BluntPolitics.com

By Ric Joyner

I listen to the Bush haters rant, and rave about how George Bush is cashing in on the high gas prices. I sit back and wonder what happened to their common sense, and lack of understanding of basic economics. So what is causing the high oil prices? Simple: Demand. When demand goes up, and supply is down, prices go up for any good or service. There is an old saying, “I believe in the golden rule…he who has the gold rules”. Who has the gold…in this case the black gold of oil? Several countries that are keeping the output down to increase prices.

But could these large price increases be prevented? Yes, by drilling in our own back yard. Have we? No for several reasons. Environmental groups, and the liberal democratic congress who won’t let us drill in our own oil reserves.

The facts are as follows:

Environmental groups:

“Environmental concerns militate against drilling, but improvements in technology have greatly reduced both the above-ground footprint and the risk of offshore spills. Any new drilling would be subject to the world’s strictest standards.”  —Ben Lieberman is Senior Policy Analyst for Energy and Environment in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.

To understand why enviromental groups create crisis, follow the money. They artificially create “environmental causes” to get donations, and “feed the monster”. EGs are like any business. They need money to survive. For example, EGs were successful in CA by filing lawsuits to stop new refineries, off shore drilling, and nuclear power plants. They advocated for renewable energies. Last year I was watching CNN, and the Sierra Club was protesting more wind farms due to the hazard to birds! I did an OMG! They got what they wanted… renewable energy, and now they are protesting the very thing they were advocating? But why? If you follow the protest, the young media respresentative of the Sierra Club was seeking money donations! This is what feeds their monster…creating crisis to collect more donations! For more information and reading on wind energy: http://www.wind-works.org/articles/SCSCRCWind.html

Democratic Congress:

Passed a bill that would tax the companies producing energy which the companies will pass on to consumers! That bill was passed in 2007 vetoed by Bush. Look at the gas prices now! For more reading on this bill: http://www.conservative.org/pressroom/2007/070808pr.htm

The Dems in the Senate stopped any potential drilling in a wasteland called ANWR. (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) The problem with ANWR is that there is little “life” in the tundra, but it holds untold billions of gallons of oil! Why won’t the democrats allow us to be energy independent? Gas is .12  in Venezuela and Mexico who produce their own energy! http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/global_gasprices/

Here is a terrific conclusion in an article from the Heritage Foundation:

“Conclusion. It is no coincidence that, despite the massive 2005 and 2007 energy bills, the price at the pump continues upward. Both measures did little to create new oil and gasoline supplies or to untangle the red tape afflicting existing supplies. America needs fewer laws, regulations, taxes, and other government-created impediments to a more affordable gasoline supply. Most of the provisions in the American Energy Production Act are intended to liberate Americans from that morass. In contrast, the Consumer-First Energy Act of 2008 contains just about everything we don’t want or need.”
—Ben Lieberman is Senior Policy Analyst for Energy and Environment in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.\

George Bush doesn’t have his hand in the pocket of oil companies, the democratic congress has its hands in the pockets of environmentalists, and special interest groups that are opposed to energy freedom!

But the Democrats answer is to tax the people who produce the energy because of profits! This actually drives up the prices for everyone. Why? The example is my wife’s coffee shop. The CAM (a form of moveable rent cost) increased 22% in one year! She has to decide where to make up this cost increase. The only recourse is to pass on to the consumer. But can she raise prices on a cup of coffee to almost $2.00 per cup and expect people to continue to buy? No. So she has to raise prices by 10%, but must cut expenses in other areas. One option is to cut worker pay or lay off employees. I just don’t think the Democrats understand basic economics. They use slogans like “tax the rich” and “windfall profits tax on oil companies” to get people’s blood boiling to pass this economic terrorism by enacting taxes (they love taxes). But is it the right answer? No, for the reasons stated above.

Another famous democrat who wrecked havoc on our economy was Jimmy (the I negotiate with terrorists) Carter in the 70s. Jimmy imposed a windfall tax on oil company profits to help the poor afford gas. What happened? National oil rationing and higher prices! The producers of gas lowered their output, and the result is we all paid for this dumb approach to energy.

Write your congressional representative today, and tell them you want energy freedom which will increase supply, and for the US to become self sustaining in energy. And another approach is to ignore the enviromental groups.

Tell your respresentative to stop the economic terrorists (enviromental groups and liberal democrats)!