Economy

Rant

End BIG OIL Subsidies

Posted 12 months ago|4 comments|546 views
Written by
Coloranter Raver
Denver, CO
Could you believe the CEOs from the five major BIG OIL companies sitting there in front of Congress justifying $4 billion in federal subsidies? This seems like a no brainer. Tea Partiers where are you on this? Conservatives, Repbulicans? Where are you on this? Why are you justifying a $4 billion subsidy to BIG OIL while cutting budgets for food for poor children? Get your priorities straight. Do you know how much money BIG OIL booked in profits from the first quarter of the year? How does $36 billion sound? Well, that would be just about right. Why on earth does BIG OIL need any tax payer subsidies? Here's the worst part however...BIG OIL spent $145 million last year employing 800 lobbyists to do their bidding and defeat legislation that would be unfavorable to them. Now, let's not begrudge the lobbyists whose job it is to do their work and take home pay they recycle through the economy. However, let's ask a question? Should the tax payers be funding lobbyists for BIG OIL to defeat legislation that would save the tax payers money? Hmm. It's outrageous the amount of time spent wagging jaws on the the federal deficit and how to reign it in when there are things like this going on in the world!
EMAIL|FLAG THIS POST
COMMENTS
Altruist
Altruist
Eugene, OR
12 months ago: Why shouldn't we begrudge all of these lobbyists their millions of dollars? Does bribing public officials to make laws that hurt the public and the nation as a whole justify the compensation they are given? I don't think so.

All lobbyists and all of the money they wield should be banned. Instead 1/100th of that money could be spent giving our representatives aids who could actually afford to do the research so their representative actually knew the impact of their legislation on the people. It is the people these representatives should be representing, not those who can pay the most.

While the Republicans are voting to continue the senseless $4 billion to their fossil fuel masters they are also voting to reduce the support for renewable resources by 70%.
Out Of The Box
Out Of The Box
 Moderator
12 months ago: I agree. The same logic should also be applied to farmers getting paid to NOT grow a certain food.
amishking
amishking
 Moderator
Auburn, NY
12 months ago: I ask the same question, "where is the tea pary on this?". Hello, guys, we need you now!
12 months ago: With the current economic crisis, all business subsidies should be eliminated. We are supposed to live in a free market society. If you cannot figure out how to run a business profitably, someone else will.

How many billions of dollars of government money goes to helping business bottom lines? I don't know if I could hazard a guess. Let's start budget cuts right there!!

I think the absence of the Tea Party, GOP and every other political organization is simply reflective of the efficiency of the lobby effort.

Post a Comment
Sign in or sign up to post a comment.