Just a Political Rant

So this morning I was on the elliptical machine at work. Sorta goin’ round and round in place. I was watching the news for about forty-five minutes. They started talking about how Congress is contemplating removing the subsidies for oil companies. Mostly because the companies make bucket-loads of money as is. Billions and billions they say, almost sounding like Carl Sagan. Billions and billions and billions. Well it turns out that these aggressive, self-centered yahoos actually make 7 cents per GALLON! On this stuff. That’s per gallon. Not per barrel. So you know they are RAKING it in. So, they’re going to have some talks and discussions up in the Belt-Way about how we can curb this rampant capitalism.

Oh, I just forgot the best part. It turns out that the Federal Government makes a paltry 40 cents per gallon in taxes whereas the local city and State Governments have to divide another 20 cents per gallon up to make ends meet. You know, build highways, bridges, pay teachers, that sort of thing. Well, it occurred to me, (‘Cause I’m quick like that) that old Uncle Sam, doesn’t exactly provide value-add services along the way. See, Uncle Sam (you and me) just tack on our fee at the pump, to avoid all the necessary regulations and challenges associated with actually producing a real-live product and getting it to market. No, THESE sleeze bags, with their corporate jets and their $2000 dollar suits and their staffs of unnecessary people are just raking it in. Oh, and that’s just Congress, don’t even get me started on the oil exec’s!

So, I was thinking to myself, WHY is it that these fat-cat oil (Carbon Emission Fiends!) produce such HUGE profits on the backs of the poor and needy (and ill-informed)? Well, they’d probably actually have to charge less for oil/gas/plastics if there was a larger supply. See, the problem in America isn’t that we’re sitting atop the largest potential reserves in the world, no, the problem is our refinery capacity. See, Uncle Sam is highly regulating the oil industry here in America. They’re tying their hands because oil is dirty, because it provides a way for you and me to drive pickup trucks and tow trailers and take our families water skiing. Oh, but I’m totally down with Michelle Obama taking her entire staff and friends in private jets to Italy to do some shopping so we can have the perfect arms for her book reading or whatever the hell she’s in charge of these days.

I think what’s going on here is a whole lot of, “do as I say, not as I do”. These sons-a-beaches are more than happy to tell you and I to cut back on our footprint, but they are in a protected class. See, they make policy, not follow it. Now, imagine, if we went with the whole, drill in our own back-yard idea(r). Let’s say we had all sorts of reserves off our very own coasts in California, Texas, Louisiana, or even land-locked parcels like Alaska or say…Utah? What if, and I do mean WHAT IF, instead of allowing the Italians, Chinese, and Russians to drill 13 nautical miles off our very own coasts, what if, say…WE drilled our own damned oil??? Novel I know. Then, say, what if we increased our capacity to actually refine that same oil? OK, stick with me now, here we are going to jump to Light Speed… what if….Supply and Demand actually dictated the price of commodities? WHAT IF that same evil speculative commodities market was flooded with increased supply??? What if….we could tell those crazy idiots over in the third world to keep their oil? What if…we put a moratorium on the purchase of all middle-eastern oil from places such as, oh say, Lybia, Syria, Yemen, Egypt, Bahrain and other places that are just having a difficult time playing well with others? What if, say, for a ten year period we told them to pack sand, and brought our fighting men and women home a while to make babies and pay taxes (we don’t pay taxes deployed in war zones btw).

So, here’s what I would do if I was John D. Rockefeller and this was the 1920’s-1930’s or if someone in the oil “industry” had any balls to speak of at all. Me? I’d shut down all production for about a month. Then I’d let the American Public know that I wasn’t going to pump another gat-damned gallon into their “evil” SUV/Cross-Over until they wrote their Congressman and told him to shut his face and allow us to build more refineries. I’m serious, I’d do it. Last time I checked, the oil companies don’t work for the Federal Government. Boy but you’d sure think so now wouldn’t you? So, we’re demonizing BIG OIL because they aren’t paying their “fair” share huh? Oh, but somehow Uncle Sam has “EARNED” sixty cents for that same gallon? HORSE SH!T as my grandpa would say. I’d tell them to put THAT in their ethanol-bio-fuel subsidized tail-pipe and smoke it!

You wanna know why we’re in this mess? Because idiots who get sent to Washington mean well, but are ill-informed. And people at home vote with their heart and not their heads. See, if we had increased supply, the cost would go down. The way to increase supply would be build more refineries here at home and pump our own danged oil. But see, Uncle Sam can’t allow that. Because it’s dirty. Because it’s disgusting. No, somehow the guilt doesn’t get on us if it’s FOREIGN oil. Oh, and about your little hybrid car? It’s not going to tow my four kids and dog and trailer up to the mountains to enjoy the weekend like you hoped it would from your ivory tower back East.

See, I’m a little sick of this demonizing, period. The reason we’re in a recession, is because we were TALKED into a recession. Because some people with bucket-loads of charisma, told you that your life sucked, but they can make it better. Then they figgered that same logic would work with Big Business. “Well, I’ll just TELL them that they Hope it will Change, and it will!” uh…guess what fellah? Hope and change don’t pay the bills. Money talks and bullshiz walks. See we’re in a bad way right now, NOT because BIG Business isn’t paying their fair share, no, it’s because you keep listening to a government that promises you something for nothing. It just don’t work that way kids. See, I think when Jerry McGuire and “Rod” were having their discussions in the movie of the same name, Rod said to Jerry, “SHOW ME THE MONEY!” and guess what? He did.

So where does that leave us? Well, it leaves you and I with some choices now doesn’t it? We have to get educated. See, instead of building a strawman to burn at the stake for his 7 cents/gallon…why don’t we ask his big brother where the hell the other 40-60 cents/gallon is going. See, we had the TARP funds right? Oh, and that equates to about $200,000 USD per U.S. household in the cost by the way. Now, I don’t know about you, but I didn’t get any $200K in the mail. Besides, I’d just waste it by paying off my over-priced market declined house anyhow. I’m selfish like that. No, I wouldn’t go out and “infuse” the economy the way the bond, and insurance market did….no..wait…maybe I got that wrong. Oh, and by the way, that’s imaginary money. See, everytime we print money we don’t have, the existing money goes down in value. Where gold goes up to $1500/ounce where three years prior it was $900/ounce, well guess what. Oh, and when we buy that oil on the open world market now, they don’t use dollars as the baseline anymore kids, they use foreign currencies.

So, what does the rest of the world know that we don’t? Hmmm pretty words don’t create jobs kids. Market growth does. Market growth doesn’t happen with uncertainty in Federal tax policies, uncertain and unspecified impending health care costs, and other sundries that Congress things are “good ideas”. See, that money comes from somewhere. If you raise the minimum wage, that’s X amount of people that now don’t get hired. Because in the private sector, they can’t just print more imaginary money, it comes from somewhere.

Oh, and lastly, those “Big Companies” that aren’t PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE!! (cry baby) They employ and utilize small business. Small business creates the majority of jobs in this country. If you create uncertainty, I just plain don’t hire new people, because I’m unsure what you’re going to promise them that I owe them next week. Oh, I almost forgot. Do you have a 401K? (devalued or otherwise) Do you have a mutual fund? Do you own a 457? A Roth IRA..oh wait, do you belong to a Union that provides retirement? Oh wait…see YOU are the problem. See, you’re little $50,000 dollar nest-egg is invested in G.E. and Energy Funds, and …and…and…and… so, you’re pretty much cutting off your nose to spite your face.
See, really it comes down to this. We have to create fear and panic, so that America will re-elect us. It’s the creation of a bourgeois class of aristocrats to think for us. I just cant be bothered with thinking for myself, American Idol is on! I can’t concern myself with holding my elected leaders accountable, The “Situation” has his shirt open! Please, you imbecils. YOU are the problem. I am the problem. We have seen the enemy and it is us.

So I guess I’m asking you to not drink the Kool-Aide. Don’t buy into it. The only thing wrong with America today is this desire to somehow apologize for good ideas and industry. We feel guilty that our grandparents worked their asses off after WWII and built a country that leads the world in industry and innovation. No, we feel guilty now because backward illiterates in Yemen can't figure it out. So, instead of expecting more of them, we expect less of ourselves. I’m tired of apologizing. I’m tired of creating economic disincentives for growth. I’m tired of blaming everyone but those that are continuing the downward spiral. We need consumer confidence. We need an educated populace. We need to step back and ask just what the hell is really going on here. We have a Federal Government ENCOURAGING the use of corn in our gas tanks, while we’re simultaneously paying farmers subsidies NOT to grow corn, while the commodities market for that same corn that is necessary to feed hungry Africans (and Americans alike) now costs more than a day’s wages. What the HELL are we doing? Do you REALLY think that God created food for us to BURN in our Crossover while we sit atop miles and miles of fossil fuels? Do you think he wants his children in third world countries to starve so we can feel less dirty about our Carbon Footprint? (insert a trip to Italy to shop for that perfect dress for select aristocrats who are smarter and prettier than you and I). I don’t really think that’s his design.

Now, all that said, is there room for increased capacity for alternative fuels? Absolutely. Is that a reason to create 14 TRILLION dollars in debt to saddle my grandkids with so we don’t feel guilty? No, I don’t think so. I really don’t. I think we work smarter. We utilize those gifts and resources that God provided us with. We live providently and without extreme excesses (like flying 40 friends to Italy to shop for example). I’m just saying, look at these policies. I don’t care if they are Republican, Democrat whatever. Do they pass the common-sense litmus test? Most don’t. Just remember to make your decisions principally based. Does it feel right to reward those who default and penalize those who are good stewards? No, I don’t think so. Oh all that said? yeah, I think we should remove oil subsidies. Along with ethanol growing subsidies and others. Now, I think we should pursue other technological shifts, (i.e. photo cells, windpower etc.) I think we should look at tax credits for homeowners to install these systems to defray the costs. But you also need to realize how credits work. Take for example the $8,000 dollar First Time Home Buyers' Credit. What happened to the market? Well there was a spike in purchases during that time period. You know what else happened? The cost of a new home went up...wait for it....8,000 bucks. Oh, and here's the beauty, the government made you claim that as, "income" the following year in taxes. My other personal favorite? The "Cash for Clunkers" program. Wherein you give me a perfectly good running car, and I'll give you four grand. Then, I'm going to 1099 you at the end of the year and claim it as income, even though you'd already paid first your income taxes to buy the damned thing, and then the registrative taxes (annually) and then I call it, "Income"? Are you smoking crack? That's double taxing me dipshit. I already OWNED that car. If I hadn't sold it to the dealership, I'd keep my 25% you're going to ding me with on my taxes, AND I could have sold it to a private individual, or lower income family to use. My grandpa must be rollling in his grave right now. The whole, "use it up, wear it out, make it last" idea is just plain out the window. Disposable cars, disposable money and disposable effort. I love how Uncle Sam gives you these smoke and mirror efforts to "Jump-Start" the economy, and then just slams you on the other side for taking advantage. Man, I used to hate Ford, but I am SO proud of them for not taking bailout money. I really am. Where was I? My phone just received a text and I lost my train of thought...

OH, yeah, the Gov-a-ment. Anyhow, I just want someone to tell me the truth. Just tell me how it is. Stop sugar coating it. I'm a big boy now, I can handle it. Dont pander to me, and dont blow smoke, I know you're full of crap and so do my neighbors. Anyhow, just pay attention. YOu dont have to vote the same way I do. Just get involved. Just hold them accountable, and if it smells like B.S.? It is. I dont care if they are Republican or Democrat, just make sure you call them on the carpet when they try to play the smoke and mirror routine.

Anyhow, I gotta go. I am smart enough to realize this isn't going to change over night. I get it. But I just can't STAND the duplicity and double-speak that these guys pipe out. I have no problem making big business pay their share, that's not the issue. What's at issue is the timing and the complete disregard for how economic policy affects the big picture.

Anyhow I gotta go. Olivia had her tubes put in her ears and I promised her we'd go watch, "Cheers" or "24" or..heck, even "Dora" together while we wait for the DeWalt battery to charge.

You kids have a great day. Hugs and kisses on all your cheeks.

Now get out there and have a great second half!

TTYL,

J

J