Oil and vitriol
do not mix
The American people should have listened to the president. We are all paying higher gasoline prices now. George W. Bush tried multiple times, during his two terms, to drill in ANWR and off the Florida/ California coasts. However, in American Idol fashion, Hollywood stars came out in force, joining hands with environmentalists/lobbyists leading public opinion astray. The end stranglehold result: the measure was defeated by those who have the power to vote “yea” or “nay” in Washington D.C. As the hour-glass shadow falls on a tremendous leadership and if President Bush was right about the foresighted squeeze at the pump (he was), what else is he right about?
Recently, during a set of congressional hearings, a most disgusting attack occurred on “Big Oil” by Senator Leahy (D-VT) and his cohorts. A public ridiculing of oil executive wages occurred. Execs, whose business it is to find energy forms through efficient use of technology, bringing them to open market for a price. Dare one say, for PROFIT? However, in class-warfare-strategy-form, pontificating senators who claim to “feel America’s pain”, were instead grilling oil CEOs on their 7-figure salaries. Senators, who display deep-seated, vitriolic reaction towards “capitalism”, who, though extremely wealthy, sit in judgment, hoping to deflect we the people’s attention away from the simple solution: drill-for-more-oil, develop nuclear capabilities, build more refineries.
The CEO of Shell, John Hofmeister, gave stunning testimony, as he respectfully spoke truth to power, firing back “untie our hands to drill” (92 percent of fossil fuels found in America is off limits for drilling! 92 percent.) The problem is not CEO salaries, the big problem is the senate majority, who vote not to apply Saudi wisdom by simply drilling in the U.S. but who, on the other hand, will cast a vote to tap into our country’s Strategic Reserve, held in abeyance for a national emergency. Whose side are they on anyway, dangerously placing America over a barrel?
Congressman Mike Rogers (R-MI) has proposed the American Energy Independence Act (H.R. 6161), but America does not need 116 pages of legal-speak to simply state: “start drillin’ already”. In fact, Title X proposes a 2-billion dollar pork-belly grant to Michigan Universities for Energy Research. An alternative fuel-for-thought would be to give the $2 billion earmark to top oil executives, bringing their salaries up to 8-figures, disdainfully stickin’ it to the man, making big-brother, Senator Leahy’s socialist mind explode. Meanwhile, the Saudis are laughin’ all the way to the bank, as U.S. politicians, surrender to the mercy of those in the middle east who will rightfully “tap” their country’s resources, forgetting the Creator placed crude oil in the Americas to run an economic engine called ‘progress’. As one can plainly see, oil and vitriol do not mix. — Brenda Harris, Grand Blanc Township

More Tips