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Up, Up, And Away…

By Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy on January 7, 2011 at 11:00 PM in American Consumers, Campaign promises, Congress (House & Senate), Current Affairs, Economy, Gas Prices, Governance, Health Care, Nancy Pelosi, President Barack Obama

That would be the price of gasoline these days. I don’t know about where you live, but I do know I went away for a week, and came back with the gas prices higher than when I left. We are closing in on $3 a gallon here.

The Washington Examiner had an editorial on this very issue, “Obama’s $5 A Gallon Gas Just Ahead.” The editorial reminded readers of one of Obama’s statements ignored by his supporters, though not by those of us who had our eyes wide open, and our ears, too. And that was this:

Most politicians play word games to cast themselves in the most favorable light, so perhaps it’s understandable that few people took it seriously when President Obama unaccountably said during his 2008 presidential campaign that energy prices would “necessarily skyrocket” under his program.

With gas steadily approaching $4 per gallon and projected by federal Energy Information Administration experts to hit $5 in 2012, it’s time to accept Obama at his word. The costs of heating and cooling our homes and offices, keeping gas in the cars and trucks that get us to work and the grocery store, and generating the electricity that keeps our laptops humming are heading skyward because Obama thinks that’s what is best for us. It’s a classic illustration of liberals using government to do to us what we would never do to ourselves. [snip]


Remember that pithy little statement by Obama? It should have cost him a few states, including Pennsylvania, but for reasons beyond me, it didn’t. Anyway, this is what Obama said about “Cap And Trade” back in the day:

Again, don’t know about where you live, but I can tell you, our electric costs have been on the rise since Obama took office, and I fear it will only get worse.

When prices escalate for products like gas, it necessarily changes how people live, what they can do, and where they drive. We are comfortable financially, but when prices were high not that long ago, it did change where we drove, how often I went to see my horse, Jordan (which is one of the highlights of my week), or up into Charleston, or any number of places. I just spent $38 filling up my tank on Thursday, and I still had between 1/4 – 1/2 of a tank left (I drive a Sienna, which gets decent gas mileage). When gas goes up like this, it means, for some people, the difference between being able to drive to work or not.

So what has Obama done to affect gas prices? This:

[snip] Here are just some of the ways Obama has constricted U.S. energy exploration and development, thereby forcing prices upward and making America more dependent on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and other costly, unreliable foreign oil sources who bear this country ill will:

»?Reimposed bans on oil and natural gas drilling in America’s outer continental shelf that were previously reversed by a Democratic-led Congress and a Republican president. Experts estimate there are at least 130 billion barrels of oil and trillions of feet of natural gas to be harvested from these areas, but Obama won’t allow it.

»?Even before the cause of the Deepwater Horizon disaster was known, Obama imposed a six-month moratorium on deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico that cost thousands of jobs and effectively ended drilling in both deep and shallow waters there. Although officially lifted, slow-walking federal bureaucrats have yet to approve new permits and are busily issuing costly new requirements that are certain to stifle most, if not all, drilling in the Gulf for years to come. A third of America’s oil production comes from wells in the Gulf.

»?Reversed a Bush administration decision that opened millions of acres of public lands in the western parts of the nation to careful oil and natural gas exploration and development, then invented an entirely new classification that puts those and millions more acres not previously covered off limits.

»?Appointed an energy secretary — Steven Chu — who said in December 2008 that Americans should pay the same prices as Europeans for gas. Gas in Europe then averaged around $8 per gallon.

Maybe now people will believe that Obama meant exactly what he said in 2008 about making us pay much more for energy. If they don’t, they surely will in coming months. (Click HERE to read the rest.)

Maybe. One can only hope, though the blinders and earplugs seem to be in plenty for too many.

So, what are things like where you are? Are gas or other energy prices affecting your daily lives? Feel free to talk about this, or anything else going on (reading the Constitution in the House? Repealing Obamacare? Pelosi claiming that NOW House Democrats will focus on jobs though they did blessed little to address that issue while controlling all three houses? Obama calling the Eagles owner to thank him for giving Michael Vick, the dog torturer, a second chance?).

And TGIF…

  • jwrjr

    Obama claims to be pro-small business and yet does this to energy costs???  Does he have even a faint acquaintance with the truth?

  • TeakWoodKite

    Sound familar? Hint…it couldn’t happen here eh?

    ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s shaky government was thrown a lifeline Friday when it regained its parliamentary majority by enticing back a political party that had previously quit the ruling coalition.
    Nonetheless, the deal, which was brokered around rescinding a recent increase in gasoline prices, further damages state finances for a nation already on the verge of bankruptcy…
    The government has failed to push through economic reforms, and urgent revenue-raising figures that were aimed to provide the finances to cope with the devastation from last year’s floods. The government couldn’t garner support to introduce a sales tax that was a key condition of an IMF lending program that’s keeping Pakistan on life support.
    Washington, which is lavishing $1.5 billion a year in civilian aid on Pakistan together with around $2 billion a year to the country’s military, has repeatedly pressed Islamabad to come up with greater financial resources itself. It is commonplace for Pakistani to fail to pay taxes. As a result, Pakistan’s tax revenues are just 9 percent of its gross domestic product, among the lowest in Asia

    Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/07/2005446/pakistan-government-holds-together.html#ixzz1APys2oIP

  • greenlantern

    President Obama unaccountably said during his 2008 presidential campaign that energy prices would “necessarily skyrocket” under his program.

    Amy, now that you bring these words back, I doubt that Obama knew what they meant at the time he said them or since. Smart, he is not. I think his one facility is that he can repeat/say words fed to him. I think that is why the content of what he said/says escapes people. Nothing real or intelligent there; a hologram. He really looks like the juvenile delinquent house-sitter-in-chief, a puppet that is manipulated by unseen hands.

    More and more, I am of the same mind with those who say (Sarah Palin, among the latest) that everything he is doing is to bring about the downfall of this country.

  • TeakWoodKite

    3.32 a gallon up nickle in the 3 days.

  • EllenD

    Gas around $3.50 now
    $50.00 tank fillups
    A 70 mile commute.
    As you say RRRA – prices rising everywhere except the COLA on Social Security where time appears to have stood still for 2 years.

  • susiepuma

    His whole campaign was based on ‘fundamentally transforming this country” – he knew exactly what he was going to do – progressives have been working on this for over a 100 years -

    Did you ever see the vid about the frog in hot water?  Doesn’t work too well to throw that frog into the hot water – but – if you start in cold water & slowly heat the water – well – bye bye froggie 

    Guess who the frogs are now…………………………

  • EllenD

    Smart, he is not

    Really, GL? Didn’t you hear him say today that we are digging ourselves OUT OF A HOLE?

  • EllenD

    BTW – Imagine how GWB would have been ridiculed for that statement.

  • Mr. Natural

    >>>  …because Obama thinks that’s what is best for us…

    Who on the planet thinks that this poseur with his Charmin resume knows what the hell is best for ANYONE???

    And, again, Republican God splits his (or her) sides laughing…

  • elaine

    http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911

    This link keeps changing but try it, it’s on topic…look for The oil & gas scam oct 25-08

  • TeakWoodKite

    You in the NW?

  • elaine

    sometimes that link takes you directly to the National Geological Survey & other times to an article about it

  • Kathy in CA

    California is just about at $3.50 (probably all ready there is SF and LA).  If we do get to $5 a gallon in 2012 – Obama will lose the election. 

  • SeriouslySickOfObama

    Woke up to check my sugar levels, Checked a few blogs and seen this, WOW, what a MESSAGE….Watch this youtube, It is not what you think, IT’s REALLY TRUTH with a title that seems like a HOW TO, but, Just Watch it....If I Were a Terrorist…

    http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/if-i-were-a-terrorist/

  • BIINKY

    Gas yesterday, $3.09
    Unemployment rate, 14.6%
    Unemployment rate a year ago, 12.8%

    We’re digging ourselves out of the hole.  NOT

  • greenlantern

    Waddyameen, Ellen–he had his Urkel glasses on when he said it—works for little Katie Couric, donnit?

  • greenlantern

    To wit:

  • getfitnow

    Delusional and dishonest can be added to that list too.

    I recall when gas was ticking up during W’s adminstration there was outrage–Bush was in bed with Big Oil, blah, blah, blah. And just like the Iraq War, that fact was reported daily or on a screen crawl. But today, from msm–crickets…

    I am so grateful there are alternative new sources.

  • getfitnow

    Recovery Winter, doncha’ know! *DONT_KNOW*

  • getfitnow

    I’m in CA. Enough said. :(

  • getfitnow

    …and Cap and Trade is the law here now!

  • wodiej crackerdawg

    I am in Indiana.  It is $3.17 a gallon. 

  • Agent X

    Dear Mr. “New” House Speaker,

    Stop the market manipulation crap an get the CFTC and the Dodd-Frank Act moving!

  • Rabble Rouser Rev. Amy

    Um, I’ll take a stab at answering that – NO!!  :)

  • Rabble Rouser Rev. Amy

    LOL abt digging out of a hole.  Oh, my…

  • Rabble Rouser Rev. Amy

    Oh, yikes – and you are so right – the costs of gas/food/housing are not being met by programs like Soc. Sec. 

  • Rabble Rouser Rev. Amy

    I understand that there is now concern that the Dodd-Frank Act is unconstitutional.  I am not surprised considering those two did a great deal to facilitate the housing mess that has so affected the country.  How in the WORLD these two men were allowed to craft ANY kind of bill on this issue just boggles the mind.

  • CentralMass

    Well let’s ee if thsi republican house can bring our gas prices down.  I’m sure they’ll get to it after they create jobs and reduce the difficut.

    During the Bush years we saw Oil company profits go up by some %350. I was paying $4.10/gal here in Massachusetts at the peak.

    The chief culprit is speculation
    http://www.lakelandtimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=9&ArticleID=8068

    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/08/60minutes/main4707770.shtml
    “”
    more at the link

  • CentralMass

    Well let’s see if this republican house can bring our gas prices down.  I’m sure they’ll get to it after they create jobs and reduce the deficit. 
     
    During the Bush years we saw Oil company profits go up by some 350%. I was paying $4.10/gal here in Massachusetts at the peak. 
     
    The chief culprit is speculation 
    http://www.lakelandtimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=9&ArticleID=8068 
     
    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/08/60minutes/main4707770.shtml 
    “Approximately 60 to 70 percent of the oil contracts in the futures markets are now held by speculative entities. Not by companies that need oil, not by the airlines, not by the oil companies. But by investors that are looking to make money from their speculative positions,” Gilligan explained.

    Gilligan said these investors don’t actually take delivery of the oil. “All they do is buy the paper, and hope that they can sell it for more than they paid for it. Before they have to take delivery.”

    “They’re trying to make money on the market for oil?” Kroft asked.

    “Absolutely,” Gilligan replied. “On the volatility that exists in the market. They make it going up and down.”

    He says his members in the home heating oil business, like Sean Cota of Bellows Falls, Vt., were the first to notice the effects a few years ago when prices seemed to disconnect from the basic fundamentals of supply and demand. Cota says there was plenty of product at the supply terminals, but the prices kept going up and up.

    “We’ve had three price changes during the day where we pick up products, actually don’t know what we paid for it and we’ll go out and we’ll sell that to the retail customer guessing at what the price was,” Cota remembered. “The volatility is being driven by the huge amounts of money and the huge amounts of leverage that is going in to these markets.”

    About the same time, hedge fund manager Michael Masters reached the same conclusion. Masters’ expertise is in tracking the flow of investments into and out of financial markets and he noticed huge amounts of money leaving stocks for commodities and oil futures, most of it going into index funds, betting the price of oil was going to go up.

    Asked who was buying this “paper oil,” Masters told Kroft, “The California pension fund. Harvard Endowment. Lots of large institutional investors. And, by the way, other investors, hedge funds, Wall Street trading desks were following right behind them, putting money – sovereign wealth funds were putting money in the futures markets as well. So you had all these investors putting money in the futures markets. And that was driving the price up.”

    In a five year period, Masters said the amount of money institutional investors, hedge funds, and the big Wall Street banks had placed in the commodities markets went from $13 billion to $300 billion. Last year, 27 barrels of crude were being traded every day on the New York Mercantile Exchange for every one barrel of oil that was actually being consumed in the United States.

    “We talked to the largest physical trader of crude oil. And they told us that compared to the size of the investment inflows – and remember, this is the largest physical crude oil trader in the United States – they said that we are basically a flea on an elephant, that that’s how big these flows were,” Masters remembered.

    “ 

  • creeper

    $3/gallon here and rising.  Well, actually 2.999.  I find that a hoot…that the gas stations don’t think we can translate 2.999 into $3.

    This is up almost thirty cents in the last month.

    I’d planned to visit a friend in Kentucy this month.  That trip is canceled.  There’s not enough slack in the budget.

    But fear not, NQ readers.  It will go back down next year.  It’s an election year, after all.

    Funniest thing…I’ve spent ten minutes looking for numbers that would confirm or debunk the idea that pump prices fall during an election year or, barring that, a simple graph of prices over the past few years.  Bupkus. 

    What I DO find is a slew of articles trying to convince readers that the idea that gas prices fall during an election year is a “myth”. 

    Election-year influence aside, this price rise now is inconsistent with past history.  Gas prices almost always drop during the fall.

    I did find this.  It’s from the state of Michigan.  If you force it to chart the past six years you see a drop in gas prices in both 2006 and 2008.  The one in 2008 is fascinating.  Gas went from almost $4/gal. to a buck fifty in one month…just before the election.

    Cynical?  Me?

  • Rabble Rouser Rev. Amy

    Uh, yeah, creeper – right there with ya.

    And I know the oil prices went up with Bush, too, though he did not predict that he would make our energy costs skyrocket like Obama did (or if he did, I missed it – I couldn’t stand listening to him, either).

    But yes, creeper – it is ridiculous that these gas companies think we can’t round up to $3 from $2.999999999999999…Good grief.

    I’ll be out and about later today.  I will be interested to see what the prices are now.

  • Docelder

    As I recall a lot of the price increase up to the 2008 election cycle was due to speculators manipulating the gasoline futures market and driving up the cost. If we had a global carbon market it would also be just one more bubble machine to bleed us dry with. Nobody is watching… at least nobody that cares or that isn’t an insider. This time with the energy though it might actually be supply. Does it make sense as a consumer nation of energy not to produce it at home if you can? Not to me it doesn’t… unless you want it to be expensive and you want price to control behavior of the citizenry. I think this is where we are… this administration has ultimate contempt for Americans and fundamentally believes we are too stupid to know what we want.. or what is good for us. They are deciding for us on all levels. It is like a being curb stomped with fuzzy bunny jack boots. Just a kinder, gentler form of totalitarianism.

  • HARP

    Obama wants to standardize prices across the country.

  • jwrjr

    Where it says “Tom’s Shell” shouldn’t it say “Barack’s Shell Game”?

  • lizzy

    Love the curb stomping fuzzy bunny jack boots!

  • CentralMass

    We are around $3.30/gal in the cnetral Massachusetts area. I was upper state New York last week and the prices were in the $3.30′s.

  • CentralMass

    Our Governor Patrick in MA has ressurrected a plan to put an rfid chip in auto inspector stickers that will be programmed iwth the odemeter reading at the time the auto is inspected. We have annual auto-inspections in MA. The chip will be read and if it is determined you have driven excess miles, you will pay a penalty tax. Supposedly it will be implemented as a protype plan to beging with.

    I drive about 70 miles a day to get to work. I’ll be pretty pissed off if I get penalized to do it.

  • CentralMass

    We need more nuke plants. There is a long lead time in building them and getting them online.

  • CentralMass

    Our Governor Patrick in MA has ressurrected a plan to put an rfid chip in auto inspector stickers that will be programmed with the odemeter reading at the time the auto is inspected. We have annual auto-inspections in MA. The chip will be read and if it is determined you have driven excess miles, you will pay a penalty tax. Supposedly it will be implemented as a protype plan to begin with.  
     
    I drive about 70 miles a day to get to work. I’ll be pretty pissed off if I get penalized to do it.

  • CentralMass

    Actually I’ve been seeing articles about it going up to $3.75 by spring.

  • TeakWoodKite

    There is only an exchange like Chicago has…. Is it the law? I missed that. Geez

    Dec 17 from the WSJ
    SAN FRANCISCO –California regulators late Thursday adopted the first large-scale cap-and-trade program in the U.S., in a move officials say will protect the environment without hurting the state’s still-struggling economy.
    In a 9-1 vote, the state Air Resources Board voted to adopt rules, scheduled to start in 2012, that place a limit on greenhouse-gas emissions for the state that will decline over time.

    I smell money. It is odd that the state legislators did not vote for this. The Air Recourses Board is by appointment. So it was done by fiat. Just great, more unelected officials setting a state policy, without representation.

    I am am seriously thinking about voting with my feet.

  • creeper

    Five bucks a gallon by the end of the year.  Giving 7-3 odds.  Any takers?

  • creeper

    “Charmin resume”.  LOL!  Good one, Mr. Natural.

  • TeakWoodKite

    That is not a constitutional thing to do..it seems to me. Life, liberty and the pursuit of ? The miles on my car?

    When one goes to get the car smogged they take the mileage every two years in Ca. So much for electric cars…

    So the “drill baby drill” is still out there somewhere…..

  • seattlegonz

    He’s got to drive up prices and unemployment so that heading into 2012 he can flood the gas stations with fuel and we’ll be relieved to have the prices drop to 4.00, and unemployment to drop to 25%.

  • Diana L. C.

    I am soooooo sorry for all of you who must drive to make a living. 

    If there is one major perk of getting older, it is the right to stay home.  At this point, I use only a tank a month at the most.  (It helps also that I am a bit of a hermit.  I always thought that in the Middle Ages I would have liked to be an anchoress of a church.)

    There are also perks to this modern age.  I spent the entire day yesterday in my new Christmas “I love my dog” jammies.  I got on the computer early to get tech help on something and ended up spending many hours with the most polite, patient young man named Deep Gupta as he cleaned my computer all the way from India.  I will take the CPU to have RAM added and then, hopefully, my computer will last a few more years and I won’t be one of those wasteful Americans who throw away things that are still useful.

    In any case, you might want to add Obaby (or any other Washington insider) to this video and you will have a new version of the Three Stooges.

    http://www.ihatethemedia.com/pelosi-boehner-gavel-exchange-as-it-should-have-happened

  • greenlantern

    Here is yesterday’s great interview with Laura Ingraham where Sarah Palin comments on Obama undermining America with his rising debt. She also takes on Krauthammer and McCain. Worth a listen. I still love to hear Sarah say “What’s the dill?”

  • seattlegonz

    Has someone posted that Rep Gabrielle Giffords was just shot? The guy was tackled and taken into custody. No information on who did the shooting.

    But, of course, the vile NPR had this in it’s news note: Giffords was one of several Democratic candidates listed as “targets” — with crosshairs icons — on a website connected to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in the runup to the 2010 elections.

  • getfitnow

    This morning when I filled up, I got another surprise–the little latch that keeps the trigger pulled while the pump is on, has been removed due to hazard of injury or fire. I didn’t see this one coming. So now you have to stand there manually depressing the trigger. I had forgotten how convenient that lever made pumping gas. I have to find out if this is all station or just certain brands of pumps. Anybody Know?

  • getfitnow

    There a car dealer somewhere that sales to unqualified buyers. He installs a chip in the auto, and if the individual is late paying (don’t know how late), there’s a way he can keep the ignition from being turned on until the balance due is paid.

  • CentralMass

    Is it a stretch that there might be a connection?

  • seattlegonz

    There’s more likely to be a connection between Obama and Gifford’s shooting. But, the point is that absolutely nothing was known and to make political hay out of this while the tragedy is unfolding is despicable.

  • CentralMass

    I wasn’t implying  a connection with any indvidual promoting this, rather the symbolisim of cross hairs on a map with links to candidates.  However, I didn’t bring up the topic..

  • CentralMass
  • seattlegonz

    No, the media brought up the connection and the foolish left are continuing to blather about it…posting blogs with links from june 2010. Obama said he’d bring a gun to a fight…does that mean anything here.

    It’s ridiculous, and I think criminal, to  try and link this attack to Palin. Disgusting.

  • bunnygirl4thecritters@gmail.com

    I’m also in Californina and gas just went up to $3.69!
    Also my Blue Shield (so called) health insurance…got notice of my 3rd freaking rate hike since last July! Damn you George Obama…damn you!

  • Rabble Rouser Rev. Amy

    I saw the other day that BCBS was going to majorly hike up ins. costs in CA.  Yikes…

    Seattlegonz mentioned Rep. Giffords – my thoughts and prayers are with her, her family, her staff members who were shot, and those who were murdered.  What a horrible, tragic event.  To try and blame this on any one politician is obscene – the responsibility lies solely with the deranged young man who took it upon himself to open fire on a crowd.

  • BIINKY

    Where do you visit in KY?  I might run into you in Walmart somewhere.   8-)

  • BIINKY

    @Creeper  Where do you visit in KY?  I might run into you in Walmart somewhere.    8-)

  • BIINKY

    We need to put pressure on our Representatives to put a stop to our geing governed by regulations and Executive Orders.  The FEC wants do regulate the radio stations, make sure they have diversity.  Mike Copps is the name of the CEO in charge of that if I remember correctly.

  • BIINKY

    One year I drove 90 miles to work and back (180 mile round trip).  It made for a long day and am glad I’m retired now.

  • BIINKY

    http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2653625/posts

    Today, in the wake of the assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (which left 5 confirmed dead and over a dozen seriously injured, including the Congresswoman herself), the Leftist media tried desperately to pin this attack on the Tea Party movement and conservatives.
    In reality, the would-be assassin was 22 year old Jared Lee Loughner, a confirmed Leftist who was upset Congresswoman Giffords opposed Nancy Pelosi and the Left’s open borders agenda.
    What are other instances where the Leftist media attempted to pin some terrible event on the Tea Party or conservatives in general, where it turned out the atrocities were committed either by Leftist Democrats or Muslims?
    We can think of a three others right off the top of our heads:
    (1) NYC Times Square car bomb attempt: where Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Leftist media attempted to blame the Tea Party, but it was a Muslim who was responsible for attempting to detonate a car filled with makeshift explosives bent on murdering scores of people in Times Square.
    (2) February 2010 IRS plane attack: where the Leftist media tried to claim the Tea Party was involved in an attack on an Austin, Texas IRS facility; turns out the pilot was a Democrat.
    (3) Ft. Hood attack: where the Leftist media tried to claim the Tea Party was responsible for murders on an Army base; turns out it was a Muslim who shouted “Admiral Akbar!” at the top of his lungs while opening fire on his fellow soldiers.
    Can you cite other instances where the Leftist media has tried its best to pin something on Tea Party members when in the end it turns out Muslims or Leftists were actually responsible?
    MUCH MORE HERE
    http://hillbuzz.org/