Big Oil or Big Gov't

The following quote I found on The Drudge Report :

NY Sen. Schumer wants probe into 'whether or not we should break up the big oil companies. Enough is enough'...

The probe I'd like to see, Mr. Senator Schumer, is one on "whether or not we should break up big government. Enough is enough"....

The whole situation with switching to Ethanol fuels came from the government. Crazy regulations about formulating gasoline came from the government. The lack of new oil refineries falls on the shoulders of government. The lack of new oil drilling, domestic "non-Islamic" oil drilling is because of the government. It looks like to me that big government is to blame of high gas prices.

"But, that's not true! Oil companies are gouging us for higher profits."

I have no doubt that we as consumers are being hosed by the big oil companies. But, as companies would do, if there is an increased demand, they would increase supply and thus increase profits. But we can't increase the supply of gasoline without new and more refineries and new drilling. The government doesn't want that to happen.

And here is the question you should really ask yourself: How much profit does an oil company average per gallon of gas.

The following statistics came from The American Daily:

Based upon a $3.00 gallon of gasoline, the average break-down is as follows.

Gasoline Retailer $.01 cents per gallon
Oil Company $.08 cents per gallon
Refining $.29 cents per gallon
Marketing/Distribution $.32 cents per gallon
Taxes $.59 cents per gallon
Cost of crude $1.71 per gallon (delivered)


Hmmm... Who is making the real money here? I could not find the origin of the statistics and the following from The Philadelphia Business Journal would seem to contradict The American Daily's statistics.

"In 1999, U.S. oil refiners made 22.8 cents for every gallon of gasoline refined from crude oil, which by 2004 had increased to 40.8 cents. Last year profit margins soared to 99 cents on each gallon sold, the Governor's Office said."

That would be Gov. Rendell of Pennsylvania office quoting those statistics.

The following comes from The Tax Foundation:

"Today, U.S. consumers pay an average of 45.9 cents per gallon in gasoline taxes. The federal gasoline excise tax is 18.4 cents per gallon while the average state and local tax is 27.5 cents. The vast majority of these taxes are levied at a flat rate per gallon—regardless of whether a gallon of gas costs $1.49, $2.49, or $3.49. Thus, the effective rate of these taxes can vary wildly, from roughly 31 percent in the former case to 13 percent in the later."

The one thing I can conclude from all of the above is that the government gets a large part of every $3 bucks I pump into my tank. And so why in the world should they get more of it with a "windfall tax?" What as the federal government done to deserve more of my money? Spend it like a drunken teenager, is what!

It is time to break up the monopoly. Well not actually a monopoly, but an oligarchy. The ruling class in Washington must go. Republicans, bye! Democrats, Adiosamigoss! The courts, see yah later alligatorr! The Media, don't let the door hit yah in the ass on the way out! All of them must go, babies hiding in the bath-waterr included. You don't deserve my money. Not a dime.

So Chucky-Boy remember this, big oil might be a problem, but you are the bigger one. At least Exxon, BP, Shell and all those guys are honest abouttheirr motives. You actually want me to believe you have my best interest at heart. If you really did you'd read the constitution one day are realize you are in violation of that sacred document and step down.

I must be standing on my head....

.... because I feel like quoting Al Gore. Sort of. If you remember when he was running as vice president he made one of the more memorable statements of that campaign. "What's up is down, and what's down is up"

What on earth would drive me to remember a line from everyone's favorite enviro-wacko, the complete insanity around the issue of illegal immigration. Some "witty" observers of the society have asked when the phase "illegal immigrant" became "undocumented worker." What I want to know is when will it become foreign invader? That my sound "extreme" or "not compassionate" that is because it is. I have no compassion anymore for our so called "representatives" bending over backward to appease foreign nationals living in our country.

I watch and listen and am amazed at what I see and hear. Did you know that thousands of illegal immigrants have died in Iraq fighting for the USA? That is what one of these foreign invader supporters said on FoxNews this afternoon. He also challenged the host, John Gibson, to find evidence of foreign invaders voting. He said he would find none. Please. What lies!

Now a treasonous criminal named Nativo Lopez is on Lou Dobbs demanding that Foreign Invaders become citizens. As if it is their right to come here and become citizens. DEMANDING IT!!!!!!!! This man is a lunatic criminal and an enemy to America.

Yes, I'm angry. I'm angry not because I hate people from other countries, I'm angry because the rule of law and the truth is being thrown to the wind!

All of this turns my stomach. These people believe that anyone has a right to come to this country and become a citizen. My friends our country is doomed. We have no sense of who we are, thus no pride in ourselves. That is why it is so easy for many in this country to find evil intentions in any act by America. Americans side to often with other inspirations. Their ethnicity, their religion, or their politics, but too many people find no inspiration from the country in which they live. The country that has given them all of the above. A country that will disappear if we do not protect it.


Ickybod

Marketing and Politics

Sometime ideas will flicker in my mind, and like quicksilver, they vanish before I can put them into words. I mention this because I have been trying to put into words a opinion about how marketing has ruined our social discourse. I have never quite felt I could put this feeling into a logical discussion. Well I just read a column by Joe Klien of Time Magazine that, too this point, put that feeling into words. Click on the above link and have a read. It is a great observation of out our politics of marketing, polling, and focus groups.

Also hidden in his column, and probably unknown to him since he is a left leaning journalist, is the problem with most democrats. A former Texas democrat who was working for George Bush's campaign because he was a loyal friend mad the observation that Democrats view a candidates character by his policies. So, if you believe in what I believe in you are a person of high character and if you disagree you must be a person of low character. Funny, I don't think your average Democrat is a bad person because they want higher taxes but apparently some Democrats think I'm a bad person because I want lower taxes.

A take on Immigration

Here is a link to an article that Rush read on his show yesterday from the site The American Thinker. One of the reasons I really like the article is that I spoke the premise during a discussion after Jeff's wedding. Here is the link. Go read and enjoy. If we could get the powers that be to approach the immigration topic from this perspective then perhaps they would pass some useful legislation.

Icybod