Pirate's Cove

For this, we elect, pay, and give power to Congress Critters?

Senate Republicans advocate sending $100 rebate checks to millions of taxpayers, and a Democrat is leading the campaign for a 60-day gasoline tax holiday.

Either way, it seems no one in Congress wants to be without a plan, however symbolic, to attack the election-year spike in gasoline prices.

Pure pandering. Nothing more, nothing less. Neither plan will solve a thing. Let’s drill in ANWAR, the Gulf of Mexico, the Lower 48. Let’s build new refineries, nuclear plants, and wind farms. Let’s do some real research into alternatives.

And, here’s one that will freak some folks out: let’s take the trading of oil off of the market. Does it cost the same to get the oil out of the ground? As far as I have been able to determine, yup! The price is going up because of trading.

And, as far as the profits for the oil companies? They are making about 8% profit. If the price of a gallon is $1, they make 8 cents. If it is $3, they make 24 cents. Their costs are the same, either way. The fact that they make more money due to the cost of a barrel of oil going up because of people who do not work for them should not make people mad at the oil companies. It should make people mad at the people who ARE driving up the price of a barrel.

Let’s come up with some real fixes, Congress.

PS: what I wrote about profits is really simplistic. I had included quite a bit more info, but, apparently hit the wrong button, and waxed it. Not going to spend another 1/2 hour looking it up.