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Republican Policies Pit Wealthy Against Needy

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By Fran Earl

Call to Patriots

Published: July 10, 2008

Let's talk energy prices because some of us can no longer afford to drive to work.
I retired after 12 years with the Wetlands Enforcement Division of Department of Environmental Protection when I figured that, even with a much reduced pension amount, I was almost working for free by the end of the month after commuting expenses. Moving was not an option with the housing market in the toilet. Sen. John McCain's and Gov. Charlie Crist's "solution" is to drill offshore.
McCain also persists in his promise of gas taxes for the "summer." Well, summer is here and there is no bill in Congress to do this, so this is an outright lie. Offshore drilling, even if it ever takes place, would lower your gas prices, 10 years or more from today, by pennies, not dollars. So, why the push to grant more offshore leases to Exxon/Mobile and others, when they already have leases on about 68 million acres and have never even begun drilling?
It's the money, stupid! Every lease granted to the oil barons increases their valuation; the price of their stocks on Wall Street soars. And without them drilling at all or spending even a penny.
Sen. Barack Obama is criticized for asking for a windfall profits tax on the oil companies, but the $2.50 added to your gas prices just in the last year, used to develop alternative energy sources, and non-carbon based energy systems could provide real and lasting relief for all of us. Does anybody out there disagree that these companies are enjoying windfall profits since they have been reporting the largest profits in their histories? It's called robbery in my neighborhood — how about yours?
McCain, Bush and Crist seemingly ignore the spills from Katrina, and the media does not print the truth. There was spill of 8.2 million gallons of oil from 160 damaged and destroyed rigs in Katrina, two-thirds of the Exxon Valdez spill. There were 1 million environmental refugees as a result of Katrina.
Is Florida next?
Bush claims the Democrats are blocking his energy proposals and says they're responsible for all our woes at the pump. Well, the federal government — Bush and the boys — has placed a moratorium on new solar projects until it studies their "environmental impact" — a study expected to take two years. What impact do we get from solar energy plants in six western states, ready to go into operation, but being denied the go ahead? There is no waste disposal problem, the plants, all six, are up and ready to go just as the demand for alternative energy is accelerating.
McCain and Bush are only bowing to the oil companies, which see a decrease in profits when energy produced through solar plants becomes available to heat and light your homes, decreasing demand for oil and lowering your prices at the pump (supply and demand?).
So why are they stopping these plants from operating? It's the money, stupid! Holly Gordon, vice president at Ausra, a solar thermal energy company in Palo Alto, Calif., says: "It doesn't make any sense. This could completely stunt the growth of the industry." California's Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger agrees and is totally against offshore drilling. Nuclear plants have enormous waste disposal problems, are potentially dangerous to operate as opposed to solar plants and extremely expensive to build. Want one of these in your back yard?
What are the Republicans doing about your healthcare problems? Well, any of you on Medicare should be aware of how little your doctors are being paid and of the possibility that many of them may soon be refusing to accept Medicare patients at all. The Democrats have a proposed bill that would cancel the 10 percent cut scheduled to occur and would, instead, increase Medicare payments by 1.1 percent this January.
Bush has said he will veto the bill, and McCain agrees with Bush, yet again! The losers will be Medicare patients, old people, people like us and many of our neighbors. The bill is supported by doctors, pharmacists, consumer groups and hospitals and opposed by the health insurance industry and the White House — Republicans who benefit from campaign donations from the industry.
One more time, the people count for naught. It's the money, stupid!
They use lies and instill fear in our people to brainwash us into voting them back in to office. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!
One can present people with opportunities. One cannot make them equal to them.

Frances Earl, former vice-chairwoman of the Hernando County Democratic Executive Committee, can be contacted at fearl@tampabay.rr.com.

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