negative sum of income and and payroll taxes”, they are *not* paying federal taxes in any capacity. Of course, they’d need to consume 540 gallons of gas to reach $100 of gas excise taxes (10 gallons/week or so).
When they are not effectively paying any payroll taxes, the notion that SS/Medicare are “insurance” is belied. For these tax units, SS/Medicare are straight transfer payments–they will not have paid into the system (or rather, they paid in with someone else’s money) but will take out just the same.
And as always, state and local taxes are a different matter.
MPercy
April 25th, 2011
5:22 pm
Keep Up the Good Fight! @3:19 pm
The CBO puts out a nice paper every year. It starts with data from 1979 and currently ends with 2005.
Total Effective Federal Tax Rate (income+payroll+excise+…)
* the lowest quintile rate was 8.0% in 1979 and 4.3% in 2005
* percentile 96-99 rate was 27.7% in 1979 and 25.7% in 2005
* top 0.01 percentile rate was 42.9% in 1979 and 31.5% in 2005
Effective Income Tax Rate
* the lowest quintile rate was 0.0% in 1979 and negative 6.5% (-6.5 percent) in 2005
* percentile 96-99 rate was 16.7% in 1979 and 15.2% in 2005
* top 0.01 rate was 21.0% in 1979 and 17.0% in 2005
Share of Total Federal Tax Liabilities
* the lowest quintile paid 2.1% in 1979 and 0.8% in 2005
* percentile 96-99 paid 14.2% in 1979 and 16.3% in 2005
* top 1 percentile paid 15.4% in 1979 and 27.6% in 2005
* top 0.01 percentile paid 2.7% in 1979 and 6.5% in 2005
Share of Pre-Tax Income
* the lowest quintile earned 5.8% in 1979 and 4.0% in 2005
* percentile 96-99 earned 11.4% in 1979 and 13.0% in 2005
* top 1 percentile earned 9.2% in 1979 and 18% in 2005
* top 0.01 percentile earned 1.4% in 1979 and 4.2% in 2005
In 1979, the 96-99 percentile was 3.408M households earning an average of $162,400.
In 2005, the 96-99 percentile was 4.672M households earning an average of $269,800.
In 1979, the top 0.01% was 9,000 households, earning an average pretax income of $7.33M.
In 2005, the top 0.01% was 11,000 households earning an average of pretax income $35.47M.
buck@gon
April 25th, 2011
5:37 pm
getalife @ 2:48
As liberals and democrats like to say about Reagan, I will say about Bill Clinton. He never submitted a balanced budget. But boy oh boy, do we ever hear the cliche’s about the W disaster. We’re sick of them. It’s time to grow up and focus on the present.
And if you think that “our (what I’m sure you would call a ) conservative mess” including trillion dollar deficits, runaway entitlement spending (that W had attempted to fix via S. Security and Medicare, then harmed with Presc Drugs) in a worsening economy where the dollar is becoming worth less and less, where it is being dumped by many as the default world currency, will be fixed by same old Democrat “spend, baby spend,” there’s a bridge I want to show you.
It’s on North Avenue in downtown Atlanta. Cashflow is good, but I’m willing to sell it to you. Asking price is $10 million.
If you believe government can spend our way out of a recession, by either printing money or by borrowing money to give to retirees and hospitals, then why not by the bridge? Call your congressman and have them wish up the money for you.
That would be legal, right?
buck@gon
April 25th, 2011
5:41 pm
getalife,
Also, “politics” is very different from policy, economics and foreign policy. You can play politics, for example, as they all do, but you could say, have a foreign policy or an economic policy be clear or not. In the W-disaster case, both policies were pretty clear, foreign much more than economic.
In our current President’s case, nothing is clear. No one is sure of anything, where they stand with us or outside the country.
If you listen to NPR or read Jay Bookman, the politics though are MUCH BETTER now. Isn’t that nice?
Mighty Righty
April 25th, 2011
6:01 pm
The left has been making excuses for thirty years why we can’t drill. Not enough oil to make an impact on prices, kills, the Caribou, will destroy the environment, would take ten years to have any impact, etc., etc. Meanwhile they actually advocate higher prices. Implement policies which are designed to increase energy cost, then when energy does go up, they act shocked and blame big oil, wall street, Republicans, anybody but themselvse. Hypocrits all, everyone.
Mighty Righty
April 25th, 2011
6:19 pm
Jay, Many of us are on fixed incomes, unemployment, welfare, earning less money than we did two years ago, struggling to make ends meet, while our transportation cost has increased hundreds o dollars a month, our food cost has increased another hundred or two. We are stuck with a President who’s policies are contributing to the economic demise of this country, sitting cluless with his finger in his you know what, and you representing the liberal thought in this country are saying quit whining!
Joe Mama
April 25th, 2011
6:20 pm
The right has been making excuses for thirty years why we can’t invest in alternative energy resources. Not enough wind/sun/tides/geothermal energy to make an impact on prices, solar energy doesn’t work at night, can’t plug cars into a wall socket, none of them will ever generate enough power to replace oil/coal/nuclear, it would take ten years to have any impact, etc. etc. Meanwhile, they actually exacerbate the situation by consuming as much energy as they can (blocking stiffer CAFE standards, buying and arguing in favor of larger and larger SUVs, ridiculing hybrid and plug-in cars (but Ah-Nuld has a hydrogen-burning Hummer) and demanding the continuance of wasteful incadescent bulbs when CFLs are more efficient and LEDs even more efficient than CFLs. They refuse to even consider policies and technologies that will reduce our future reliance on foreign energy resources, and then when energy costs do go up due to supply and speculation issues, they act shocked and blame environmentalists, Democrats, hybrid car makers, people who use CFL and LED lighting and anybody but themselves. Hypocrites all, everyone.
Fixed that for you.
Mighty Righty
April 25th, 2011
6:41 pm
I want all you Democrats to know that there are little children of the less fortunate going to bed hungry tonight because high gas prices means no food on the table. They don’t care that this administration’s energy policy will generate ten percent of their electricty within twenty years. Tonight, mass transit will not be on their mind. The $40000 Volt just won’t be on their mind. Old People, living on their $800 per month Social Security income aren’t waiting for high speed rail. Mr. President, we need help now! We don’t need no damn commission to study the problem. We would be encouraged if we tyhought you cared.
Joe Mama
April 25th, 2011
6:47 pm
Going hungry . . . because of higher GAS prices, not because of higher food prices and Republican calls to cut back social programs like food stamps and WIC, huh?
Jay
April 25th, 2011
6:51 pm
MightyRighty, you’re paying “hundreds” more for transportation? Really? If gas has gone up by a buck a gallon, you would have to use hundreds of gallons a month, which at 20 mpg means roughly 4,000 miles a month.
Plausible, but not likely.
A hundred dollars more for food? The latest figures put annual food inflation for 2011 at 4 percent, so you’d have to spend $2500 a month to be spending $100 more. And that won’t be until the end of the year — food inflation has been barely half that 4 percent.
Besides, as a good conservative, what do you want government and the president to do in this case? You want him to intervene in the free market on your behalf? You want him to save you somehow.
You know that old line about no atheists in a foxhole? I’m beginning to think that there are no conservatives in a recession.
itpdude
April 25th, 2011
7:28 pm
A lot of people have curtailed consumption. Now, an inspired move from Obama would be to open the Strategic Oil Reserve and fast-track opening up drilling on land and off of Florida if and only if mileage requirements for autos be raised by 20 MPG over the next 10 years, 10 in 5 years and the remainder in the last 5 years. Also, develop more alternative energy from solar, wind, and water currents. Also, require new roofs on all residential and commercial buildings to be reflective.
Yarbles
April 25th, 2011
7:31 pm
The reason all of these oil companies make so much money is they have every step of the process from extraction to a packaged product in house. Here’s the catch: That entire process is based on a model where the oil company can be profitable when oil is under $12 (yes, TWELVE dollars) a barrel, so are the exploration leases that the government gives away like candy.
Potential solutions:
- Price regulation
- Remove private/corporate exploration and drilling leases – or charge market value for them – watch the prices drop then.
- Make oil production in the Gulf and ALL refineries part of the Army Corps of Engineers have them run it. Charge the big oil companies to process their oil for sale into the American market.
Go ahead and scream about Socialism all you want, think about me when you’re paying 6 bucks a gallon and your food costs have quadrupled.
As for alternative technologies, wake me when there’s something feasible. Until that point, this is what we’re stuck with.
Murray
April 25th, 2011
10:23 pm
Mr Bookman:
Please write something about sugar supports.
ODDOWL
April 26th, 2011
1:47 am
Wall street is responsible for these high gas prices… The speculators who play the option market are buying up oil futures and driving up the price of gasoline. Its nothing more than greedy cutthroat capitalism. The answer; Boycott gasoline and drive down the prices.
Mighty Righty
April 26th, 2011
7:24 am
When Obama took office, gasoline was $1.60 per gallon and today it is $3.90 per gallon. I am spending $2.30 per gallon more than pre Obama for one gallon of gas. I use two gallons plus per day going to work. By the way, not that it is any of your business but it is more tah 40 miles to my job one way. Do the math. My wife and I spend more than $150 dollars per week not including transportation cost and groceries are up at leaset 20%. Jay, it’s 14 miles round trip to the grocery store! Do the math. Ask your wife what groceries cost.
Mighty Righty
April 26th, 2011
8:20 am
Joe Mama-your argument is that if the energy supply remains constant while demand increases there will be no increase in the price of energy. THAT IS A UNIQUE CONCEPT. I don’t know of any conservative that is opposed to developing alternative sources of energy on which we have spent billions of dollars over “the last thirty years”, thus far to no avail. At this time, in spite of “thirty years” of research and billions spent, there is no “cost effetive” source of alternative energy. To date, the conservationists claims to new sources of renewable energy are “windmills” which have been around at least since Don Quixote, battery powered cars which have powered golf carts for at least 60 years. The new light bulbs are neon which has been available for as long as I can remember. Come on, folks what have we gotten for our research? I noted with interest, you mentioning “tides” as a source. The problem with tides energy is your party opposes touching the ocean. Your party opposes clean hydro power, and clean nucleur power in favor of windmills! Meanwhile, people are going without food to pay Obama prices for food and gasoline.
Joe Mama
April 26th, 2011
9:30 am
Righty — “Joe Mama-your argument is that if the energy supply remains constant while demand increases there will be no increase in the price of energy. THAT IS A UNIQUE CONCEPT.”
Yeah, that’s why I didn’t *make* that argument.
My argument is that with increasing demand, price can only remain static or drop if energy supply increases and especially if energy production cost decreases at the same time. The only way to do that, AFAICS, is by adding new resources into the mix
“I don’t know of any conservative that is opposed to developing alternative sources of energy on which we have spent billions of dollars over “the last thirty years”, thus far to no avail.”
We haven’t *spent* billions of dollars on alternative energy resources over the last 30 years, so far as I’m aware. Perhaps you know something different?
“At this time, in spite of “thirty years” of research and billions spent, there is no “cost effetive” source of alternative energy.”
Wrong. We haven’t spent that much in R&D and we certainly weren’t spending *anything* on it 30 years ago. In fact, President Reagan turned us *away* from alternative energy research and decided instead to kiss Arab oil sheik butts.
“To date, the conservationists claims to new sources of renewable energy are “windmills” which have been around at least since Don Quixote”
Windmills work quite well if sited properly, and there are some interesting new high-efficiency designs like the ‘eggbeater.’ Maybe you should look into them.
“battery powered cars which have powered golf carts for at least 60 years.”
Except that lithium batteries, which are a new leap in battery storage technology, haven’t been around that long and permit street-legal cars to run on electricity. If you want to take a golf cart out on 285, be my guest.
“The new light bulbs are neon”
No. they aren’t. I think you just don’t know what you’re talking about here.
“which has been available for as long as I can remember.”
You clearly don’t know about LED lighting.
“Come on, folks what have we gotten for our research?”
Nothing, because the federal government spends almost nothing *on* it. But private research is proceeding in leaps and bounds, and LED lighting became practical for home use about 2-3 years ago. It’s still expensive, but I’ve been switching to it in my home and my power bill is definitely going down.
“I noted with interest, you mentioning “tides” as a source. The problem with tides energy is your party opposes touching the ocean.”
Yeah, wrong. This is already being used in Scandinavia. The reason it isn’t being used here is because *your* party likes energy resources that come out of the ground, not energy resources that they can’t fence off and demand others pay them for.
“Your party opposes clean hydro power,”
Wrong.
“and clean nucleur power in favor of windmills!”
There’s nothing clean about nuclear power, though recent advances in technology make it safer than it used to be. If you need to be brought up to date about that, I’m your man.
“Meanwhile, people are going without food to pay Obama prices for food and gasoline.”
Frankly, I’ve come to the conclusion that you have no idea what you’re talking about.
independent thinker
April 27th, 2011
7:50 am
And Boehner is not convinced we should remove 4 billion dollars of subsidies to big oil to help balance the budget Just chalk that one up with no taxes paid by GE and record profits this past quarter.
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10:19 am
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nate
April 28th, 2011
3:05 am
the price needs to go higher. Get this poor filth off of the road. I can afford 20 a gallon.
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