vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

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

6.09.2008

Fueling talk

How was your train ride to work this morning? In a story on gas prices, the New York Times says:

With the exception of rural Maine, the Northeast appears least affected by
gasoline prices because people there make more money and drive shorter
distances, or they take a bus or train to work.

The story is about the impact of fuel prices on the rural south, where people spend a greater percentage of their income on gas than elsewhere.

The survey showed that of the 13 counties where people spent 13 percent or
more of their family income on gasoline, 5 were located in Mississippi, 4 were
in Alabama, 3 were in Kentucky and 1 was in West Virginia. While people here in
Holmes County spent an average of 15.6 percent of their income on gasoline,
people in Nassau County, N.Y., spent barely more than 2 percent, according to
the survey.

If you want to beef about gas prices, or talk about what might be done about it, you'll have your chance Tuesday in a new-fangled telephonic town meeting with Rep. Peter Welch, from 7:30-8:30 p.m. by calling toll-free 1-866-447-4149 and using PIN code 13785# any time during the one-hour forum.

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 9:13 AM |

Comments:

I hope Welch doesn't waste any money hiring a media person for his campaign. Because Terri is doing a great job for him already.

I know, how about asking Peter Welch how that bogus bill regarding the petroleum reserves is working out? Remember, the one that the Vermont media gushed over and that Welch declared would deliver some "immediate" relief at the pump?

In journalism school I believe they call that "follow-up."

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:11 AM, June 09, 2008

I agree...I am not seeing the impact from this bit of showboating either.

It seems to me when the Dems took over control of the Congress Reid and Pelosi promised they would address and reduce gas prices. Since that time, prices have increased $1.50/gallon. That would be an increase of over 50%. Compound it with the proposed impact the Carbon Offset bill just voted down would have done to energy prices, what have the Dems done other than talk?

Nice rhetoric but where's the beef?

Then there was Bernie negotiating oil contracts with Chavez. Any one ever follow up to see just how well that worked out?

We knew the oil problem existed in the 70's and both parties chose to ignore it since then. It really is time for action. There has been plenty of time by the empty suits in Congress to have agreed on something, anything.

Another phone call, while nice PR, is just another waste of time. If he has a real plan, maybe that would be worth calling in but for a brainstorming/complaint session, why bother?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:46 AM, June 09, 2008

In the 38 years from 1970 until today, Democrats were in the Presedential Chair for just 12 years. And 4 of those years really don't count as Clinton was spending all of his time fighting off the sex-police. But whatever, Republicans were in control for 26 years, more than double the D time and what happened - nothing!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:56 AM, June 09, 2008

The problem lies with Bush ... who has been in power for 7+ years but hasn't done a single thing for the American people.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:02 PM, June 09, 2008

And what does Welch propose to do with the information? His well publicized and immediate fix was to stop shipments to the petroleum reserve, and since then the price has gone up.
Maybe Welch could ask some of his Washington buddies to limit their private jet travel. It takes over 2200 gals of fuel to go from Wash DC to CA and Sens Feinstein and Boxer make the trip almost weekly. Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Robert Kennedy, John Edwards, Al Gore and more do all their travel in private jets or charters. They pay their way so they can travel anyway they wish but don't preach to me about conserving. It takes me 4 years to use up 2200 gals of gas and Al Gore uses this amount in 3 hours. Their are GOP'rs doing the same but they are not preaching the conservation.
The tides are turning- more people want to drill vs those who don't.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:21 PM, June 09, 2008

You both sound like victims and whiners.

To 12:20, the problem existed long before Bush. It has been an issue for 40 years.

To 11:56, nice job counting who has been in and for how long but if memory serves me there have been both Dems and Repubs in positions of authority through this whole period but no on has taken the bull by the horns to work a solution.

What has been done is a bunch of finger pointing, passing the buck and giving into the special interests to make sure we all can get re-elected. Nobody wants to deal with the environmentalists or we would be safely developing oil reserves within our borders. No one wants to give up their big fuel hog pick-up trucks because that's what we drive up here in VT. Nuclear...no that can't be done either. Wind...no it ruins the ridgelines... We could go back to burning more wood but that would ruin our forests. hmmm.

Congrats to all the Political hardliners on a successful game of political ping pong. It's brought us to where we are today... no solution, no plan, just whining about those wicked Arabs and Oil companies when it is really neither of their faults. It is ours for having not cared enough for the last forty years to make our congressmen do something about it when they had a chance.

Take some responsibility for the mess we are in.

Captain America

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:27 PM, June 09, 2008

Obama's earmarks (PORK) $95 million
McCain's earmarks $0.00

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:13 PM, June 09, 2008

NEK said...

"And what does Welch propose to do with the information? His well publicized and immediate fix was to stop shipments to the petroleum reserve, and since then the price has gone up."

And the demonstrated cause and effect correlation between these two events is....?

That's what I thought.

Nice try, nekkie boy.

I gave up pizza for six months and the price of oil skyrocketed. I don't think the price of gas and home-heating oil will go down if I start eatin' pizza two or three times per week.

Secondly, the 5/13/08 vote to stop adding oil to the Strategic Reserve was 97-1 in the Senate and 385-25 in the House, so unless your factually-challenged/fundamentally-dishonest, ignorant ass is contending that there's a minimum of 97 Dems in the Senate and 385 Dems in the House, the vote was as bipartisan as it was overwhelming and you once again simply don't know your ignorant ass from your elbow.

Then again, that's always a safe bet.

"Maybe Welch could ask some of his Washington buddies to limit their private jet travel. It takes over 2200 gals of fuel to go from Wash DC to CA and Sens Feinstein and Boxer make the trip almost weekly. Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Robert Kennedy, John Edwards, Al Gore and more do all their travel in private jets or charters. They pay their way so they can travel anyway they wish but don't preach to me about conserving. It takes me 4 years to use up 2200 gals of gas and Al Gore uses this amount in 3 hours.

"...Their are GOP'rs doing the same but they are not preaching the conservation..."

First of all, that should be "There" are gops...

You're welcome.

Secondly, what's your point, nekkie boy, that it's OK to waste petroleum if you're for wasting petroleum and opposed to conservation?

Even by your considerably less than lofty standards, that's as utterly-psychotic as it is stupid.

"..The tides are turning- more people want to drill vs those who don't."

Really? And your evidence in support of your latest load of factually-challenged, delusional dreck is....?

That's what I thought.

Based on your perfect record of failure to provide any evidence whatsoever in support or a damned thing you've said, you're gonna have to do better than your ignorant-trash word on the matter, nekkie boy.

Can ya do that?

That's what I thought.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 1:34 PM, June 09, 2008

McCain has brought MILLIONS of dollars of PORK to Arizona.

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/01/06/mccain-earmark/

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:39 PM, June 09, 2008

Here is a story of McCain giving special kick backs to his biggest campaign contributors.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/02/21/mccain_pressed_fcc_in_case_involving_major_contributor/

I wish he'd work so hard for the average Joe.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:43 PM, June 09, 2008

"Sen. John McCain secured millions in federal funds for a land acquisition program that provided a windfall for an Arizona developer whose executives were major campaign donors, public records show."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-05-15-mccainland_N.htm

Your tax dollars + McCain = huge corporate give aways.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:45 PM, June 09, 2008

There is a big difference between earmarks and amendments that everyone gets to vote on.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:54 PM, June 09, 2008

Coop said... "And the demonstrated cause and effect correlation between these two events is....?"

You are asking the wrong guy. Welch said it would help gas prices. He clearly must know the cause and effect. Call in tonight and get the answer.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:57 PM, June 09, 2008

"NEK said... Obama's earmarks (PORK) $95 million McCain's earmarks $0.00"

------
Nice. The Dems are pro's at it. VT is #6 in earmarks per capita. http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/wdc/congress_earmarks/index.html

Congrats to Leahy and Co. Way to spend our money for us.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:01 PM, June 09, 2008

"There is a big difference between earmarks and amendments that everyone gets to vote on."

Pork is pork.
Million dollar give aways to campaign contributors is PORK.

And McCain loves PORK.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-05-15-mccainland_N.htm

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:01 PM, June 09, 2008

Here is what you need to understand:

When a Democrat proposes spending it's called "pork".

When a Republican proposes spending it's called "homeland security".

Feel safe yet?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:26 PM, June 09, 2008

yes.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:46 PM, June 09, 2008

Anonymous said...

"Coop said... "And the demonstrated cause and effect correlation between these two events is....?"

"You are asking the wrong guy. Welch said it would help gas prices. He clearly must know the cause and effect. Call in tonight and get the answer."

I love it when you schmucks just jump right in the boat like this, little factually-challenged fella.

If, as you coalition of the clueless cretins always contend, price is purely a product of supply and demand and that the free market is self-regulating, increasing supply would have resulted in lower prices, but it didn't proving, yet again, as it did with the 2001 rolling blackouts in California that the brain-dead bush-leaguers tried to blame on Erin Brockovich when it was Enron pirates, mindless deregulation and the gop culture of corporate corruption who were responsible for it just as the Oil Companies and deregulated Morgan Stanley/ Wall Street Speculators are responsible this time because there's nothing to prevent them from hoarding the supply to unnecessarily and unjustifiably drive up the price per barrel as they did Friday when oil soared and the DOW tanked proving - yet again - that the party who gave us the Depression, the Reagan/Bush Deficit, the first Bush Recession, the Second Bush Recession, The Second Bush Deficit, The unjustified and unjustifiable War in Iraq and the Third Bush Deficit we're forced to pray doesn't turn into the First Bush Depression are the last people you want running the Economy and National Security because gop economic policies don't work, gops don't give a damn about this Country or its reputation, national security and place in the World because they're selfish, short-sighted and stupid in the best of circumstances, and, once again, they've put us in considerably less than the best of circumstances.

Nameless-nitwits with bupkis blaming Peter Welch for this situation are even lower and dumber than the fox news nitwits who tried to pin the blame for California's rolling blackouts on Erin Brockovich when it was Enron Pirates, brain-dead, bush-league economic policies and gop greed and corruption who were the culprits. Then again, given the fact that they're dumb, they're scum and they've got bupkis, that's hardly surprising.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 4:08 PM, June 09, 2008

Anonymous said...

"NEK said... Obama's earmarks (PORK) $95 million McCain's earmarks $0.00"

According to whom, NEK?

Nice try, no sale, schmuck.

------
"Nice. The Dems are pro's at it. VT is #6 in earmarks per capita.

Congrats to Leahy and Co. Way to spend our money for us."

Really? Per capita, eh? Can your ignorant anonymous ass tell the class who's 1-5 and who's behind Sunlight and TCS, little factually-challenged/fundamentally-dishonest, nameless-nitwit fella?

That's what I thought.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 4:28 PM, June 09, 2008

JSWCoop10 is ruining this blog.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:41 PM, June 09, 2008

Anonymous...

"JSWCoop10 is ruining this blog."

Ah, so you preferred the ol' "all anonymous nitwit nonsense all the time" format, eh, little nameless-nitwit fella?

Gee, that's a shame.

If your nameless-nitwit nonsense doesn't hold water, stand up to the facts and/or the light of day, that's your problem.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 5:57 PM, June 09, 2008

Someone get coop his meds.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:06 PM, June 09, 2008

JWCoop needs to go away. Or stop drinking and blogging.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:55 PM, June 09, 2008

I'm sure that "have you been injured?" has some petroleum stocks in his portfolio

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:33 PM, June 09, 2008

Anonymous said...

"I'm sure that "have you been injured?" has some petroleum stocks in his portfolio"

In other words, you're dumb, you're scum and ya got bupkis.

Thanks for clearin' that up, little factually-challenged, nameless-nitwit fella.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 10:37 PM, June 09, 2008

Cut and paste pooper is at it still

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:39 PM, June 09, 2008

"Cut and paste pooper is at it still"

Yawn. Clearly, you're still ignorant trash with bupkis, little factually-challenged, nameless-nitwit fella.

Of course, that's always a sure thing.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 11:16 PM, June 09, 2008

Yawn is my material coopy. Once again, you prove you have no ability for creative thought but exist only by stealing others material.

I can't be too hard on you though since you seem to be following the lead of your main man Obama who has lifted more than his fair share of other people's material without giving them credit for the original thought.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:46 AM, June 10, 2008

Yawn is the sum total of your ignorant anonymous ass's material in more ways than one, auntie amerika.

You and your coalition of the clueless cretin comrades were cuttin' and pastin' the same delusional dreck with no evidence to substantiate it long before I got here and you're still doin' it today, little factually-challenged filly.

Whenever I see your delusional dreck, I think yawn.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:32 AM, June 10, 2008

Feel free to use my stuff but that leads us to the conversation about royalties again. You haven't sent the first checks yet deadbeat.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:44 AM, June 10, 2008

Notice that every time Coop makes a good point, the opposition, instead of replying, goes in personal attack mode and the level of discourse goes down substantially? Who is ruining the blog?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:05 AM, June 10, 2008

Anonymous...

"Feel free to use my stuff but that leads us to the conversation about royalties again."

Yeah, the one where I inform your ignorant anonymous ass that there's not only nothing to substantiate any of your delusional dreck anywhere, but there's no copyrights registered to or royalties due any ignorant, ill-informed, anonymous trash with bupkis for anything, anywhere at any time, little factually-challenged/fundamentally-dishonest fella.

Sure thing, schmuck. I like havin' that conversation with your ignorant anonymous ass, little fella. Who knew we could have a conversation that would leave you lookin' even dumber than ya normally do, little fella.
If the check don't come you'll know it's me.

Of course, if I were to send them, how would I know that they're going to the nameless nitwit in question and none of the other anonymous nitwits with bupkis were cashin' your checks, chump.

That'd be a shame.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 11:47 AM, June 10, 2008

11:05.... Your point would be a good one if there was anything constructive from coop but looking back at the posts, it seems most are simply insults hurled by him. Surely you don't view that as 'good points'.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:30 PM, June 10, 2008