Democrats Demand Answers From Oil Companies

[adios]

Democrats Demand Answers From Oil Companies

From the article:

The letter asks the CEOs of BP, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Valero Energy Corp., Tesoro Corp., and Shell Oil to "provide the Subcommittee with detailed answers" to 13 specific questions, including the following:


1. What is your strategic plan to raise the supply of gasoline for the onset of the peak driving season, which is only weeks away?

2. What steps are you planning to take, and when do you plan to take them, to bring back online refining capacity that you have removed from production? When do you plan to have attained maximum refining capacity?

3. What steps are you planning to take, and when do you plan to take them, to find supply other than your own production to bring your inventory to the national average of up to 30 days supply?

Kucinich also asks the oil companies to project what their refinery profit margins will be during the peak driving season.

Kucinich said his subcommittee is concerned about the "oil industry's resistance" to technological measures that could adjust for the effects of temperature on gasoline, particularly in warmer states such as California. (Gasoline expands as it warms, thus providing less value per gallon.)

Among other things, Kucinich asks, "Would you object to a federal law phasing in temperature-compensated gasoline sales in the United States?"

His letter also expressed concern about market barriers for alternative fuels. It asks the CEOs, "What steps are you taking or do you intend to take to speed up the deployment of E85?" (E85 fuels, such as ethanol, are alcohol/fuel mixtures.)

The letter asks the CEOs to "provide detailed and documented answers to all of these questions by April 25."


As I predicted after the 2006 elections, oil prices and gasoline prices have risen. My impression is that Democrats in Congress are basically against exploration activities on Federal lands and against building new refineries in the U.S. Also the Clinton administration gave it's blessing to oil company consolodation in the late 90's that had the effect of reducing competition. Yet now the Democrats are bellyaching about supply, lack of refining capacity, and lack of competition in the oil industry. Doubt if a windfall profits tax or eliminating federal subsidies will decrease prices at the pump. Also aren't higher gas prices in California (I know first hand about this after being there last week for 6 days) due to legislation sponsored by the Democrats mandating emission standards that are more stringent than in other states?

[kickabuck]

Yes, it's pretty comical. Democrats are advocates of drilling and refining restrictions for environmental reasons, EPA multiblend gasoline depending on geography and season, and significant taxes on the product itself. Yet have the audacity to grill these CEO's as to why prices are so high. Good stuff.

[AzDesertRat]

Every time this topic comes up, for some reason Aerosmith's "Same old song and dance" keeps popping into my head. I blame our government for their constant mishandling of energy policy and not limited to one particular party or policy.

My solutions:

1. Get rid of subsidies and other corporate welfare for oil and other energy companies.
2. Stop this federally mandated ethanol BS
3. Stop trying to prop up some alternative energy policies at the expense of others--markets do a much better job by themselves.

The list goes on and on....

[govman6767]

Typical American who's take home is 1000 dollars a month.


Summer Winter

Rent 600 Rent 600
Electric 80 Electric 300
Water 40 Water 40
Gasoline 240 Gasoline 200
Food 40 (left) Food HAHAHAHAHAHAH
Cable HAHAHAHAH Cable HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAH
Entertainment HAHAHAH Entertainment HAHAHHAHAHAHAH
Car Registration hahah Car Registration hahahahhah
insurance ahahhahahaha insurance hahahahahhahahahah

Yeah normal americans really got it made.
Rich people don't care

Gun laws are not stopping poor people from killing rich people... The fact they can't afford ammo is.

Gas 4.00 a gallon this summer. HAHAHAHHAHAHAH God save the high school graduate working at mc Donalds for 7.00 bucks an hour.

Democrats solution is 13 questions that won't do anything to change the fact that gas is unaffordable.

At least in the summertime poor people can afford to eat a little. In the winter they freeze to death before they can starve.

[Copernicus]

You can take home $1000 a month collecting deposits on bottles. Typical American?

Gas is cheaper here than anywhere else in the world except countries that subsidize. Gas is headed higher and the markets close at record levels indicating a strong economy ahead despite gas heading higher.

Stop the moaning and groaning, develop a rational domestic oil policy, and if you take home $1000 a month get your rear end off of this site and get a decent job...there is full employment out there you know?

[NCAces]

[ QUOTE ]
Typical American who's take home is 1000 dollars a month.


Summer Winter

Rent 600 Rent 600
Electric 80 Electric 300
Water 40 Water 40
Gasoline 240 Gasoline 200
Food 40 (left) Food HAHAHAHAHAHAH
Cable HAHAHAHAH Cable HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAH
Entertainment HAHAHAH Entertainment HAHAHHAHAHAHAH
Car Registration hahah Car Registration hahahahhah
insurance ahahhahahaha insurance hahahahahhahahahah

Yeah normal americans really got it made.
Rich people don't care

Gun laws are not stopping poor people from killing rich people... The fact they can't afford ammo is.

Gas 4.00 a gallon this summer. HAHAHAHHAHAHAH God save the high school graduate working at mc Donalds for 7.00 bucks an hour.

Democrats solution is 13 questions that won't do anything to change the fact that gas is unaffordable.

At least in the summertime poor people can afford to eat a little. In the winter they freeze to death before they can starve.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, but average American takes home more than $1,000 per month. The poverty line is even above that. Moreover, anyone at that low level has food stamps and other social welfare available to them. Your premise is so flawed that there is no reason to address anything else in your post.

NCACes

[revots33]

Isn't this all just a question of supply and demand? I don't see the point of grilling oil companies on this. It's like grilling dairy farmers every time the price of milk goes up.

It seems to me there's more worldwide demand for a finite supply of oil. Thus prices go up.

This is all just more pointless showboating by politicians. A better idea would be to find ways to consume less oil, not waste time with these sham "investigations".

[BCPVP]

[ QUOTE ]
His letter also expressed concern about market barriers for alternative fuels. It asks the CEOs, "What steps are you taking or do you intend to take to speed up the deployment of E85?" (E85 fuels, such as ethanol, are alcohol/fuel mixtures.)

[/ QUOTE ]
Market barriers. Hahahaha.

[Borodog]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
His letter also expressed concern about market barriers for alternative fuels. It asks the CEOs, "What steps are you taking or do you intend to take to speed up the deployment of E85?" (E85 fuels, such as ethanol, are alcohol/fuel mixtures.)

[/ QUOTE ]
Market barriers. Hahahaha.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, market barriers like, "Nobody wants them."

[Case Closed]

[ QUOTE ]
Among other things, Kucinich asks, "Would you object to a federal law phasing in temperature-compensated gasoline sales in the United States?"

[/ QUOTE ]

Can someone translate this for me into layman terms? It sounds like he wants the government to pay the oil companies money to lower their prices in the summer. Or have the government fix the prices when they are too high.