1. Obama reveals energy plan: Raise taxes, blame Republicans -
Spokane Conservative
Obama on high gas prices: Blame Republicans, tax oil companies.
While giving a high-profile speech on energy at the University of Miami on Thursday, President
Obama revealed his plan for dealing with increasing gas prices: attack Republicans while pushing
for higher taxes on oil companies.
"You pay more and they're licking their chops? And you can bet since it's an election year, they're
already dusting off their three-point plans for $2 gas. I'll save you the suspense: step one is drill,
step two is drill, and step three is keep drilling," he said.
Calling the idea of drilling a "bumper sticker," Obama said "the American people aren't stupid" and
claimed, "we're already drilling."
"If we're going to take control of our energy future, if we're going to avoid these gas price spikes
down the line, then we need a sustained, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available
source of American energy -- oil, gas, wind solar, nuclear, bio-fuels and more," he said.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Obama said oil production last year reached its highest level in
eight years.
Jared A. Favole added:
He also used the gasoline prices to bolster his case for ending tax breaks for oil and natural-gas
companies. A tax plan the president released Wednesday calls for eliminating the tax breaks, while
proposing to continue and expand tax incentives for clean-energy production.
Mr. Obama said giving tax breaks to oil and natural-gas companies is "outrageous. It's inexcusable."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) disagreed, arguing that no one can explain how
2. higher taxes will reduce lower gas prices.
"But since nobody can, and the president doesn't, this is merely an attempt to deflect from his failed
policies," he said.
A Feb 23 article at the Oil and Gas Journal notes:
More than $85 billion in new oil and gas taxes in US President Barack Obama's proposal to reform
federal corporate tax rates reflect his administration's inconsistent attitude toward the industry,
American Petroleum Institute Pres. Jack N. Gerard said. He strongly objected to characterizing
recovery of normal business expenses as tax preferences and loopholes.
The Washington Post adds that gas prices, on average, have increased 29 cents per gallon since
December, raising the average cost of a gallon of gas to $3.64 in Washington. In Miami, where the
President spoke, gas prices have increased 82 percent and now costs nearly $4 per gallon on
average.
KXLY reported Wednesday that gas jumped to an average of $3.29 in Spokane, while being a bit
cheaper in neighboring Coeur d'Alene, ID, at $3.14 per gallon.
By late April, those prices could go as high as $4.25 per gallon, experts say.
CBS Tampa reported high pressure water pump Wednesday that one area station is charging $5.89
per gallon for regular gas, and drivers in southern California are already seeing $4 dollar per gallon
gas prices, according to the UPI.
"President Obama promised to be a leader on energy policy when he was campaigning in 2008, but
gas prices have skyrocketed since he's been in office with most Floridians paying well above the
national average," said Sharon Day, a Broward County Republican and RNC co-chair.
"It's clear from President Obama's focus on campaigning in Florida today - at both fundraising and a
photo-op events - that he's more concerned about spending taxpayer dollars on his campaign trips
than he is with saving American jobs or reducing prices at the pump," she added.
Since Obama took office in 2009, gas prices have doubled, and Obama's response is to blame
Republicans and push more failed policies.
The sad reality is that Obama wants high gas prices - the higher, the better. The more pain
Americans feel at the pump, the easier it is for him to push his agenda. Or so he thinks.
Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh - who has said more than once that Obama wants high
gas prices - reminded listeners of the President's response the last time gas hit $4 per gallon.
"I think that I would have preferred a gradual adjustment. The fact that this is such a shock to
American pocketbooks is not a good thing," Obama said.
His "solution?" Instead of calling for more market driven policies, he blamed Bush and advised
people to keep their tires inflated.
Limbaugh responded:
3. I would have preferred the price metropolitan water reclamation district pumps get to $4 a little
more gradually. That's what the price was back then at the time of the sound bite. Yeah, we wish the
price would have gotten there a little more gradually. The majority of installed pumps were not
initially sourced for their current function. Typically, a line in a plant changes and a pump that at
one time provided cooling water to an injection molding machine is now asked to transfer oil from a
rail car to a tank. All too often, this leads to quite a few problems for the pump and the company.
Pumps operate where the pump curve crosses the system curve. When you move a pump from one
system to another, this means that the system curve is different. This new system may cause the
pump to operate away from its best efficiency point, leading to seal failures and other component
failures that are simply symptoms of a mis-matched pump and system.It got there pretty quick, but
we can always give people a tire gauge. That will help, keeping the tires inflated. Putting some more
money in their pockets. We'll do that by taxing the rich. If we can't do that, we'll print it. If we can't
do that, we'll borrow it from my buddies, the ChiComs. That's what we gotta do. This is back on
August 5th, 2008, this in Youngstown, Ohio, at a campaign event, Obama talking about Senator
McCain
Now, Obama's "solution" is to attack Republicans and call for higher taxes.
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