vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen

4.03.2008

Slippery topic

It's almost like a vague memory now, but not too many days ago I was in Texas. The purpose of my visit was to celebrate the marriage of my sister's oldest child. We packed a lot of celebrating into a few days.

You can't celebrate the whole time, though. Some of the time you spend driving and flying to and fro, Texas being a large expanse of a state. The course of our travels took us past oil rigs and the headquarters of Halliburton and ConocoPhillips and their friends. You could just about smell the money oozing out of the buildings. While the economy is swan-diving everywhere else, it's hopping in Houston. Times are good in the oil business, no question about that.

Flash forward to the Vermont Statehouse today and a group of senators decried those oil profits, asking the state attorney general to investigate the companies for price gouging.

Down the hall, Gov. Jim Douglas urged Congress to close the "Enron Loophole," (named for that shamed, deposed and demised former Houston company) that exempts oil price speculation from government regulation. Congressman Peter Welch is a sponsor of legislation to do that, but it has not found its way through the system.

The senators suggested without many specifics that the prices we're seeing at the pumps are unfair. After all, who among you is going to suggest that you should be paying more? But can anyone prove price-gouging? Oil companies are at least partly raking in the dough because people in China and other emerging nations are using their product like never before, with no let-up in sight.

Douglas wasn't ready to say that oil company profits were unfair, but both he and Senate Majority Leader John Campbell veered into talking about how perhaps the price of this product that is so vital should be regulated.

On the one hand it looks like an insurmountable challenge for local politicians to do anything about the price of oil. On the other, you figure the cry for change has to come from somewhere. You can't help but feel that Congress and everybody else is flailing at the problem.

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 3:35 PM |

Comments:

It is supply and demand- it is wishful thinking to expect the demand to go down via conservation. We need to drill on our own land and not be held hostage by third world oil barons who wouldn't be able to run a lemonade stand without the oil under their feet.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:59 PM, April 03, 2008

The Congress and all State legislatures should take the first step by cutting government spending in a real and permanent way so the taxes on gas can be lowered to a reasonable level first.

Once they clean up their own house, they can pursue the 'Fat Cat' oil companies. Legislating price will not solve the global influences on gas price.

And just so you do know, gas in the U.S. is relatively cheap compared to other countries. In most Asian countries gas is $6.50 a gallon. In Europe, $7.50-$8.00 per gallon is not out of line. George and Dick have done an okay job controlling gas prices compared to other country leaders.

Deal with the realities. We are feeling the impact of 30 years of inaction when it comes to eatblishing a substantial energy program....Dems, Reps and Independents alike. They have allowed partisan politics get in the way of real change. We are feeling the impact of their collective failures over the yuears now.

Captain America

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:17 PM, April 03, 2008

Happy days are ahead. According to Coopy, once Barack is elected and the Dems have total control things will get better.

*Gas prices will decline to pre-Bush levels (oops Barack said there is no short term solution to the problem)

*All government agency will become ethical

*People will begin listening to Leahy's empty subpeonas.

*Life will again become affordable for the abused middle class

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:35 PM, April 03, 2008

I've discovered the answer!!!!!!

Drive less.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:48 PM, April 03, 2008

Rep John Dingell (D-Mich) wanted to raise gas tax .50 gal to force people to drive less so when demand drove up prices .15 gal he was outraged by the gouging!! I guess it depends on who is gouging- the Dems or Exxon.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:13 AM, April 04, 2008

nek,

Rep. Dingell wanted the gas money to go to repairing roads and bridges ... which is good for America.

Exxon wants the gas money so that they can pay off the Arabs and buy bigger mansions.

Big difference.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:28 AM, April 04, 2008

I'm a Republican, but given their profit levels, it does seem counterproductive to continue to subsidize the oil companies. On the other hand, I think we also need to responisbly expand our domestic production and refining capacity so that we are less subject to the vagaries of less-than-pleasant oil prodicing countries across the globe.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:43 AM, April 04, 2008

If Exxon was allowed to drill in this country, we wouldn't have to worry about paying off the Arabs and we would have more control over the supply. Giving the Legislature .50 gal would probably funnel about .10 gal back into roads/bridges (which I agree need to be fixed)and the balance used for other stuff (pork). In the meantime, the .50 gal would create inflationary pressure by increasing EVERYTHING delivered via truck- thus we need to increase min wage because the rural population couldn't afford the extra cost.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:52 AM, April 04, 2008

nek sez, "Exxon was allowed to drill in this country"

Um, Exxon is allowed to drill in this country -- and they do.

Nice try though.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:44 AM, April 04, 2008

Anonymous said...

"Happy days are ahead. According to Coopy, once Barack is elected and the Dems have total control things will get better."

"*Gas prices will decline to pre-Bush levels (oops Barack said there is no short term solution to the problem)"

Feel free to point out just where and when I said that, punk.

Unfortunately, Obama's correct. Like the hole Hoover and a decade of Gop Control of the White House and Congress left FDR, it's going to take a long time to clean up the mess they and their UnAmerican, ignorant-trash supporters have left us in.

"*All government agency will become ethical"

Unlike this schmuck, they'll be competent, too.

Of course, compared to this schmuck, it'd be kinda hard not to.

"*People will begin listening to Leahy's empty subpeonas."

Feel free to point out just how and why Leahy's subpoenas are "empty", little factually-challenged, lyin'-slime fella?

That's what I thought.

Once again, you prove yourself to be ignorant trash with no case, no clue and no ability to spell subpoena, little factually-challenged/too dumb to live fella.

"*Life will again become affordable for the abused middle class"

And how would that be a bad thing, little fella?

Nice try.

As Churchill said upon the British Victory in the Battle of Britain, "It is not the end. It is not the beginning, but, perhaps, it is the end of the beginning.

Lose the gops and the prospect of progress exists.

You can slither and squirm and try to change the subject all ya want, schmuck, but the fact remains that the GOPs controlled Congress for 12 years - the last 6 of Clinton's 8 years in office and the first 6 of shrub's 8 year reign of error.

When Clinton left office, we were at Peace, we had a Federal Budget Surplus and the WTC was still standing. After 6 years of GOP control of everything that was no longer the case.

Once again, you prove yourself to be dumb, scum and a lunatic-fringe maker of bogus allegations you can't substantiate and frequently can't spell.

So, ya wanna call me a girl and accuse me of "plagarism" another 4-5 times, little fella?

Evidently, that's what passes for "independent thought" in your factually-challenged/ignorant-trash/nameless-nitwit circles, schmuck.

Disappear.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 11:50 AM, April 04, 2008

Anonymous said...
nek sez, "Exxon was allowed to drill in this country"

"Um, Exxon is allowed to drill in this country -- and they do."

"Nice try though."

Be nice. Don't confuse the whacks with the facts.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 12:02 PM, April 04, 2008

Don't feed the JWTroll.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:24 PM, April 04, 2008

Anonymous has left a new comment on the post "Slippery topic":

"Don't feed the JWTroll."

In other words, ya got no case, no clue and no chance.

Thanks for clearin' that up, schmuck.

Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 12:34 PM, April 04, 2008

Get over yourself JW. Seriously. Are you really so insecure that you have to respond to every single post? You turn many people away from this site because you monopolize it with long, often needless, comebacks.

Maybe the BFP should provide a snare drum sound effect to accompany your witty posts.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:53 PM, April 04, 2008

Amen. JW, don't you have other blogs to terrorize? Or do you keep this one up on your monitor all day?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:53 PM, April 04, 2008

Don't feed the JWTroll.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:56 PM, April 04, 2008

I'm with you guys - jw ruins the
discussion.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:37 PM, April 04, 2008

I think you will find that no new oil wells are being drilled in the US except in existing oil fields- we also cannot build refineries, build dams, build new power plants, use coal, no nuclear plants or develop wind farms (NIMBY). We can only harness so much methane from burping/farting cows so what is left is the biofuel which is driving the cost of food out of sight.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:13 PM, April 04, 2008

Is the biofuel market that strong now that it's driving the cost of food out of sight? Rather doubt that. More likely the high cost of gasoline needed to transport food from grower to processor to grocery store is the cause of the rise in prices and not just of food either as all commodities need to be transported from producer to sales point.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:39 PM, April 04, 2008

And all this in spite of record profits for oil companies.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:43 PM, April 04, 2008

Oil companies are making obscene profits , as are their CEO's, but what is the alternative? We develop cars to get 50-60 MPG but ignore the truckers that get 3-4 MPG. It takes 100's of Prius's to save what 1 Freightliner burns in 1 day. We should be tapping our oil reserves.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:57 PM, April 04, 2008

NEK said...

"Oil companies are making obscene profits , as are their CEO's, but what is the alternative?"

Rescind the tax-breaks they don't deserve and never should have gotten for openers, little fella.

If they want access to US Markets, let 'em pay taxes like everybody else does. This Cayman crap ends yesterday.

"We develop cars to get 50-60 MPG but ignore the truckers that get 3-4 MPG."

There's too many trucks on the road. It's a break for the pavers and the trucking companies but it's unsafe for the public and it's a waste of energy, resources and it's bad for the environment.

Every year, the truckers want to to haul tandems then it's triples and quads. They're just trains on rubber wheels. They're not safe and they're not efficient.

Most freight should travel by rail. Truckers shouldn't be doing long distance. We need to rebuild rail capacity and make that the primary mode of moving freight.

That's been true for 40 years, but the truckers, automakers and pavers always lobby against it.

"It takes 100's of Prius's to save what 1 Freightliner burns in 1 day. We should be tapping our oil reserves."

Leaving aside the fact that you've posed a ludicrous argument as though they were are only choices, we already have opened the reserves up. Watch how they open 'em up just before election day.

These swine always burn down the reichstag. They have nothing to offer or run on but fear itself.

They never do.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 7:44 PM, April 04, 2008

zzzzz

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:30 PM, April 04, 2008

"zzzzz" That's the root of the problem. Open your eyes and see what's really happening out there.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:07 AM, April 07, 2008

Such as?

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 8:48 AM, April 07, 2008

People will only wake up when it costs too much.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:13 PM, April 08, 2008

What a total moron you are, jw. Rail traffic is booming right now in most parts of the country, particularly in the South. That is because rail lines exist, and it is profitable. Can you imagine the hissy fit enviro-wackos like jw and company would have if they started building more rail lines thru some deserted field in Montpelier? Idiots like jw are full of great ideas, except they have to be done in, say, Texas or Kentucky. After all, Vermont and the resident flatlanders are too, too, pristine (and prissy) for anything that might make Vermont and the U.S. a little more self-sufficient!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:24 PM, April 11, 2008

You are so charming Coopy.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:52 PM, April 11, 2008