Republicans do plenty of things I consider stupid, like making someone show an ID to purchase Sudafed. I vote for Republicans in spite of their flaws because I simply can not force myself to think like a Democrat. Wisconsin Chairman Joe Wineke provides a classic example.
MADISON – Instead of asking Americans to sacrifice once again, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Joe Wineke today called on President Bush to ask oil companies that profited in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to sacrifice their excess profits and return them to the American consumer.Let’s start with the concept of ‘excess profits’. Profit is only money left over after expenditures. In America, competition and free transaction determine how much money comes into a business. Excess profits means excess money, but I never hear Democrats complain about excess money derived from taxes, non-profit grant funding or plush union contracts.
Yesterday, President Bush said Americans must sacrifice and drive less because of concerns that the recent storms that hit the Gulf Coast could disrupt the gasoline market. Specifically, the President said Americans should avoid going “on a trip that’s not essential.”Price is set by supply and demand so when supply is diminished it is prudent to call for voluntary reductions in demand. How can this possibly be bad?
“President Bush continues to call on Americans to make more and more sacrifices to make up for his failed leadership. It’s no secret that America’s working families have learned to make great sacrifices over the last five years with Republicans in control of the White House and Congress.There have been hard times since the turn of the century. There was a painful recession after the collapse of the Clinton economy and the current administration is putting those Clinton era crooks in jail. There is also the little matter of divinely inspired murder.
“Instead of asking Americans to sacrifice once more, the President should call on the oil companies that profited in the aftermath of the hurricanes to sacrifice their excess profits and return them to the American consumer. Here in Wisconsin alone, consumers have been overcharged by an estimated $88 million.Again the idea that too much money is bad, but now adding the concept there is a non-market price, an inherent value, that can be exceeded with a resulting ‘overcharge’. The overcharge concept has validity only if supply and demand is distorted by monopoly or government price controls.
“Sadly, President Bush and Wisconsin’s Republicans in Congress have yet to make any sacrifices themselves, continuing to champion tax breaks for the wealthy while amassing an irresponsible deficit that will be passed along for generations to come. Yesterday, Republican leaders in Congress even announced plans to introduce new legislation or amend existing measures to bestow even more tax breaks on the oil industry.The Federal spending spree has been disgraceful but for Democrat complaints to be sincere there must be some evidence of attempting to reduce spending. Name one Democratic official that has voluntarily reduced or turned down dollars from Washington as excessive?
“While the President’s big oil cronies have enjoyed record profits -- $7 billion per month more than they were making just 18 months ago for the same oil – the Bush Administration has done little, if anything at all, to help lower the cost of oil. And while hardworking Wisconsin families struggle to fill up their cars at the pump, President Bush continues to jet around the country, consuming an enormous amount of fuel. In fact, the Air Force recently estimated that fuel costs for Air Force One have risen to $6,029 per hour – up from $3,974 an hour in the last budget year. [Associated Press, 9/27/2005] President Bush is telling the American people to do as he says – not as he does.What Democratic efforts are being made to lower the price of oil by expanding supply and processing capacity? Is there a Democrat call for a moratorium on all private jet travel? The party of railroading the poor and using money from the Hollywood wealthy, with their personal planes, has no standing to request anyone to behave in ways they are not willing to impose upon themselves first.
“Americans know we can do better, and they expect more from President Bush and the Republicans in Congress. It’s time for the President to show some leadership and keep the promise he made in 2000 to reduce the cost of gasoline.”So sorry Joe. Follow up this diatribe with a press release asking Kohl and Feingold to vote for opening up ANWR for drilling, and one telling Doyle to suspend the Gas Tax and return the transportation funds, then I’ll concede your sincerity. Short of that, all these words without any underlying actions to validate them just reinforce the negative stereotypes of your party.
