Democrats turn up heat on US pump prices

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/08/19/MTFH98823_2005-08-19_21-30-55_EIC964467.html

U.S. Senate Democrats turned up the heat on the White House on Friday to act in the face of record-high U.S gasoline pump prices.

The same day, the Senate Energy Committee set a September 8 hearing on what's behind the prices, which hit a record $2.55 a gallon this week.

That's about 68 cents higher than just a year ago and the biggest weekly increase on record, which has triggered fears that high energy costs could hurt U.S. economic growth.

Lawmakers admit there is no short-term fix to pain at the pump, but are nervous about political fall-out. Gasoline prices are sure to be a hot topic when Congress returns from its recess next month.

Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer, warned this week that high gasoline prices have stunted U.S. consumer spending.

[bluestateguy]

1. Ooooooooh! HEARINGS ARE GOING TO BE HELD!!!!

I'm sure Team Bush is quaking in their boots now!

HEARINGS ARE GOING TO BE HELD!!! That'll put the fear of God into them.

[wli]

2. I'm sure the DLC will let Bushler et al off the hook n/t

[lonestarnot]

14. In the basement no doubt.

[sendero]

31. Please! Anything!..

... but not the hearings!

[Big Kahuna]

3. The high gas prices are not a completely negative thing..

I saw a Hummer driver pay $76 at the pump today. :rofl: I wonder if he still thinks buying an urban assault vehicle just to piss off socialist tree-huggers was worth it?

The rest of the world is paying over $5.00 a gallon for gas. We don't really have much to piss and moan about.

[SKKY]

10. It amazes me how few people know that...

...I filled my car (2002 Mazda Protege5) up the other day out in town vice on base (I'm stationed in Spain), and it cost me 42 Euros. Silly expensive.

[meow2u3]

13. Who the hell cares if the rest of the world pays a five-spot

for a gallon of gas? Those countries import their oil and the $5.00 per gallon includes high tarrifs. Just because Europe and Australia pay 5-6 bucks for the go juice, doesn't mean we have to.

This is America. We shouldn't have to pay out the wazoo for gas so oil robber barons can profiteer. This is highway robbery--literally and figuratively!

In this country, high gas prices create a ripple effect, which translates to exorbitant food prices. So be my guest if you take a perverse pleasure in making Americans suffer.

:rant:

[deadparrot]

16. *And* their health care is paid for by the government...

At least, in most cases in Western Europe....their taxes actually go to the betterment of the society.

[Stand and Fight]

19. Thank you for saying that...

I'm about sick of hearing this poppy-cock dribble about Europe. The comparison is misleading, inaccurate -- a true red herring if ever there was one.

[The_Casual_Observer]

21. Give it a few months, we will b paying $5 and have NOTHING

to show for it. Europe on the other hand gets plenty of "mileage" for that $5.

[VegasWolf]

23. Well, we have Saddam Hussein in jail to show for it! :) nt

[Mountainman]

4. Maybe the Dems will send a letter to Bush asking that he do something

Now here's the perfect chance for the Dems to propose an alternative plan to Bush's do nothing plan.

I'll start.

Let the strategic oil reserves go into the market.
Warn the oil companies that the government may put price controls on gasoline and fuel oil.
Open a government run factory in every state to build the fuel efficient cars that the auto industry won't build. Hire unemployed and underemployed people to work in them. Sell the cars to working class people at a discount and to the wealthy at a premium.
Open a government science industry to invent alternatives to fossil fuel. Again hire and train (send to college) the underemployed and underemployed at government expense.
Pay for all this by double taxing the profits on oil and rescinding the tax cuts and not spending money on wars of profiteering.

[CountAllVotes]

7. plain and simple solution

Ration gasoline. That will work and take these personally owned SUVs, RVs, and fat ass trucks off the road. Make them ALL illegal to drive and own.

Result: No more need for massive amounts of oil and we'll be free, free at last!

:kick:

[Stand and Fight]

22. I don't like SUVs or RVs, but....

They're big. They guzzle almost double the amount of gas of economy cars. They are ruining our air quality. I could go on and on, but I sincerely hope you're being facetious when you say make them illegal to drive and own. This is America after all. Just because we don't like what someone is doing doesn't call for dictation.

It's the politicians in Washington that should be forcing the oil companies and the car companies to develop more efficient vehicles and alternative fuel sources. They are the ones that should be required to bring forth a viable solution. Big business has it within their means to research fixing things, but they're too bloody dammed greedy.

Banning certain vehicles is wrong. Let's come up with a solution, not create another problem. Our freedoms have been encroached upon enough. Sometimes the comments here have a sickening authoritarian fascist tone to them.

[CountAllVotes]

27. 6 mpg or less

Is about 1/5th of the mileage I get; other cars get up to 10X this amount. I say BAN THEM! Who the hell really "needs" one of these. As for, the "This is America" comment, yeah, America the beautiful or what is left of it. Is it really still "America"?

Ban them and/or make these people PAY an extra charge for owning them. I know one person that has FIVE SUVs; reason is to look "big".

So let them pay even bigger.

[Stand and Fight]

33. I agree with making them pay for the "luxary".

I don't agree with banning them.

[kestrel91316]

34. You would prefer the free market decide the price of oil .................

and the poor/middle classes completely unable to afford it, and the rich continue to cruise the streets for fun in their Hummers?? Not the kind of country I want to live in.

Some of us actually care about someone other than ourselves.

[Trillo]

5. Maybe the result of hearings will advance alternative energy plans.

Given the history of energy corruption in this country, I'm pessimistic that anything substantive will occur as a result of "hearings."

Get the money, especially corporate money, out of politics, maybe things will change. I'm not holding my breath for that to happen, though I hope it eventually does.

[notadmblnd]

6. something happened today

because gas dropped in the metro Detroit area from 2.79 to 2.54 overnight.

[NYC]

8. That's very interesting.

If you find out why, please let us know.

[Rageneau]

9. Oil's price will peak in July, 2006...

And then it will drop back a little -- to, say, 2.99 a gallon -- whereupon the public will issue a sigh of relief and, after four months, will have stopped thinking about the issue -- just in time for the GOP to compete in the 2006 elections.

The Dems should be provoking this issue with one voice. Every damned one of them should be demanding hearings into oil profiteering every time there's a microphone near. They should also be demanding that Smirk open the Strategic Reserve -- over and over and over again.

But they won't. Because they're our Democratic leaders, and don't want to make Mr. Rove mad.

[jsamuel]

11. Geez, took a while, but GOOD JOB!

Thanks! Don't Stop THERE!

[jbane]

12. Who the hell cares about gas prices when...

it's pumped by your driver, paid by your bottomless expense account and put into a car you don't own.

[lonestarnot]

15. Yep! clueless!

[TheCowsCameHome]

26. Amen, amen,amen. I'll bet they haven't a clue.......

[SammyWinstonJack]

32. (p)Resident Clueless knows .

He "knows how hard it is for you to put food on your family", and now gas is your car, he just doesn't give a sh*t. It's "important" for him to 'live his life'. "Now watch this drive"

[Deja Q]

17. Anyone else glad Kerry didn't get elected?

Before you flame me until I'm burnt to a crisp, think about why I said rather than the usual rhetorical slobbering... You know damn well he'd be skewered alive by the repukes.

And I was hoping the initial effects of peak oil would begin before a dem got elected anyway. People are so polarized they're programmed to care for the political party only. That can't think. That's why people vote for a pary that is pro-family and pro-business, even though business right down to the core is anti-family when you start thinking about the nuances, most of which we already know of...

[kestrel91316]

35. I have come to agree with you. Let the Republicans suffer the full

consequences of their policies.

[kymar57]

18. Prices

One thing I don't get about this whole price thing. Now, I think I have a basic understanding of supply and demand. Back in the 70's when we had the oil shortage, I seem to recall the price seemed to shoot up because there just wasn't enough fuel to go around. Every other day fuel days based on the last digit of ones license plate,stations running out of gas, etc. But I don't see that situation now. How are the powers that be justifying their pricing policies. Somebody please help me out

[durablend]

20. They're doing their part...

To keep the evil gays off the roads and keep those rotten abortion doctors from getting to the clinics! :evilgrin:

[Demeter]

24. Strategic Oil Reserves--What Am I Bet That They Are Empty?

How much do you want to wager that there are no strategic oil reserves--that they've been sold to Iraqis at 5 cents a gallon, or on the spot market for big time profits to band-aid the deficit?

[killbotfactory]

28. no, they are filling them as fast as they can at these prices

For a couple reasons...
1. This creates big profits for Bush's oil buddies...
2. In the event of an embargo by Venezuela and Iran we will have fuel for our military incursions into their territories.

[TheCowsCameHome]

25. OhmiGod! Not hearings! Who will tell these clowns how much gas costs?

You don't think they ever pump their own, do you?

Or that they care what the public pays?

[tabasco]

29. What are those tree-hugging lie-berals whining about now?????

Funny - - I haven't heard right-wingers condemning the "alarmist, tree-hugging, wacko environmentalists" lately. I wonder why :shrug:

[Writer]

30. I keep reading about higher demands of oil from China and India

PAH-LEEZE. So this means a 1000% increase in price over the last 7-8 years? In my book, that's crap. It started truly increasing during Bush's talk of invading Iraq.

I think we're being bilked. The inelastic demand for oil is forcing all of us to pay more. We NEED oil to operate, unfortunately. This jerks know this.