Posted on 02/29/2008 4:41:06 PM PST by Sub-Driver
02/29/2008 KERRY AND COAKLEY: PRESIDENT BUSH OUT-OF-TOUCH ON GAS PRICES
Massachusetts Consumers Paying Skyrocketing Prices at the Pump
Washington, DC – Senator John Kerry today sent a letter to President Bush expressing his deep concern that the President and his Administration remain out-of-touch with skyrocketing gas prices across the nation.
Just yesterday, President Bush, when asked about predictions that gas prices would approach $4 a gallon, said, "That's interesting. I hadn't heard that."
Senator Kerry today said, “Working people across the country have been struggling to fill their gas tanks for months, and Congress has been sounding the alarm about the rising costs of gas, and yet, President Bush seems genuinely surprised that there’s a crisis. This isn’t a matter to be taken lightly. Millions of Americans are feeling the affects of this Administration’s backwards looking energy policies. It’s time the White House wake up to the harsh economic reality that people all over the country face every day at the gas pump.”
Massachusetts Attorney Martha Coakley echoed Kerry’s frustrations.
“Massachusetts consumers already pay some of the highest utility costs in the nation and the rising cost of gasoline and oil has put a huge strain on working families and businesses in the Commonwealth. These increased costs have impacted all sectors of our economy and we need to develop real solutions and do more to better protect the citizens of Massachusetts and across the nation,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley. “It is clear that the Bush Administration’s energy policy does not adequately and appropriately address the issue at hand.”
The text of the letter is as follows:
President George Bush The White House Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Bush:
I was dismayed at your reaction to a question regarding gas prices that was asked during your press conference this morning. You seemed genuinely shocked to learn about the skyrocketing gas prices in communities around the country.
Oil closed at a record high on Tuesday, and gas prices are now following the same trajectory. Average national gas prices have jumped 19 cents a gallon in the last two weeks, and many experts have stated that they expect prices to rise to $4 a gallon by Memorial Day -- well above the high of $3.23 a gallon set last Memorial Day weekend.
These statistics are the latest indication of the energy crisis facing our nation. Rising prices are creating real challenges for Americans around the country. The average American family is now paying 131% more for transportation fuel costs than they were in 2001, and these increased fuel costs are reflected in rising prices for daily needs ranging from meat to milk.
We need solutions today to respond to the needs of our communities. One of the best steps we can take is to invest resources in developing clean energy technologies, to bolster domestic energy sources and create millions of green jobs. However, yesterday you announced your intention to veto a renewable energy tax package that would do just that. Among your reasons for threatening the veto is the fact that the green energy package is paid for by rolling back $17.6 billion over 10 years in tax breaks for big oil -- corporations that surely don’t need assistance given that the top 5 oil companies reported record profits of $123 billion in 2007. In light of the challenges faced by American families, I urge you to reconsider your opposition to energy tax packages under consideration in both the House and the Senate.
In addition, there are a number of other important steps we can take, including addressing price gouging, managing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve more wisely, and investing in energy efficiency and green building practices. Families are suffering impacts of high energy costs today, and we know the problem is only going to get worse. The time for excuses and inaction is over. It’s time to act to put forward an aggressive energy plan to reduce our nation’s dependence on oil and bring energy costs down. I welcome your support as we advance policies to achieve these critical goals.
Sincerely,
John F. Kerry
John Kerry - Example of why term limits are desperately needed....
We don’t make anything and our ideas are stolen, so intellectual property won’t sustain us.
We better start investing in the mega lottery.
Gas is cheap! All my low and middle income neighbors are still driving nightly out of nothing more than boredom, even though they commute to work. They also continue to ride ATVs just to get across their yards. They eat tons of junk food instead of cooking. Some of them obviously use drugs (paranoid, sneaking around in the middle of the night, stealing things, vandalizing property,...) and subscribe to monstrous satellite television packages. Most of them are teachers and other government workers.
Our worst problem is that of ignoring morality.
I have faith in America, but this is gonna hurt a little.
Your going to feel a pinch
It is squarely on the shoulders of the RATs.
Aren’t eco-friendly ideas great?
I hear we are also seeing starvation a lot more around the world and food will cost more so less of it will get to these places.
So environmentalists who put the earth and plants ahead of people are getting their wish by killing people first.
Congrats to the eco-warriors...NOT!
“As if this horse’s rear end buys gas.....”
lol, that is real funny.
Going to double?
Have you been to the grocer as of late?
Its here, now.
Going to double AGAIN.
I love how the democrats claim they are just repealing tax breaks given to the oil companies. These supposed tax breaks are that the oil companies (actually all U.S. based companies with foreign operations) don’t have to pay U.S. taxes on their foreign operations until they repatriate that money back to the U.S. These companies do continue to pay foreign corporate taxes on those foreign operations. If you force the oil companies to pay additional taxes on their foreign operations even if the money is not brought back to the U.S. this will cause severe problems:
1) U.S. companies will be at a severe disadvantage bidding for foreign leases since foreign companies will be bidding with lower tax rates. Nothing like letting the Chinese win all the contracts and ship all the oil to China rather than the U.S.
2) The current foreign operations of U.S. oil companies will be woth more to foreign companies than the U.S. company. Many U.S. companies will likely sell to reap the
higher value.
3) With oil companies such as Exxon making 75% to 80% of their profit overseas this law will likely force them to reincorporate overseas or merge with a foreign company with headquarters overseas. Their go a lot of high paying corporate officer jobs as well as banking, accounting, legal, and IT computer jobs
There is a law on the books in the State of Washington that service stations MUST charge so much above the cost they get it for. So, I must wonder how something like this can legally happen.
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