Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Republicans scramble to protect their corporate masters.

Senate Republicans blocked a proposal today to tax the windfall profits of the largest oil companies, despite pleas by Democratic leaders to use the measure to address America's anger over $4 a gallon gasoline.

The Democratic energy package would have imposed a tax on any "unreasonable" profits of the five largest American oil companies and given the federal government more power to address oil market speculation that the bill's supporters argue has added to the crude oil price surge.

"Americans are furious about what's going on," Senator Dorgan, a Democrat of North Dakota, declared, adding that he believes they want Congress to do something about oil company profits and "an orgy of speculation" on oil markets.

But Republicans argued the Democratic proposal focusing on new oil industry taxes is not the answer to the country's energy problems.

It is rare to see such a blatant example of putting big government before the needs of the American public. Yet here we see the Republicans protecting their largest financial backers at the expense of their constituencies. And they seem completely unaware, or unconcerned, with how it makes them look.

Last year Exxon-Mobil earned 39.5 billion in pure profit. That is "billion" with a "b".

How is that not completely obscene! Especially with Americans struggling to fill their tanks with $4.00 a gallon gas?

If you want to see the list of those Senators who stopped this bill from taxing the oil companies obscene profits go here. It is certainly no surprise to see that both of the Senators from my state, Lisa Murkowski and Ted Stevens, voted to stop this tax bill.

If we want this kind of politics to continue then just cast your vote for John McCain in November. But if you want to start holding these giant energy companies accountable then cast your vote for Barack Obama, and let's get our country back from these arrogant criminals.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:50 AM

    It would have been nice if Obama had voted on this.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous1:38 PM

    Hey, will you write a piece about the Climate Security Act vote that occured last friday in the Senate? The bill died on friday, neither of our alaskan senators showed up to vote. Not only did the bill cap u.s. emissions of co2, reducing them by 70% through mid century- but it brought $50 billion to the state of alaska.

    PLease let me know. If you would like more information please contact me As i have followed this very closely. I don't keep a blog, so i wanted to see if someone else's influential writings could touch on this.

    Thanks!!
    Chris

    kidsincfilms@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well, seeing that you're in Alaska.. i'm sure you're not waiting for 'them' to come up and start drilling in your backyard (so to speak)..
    the sad and frustrating thing to me is that when this comes out, the 'asleep at the wheel majority' knows nothing, does nothing.. and so it continues..
    Ingrid

    ReplyDelete

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