Pain at the pump . . . Who to blame?

Ouch . . . regular unleaded is posted at $4.02 just down the street.  We Americans are used to low cost fuel and are angered that it is no longer so.  After a bit of reading online today, I’ve found some info that has me seething.

So why the huge price spike in the last year and a half?  Supply constraints and price speculation are the biggest culprits for the shortterm.  Long term the problems lie in not expanding the supply.  Thank you Congress!

In 2006 the Democrats took back the majority in the House and Senate.  In Nov 2006, Nancy Pelosi – soon to be Speaker of the House – claimed the Dems had a “common-sense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices”, a plan for energy independence, and claimed oil companies were “price gouging”. When the Democrats took power in Congress in 2006, the price of gas was under $2.30.

Congressional approval ratings are at record lows – 18%; and who can blame the voters for being disenchanted?  The Democrats’ big plan to reduce gas prices has somehow seen the price increase 75%!!!

A 2007 Dem amendment to an appropriations bill blocked establishment of regulations for leasing land for drilling for oil shale within the U.S.  You can thank Sen. Udall (D) from Colorado, for this amendment. Estimates are that there is three times the amount of oil in the Western U.S. shale than in Saudi Arabian reserves. In 2008 Republicans added an amendment to allow oil shale drilling – thank Sen. Allard (R) of Colorado for this attempt – but it was shot down 15-14 by Democrats in the Senate Appropriations Committee.  But, oh sorry, we can’t touch it that shale oil because . . . uh . . . ummm . . . because the Democrats know what’s best for America and they said so.

Pelosi and other tree-huggers are determined to keep the United States from expanding domestic drilling and thus, making us even more dependent on foreign oil.  Prudhoe Bay, Alaska has supplied some 15 million barrels of oil to this point and, less than 70 miles to the east, another 10+ million barrels of untapped oil sit and we can’t touch it.  The Democrats won’t let you and I have the oil because it sits under a deserted area of land that is frozen 8 months of the year – ANWR. Why can’t we drill there?  Dems are afraid we will harm the wildlife.  Screw you humans. . .we’re for the carabou!

Pelosi and crew are also not allowing the U.S. to drill in areas off our coasts (California and Florida especially) – a whopping 85% of U.S coastline has been voted “off limits” to drilling.  Estimates are that we are barred from billions of barrels of oil there – yep, that’s billions – with a B. Why can’t we drill there?  They are afraid of possible negative impact on sea life!!!  They don’t give a crap about you and I and our lives but just love those fish!

Oh, and for you who actually give a crap – Cuba and China both operate oil rigs within 60 miles of some areas of our “off limits to oil drilling because of the fish” coastlines.  And, oh yeah, some fishing excursions chartered out of Lousiana, Mississippi, and Texas take their customers right out near the oil rigs in the Gulf because the sealife is thriving there.

I not singing the praises of the Republicans on this either but the Democrats are complete morons on energy policy issues! America, please fire Pelosi and her ilk.