Congress will save us...**GAK**
I’m sure this has been mentioned somewhere else on teh internets by someone better informed and more erudite than I, but our elected representatives suck it. Gas prices are increasing and oil company profits are way up, and the Senate responds with calls for a 60-day suspension of the gas tax, price fixing probes, and 100 dollar consumer rebates. Way to take the long view guys, this doesn’t reek of election year C.Y.A. at all. It’s not like we need major revision of our national energy policy or anything. No really, this isn’t the time to have that conversation.
This plan of suspending the gas tax while giving out free money has the dual selling points of increasing the deficit while doing absolutely nothing for prices at the pump. One minor drawback; I’m not so sure that the public is going to fall for it this time. Create a bazillion dollar Medicare boondoggle and we’ll look the other way, because we don’t really care that much about our sick and aged. Give the Executive Brach carte blanche to invade anyone that it wants and we’ll happily acquiesce, just as long as you provide us the most basic illusion of security. But if you let gas prices rise too much we’re going to have you drawn and quartered in the town square. We’re never going to make the connection between some of the previous policy decisions we ignored and the current state of affairs, but we’re going to be spitting mad regardless.
We’re addicted to our cheap fuel, or so the President tells me, and if we don’t get our fix we’re going to come after someone with the pitchforks and torches. We can’t get at the oil companies, what with the lack of real choice and the inability to vote with our pocketbooks, so I have a feeling that the angry villagers are going to head down a door and pay a visit to congress. It’s going to be a bad election cycle to for incumbents of every stripe, but I think that the GOP is going to wind up holding the short straw in the end. Right or not, people associate Republicans with Big Oil. And even though the Dems have been afraid to stand up to the GOP for the last 6 years, they’re probably going to benefit from all this. Americans can tolerate cowardice a lot easier than they can tolerate 4 bucks a gallon.
posted by DC Viking at 12:17 PM
7 Comments:
On the news this morning they mentioned how gas prices are nearing the equivalent of 7 DOLLARS A GALLON in Europe. Now THAT sucks. But you're absolutely right - what we need are alternative fuels. I wish our leaders weren't so entwined with special interests to actually HELP out the citizens they represent.
Spalding -
I'm not sure if there's a causal relationship there. I'm thinking that it has more to do with urban areas voting democrat, along with a lot of other things. Interesting correlation, though, and something to ponder.
Banana -
The Europeans have always had much higher fuel prices, and I've always thought it was lack of perspective that lets us get so fired up about gas prices that are usually half of what they pay.
At some point you would hope that Americans would realize that our elected officials don't have our best interests in mind. One of the drawbacks of such a partisan political environment is that we don't hold the Dems accountable because we're so afraid of letting the GOP pick up even one more seat in Congress. We give them a pass on difficult issues like energy policy because we know that the middle of the roaders will turn to the dark side.
I plan on brewing my own ethynol (spelling ?) there was a segment on WCCO the other night...plus I can siphon some off for my own tasty corn mash wiskey. Then, As I sip my vintage, and get cheap gas...I will listen for the sound of exploding stills in the surrounding yards of the neighbors. the one and only Fulls
I would have to say that I am pretty certain that Europe's gas prices are based more on market size and infrastructure issues. They consume so much less gas per capita, that it does not justify improving infrastructure. I would bet that our Vehicle/citizen ratio is close to 1.1, and theirs is probably 0.3. Anecdotally, I think my parents drive further each weekend to get to their cabin than most car owning Europeans drive in a year. For that matter it probably takes less time to drive ACROSS most European countries than one western US State. I would love to have Europe’s public transportation system, but we have radically different circumstances. Apples and oranges, at least away from the coasts. I bet Europe pays less for Elderberries though.. brightside.
I think our economy/government is a 100 ton bucking bronco. Our current politicians are only the dumb fools who are currently riding it. Sure they can guide a little if they kick their heels hard enough, but there just ain’t no turning it on a dime. War/Oil Shocks/etc. or not. I am rather looking forward to this fall’s bloodbath of incumbents. Good to have some shake up after a rather homogenous last 6 years. I like a little coffee in my cream, if you know what I mean.
Oh and Fuller is the next Unibomber.
~Nato (who should setup his own damn blog, cause his replies are long enough)
Fulls -
I wanted to build my own still in college, and everyone jumped on me. Now I'm looking prophetic. Of course, it was a gin still...
Nato -
1) Let's limit the use of the term uni-bomber on this blog. I don't want to be on any more lists than I already am.
2)I think you're probably right about the Europeans. The big difference is that their population distribution is pretty much urban or rural. They didn't screw around with this whole suburban thing that is going to cause major headaches for us when gas gets really expensive.
3)You're right on about the congressional ability to control the economy in the short-term. All their power is in influencing longer term patterns, but they can't be bothered to deal with those issues. To dull.
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