Posted on 10/14/2006 10:49:01 AM PDT by SmithL
Former President Clinton on Friday called the campaign against Proposition 87 a "ruse" and charged the oil companies with making "bogus" claims that the initiative would drive up gas prices.
In a rare endorsement of a state ballot measure, the nation's former chief executive chided the oil companies that have pumped $64 million into the "No on 87" campaign.
"If they really thought you were going to pay for this, would they have spent all that money trying to convince you to vote against it?" he asked students at a "Yes on 87" rally Friday.
Introduced by Academy Award-winning actress Geena Davis, who played the president on the television show "Commander in Chief," Clinton addressed an enthusiastic crowd of more than 3,000 at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The "No on 87" campaign said that the initiative's supporters were bringing in "big names from around the country" to support a measure that would ultimately cause gas prices to rise in the state.
Al Lundeen, opposition spokesman, said the tax Proposition 87 would impose on California oil production would cause further declines in the state's oil production. He said that would force refiners to import more costly foreign oil, causing gasoline prices to rise.
"It's easy to pick on oil companies," he said.
Clinton pointed out that all the other major oil-producing states impose an oil extraction, or severance, tax, like the one proposed in Proposition 87.
He said even his home state of Arkansas has one, and its gasoline doesn't cost more than California's gasoline.
"The argument that this is going to raise gas prices is just bogus," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
I was telling my teenaged son the other night that simply because Al Gore can be seen on the TV ad for prop 87 is all you need to know to vote against it. Same with Bubba. The sound could be completely off, and you'd know it was a bad proposition.
Probably Arkansas doesnt pay more than California now is because they dont have Californias' laws demanding special gas formula's. However anyone, Ex-President or not, who thinks that the oil companies will simply absorb the extra tax increase and not pass it on to Consumers is a friggin idiot.
What does Bubba care? He rides around in a secret service SUV and he doesnt buy any. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can fool liberals just about every time if your name is Billy Jeff pervert Clinton.
Right, and we can believe him, can't we? /sarc!
Why do liberals raise taxes? To provide more money. What do they do with the money? Hire more (liberal) bureaucrats whose job it is to tell the rest of us how to live our lives. Regardless of whether I pay or the oil companies pay (ha!), I don't want the government to have any more money.
Here goes the blowhard again....forever opening his mouth...guess he got so used to it being open for Monica, he forgot it shuts to.....
I simply can't believe they are putting their credibility on the line for this. Not that they had any with me beforehand, but they have to be putting off a lot more then just conservatives.
You don't have to do much then take Econ 101 to know that at least part of every tax laid on a business will get passed on to the consumer, usually a large part of it, if not all.
According to this they want to use it to raise 4 Billion dollars. then they will give this money to anyone who has any hairbrained scheme for energy sources other than petroleum. I would imagine a lot of liberal colleges and dork professors would get a big piece of it.
fact is if anyone could come up with a workable alternative to Petroleum they wouldnt need money. people would beat their doors down to get at it..
Yes: I am sure some Clinton cronies would get a major portion of the bundle.
Well, lets see why that is:
http://www.arkansasgasprices.com/tax_info.aspx
After crude oil costs, taxes are the second largest contributor to the price paid at the pump. Together Federal and State excise taxes on fuel account for an average cost of approximately 62 cents per gallon. Note: Federal tax of 18.4 cents/gallon is not included in the rates listed below.
Arkansas
Gas: 21.8
Diesel: 22.8
Plus .3cpg environmental assurance fee assessed at the wholesale level for underground storage tank fund.
California
Gas:44.7
Diesel: 45
Other taxes include a 6% state sales tax and 1.25% county, plus additional local sales taxes and 1.2 cpg state UST fee.
This is nothing more than an attempt to have a "liberal" piggy bank like meathead had access to. I wish that liberal hbeen prosecuted for "looting his piggy bank" to take care of his liberal advertising friends to push more liberal agendas.
Boy Clinton, economic illiterate.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
With Clinton and Gore pushing it, it really can't be a good idea.
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