Big Oil

Got an E-Mail from my nephew urging me to support legislation against price gouging from big oil.

Can you face another summer where a day trip to the lake or the beach costs you an arm and a leg? It's shaping up to be just that if we don't ask Congress to stand up to Big Oil now.

But there is a bill in the House this week that could make gas price gouging a federal crime, so we don't pay more while the oil companies rake in record profits. I signed a petition to urge my representative to pass this bill this week -- can you join me at the link below?

The state of financial and economic education in this country is abysmal, in most high schools it’s not even taught. Instead they have environment classes. So for all those ignorant of basic supply and demand let me explain why such socialist legislation is a big mistake.

The biggest reason gas is so high is that America refineries are going all out, 100%, yet can’t meet demand. We have to import gas from refineries overseas that are not as efficient making the blends that regulations demand be sold in the US. In order for those refineries to be persuaded to make US blends the price has to be bid up. If that is not allowed to happen then, yes the price will stay static but you will also have shortages. This would be similar to what is happening at the grocery stores in Venezuela. Also those refineries are breaking down because they are being run so hard, each time that happens the price will spike up.

It is only going to get worse. We are not increasing refining capacity fast enough to keep up with increasing demand. Each year sees a greater percentage of our fuel coming from foreign sources. Iran and Venezuela are using their petro dollars to fund terrorist organizations and a welfare state respectively. Not only are they not reinvesting to find new sources and increased efficiencies they aren’t even maintaining existing facilities and production is falling. All of the state owned oil companies are way behind our big oil and to make matters worse big oil has a smaller and smaller chunk of the free world in which to drill and explore. That doesn’t even take into consideration the shaky ground Chavez is on in his relation to the oil workers whose strikes have significantly driven up prices in the past. Iran is a powder keg that if blown could mean the closure of the Straits of Hormuz where two-fifths of all world traded oil moves. My advice to everyone is prepare for really high prices because no amount of finger pointing and punishing big oil will help.

The E-Mail was originally from Moveondot.com. My nephew is not dumb; he is a Doctor for crying out loud. We’ll see how he likes Hillary care after a few years. What I can’t understand about the public’s gullibility on the evil big oil issue, economic knowledge aside, is the idea that in a world with Hugo Chavez, Ahmadinejad, Putin, and the House of Saud, high prices are Chevron’s or Exxon’s fault. If the oil companies are making such record profits, which we are always given some figure in the billions but not as a rate of return on your dollar invested, then go buy some damn stock and get rich too. But they won’t do that because then they would also be subjected to the risk of investing. They would rather the government steal that money in the form of a tax or price fixing and pass that on to them in the form of cheap gas. Most people are ok with that, steal from the rich and give to the poor, although only in the industrialized world do the poor have cars. Problem is stockholders today aren’t the big fat capitalist lighting their cigars with hundred dollar bills. Allot of us are pensioners or 401K holders. The left wont let anyone fix Social Security so it won’t be around for me yet they want to steal from my retirement fund.

Sanctuary Cities

Can't we at least deport those that repeatedly break the law? Three of the Fort Dix 6 terrorist who planned to kill hundreds of our servicemen and women were illegal aliens. They were also rotten drivers. Investigative reporter Jim Osman reports that the three had numerous run-ins with law enforcement:

Suspect Shain Duka had a real New Jersey driver's license despite being an illegal immigrant; he had an abysmal driving record. Duka was repeatedly stopped by police and had 19 suspensions of his license.

Suspect Dritan Duka, also illegally in the country, obtained a driving permit. He was stopped by police 11 times between 1997 and 2006. The state of New Jersey indefinitely suspended his original permit when it found out his visa had expired. He kept encountering authorities on driving issues.

And Eljvir Duka, as well in the country illegally, had 24 suspensions of his driving permit and was tagged by the state as a persistent violator.

The police knew they weren’t legal, why weren’t they deported? Many police departments are not even allowed to ascertain weather a suspect is illegal and police are not happy about it. Peggy O'Hare reports from Houston:

In the months before three East End women were abducted, raped and slain last year, one of the accused killers, Walter Alexander Sorto, 25, was ticketed by Houston police several times for traffic violations.

Sorto was an illegal immigrant, having somehow managed to circumvent the usual ports of entry into this country, just like his accused companion in crime, Edgardo Rafael Cubas, 24. They remained below radar, undetected by immigration authorities until they were arrested for capital murder.

But had they crossed paths with Houston police before the violence — as Sorto apparently did — officers here might have been hamstrung anyway, barred by city rules from asking about their immigration status or reporting them to federal authorities.

Critics refer to this rule as a "sanctuary" policy. And Sorto is a pointed example of what frustrates some Houston police officers about the "hands-off" provision toward illegal immigrants.

Sanctuary cities prohibit their law enforcement agencies from aiding federal authorities in any way when it comes to illegal immigrants. Some cities like San Francisco are actively trying to disrupt immigration raids. Mayor Newsom:

"I will not allow any of my department heads or anyone associated with this city to cooperate in any way shape or form with these raids," Newsom declared. "We are a sanctuary city, make no mistake about it."

Problem with these sanctuary cities is that there is no legal basis for doing so. It’s actually illegal.

Entry into the United States without inspection is a misdemeanor; but harboring, shielding, or concealing illegal aliens is a felony (Immigration and Nationality Act). Federal, state, and local officials may not restrict the sending to or receiving from the Immigration and Naturalization Service information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual (Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act; Welfare Reform Act).

If you or anyone you know are a victim of a crime committed by illegal aliens and your city knew they were illegal, sue the hell out of the city. San Francisco will have to explain in a court of law why they are not obeying the laws of these United States. These are the sanctuary cities:

Anchorage, Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska
Chandler, Arizona
Fresno, California
Los Angeles, California
San Diego, California
San Francisco, California
Sonoma County, California
Evanston, Illinois
Cicero, Illinois
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Orleans, Massachusetts
Portland, Maine
Baltimore, Maryland
Takoma Park, Maryland
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Durham, North Carolina
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Aztec, New Mexico
Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
Sante Fe, New Mexico
New York, New York
Ashland, Oregon
Gaston, Oregon
Marion County, Oregon
Austin, Texas
Houston, Texas
Katy, Texas
Seattle, Washington
Madison, Wisconsin.

* Alaska and Oregon both have state-wide policies that forbid state agencies from using resources to enforce federal immigration law. Oregon law, however, does provide an exception to allow law enforcement officers to share information on immigration status with federal authorities with those arrested for criminal offenses.

Blood on Pelosi's hand.

Nancy Pelosi’s felonious trip to Syria had far greater ramifications than just undermining a wartime President. Many dissidents are cowering in fear as Assad now feels he can take the gloves off.

Many Syrian dissidents and pro-democracy activists have privately expressed dismay at Ms. Pelosi’s message of friendship to the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. They say that Ms. Pelosi’s visit, no matter how well-intentioned, has effectively pulled the rug out from under them, critically damaging their efforts to create momentum for reform from within.

“Pelosi’s visit made the regime feel that Americans were divided on how to deal with Syria,” said a Damascus-based women’s-rights activist who, like five other activists interviewed for this article, asked that his name be withheld because he feared punishment. “This sends a message to the regime that the pressure is off, that it can do what it likes.”

He’s imprisoning Kurds, protestors, and pro-democracy activists while imposing restrictions on others. Joe Pace reports at SyriaComment.com that Assad may even have resumed assassinations.

On May 10, the prominent Kurdish Sheikh, Ma'shuq Khaznawi, received a call on his cell phone. The unknown caller told him to await a car in front of his office. According to two of the Sheikh's sons, as he left the office his last words to his colleague were "when are the security forces going to stop pestering me?" Minutes later he stepped into the car and disappeared. His body was found three weeks later on the other side of Syria.

SOS (Save Our Schools)

Kevin Libin at the National Post wants to know how did An Inconvenient Truth become required classroom viewing?

First it was his world history class. Then he saw it in his economics class. And his world issues class. And his environment class. In total, 18-year-old McKenzie, a Northern Ontario high schooler, says he has had the film An Inconvenient Truth shown to him by four different teachers this year.

His environment class? I thought religion wasn't supposed to be taught in our public schools and make no mistake the Man-made Global Warming movement is a religion. Save our schools, support school vouchers.

Update: Joey at Pheistyblog notes that this crap is even being shown in gym classes!

Iranian Israeli War

What you see above is a school classroom. Over 30 Qassam missiles were fired at Sderot, Israel in a 24-hour period by the Democratically elected Hamas government. Problem with Hamas is they are answerable to Iran not Palestine. When Israel unilaterally pulled out of Gaza I and many others made the prediction that Gaza would become a main terrorist cesspool instead of a functional Palestinian State. We were right.

The Palestinians have their state and terrorist government. They are now accountable for acts of war directed at other states. Hold them accountable when they attack Israel, bomb the hell out of them and repeat as necessary. In a war there is no such thing as a measured response. The anti-semetic international community will condemn Israel regardless so I say unleash the dogs of war and be as ruthless as your enemy or be destroyed.

Sicko

Michael Moore went to Cuba to tout the wonderful health care system that leftist Democrats like Hillary would like to emulate. He took some sick 9/11 responders to the embargoed country for treatment, however he failed to get clearance for the trip and now faces a U.S. Treasury Probe. Moore’s response?

The efforts of the Bush Administration to conduct a politically motivated investigation of Michael Moore and ‘SiCKO’ will not stop us from making sure the American people see this film.

The stunt was engineered to promote the next Moore faux documentary “SiCKO”, which we can assume will be as full of holes and lies as his previous films. How did they get some 9/11 heroes to go to Cuba? They lied.

Responders were told Cuban doctors had developed new techniques for treating lung cancer and other respiratory illness, and that health care in the communist country was free, according to those offered the two-week February trip.

While free, one has to wonder how effective any “advances” coming out of Cuba will be. Judging by the multitudes of other advances Castro’s paradise has produced I’d guess this will be as big as Iran’s herbal cure for AIDS. Fred Thompson was critical of Moore’s trip:

While this p.r. stunt has obviously been successful — here I am talking about it — Moore’s a piker compared to Fidel Castro and his regime. Moore just parrots the story they created — one of the most successful public-relations coups in history. This is the story of free, high quality Cuban health care.

The truth is that Cuban medical care has never recovered from Castro’s takeover — when the country’s health care ranked among the world’s best. He won the support of the Cuban people by promising to replace Batista’s dictatorship with free elections, and to end corruption. Once in power, though, he made himself dictator and instituted Soviet-style Communism. Cubans not only failed to regain their democratic rights, their economy plunged into centrally planned poverty.

As many as half of Cuba’s doctors fled almost immediately — and defections continue to this day. Castro won’t allow observers in to monitor his nation’s true state, but defectors tell us that many Cubans live with permanent malnutrition and long waits for even basic medical services. Many treatments we take for granted aren’t available at all — except to the Communist elite or foreigners with dollars.

For them, Castro keeps “show” clinics equipped with the best medicines and technologies available. It was almost certainly one of these that Moore went to, if the stories in the NY Post and the Daily News are true.

Moore responded with criticism of Thompson’s Cuban cigar habit and challenged Thompson to a health care debate. Fred’s response to that: Priceless!

Hugo Problemo

Castro apologists always point to the embargo as the reason for Cuba being broken. Now that Hugo is emulating that great failure one has to wonder how that mess will be explained away since Venezuela has no embargo. For the first time in recent history Venezuela is having trouble feeding itself. Junglemom explains how this especially hurts the middleclass.

It took us trips to 5 stores to be able to find chicken. The owner warned us that he did not know when he would get more. What is hard for the middle class, is that the poorer people have chicken and beans. They go to the government stores, stand in line and buy chicken at the subsidized rate. The rich people have chicken because they can send their maids to the stores. But those in the middle class don't have the time to stand in line for hours waiting to buy chicken because they have to actually go to work. So, I have not had black beans for many months now. And eat more fish and pork than I care for!

Christ told us the poor will always be with us. The middleclass were given no such assurances. Junglemom is on a mission from God, she wont leave Venezuela until Chavez kicks her out. Others however will and have. As you can imagine it’s no picnic being wealthy in the current environment either. Junglemom again:

We have been having a lot of student protests again near my house. I live in an area where there are several universities. The other day we could not get out of the neighborhood because the students had burned one vehicle already and ended up burning a bus as well. If you are on foot, they let you pass, but if you are able to afford a vehicle, you are the "oligarchs".

The oligarchs are in an even better position to get the hell out of there and I am sure most of their assets have already left. Would you invest in a country that was hell bent on nationalizing everything? Fabiola Sanchez reports that grocery stores have sporadically suffered shortages since 2003, when Chavez first started interfering with the free market. However things seem to be getting worse:

Survey results released by private pollster Datanalisis this week revealed scarcities of at least nine basic food staples: sugar, beef, powdered milk, chicken, eggs, rice, corn flour, sardines and beans.

Those that do find food do what anyone with common sense would do, buy as much as is practical. So of course Chavez puts the blame on "hoarders" and "speculators" and is punishing them when found.

Noel Alvarez, president of the country's largest business chamber Consecomercio, says the problem will continue to worsen unless the government eliminates policies which he blames for stifling production and hampering businesses.

He said overall demand outstripped supply by 100 percent last year. The shortfall has been met by imports, which rose to a record $32 billion in 2006.

This is only the beginning, wait till the effects of Hugo’s agrarian reform and state-funded farming cooperatives kick in.

"This is a disaster -- there are no eggs, there's no powdered milk, nothing," said Ramos, a 69-year-old retiree, visibly upset. "I need skim milk but because I can't find any, I'm drinking calcium with water. This is like Cuba."

Which is the point. Viva la revolution!

Update: Junglemom is being forced out.

Support the Minutemen

The House of Representatives has introduced bill H.R. 1999: To authorize appropriations for assistance for the National Council of La Raza and the Raza Development Fund. Hillary Clinton has hired former president of La Raza Raul Yzaguirre to co-chair her campaign and lead its outreach to Hispanic voters. While being given an award from La Raza for his efforts to pass an amnesty bill Senator Lindsay Graham said "We’re Gonna tell the Bigots to Shut Up". I must assume bigots being anyone who doesn’t support amnesty. La Raza, “The Race”, is a Hispanic advocacy organization that is by its very nature racist. I am sure the irony would escape Senator Graham.

A hotel named Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa has replaced the bible with Gore’s BS book An Inconvenient Truth. Pen of Jen has a few words to say about this.

Does anyone see the tragedy that we are not averting? We are permitting this charlatan, to set the tone for our country. His film is being shown in schools, convincing children to change or risk disaster. We are scaring the children, and forcing the parents to comply with these ridiculous requirements.Now that is bad enough, but now we are equating Al Gore's word with Gods.

Indeed. Man-made global warming is a religion because you have to take it on faith. We don’t even know how much rain falls on the planet each day yet any computer model that predicts planetary warming has to take into consideration the balancing effect of water, not just rain but the seas and oceans. None of the models used to predict CO2 levels effect on global warming does this. Oh, and carbon offsets are a scam.

September

Yesterday on the Jim Villanucci show senior republican Senator Pete Domenici basically said that things had better be improved in Iraq by September or a timetable would be imposed. Which imposes a timetable now. You’re on the clock Iraq. September.

Support the Minutemen

Happy May Day. Seejanemom has a funny blog on what a day without illegal aliens will be like. Michelle Malkin does the math on the huge number of deportees that never leave, 600,000 unaccounted for. Minutemen here in NM had 24 illegal border crossers picked up in one night in their April campaign. A small net on a huge border and they catch plenty in an area that is advertised as having Minutemen.