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Strong Energy Measures Wanted Poll Shows Most Favor New Drilling, Taxes on Oil Profits
washingtonpost.com ^ | Sunday, August 10, 2008 | Jon Cohen and Paul Kane

Posted on 08/09/2008 8:20:46 PM PDT by Syncro

Strong Energy Measures Wanted

Poll Shows Most Favor New Drilling, Taxes on Oil Profits

Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, August 10, 2008; Page A08

A new national poll shows broad public support for government action in the face of $4-a-gallon gas and other energy concerns, giving Republicans a rare opening to go on the offensive against congressional Democrats and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

Nearly two-thirds of Americans now put a priority on "finding new sources of energy" over improving conservation -- a significant shift since 2001 -- and majorities support all of the five potential federal initiatives tested in a new ABC News poll.

There is overwhelming backing for stricter fuel efficiency standards, as large majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents alike line up behind the idea. There is also widespread support across party lines for a more controversial proposal in the battle over energy policy: offshore oil drilling.

Overall, 63 percent want the federal government to lift its embargo on new drilling in U.S. coastal waters. Nearly eight in 10 Republicans and seven in 10 independents back the idea, as do just over half of Democrats in the poll conducted in partnership with Stanford University and Planet Green.

The findings come after weeks of pressure from Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, and GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill who have demanded straight up or down votes on more domestic drilling. Faced with opposition from Democratic leaders, House Republicans on Friday completed the first week of what they hope to be an almost month-long protest on the chamber floor.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: coal; drillheredrillnow; drilling; energy; energypolicy; ethanol; ethyanol; obama; oil; oopsethanol; pelosi; propagandawingofdnc; taxoil; windmills
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63 percent of Americans want off shore drilling, but at the same time "nearly two-thirds" put a priority on finding new sources of energy.

Interesting doublespeak.

The rest can be read at The Wash Po

1 posted on 08/09/2008 8:22:07 PM PDT by Syncro
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To: Syncro

Sad that a majority is too stupid to realize that increased taxes on oil profits = increased prices at the pump.


2 posted on 08/09/2008 8:26:36 PM PDT by comebacknewt
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To: Syncro
The American people have bought the Democrat's malarkey about a few fat cats making all the profits from “big oil”. This hasn't been the case since J D Rockefeller ran Standard Oil more than 100 years ago. The windfall profits taxes they seem to want will just be new taxes on their IRAs, pension funds and investment portfolios as well as drive up prices at the pump.
3 posted on 08/09/2008 8:28:11 PM PDT by The Great RJ ("Mir we bleiwen wat mir sin" or "We want to remain what we are." ..Luxembourg motto)
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To: The Great RJ
The windfall profits taxes they seem to want will just be new taxes on their IRAs, pension funds and investment portfolios as well as drive up prices at the pump.

That's right on the money. Don't ya just wish the morons who want higher taxes on "oil profits" were smart enough to figure this stuff out? They are so dumb that they just drive me crazy.

4 posted on 08/09/2008 8:33:31 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer ("I'm trying to save the planet!" - Nancy Pelosi ..........ROTFLMAO! What a dumbass!)
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To: The Great RJ
Strong Energy Measures Wanted Poll Shows Most Favor New Drilling, Taxes on Oil Profits

Oil companies pay about five times more in taxes than they have in profit. And, gee, that profit would go where if not sucked up by the government? To their shareholders! And here are charlatans like Barack promising to take money out of the pockets of the shareholder citizens who invested in the companies and give it to the citizens who haven't bothered to invest or work. This is nothing but robbery.
5 posted on 08/09/2008 8:38:24 PM PDT by aruanan
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To: comebacknewt
Sad that a majority is too stupid to realize that increased taxes on oil profits = increased prices at the pump.

Which is why we're in a lot of trouble because people really don't get it. I'll bet the support for increased drilling has more to do with those same people thinking the oil companies are intentionally not drilling so the price of oil stays high to keep their profits high rather than because the libs in Congress are blocking drilling. And so by supporting more drilling, these people probably think they're going to stick it to the oil companies.

6 posted on 08/09/2008 8:40:31 PM PDT by Dahoser (America's great untapped alternative energy source: The Founding Fathers spinning in their graves.)
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To: Syncro
63 percent of Americans want off shore drilling, but at the same time "nearly two-thirds" put a priority on finding new sources of energy.

Interesting doublespeak.

Just what is doublespeak about wanting both? Drill but have a comprehensive program for energy?

I don't get your comment at all.

7 posted on 08/09/2008 8:42:18 PM PDT by billva
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To: Syncro

Don’t tax on the profits. That’s what the oil companies re-invest!

Who wrote this anyway?

The first part is correct.


8 posted on 08/09/2008 8:45:52 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Syncro
bumper-sticker
 
 

Contact your Congress critters to let them know that you are tired of high gas prices.

U. S. Senate

U. S. House of Representatives

9 posted on 08/09/2008 8:46:21 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Syncro

The two positions are not mutually inconsistent. Literally speaking, you can only have one priority, but colloquially speaking, you can favor different methods towards the same goal of developing new energy technologies.

I favor new domestic drilling, and I favor developing new energy technologies (though I don’t think it should be heavily subsidized by the feds).

It’s not doublespeak at all. It makes perfect sense to do both. I don’t get the climate at FR, now and then.


10 posted on 08/09/2008 8:49:58 PM PDT by Sgt Joe Friday 714
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To: Sgt Joe Friday 714
It’s not doublespeak at all. It makes perfect sense to do both.

You're absolutely correct. What's puzzling is why people think a windfall profits tax would be beneficial to anyone other than the government.

I would love the major oil companies do an ad campaign tell people their profits versus the taxes they are already paying. Show people their profit margins versus that of the likes of Google, IBM or Apple. The American public needs to have their eyes opened with a bit of reality.

11 posted on 08/09/2008 9:10:31 PM PDT by politicalwit (AKA... A Tradition Continues...Now a Hoosier Freeper)
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To: comebacknewt
Tens of millions of Americans have money invested in “Big Oil” through either a muni fund, 401k, or an IRA, AND THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW IT.

Not to mention literally hundreds of thousands of Americans are employed by “Big Oil”.

12 posted on 08/09/2008 9:20:02 PM PDT by Carling (I'm a Typical White Person)
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To: Sgt Joe Friday 714
I favor new domestic drilling, and I favor developing new energy technologies ...

Let's ask the obvious question: why? If new sources of energy were actually economically competitive, they would already be on-line. Since they are not, they are not competitive, and there is no reason to assume they would actually save energy. Energy alternatives which are not economically competitive must borrow dollars from somewhere more productive within the economy to finance them; as such, they are also draining lower entropy money (and energy) from other sectors of the economy. I doubt that a serious examination of, say, wind power, would show that it actually produces any net energy at all. In effect, like ethanol, it hides what is a larger dependence on oil because its additional net requirements are ultimately hidden inside energy demand growth.

13 posted on 08/09/2008 9:24:40 PM PDT by FredZarguna (Triage doesn't deal with people who successfully defend themselves with guns.)
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To: comebacknewt

If people want to tax windfall profits on higher oil prices, they should look at Government. Government already makes more profit on oil than the oil companies do. They should share their windfall with the people by reducing taxes which must become embedded in retail prices.


14 posted on 08/09/2008 9:28:55 PM PDT by esarlls3
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To: Sgt Joe Friday 714; billva
Well, of course you are right. My bigger point is that the new technologies all seem to take tax payer money. Ethanol costs us millions, and isn't a good idea the way we are doing it here in the states now.

Brazil is almost completely switched to running vehicles on Ethanol, but they have a good system that is not counterproductive like ours is.

The hybrid and electric cars are subsidized also, and are touted as being pollution free.

In reality they are coal burning cars. Not that that is a bad thing, clean coal is a good way to produce electricity.

The thing is that the alternatives are set up by those in power to slow down production of oil based fuels.

Most of those that support alternative and oil, coal etc don't want more oil production IMO.

Plus the scare tactics that are used to push the alternatives (we are running out of oil etc) are bogus and politically driven.

The best alternative at this time is to produce more of our OWN oil and as fast as possible.

And start adding Nuclear plants.

Leave the other alternatives to the private sector, like T-Bone Pickins (yea I know what his name is, I like T-Bone better) and other private investors. Not our tax dollars. Put windmills off the east coast where Ted Kennedy can see them. Oh that's right, he doesn't want them in his ocean view.

When the private sector realized it wasn't viable or profitable to use infant stem cells, the government jumped in and threw money at it.

billva, I hope you get my comment now.

Thanks to both of you for the comments.

15 posted on 08/09/2008 10:04:16 PM PDT by Syncro
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To: Syncro
Brazil is almost completely switched to running vehicles on Ethanol,

False. Ethanol is less than 20% of their fuel consumption.

16 posted on 08/09/2008 10:14:52 PM PDT by Toddsterpatriot (Half the time it could seem funny, the other half's just too sad.)
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To: Toddsterpatriot

I think you are closer than I was.

I was recalling something I read a few months ago.

Being as Henry Ford’s first car was made to run on ethanol, why do you suppose we are using all this gasoline now?


17 posted on 08/09/2008 10:20:32 PM PDT by Syncro
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To: Syncro
For reference:

And I'l just be willing to bet that the Oil Companies spend more money complying with the 'Environmental Restrictions' of their craft than they paid out to their Employees.

18 posted on 08/09/2008 11:54:21 PM PDT by brityank (The more I learn about the Constitution, the more I realise this Government is UNconstitutional !!)
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To: comebacknewt
Really. Every time I think the American public might be getting smarter, they find some way to prove me wrong-—like defeating Rep. Davis in Tenn. Inexcusable.
19 posted on 08/10/2008 1:22:00 AM PDT by singfreedom (Obama's solution to the energy crisis: check the air in your tires! Why didn't we think of that?)
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To: The Great RJ
I agree. The bogeyman “speculators”, the Dems are vilifying all over the place, are mostly citizens’ own retirement accounts, IRAs, 401Ks, 403Bs and mutual fund accounts.
20 posted on 08/10/2008 1:33:24 AM PDT by singfreedom (Obama's solution to the energy crisis: check the air in your tires! Why didn't we think of that?)
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