Increase Gas Prices From Speculation–A Gasoline Tax Will Destroy Speculation
Governor Barbour is accusing President Obama of deliberately allowing gasoline prices to rise. He believes that more drilling in America would somehow have a substantial impact even as we know for a fact that oil is sold on the open markets and oil drilled in our waters would not necessarily be sold in America. Moreover, he refuses to acknowledge the role of blatant speculation on the price of oil. As usual he is attempting to use this current speculative increase in oil prices to force a policy that opens the door for corporations to drill more in the United States to make profits on inexpensive leases that will not have a material effect on our economy or our citizens.
Barbour knows all of this information as he is a very smart man. What is sad is that the interest of the country never seems to be tantamount to these politicians. They simply promote the policy desires of their corporate puppet masters irrespective of the potential damage to our economy or environment.
Barbour is doing exactly what Republicans do, bait and switch. He uses a statement by the President’s Energy Secretary supporting a tax on gasoline to reduce consumption to subliminally imply that the administration is responsible for the price increase. He fails to note that it is the obscene speculation by those his party has refused to allow regulation on that are driving up the prices. In other words the increase prices are going into the coffers of the wealthy.
Firstly a very high gasoline tax is something America should review. It would solve a lot of problems. It would reduce our dependency on foreign, it would improve the environment in cities across the country, it would provide funds to rebuild our infrastructure, it will increase employment substantially, and it would help the auto industry as people start buying new efficient cars.
Secondly, a high gasoline tax will immediately destroy speculation in the long run given the drop in demand. We have allowed speculators to exacerbate our economic woes are be the genesis of many of our economic woes for much too long. It is time that we pass policies that are middle class centric. It begins by educating the masses by those who are honest and enlightened
The problem is in general Republican policy is neither forward looking or honest. Until the real Republicans who I am sure share the real values of country first and fairness though in a more conservative manner for my taste, make themselves heard, we will remain at an impasse.
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Haley Barbour: Obama Is Deliberately Trying To Drive Up Energy Prices
WASHINGTON — Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) is accusing the Obama administration of deliberately driving up energy costs, comparing the destructiveness of high gas prices to the financial troubles of Wall Street.
"This administration’s policies have been designed to drive up the cost of energy in the name of reducing pollution, in the name of making very expensive alternative fuels more economically competitive," said Barbour in a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC on Tuesday morning.
Barbour cited 2008 comments by Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who floated the idea of gradually raising gasoline taxes to convince more Americans to adopt energy-friendly habits. "Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe," he said at the time. President Obama has dismissed the idea of raising the gasoline tax.
"In 2008, $4 gasoline brought my state to its knees before Wall Street melted down," said Barbour, underscoring his point.
In remarks to reporters after the speech, Barbour repeated that the Obama administration’s policy "is to drive up energy prices."
"In the United States, it’s harder to get a permit to mine coal than it is to get a heart transplant," he said. "If you look at the moratorium in the Gulf yesterday, it was announced there was a drilling permit issued for the Gulf of Mexico. Turns out it wasn’t for a new well, it was to resume drilling for a well that they shut down, because the federal government made them shut down. We’re going to produce about 13 percent less petroleum in the United States this year than last year. Now how is that good policy at any time when energy security is supposed to be a priority, but particularly at a time of turmoil in the Middle East and the oil-producing states? I hope the Obama administration is going to announce a reversal of course. But I’m not optimistic."
Barbour also backed Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) and his controversial plan to take away the collective bargaining rights of public employees, again turning the issue back on the president and asking why federal employees don’t have those same rights.
Haley Barbour: Obama Is Deliberately Trying To Drive Up Energy Prices