Dummy Dennis

Kucinich, pandering to the lowly classes, has a message regarding H. R. 2070, his proposal to help ease the high cost of gassing up for us little folks. If you trot on over and check his link to Thomas.loc.gov you find a dozen other "related bills" with similar proposals, some by Republicans. A few believe excess oil profits should help fund energy assistance to the poor – heating and a.c. etc.

I'd rather outlaw offshoring and force a decent wage on folks to cover their own cost of living. I'd rather fine and/or confiscate from slum landlords to upgrade housing to more energy efficient habitats. I'd rather ban the 16-year-old guppies who must drive a car to Central High because they're too special to ride a bus. I'd rather invest in affordable public transit for commuters but lets watch how those mass transit funds are played around with. Or how 'bout this Dennis: You introduce a bill where no one pays income taxes at all on yearly income below $75,000? The savings would gas up all the Dodge trucks in my town for a few weeks. Earl and Bubba, now that they're drawing disability on a bad back, always have a new pick-up; for fishing and hunting, but in their words "the old lady works and pays taxes." I guess that means they're entitled.

Having lived in places where driving was banned on certain days why not propose that? Sure folks will have to plan and organize their motoring but they'll adapt. One such method was using the last or first number of the license plates to drive on certain week days (weekends were for all). The fines were so heavy few would risk driving on their non-drive days. And, being a politician you'll like this part, the fines brought in much needed REVENUE which the cities could use in other programs. It is astonishing what folks can do when they have to – but Americans feel they don't have to. And with pols like Dennis willing to rob oil thugs to give to the poorer hoods – why should Americans have to.

I wouldn't mind seeing oil executives punished at all Dennis, but obviously you have not been paying attention in DC. If oil companies are taxed on excess profits they will 1) Recoup the monies elsewhere through other means, likely through the House and Senate passing a lavish "incentive" package for them of some sort. 2) Drop production levels in which case prices rise even more (supply/demand). 3) Oil, and companies thereof, will be first in line for those "grants" which their windfalls fund.

Where are the political voices telling us to conserve? I have cut my energy consumption by ½ since 2001. Imagine if everyone could and would. Kucinich & friends do no more than encourage the peasants that, especially if someone else pays for it, it's okay to keep wasting resources; keep consuming like there's no tomorow. An unusual way to help big oil. You're a real political pro Dennis.