My commentary on the Energy Bill?
Sicko.
However, the API feels differently:
WASHINGTON, July 26 -- The American Petroleum Institute issued the following statement today regarding congressional energy legislation:
"Congress should consider passage of its energy legislation as a first step in a much needed effort to enhance energy security and ensure the efficient delivery of affordable fuels to consumers.
"Oil and natural gas will provide almost two-thirds of U.S. energy needs for several decades, according to the Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration. Even with the provisions in today's legislation, more remains to be done to secure adequate supplies of oil and natural gas.
"The refining and distribution infrastructure for fuels is one of our nation's most complex manufacturing and distribution systems. More must be done to restore careful balance to this system and to provide relief to consumers.
"Energy supply remains a big concern. More must be done to open promising areas in the West and off our nation's shores to provide important new supplies of clean-burning natural gas and oil.
"We look forward to working with Congress to produce follow-on energy legislation. Given the increasing global competition for energy supplies, it is vital our nation develop energy policies that address current and future challenges faced by U.S. energy providers."
Of course they feel good about it. They have successfully bribed our elected officials into a disgusting, Anti-American pork-barrel bonanaza.
The Salt Lake Tribune spoke my mind this morning:
Billions for tribute: THE ENERGY POLICY ACT
Bill does nothing to ease our real woes
Salt Lake Tribune
When the young United States was being told that it would have to pay bribes to the powers of Europe in order to have its sovereignty respected, our national reply was summed up in a toast: "Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute."
Today, Congress is moving to approve a so-called Energy Policy Act that might be described as "Pennies for independence, but billions for tribute." The tribute, now, is not so much to foreign governments as to our own petroleum industry.
In its current form, which could win final approval today, the bill favors an irresponsible House version over a more sensible Senate draft. It provides at least $11.6 billion in taxpayer subsidies, mostly to the oil, gas, coal and ethanol industries. Some watchdogs calculate an actual cost to taxpayers of more than $80 billion if all the projects mentioned in the bill win full appropriations.
That's a good return on the energy industry's $367 million in campaign contributions and lobbying expenses. But no one suggests it will make energy more affordable for the families who are shocked at the pump or the airlines that are flirting with disaster.
So eagerly does this bill sacrifice our future upon the altar of Big Oil that it would waive environmental laws for those in a hurry to suck our reserves dry and even allow the government to trade away federal land - and private property with federal mineral rights underneath - without bothering to set a fair value for any such exchange.
The most effective step toward responsible energy use, a long-overdue increase in automobile fuel-efficiency standards, wasn't included.
Among the Senate negotiators who sold America down a river of oil was Utah's Orrin Hatch, who won provisions promoting exploitation of the tons of potentially energy-rich oil shale and sands in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming. That's an option worth pursuing, but not at the expense of environmental and property protections.
Hatch does get credit for the tax break for buying fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles. And killing a grant of immunity from pollution lawsuits for makers of the fuel additive MTBE was correct, even if it does threaten Utah's Huntsman Corp., a big maker of that chemical.
On balance, though, this energy bill is not about American independence. It is an embrace of our dependence on the greedy and short-sighted oil industry.
And the president is eager to sign it.
Source: http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_2894786
We had Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia...now we have Republikan Amerika.