NEWS BULLETIN
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - BP's decision to shut down the nation's
biggest oil field roiled oil markets, putting pressure on prices at the
pump.
The U.S. Transportation Department ordered the inspection of the
pipelines following an OIL SPILL of 270,000 gallons in March.
Eighty-nine percent (89%) of the state's income is from oil revenue,
and central to that cash flow is Prudhoe Bay. The expected loss of
400,000 barrels per day at today's oil prices means $6.4 million lost
daily in royalties and taxes.
IMAGINE, AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF BP SETTING OIL
PROFIT RECORDS, THEY FAILED TO USE ANY OF THESE
PROFITS TO ACCOMPLISH PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE ON
THEIR OIL LINES AND NOW THE WANT US TO PAY FOR
THEIR PISS POOR MAINTENANCE PROGRAM. WHEN WILL
THE GOUGING STOP? THEY GOT US ON THE HOOK FOR
EVERY BAD MANAGEMENT DECISION THEY MAKE.
WE GOT TO GET RID OF
OUR CURRENT
REPRESENTATION IN
WASHINGTON.
Ron Lapham
Candidate for Congress
7th Congressional District, MO
GAS PRICES HAVE EFFECTED OUR WHOLE ECONOMY.
WHEN GAS PRICES ARE ALLOWED TO FLUCTUATE AT THE
WHIMS OF OIL COMPANIES IT EFFECTS ALL OTHER
AMERICAN GOODS.
FUEL FOR DELIVERY TRUCKS, VEHICLES, TRAIN & BUS
TRANSPORTATION, AIRPLANES AND FARM EQUIPMENT WILL
EFFECT JUST ABOUT EVERY THING WE PURCHASE.
THE ORDINARY WORKER HAS BEEN HIT THE HARDEST BY
THESE PRICE GOUGING OIL COMPANIES. YES, I USED THE
TERM PRICE GOUGING.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE QUARTERLY REPORTS OF THESE
OIL COMPANIES THEY ARE NOT BEING DRIVEN BY
ECONOMIC SUPPLY AND DEMAND AS THEY CLAIM.
A CLOSE LOOK AT THEIR QUARTERLY REPORTS SHOW THAT
IN THE QUARTERS WHERE THEY WERE FORCED TO RAISE
PRICES FOR GASOLINE THEY SET NEW RECORD PROFITS IN
THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR SINGLE QUARTERS.
WHEN PRESIDENT BUSH TOOK OFFICE, OIL PRICES WERE
ONLY $19.00 A BARREL. TODAY THEY ARE $80.00 A BARREL.
THEY HAVE BEEN OVER $70.00 A BARREL SINCE THE FIRST
OF 2006. THAT'S WHEN CONGRESS DECIDED TO DO SOME
INVESTIGATION OF THEIR OWN.
THERE WAS NOT ONE MENTION IN THE CONGRESSIONAL
HEARINGS REFERRING TO THE HIGH QUARTERLY RECORD
PROFITS. AND RISING GASOLINE PRICES AT THE PUMP IN
THE SAME QUARTER. ALL THIS SUGGESTING THAT THE
MAJORITY OF INCREASED COSTS AT THE PUMP ARE
DIRECTLY INFLUENCING THE RISE OF OIL COMPANY
PROFITS.
SOLUTION: AMERICA NEEDS TO INVEST HEAVILY INTO
ALTERNATIVE FUELS. THERE ARE SOME SYNTHETIC FUELS
AVAILABLE, HOWEVER, WE NEED TO DO RESEARCH TO FIND
EVEN A BETTER SOURCE OF ENERGY. AMERICA HAS THE
ABILITY TO DO THIS RESEARCH, BUT OIL COMPANIES
ARE AGAINST THIS TYPE OF RESEARCH.
IF WE CAN FIND AN ALTERNATIVE FUEL SOURCE THAT CAN
BE MANUFACTURED FROM A SOURCE OTHER THAN FOSSILS
THE WORLD WOULD MOST LIKELY CHANGE TO IT, THEREBY
REDUCING A LOT OF THE INFLUENCE OIL NATIONS HAVE ON
OUR WORLD ECONOMY.
IDEAS, THOUGHT AND COMMENTS ARE WELCOME. WE CAN
BETTER FIGHT THIS PROBLEM WORKING TOGETHER.
WRITE ME AT: ronlapham@ronlapham.com
