Gas promise broken

It seems to me that there shouldn’t be this issue of record high gas prices.  In fact here’s the prices for the Fond du Lac area.  Almost everyone at $3.65.  Down right ridiculous.  And instead of trying to actually do something about it you have Rep. Steve Kagen (WI-08) doing this photo-op in Green Bay earlier this week.

From the “new” wow, Green Bay Press

U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen urged President Bush Monday to take immediate action to reduce high gasoline prices. Speaking at The Little Store gas and convenience outlet, 2030 University Ave., Green Bay, Kagen repeated his request to the president to increase gasoline supplies by suspending purchases of oil for the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

According to a Kagen news release citing independent industry analysts, a suspension would allow more oil to remain on the market and immediately drive down prices by 25 cents per gallon.

Pelosi made the same call yesterday with different number predictions.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives on Thursday called on the White House to temporarily stop sending crude oil into the nation’s emergency stockpile.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters she was calling on President George W. Bush to work with Democrats to find a way to “temporarily suspend” oil deliveries to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Pelosi said suspending deliveries would save drivers 5 cents to 24 cents per gallon at the pump.

I’m curious how they believe that would work even if they passed legislation on it.

Democrats in the Senate are also pursuing legislation that would require the Energy Department to suspend shipments to the reserve if prices are too high.

Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota said he would seek to attach an amendment to an upcoming supplemental appropriations bill that would forbid the government from sending oil to the SPR if oil prices are above $75 a barrel.

Sounds like more of the same from the Dems as pointed out by Shoebox.

Wednesday morning, John Boehner along with other House Republican leaders, sent a letter to Nancy Pelosi asking her to make good on her 2006 promise to have a plan to reduce gas prices.  As Boehner pointed out, and all of us are feeling, gas prices are up over 50% since Pelosi took office.

This afternoon, Pelosi released her plan.  You can see the details here.

As I read it, Nancy thinks the following will reduce gas prices:

• Filing lawsuits against OPEC acting as a Cartel….
• Continuing to chase gouging Bogeymen…
• Forcing renewable energy into the marketplace
• Chasing more gouging Bogeymen….

Can anyone explain to me where one penny of reduction in gas prices will come from any of these “initiatives?”  If anything, the result of these acts will be to increase government regulation, raise costs on existing gas suppliers and force the use of uneconomical alternative energies.  The result will not be a reduction in gas prices, rather, it will be an overall increase in energy prices.

It’s nothing more than a broken promise when it comes to gas prices.  The GOP and McCain would be smart to start reminding people by getting this ad on TV.  (H/T - Shoebox)