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Those wacky Republicans are at it again.
The Republican congress just passed the Energy Bill, the one written in secret by Dick Cheney and friends (none of which we know the identity of). So, what's in it? Are there provisions to decrease the dependence on Middle East oil? Are there provisions to decrease greenhouse gases that are contributing to global warming? Are there provisions to encourage conservation?
No.
What is in it is a half billion dollars in free money for oil producers to drill more holes in the ground at a time when they are having a hard time finding ways to spend the record profits they're raking in. There are provisions to drill in locations that are environmentally sensitive with that half billion dollars. There is a $2.7 billion tax cut for oil producers, one of which is Exxon/Mobile which turned a profit of $7.6 billion in the last quarter. That's $7.6 Billion in profits in just THREE MONTHS for just one company but they get a tax cut to encourage exploration with the half billion free dollars they just got. Damn, I wish the Republicans would encourage me a little.
Oh, and then there's the $1.5 billion inserted at the last minute by Rep. Tom Delay (R TX) directed to basically one consulting company in his home district of Houston (Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America which has Halliburton as a major stakeholder -- go figure). Inserted at the last minute with no discussion, no debate. That $1.5 billion is to study how to spend the $.5 billion in free money to punch more holes in the ground.
Oh, those wacky Republicans!
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