Do You Ever Get The Idea That Big Oil Runs The Country?

A lot of people noticed that news of the Libyan civil war had barely hit the newspapers when the price of gasoline in our neighborhood stations started steadily shooting up. Odd, many of us thought, since that gasoline came from crude that had been pumped and refined and shipped a month ago when the price was much lower. In fact, the price wasn't even higher yet, just starting to be driven higher by unregulated commodities speculators. And the many of us who ruminated on that were proven right when the Oil Industry explained patiently that although the price of crude has dropped by a lot, prices at the pump will not drop-- and may even continue to rise a bit-- because the high-priced oil is in the pipeline. Makes sense.

It would have also made sense that some Oil Industry top executives would have been indicted, tried and punished for their crimes over the years. Not doing so, is absolute permission for them to continue robbing us blind. And we don't even have to go all the way back to when Standard Oil was in bed with a rising young political figure in pre-War Germany (yes, the Adolf guy... but there was no way to do that without arresting prominent American traitors with household names like Rockefeller, Bush and Dulles). Just go back into the really recent past-- remember the ExxonValdez? The boat ran aground and spill oil all over. Everyone knew expensive lawsuits were coming so all the oil companies-- what a coincidence, since price fixing and collusion is clearly illegal-- jacked up their prices by a third, claiming a shortage of crude. Good thing it wasn't two boats!

I know you've been hearing this from me for years, so let me quote someone else, the nonprofit watchdog group, Public Campaign, who also tracks the legalistic bribes our Members of Congress takes from the corporations they're supposed to oversee and regulate and protect us from. Last week when the House Republicans were determined to pass H.R. 1230 to restart offshore oil and gas leasing in the Gulf of Mexico, Democrats responded with a Motion to Recommit that would have required that all the oil and gas pumped would be offered for sale in the U.S. and not go to China and India or wherever Big Oil could get the most profits from it. "If oil is taken from land owned by the American taxpayer, it should benefit American families. Democrats want to lower the price of gas, put consumers first, and strengthen our economic recovery," is how Nancy Pelosi explained it. It may sound reasonable but it lost 171-238, only one Republican, Walter Jones (NC), crossing the aisle to vote YES, while 4 Democrats crossed in the other direction. When the underlying legislation-- to force through the leasing-- came to a vote, it passed 266-149-- two Republicans, Jones and Key West Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, joining the Democrats, while 33 of the most corrupt Democrats in the House crossed the aisle to curry favor with Big Oil, like for example, virtually all the Blue Dogs.

U.S. House members who defeated a measure to begin debate on legislation to end certain subsidies for oil companies received five times more in campaign contributions, on average, from the oil and gas industry in the 2010 election cycle than those who voted to proceed with the motion, according to campaign watchdog Public Campaign Action Fund.

This afternoon, House Democrats tried to pass a motion that would allow a vote on a provision to end certain subsidies to oil companies, but it was defeated 241-171, with just seven Democrats joining with Republicans to oppose the measure.

“Americans are struggling with the high cost of filling their gas tanks, but some members of Congress seemed only concerned with their Big Oil donors,” said David Donnelly, national campaigns director for Public Campaign Action Fund.

According to the analysis of data from the Center for Responsive Politics:

• House members who voted to continue the subsidies received, on average, five times more money in 2010 from oil and gas interests. Those voting to block debate received $36,066, on average, in campaign contributions from oil and gas interests. Those who voted to begin debate received, on average, $7,192 in campaign contributions from the industry.

• Overall, members that voted to continue the subsidies received more than $8.7 million in campaign contributions from oil and gas interests in 2010 while those opposed raised just $1.2 million.

• 16 of the 18 U.S. House members that received over $100,000 in campaign contributions from the industry in 2010 voted to block debate. One voted to proceed and a second did not vote.

...The five largest U.S. oil companies-- Exxon, Conoco Phillips, BP, Shell, and Chevron-- made over $30 billion in profits in the first quarter of 2011, yet they continue to get generous government subsidies and tax breaks. Today’s House vote would’ve ended these unnecessary handouts.

“Voting to keep these wasteful subsidies for oil companies might be good for campaign bank accounts, but it won’t solve our deficit,” said Donnelly. “Members of Congress should be standing with their constituents instead of their big oil donors.”

I'd like to point out the dozen most Oil-corrupted Members of the House. These 12 have taken the most in direct, legalistic bribes from Big Oil in their political careers. All of them-- surprise, surprise-- voted against the interests of their constituents and for the interests of the Big Oil companies that bribe them:

Joe Barton (R-TX)- $1,510,280
Steve Pearce (R-NM)- $1,188,092
Don Young (R-AK)- $1,000,913
Mike Conway (R-TX)- $678,818
Pete Sessions (R-TX)- $677,164
Dan Boren (Blue Dog-OK)- $651,310
Kay Granger (R-TX)- $646,307
John Sullivan (R-OK)- $596,000
Ralph Hall (R-TX)- $549,426
Kevin Brady (R-TX)- $489,947
John Culberson (R-TX)- $456,761
Randy Neugebauer (R-TX)- $448,222

The bill referred to above, the one that was meant to strip away the billion in tax subsidies to the mega-profitable oil industries was written by Tim Bishop (D-NY) would have resulted in $12 billion in savings for taxpayers over the next decade. Conservatives, who cry a lot about the deficit when it means paying a living wage to teachers and other public servants but never find any tax giveaways to their Big Business contributors too outrageous, disagreed. “We’re in this situation because of this administration’s policies that have shut off energy supply,” Rep Steve Scalise (R-LA), one of Congress' most blatant Oil Industry whores, said on the floor before the vote. He argued that the oil industry would pass on their extra costs to consumers if their tax subsidies are repealed. Just a week ago, both Speaker John Boehner and Budget Chairman Paul Ryan said publicly that they thought Big Oil should pay their fair share. I guess they must have felt a lot of pressure because they both voted against their constituents and for Big Oil on all three votes last week. Watch Ryan and some of his sleaziest colleagues in action:



[Time to dump Paul Ryan? Oh, absolutely-- and we have an Act Blue page dedicated just to that project. His own read on this is a lot like most Americans': "The GOP (greedy oil people) keep fleecing the American people by supporting the special interests of Oil and Gas companies with subsidies. This is not a path to fiscal responsibility, but a continuation of corporate welfare." Voters in WI-1 will have a real choice in 2012.]

Meanwhile the League of Conservation Voters sent out an e-mail to their list this week that I want to share with anyone not on that list. "Enough is enough," they begin.

ExxonMobil has reported 1st quarter profits of nearly $11 billion. Shell announced $6.9 billion in profits. BP earned over $5 billion during the first three months of the year.

Meanwhile Americans across the country are struggling with near-record prices at the pump.

And do you know the worst part? While the Big Oil companies rake in obscene profits, they’re also getting billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded subsidies.

Tell Congress: It’s time to end Big Oil handouts. Click here to add your name to the petition.

Over the past decade, the big five oil companies-- BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Shell-- have enjoyed more than $900 billion in profits. Let me repeat that. Since 2001, the world’s biggest oil companies have made over $900 billion in profits.

At the same time, these oil companies benefit from more than $4 billion in special tax breaks every year. Why are we subsidizing one of the most profitable industries? Why does ExxonMobil get a tax break while we get stuck paying higher gas prices?

The House of Representatives has already cast several votes this year related to ending oil industry subsidies, but each time Big Oil’s congressional backers successfully beat back those efforts. In fact, pro-polluter lawmakers in the House are instead pushing irresponsible drilling that puts our economy and our environment at risk-- demonstrating their energy policy is simple: oil above all.

But momentum is building for action. Senate Majority Leader Reid has said that the Senate may vote as soon as next week on legislation that would strip the biggest oil companies of the government handouts they enjoy.