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OklahomaRed
6/9/2008, 10:27 AM
This was posted on John Cornyn Senator e-mail news?

And you want to vote Democrat? :D

Update from U.S. Senator John Cornyn

Friday,*June*06, 2008

Dear OklahomaRed,

As I met with Texans across the state in May, the number one frustration I heard time and again was record-high gas prices. And high oil prices are now affecting many areas of Texas life. There is a common-sense solution I have advocated for years that would lower gas prices, expand Texas job opportunities, but some in Congress will not allow it.

Just recently, I joined my Republican colleagues in the Senate in pushing legislation to increase American energy production that would yield enough oil to fuel the country’s energy needs for five years. It would also bring prices down in the near-term by sending an important signal to the markets. Unfortunately, some in the Senate continue to block this legislation, as the price at the pump soars. We need to get government out of the way, let the free market work and increase domestic energy production.

Even more baffling, as families in Texas and across the country are paying an extra $1,400 a year in gas prices, the majority party in Congress has proposed $6.7 trillion climate tax package that could actually raise gas prices by 147 percent. It defies logic that after blocking the American energy production and oil independence, Congress is now pursuing bigger government, more taxes, and higher energy costs with no guarantee of actually improving the climate. I need the support of all Texans in urging Congressional leaders to put the needs of American families first and increase domestic energy production before gas prices climb to $5 a gallon and beyond.

In addition to producing more domestic oil and natural gas to meet our energy needs, we need to be exploring every possible source of alternative energy for the future. I recently invited Under Secretary of Energy Bud Albright to Austin to host a roundtable on local and federal efforts to promote solar energy, and to name Austin a designated “Solar America City.” I hope to continue this dialogue with communities across the state on solar and other types of alternative energy, including wind, biodiesel and nuclear.

OklahomaRed
6/9/2008, 10:38 AM
Fast/fat fingered "gallan" sp. gallon before anyone says something? :D

badger
6/9/2008, 10:58 AM
It was only a matter of time before they raised the prices on things we really can't live without. It's too bad that it couldn't have came at a time before all the stuff we THOUGHT we couldn't live without :rolleyes:

Stuff you can't live without include...
1- Food
2- Gas and other energy sources
3- housing

Stuff you "can't live without" but really can include...
1- The cell phone, now the Blackberry.
2- The television, now the plasma screen hi def television
3- The music gizmo, was CD's and now is MP3 and their portable players
4- The car, was the gas guzzling SUV, now is the gas sipping Hybrid

Things would have been a lot easier if these sudden raises came during a prospering economy, back when gas was stuck at 89 cents here, back when housing was cheap to build and buy, back when food wasn't always fast, but readily available and easily purchased.

Now, after we've all assumed that we need the newest techy gizmos and cars, we are doomed because they also finally realized that that can also jack up prices on real necessities. Thus, people on food stamps have kids with iPods, will drive to food pantries in their hybrid SUV's, and will complain that energy costs are so high to power their computers they leave on overnight and plasma screens with the power to light up an airport's runway.

I think the Greatest Generation, if they weren't so darn nice, would be tapping their heels and smirking "I told you so."

r5TPsooner
6/9/2008, 10:59 AM
I paid $3.74/gallon yesterday at Sam's Club on Memorial & Penn.

OklahomaRed
6/9/2008, 11:05 AM
Saw on the news last night where Texas lottery sales were way down. "No sh#t!" I wonder why? :D They said they were going to come out with a $50 scratch off to get their revenues back up? Tried to put the guilt trip on everyone saying 26% of the revenues went to schools? :confused: Where has the other 74% been going? Lotteries are just a tax for the poor, which at least they are putting "something" back into the system as opposed to just always taking? :D Again, what will people do without first as gas and food prices keep going up? I think eventually you will see people drop their cell phones. I have myself, my wife, and two kids hauling around cell phones at over $200 a month in charges (unlimited texting, rollover, etc.). If it gets bad enough, I think I can go back to people calling me at the house and leaving a message. :D

badger
6/9/2008, 11:37 AM
Saw on the news last night where Texas lottery sales were way down. "No sh#t!" I wonder why? :D They said they were going to come out with a $50 scratch off to get their revenues back up? Tried to put the guilt trip on everyone saying 26% of the revenues went to schools? :confused: Where has the other 74% been going? Lotteries are just a tax for the poor, which at least they are putting "something" back into the system as opposed to just always taking? :D Again, what will people do without first as gas and food prices keep going up? I think eventually you will see people drop their cell phones. I have myself, my wife, and two kids hauling around cell phones at over $200 a month in charges (unlimited texting, rollover, etc.). If it gets bad enough, I think I can go back to people calling me at the house and leaving a message. :D

Here is one of my favorite political cartoons of March Madness that illustrates what people are doing now...
http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/4583/ramseytf4.jpg

Other notable taxes on the poor include...

1- Food (via sales tax)
2- Gas and other sources of energy (via road taxes including tolls and sales taxes)

You will find that nobody crunches numbers harder during these times than the poor because of the necessity of food and energy. Fortunately, food stamps allows purchasing food without sales tax for the very poor out there. Unfortunately, the food cost itself has gone up so food stamps don't go as far either way. As for energy costs, I know they can't cut the A/C or the heat in bad weather conditions, but that doesn't make life any easier when the bills continue to rise.

I actually kind of surprised that lottery sales are down (and I consider that more of a stupid tax than a poor tax, because stupid people play the lottery to make money, whereas the poor are not necessarily stupid). However, I'm happily surprised because it means people are trying to manage their money better and it also means people are getting smarter.

OK2LA
6/9/2008, 02:40 PM
$4.47 here in Sacramento. Cost me $64.00 to fill up. The Nationwide average to fill up is now at $84.00. Ayecarumbah! FWIW - Okc is one of the cheapest places to fill up in the United States.

King Crimson
6/9/2008, 02:43 PM
it's over 4 at the place around the block from me.

soonerboomer93
6/9/2008, 02:51 PM
I'll say it once again. More production does no good without more refinig capacity. World wide refinining capacity is over 95%. The US hasn't built a new refinery since 1974*

*One is currently under construction, a second one is in development stages.

SoonerInKCMO
6/9/2008, 03:43 PM
I'll say it once again. More production does no good without more refinig capacity. World wide refinining capacity is over 95%. The US hasn't built a new refinery since 1974*

*One is currently under construction, a second one is in development stages.

Where are you getting the world-wide utilization rate? The U.S. utilization is below 90% and has been for several months.

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/wpuleus3w.htm

mdklatt
6/9/2008, 05:34 PM
Just recently, I joined my Republican colleagues in the Senate in pushing legislation to increase American energy production that would yield enough oil to fuel the country’s energy needs for five years.

Then what? Seems like we've been on the five year plan for about 30 years now, and that's worked out just great for us. So let's just keep digging that hole deeper.

Animal Mother
6/9/2008, 06:40 PM
it's over 4 at the place around the block from me.

Yep. $4.03 at the Albertson's in Roanoke at 377 and 114. First time I've seen it over $4 on "the more affordable side of the Metroplex!" GAG!!!