Pirate's Cove

The NY Times discusses the defeat of 2 bills, one by Democrats, and one by Republicans

A Democratic proposal to impose heavier taxes on big oil companies stalled in the Senate on Tuesday as Republicans and Democrats offered different ideas on how to deal with soaring energy costs.

A bill that would have rolled back some $17 billion in tax breaks on Big Oil and pressured the companies to invest in new energy sources by hitting them with a windfall-profits tax if they did not failed to get enough votes to move forward. Fifty-one senators voted to bring the measure up for consideration, but that was nine short of the number needed under Senate rules. Forty-three senators, most of them Republicans, voted “no.”

The oil-tax proposal was one of two energy-related bills that failed to advance. The other was a proposal to amend the Internal Revenue Code by providing “incentives for energy production and conservation, to extend certain expiring provisions, to provide individual income tax relief, and for other purposes,” as the measure to promote new energy sources was officially described. The vote to take up that legislation was 50-44, or 10 “yes” votes fewer than necessary.

Well, I don’t understand, quite frankly, what the Republicans were doing with this. They should be pushing for drilling, new nuclear plants, and new refineries, which would give us time to work towards some alternatives without destroying the economy and the American way of life.

The HuffPo uses the AP story with the headline “Republicans block extra taxes on oil companies.” Hmm, can you guess where their sympathies, or, should I say, hatreds, lie? Anyhow, one commenter starts out on a good note, before degenerating into silliness

OK. A windfall profit tax is not a way to help lower oil prices. So find another reason to be pissed off at Republicans. They actually did us a favor this time.

The right way to go about this is by prosecuting of criminals in the oil industry, speculators and members of OPEC for war profiteering, fraud, corruption, price fixing, collusion and international transfer of illegally gotten gains would help to drive away the hogs at the trough.

The bumper crop of pseudo reasons for increases in oil prices is just a cover for the De Beers model applied to oil.

A special prosecutor with a large staff should be appointed and given unlimited access and authority to investigate and prosecute. Then you would see downward pressure on oil prices.

Hey, if it can be shown that the oil companies have violated the law, I’m all for prosecution. But, there needs to be proof, instead of just hatred based on simply left wing hatreds.

How do you lower oil prices? Have either more oil, cut back on usage, or have something else. There is nothing else that is viable. People are not going to cut back, particularly in India and China. So, drill, as John Boehner has been pushing, and is mentioned at the end of the Times article. Pelosi will not allow a vote, though. From Boehner’s RSS

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today issued the following statement on a discharge petition filed by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) to force Democratic leaders to schedule a vote on the No More Excuses Energy Act (H.R. 3089), legislation authored by Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) to increase U.S. energy production and invest in alternative sources of energy:

“The Democratic Majority’s callous indifference as American families and small businesses struggle with $4 per gallon gasoline is both inexcusable and irresponsible. By flatly refusing to schedule votes on the House GOP plan to help reduce fuel costs and achieve energy independence, the Democrats in control of Congress are proving themselves complicit in our nation’s energy crisis, which is growing worse by the day on their watch.

“Where Democrats refuse to lead, Republicans will. Beginning today, House Republicans will offer a series of discharge petitions aimed at forcing the Democratic leadership to schedule several GOP-sponsored bills to increase production of American-made energy, reduce America’s costly dependence on foreign sources of energy, harness new alternative energy technologies, and lower gas prices. I thank Rep. Tim Walberg for offering the first discharge petition in this effort – one that seeks to force Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer to schedule Rep. Mac Thornberry’s No More Excuses Energy Act. The Thornberry bill will open new American oil refineries, invest in alternative energy sources, and increase environmentally-safe exploration of untapped oil resources in the United States.

“Rep. Walberg’s discharge petition provides rank-and-file Democrats an important opportunity to back up their rhetoric on gas prices with real action. By joining House Republicans in supporting it, they can send a long-overdue message to the Democratic leadership: American consumers are hurting, and this Congress has a responsibility to act on meaningful legislation aimed to bring down soaring prices at the pump.” 

Democrats should stick with feel good legislation, and let those who understand the big issues lead.