Throwing the Lap Dog a Bone

We have a problem.

I'm not talking about the obvious problem of government's refusal to get the oil and gasoline prices under control. Notice I chose to use the word 'refusal' instead of something a little more negotiable like 'hesitation'. Word selection is intentional. Our government is refusing to take real action on this issue. But, that's not what I want to talk about.

I'm not talking about the insane profits being reported. Not Chevron's announcement of a 49% increase in quarterly earnings (source: CNN Money), nor Exxon's announced record 1st quarter net earnings of $8.4 BILLION (source: Washington Post), nor British Petroleum's or Shell's record profits of $19.3 BILLION and $22.94 BILLION, respectively (source: BBC News).

I'm not talking about the proposed changes being debated in Congress. According to a Wall Street analyst, the profit tax on oil company profits won't impact gasoline prices:

Wall Street analysts discounted the likelihood of congressional action against oil companies. "As someone in the industry for more than 25 years, I've seen it before," said Fadel Gheit, an oil company analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. "Penalizing oil companies does not lower prices at the pump. If we have a windfall profits tax, it will just create another moneybag for the government. It will not increase oil production by one barrel. It will not lower gasoline prices by one cent or alter our dependence on OPEC countries."
Source: Washington Post

I'm not talking of President Bush's disengenuous request for renewal of the effort to raise the mileage standards for vehicles. If the past is proof of the executive and legislative branches' commitment to reducing the dependency on oil by making vehicles more economical, forget about it.

But neither Congress nor the administration has shown much interest in raising passenger car standards, which were set in the 1970s and haven't changed since 1985. In March, the Bush administration said it would raise average fuel economy standards by 1.9 miles a gallon for sport-utility vehicles, pickups and vans for models in 2008 through 2011, a long-awaited move that environmentalists said was too modest.
Source: Washington Post

I'm talking about the $100 bone thrown to the lap dog which is the average American. Apparently, the Senate GOP leaders believe the average American is so naive as to take a deal where $100 in cash today is more important than the long-term reduction in the price of gasoline. This attempt at what in nothing less than a bribe reveals the mindset which is prevalent in Washington. Display to the citizenry the appearance of action, perhaps even provide a little something with which to entertain themselves, and the citizenry will feel as if their interests have been served.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. The American public is not being served, it is being played.

I'd like to say this really jerks my chain, but then I don't have one. Do you?

Tagged: Current Affairs, News, News and Politics, Opinion, Politics.