Pump It Up
The White House website contains a handy “fact sheet” titled “Reducing Gas Prices and Foreign Oil Dependence.” (This administration cares about “facts” all of a sudden? C’mon, guys. Give us a little credit. How stupid do you think we are? Wait - don’t answer that).
“Fact Sheet” sez:
Today, President Bush called on Congress to help American families by removing barriers to domestic production of oil and gasoline. For many Americans, there is no more pressing concern than high gasoline prices.
Mm hm.
Price of oil on the eve of the Iraq War: about $30 per barrel.
Price of oil today: about $130 per barrel.
Just sayin’.
So - what is the “solution?” “Fact Sheet” tells us the solution lies in a bunch of proposals that will expand domestic oil exploration in fragile environments and eventually add to carbon emissions global warming. And these long-term proposals will do nothing to lower the price at your local filling station tomorrow, next week, or next year. But the additional kick in the pants is that the “solution” to our oil problems will also…
wait for it…
wait for it…
add to the historically obscene profits of oil companies. You know - oil companies - those guys who have already greatly benefited from the massive rise in oil prices in the first place. They’ll benefit from the “solution” to the problem, too.
When Bush and Cheney were, ahem, “elected,” there were plenty of people who were a little squeamish about having two oil men running the executive branch. But did anyone really expect this? An eight-year oilgasm?
I think if we want “facts,” it might be better to consult, say, The Sierra Club.
