Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Mr. Bush's Energetic Endeavors

"Faced with mounting economic and political concerns over rising gas prices, President Bush is pitching his energy plan."

Oh, please!

Anybody who thinks that the Bush administration has an energy plan that’s designed to do anything besides line the pockets of his energy cronies for as long as possible…well, I have some prime swamp land in Arizona that will be of great interest to you.

Have we all forgotten the energy high jinks that began almost the minute George W. Bush stepped away from the inaugural podium in 2000? The rolling blackouts in California, hatched by the major energy companies, and carried out by honorable sorts who circulated emails about "screwing grandmas," scant months after Bush took office? Gasoline prices attaining immediate volatility, consistently soaring over $2 per gallon during the peak usage months, from Memorial Day through Labor Day?

Let’s take a quick look at that phenomenon. Every year, since Bush ascended to the presidency in 2000, gas prices have begun a meteoric rise in spring, reaching ever-increasing highs by the end of May, only to fall back dramatically in September. Even this year; crude oil prices rose sharply in December, but we didn’t see much increase in pump prices until April. Am I the only person in the country who detects the earmarks of unsavory manipulation in this pattern? Could it be that the powers-that-be understand that people would never stand for consistently inflated gas prices? So they hatch a plan to "make hay while the sun shines," profiteering during the summer months when people are more likely to rack up more driving miles, then scaling back prices during the winter months. Just to confuse things. Just to keep everyone off balance. And, of course, we buy right into this ruse by immediately hopping into our gas guzzling 4 x 4’s and driving all over creation between Memorial Day and Labor Day. But that’s a different rant.

The September 11th terrorist attack, and the ensuing foreign policy implosion, redirected the Bush Administration’s focus…for awhile. They managed to transmute that national tragedy into an excuse to advance their energy agenda on an international scale. Unfortunately, that little escapade has not expediently produced the desired product (a U.S.-friendly democracy in the middle of some of the Middle East’s prime oil fields.) Theaim now seems to be to as quickly as possible wrap up that less-than-successful endeavor, in the form of fast-tracking Iraqi elections and speed-training Iraqi security forces, presumably in preparation to hand them back their country, now that we have devastated it.

Realizing that time is growing short, the administration is now poised to take advantage of the golden opportunity of out-of-control energy prices (and I have a hard time believing those prices have escaped control without some covert assistance)to advance its agenda of returning a thousand-fold the investments that big energy interests made in both of Mr. Bush’s campaigns, by pushing the administration’s "Energy Bill."  

"Mr. President, polls show that the American people are seriously concerned about rising energy costs…particularly the price of gasoline!" "Hmmm…gas prices…energy prices…energy policy… Hey wait! I have an energy policy! That one that Dick Cheney and Ken Lay came up with back in 2001! Let’s shove that back into Congress and tell my fellow Americans that I have a plan to solve all their energy problems." So Mr. Bush is now engaged in appearing, for the sake of the political mileage, to be concerned about how energy prices are affecting John Q. Public. All the while, seizing the opportunity to present his energy industry backers with profits, tax breaks, and favorable rollbacks in environmental standards for decades to come. And let’s not even talk about yesterday’s gratuitous photo op between Mr. Bush and Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah. How I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at that tea party!

Despite the oily grandstanding of Republican leaders who staged a press conference stumping for the Bush Energy Bill at a local D.C. gas station, directing cameras to zoom in on the price on the pumps, claiming the bill was "about gas prices, gas prices, gas prices," even Mr. Bush is careful to pronounce the caveat that the bill is not designed to provide immediate relief at the gas pumps. Of course it isn’t. We should begin to expect real relief in about…let’s see…three years, eight months, and twenty-four days. That is, if we can manage to elect a president in 2008 who is NOT bankrolled by big energy interests.

11 comments:

  1. But don't forget, by letting oil companies drill in wildlife refuges, more oil will be made available...Isn't that part of the plan?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I couldn't agree with you more. I'm surprised at how we seem to be burying our heads in the sand, as if we're pretending not to see what's going on. It seems that (for some bizarre reason) people are just sopping up whatever this guy says or does. It's CRAZY! ~ Lori

    ReplyDelete
  3. Don't forget Cheney's secret meetings to come up with this turkey of a bill.  
    Well, we've put a bunch of oil men in the White House - the poorest of the bunch, Condi Rice has an Exxon oil tanker named after her - and this is what we get for energy policy.  They don't want us to conserve.  Then they (and their friends) won't make as much money.  Never mind that raising the fuel economy standards 1 mpg will save more oil than is in ANWR.  
    The Center for American Progress calls the energy bill "everything that's wrong with Congress in one bill"...

    http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/pp.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=569847

    ReplyDelete
  4. With gas prices here at nearly $2.80 a gallon, (I hear-almost the highest in the nation)  I am appalled that we Americans, especially Californians have put up with Bush!  (My Gawd...I said that!)  We threw Gray Davis out for Arnold just because of his involvement in our contrived energy crisis!  It's about time Bush got his fanny thrown out for what's been going on since 9-11.  Our electric company is already starting with the "shortages" stuff...it's going to be a fun summer.  Lisa..I am beginning to see the light!  Lol!  Lisa

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Lisa-
    You know I have never realized until this entry the timeline on the gas prices. Here in Vegas, we are no paying (and Im not kidding) $2.79 a gallon. Yes, and if you want the mid-grade or premium, thats over $3.00 bucks! And it's always so funny how it's the gas stations so very close to casinos, entertainment,  and other high profile areas here in Vegas that ther at their highest. That hand-holding thing that went on in the news here recently made want to vomit!! Those two werent' talking about helping Americans and getting us lower gas prices, they were making "deals".

    Great entry as always Lisa,
    Gayla

    ReplyDelete
  6. Consider this too, since there are few refineries on the west coast. Most analysts are saying that most of the ANWR oil with go to the far east. It's too cumbersome to tanker the oil to the refineries on the Gulf coast. I guess that would help our horrendous balance of trade deficit but.........and this is a big but, colonies and third world countries are usually the ones to export raw materials, not countries that call themselves the world's only super power. What's wrong with this picture?

    Jackie
    http://journals.aol.com/thesheatons/PixelsPoliticsPosiesandPussycats

    ReplyDelete
  7. well, this was all very interesting!  I can't believe the prices of gas lately! ugh, but we are lucky compared to what they are paying in europe....~  www.jerseygirljournal.com    

    ReplyDelete
  8. You know what I am screamin'!

    SCALE BACK AMERICA.........GET READY!........THE BIG GUYS ARE SET.............IT WILL BE THE LITTLE MAN WHO WILL SUFFER THE MOST........SCALE BACK NOW!.....DEMAND THE TRUTH.....................

    ReplyDelete
  9. Amen. I couldn't have said it any better. I don't understand why some people have such a difficult time connecting the dots.
    Candace

    ReplyDelete
  10. Well said!

    I forget who said it, maybe Kevin Costner, it was on Bill Mahr's HBO show. He said that we set a goal to have a man on the moon within 20yrs and accomplished it well within time! If we did the same regarding energy, we would have no problems.

    Heck, we have a ton of viable options available but so long as we have the oil cronies lobbying for their agenda, we won't see any good changes any time soon.
    :-) ---Robbie

    ReplyDelete
  11. a brilliant right-on entry.  spoken with the wrath and cynicism that roils within me also, almost all of the time.  do you have an ulcer yet?

    ReplyDelete