Liberals love to give advice. The writer of a letter that appeared on 6-9-2008   showed that liberals are unable to think beyond their noses, if thinking extends that far. The writer uses the term “Big Oil” as do others, to demonize legitimate business enterprises. She is correct when she says that the environmentalists are being blamed for preventing drilling, but she left out the other culprit, the United States Congress. Then she says we have plenty of oil, implying that the oil companies aren’t drilling for reasons only they know. Read the sentence about blame for the reason that oil companies aren’t drilling for the plentiful oil.

Then she said that “Big Oil” should spend outrageous profits on new refineries. Lady, the oil producers would build refineries if the environmentalists and Congress would end the strangle hold that requires all kinds of compliance with draconian rules, that at one time didn’t exist and allowed companies to run their businesses in order to supply the market with petroleum products.

The writer obviously doesn’t understand the complexity of the physical laws that determine fuel mileage for vehicles. Better mileage doesn’t appear as if controlled by magic. Be that as it may, there is no evidence that oil companies prevent auto manufacturers from building fuel efficient vehicles. Auto makers build what will sell and if they don’t, they go out of business. The Kaiser, Studebaker, Nash, Hudson, De Soto and other companies are gone. Not because they weren’t good autos, people didn’t buy them.

Ignorance of the issues has no end. More bio-fuels made from corn, along with better mileage won’t solve the problem. She says that will cause the prices to drop like a rock. In case she hasn’t noticed, ethanol made from corn is driving up food prices, Congress has mandated better mileage and gasoline prices are going up as this is being written. So much for the brilliant off the wall solutions, which are dreamed up by those who know nothing and who are very eager to show it.  

The gasoline shortage in the 1970s occurred when the production in this nation began to decline. The culprit you ask. The beginning of the unnecessary regulation of the oil business due to environmental concerns is the answer. Nixon imposed unconstitutional price regulation. Then Jimmy Carter’s windfall profits tax increased the shortage since oil company profits were diminished to the point there wasn’t any incentive to produce more product. But the ones who propose brilliant solutions always ignore that which doesn’t fit their ideas. Truth and facts mean nothing to them. Why is that? They confuse them.

Not driving for a week or not buying gasoline won’t solve anything nor will it affect “Big Oil’s” pocketbook. Again, those are utopian solutions to real world problems.  The real solutions begin with making the clowns in Congress understand they are the ones responsible for the mess and force them to quit meddling in the oil business so that companies can explore, drill, produce, build refineries and supply the demand of the market place.

At one time in this nation, crude oil flowed unhampered by unnecessary government regulation. As the regulation increased, the problems slowly emerged. Congress can right the ship in the oil sector of the economy by lowering, if not ending taxes on oil companies (If there weren’t any taxes, a drop in prices would occur quickly and competition would further the drop. Private enterprise works wonders when allowed to be free.), and thereby eliminating the need for subsidies. Subsidies came about because the companies needed relief from the exorbitant taxes that are imposed at every stage of production, from exploration to the final product. Congress shows its brilliance by imposing taxes and then giving it back, minus millions of dollars that are eaten up by the bureaucracy all in the name of maintaining power and control.

Liberals and government never will solve anything. They continue to try and all they do is make a mess of everything. Think of that the next time you fill up, while at the same time you continue to believe that Congress can ease your pain by plundering “Big Oil.”

© 06-11-2008 DEC