If you're a consumer in the United States - and that's pretty much all of us - it's been almost impossible not to notice the rising price of gasoline. Even if you use public transportation, the cost of most goods and services has gone up sharply as higher fuel prices put more pressure on the costs of doing business.
For partisans on both sides of the aisle, we have to note that your standard bearers are not doing as well as we think they should be on issues related to energy policy. We don't even have to look at energy policy as a whole - just gas and oil - to see both positive signs of acknowledgment, as well as failures to act, from both political camps.
We're aware the President recently had the U.S. Attorney General's office form a new commission - the Oil and Gas Price Fraud Working Group - to supposedly root out cases of fraud and collusion. Recent events give us at least a small sliver of hope - for example, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's recent $30 million civil penalty on a less than honest natural gas trader.
Still, we think our skepticism of President Obama's actions on this subject has been earned. Every President since Jimmy Carter - Republican and Democratic alike - has promised they'll organize a committee to search out fraud and price collusion in the energy industry over the years. Their success rate has been about the same as George W. Bush's at finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
For those partisans on the right, it was somewhat of a surprise on Monday when Speaker John Boehner admitted to ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl that oil companies share some of the blame for the ridiculous increase in gas prices. Mr Boehner even was willing to open the door to cutting some subsidies for the massive oil companies, according to his comments.
While it was a shock to hear those words coming out of the mouth of a Republican like Mr. Boehner, his conclusion is similar to one that President Obama already made last week. That slight admission that even our leaders have knowledge of collusion by the oil companies on the price of oil - and therefore, gasoline too - was something we've all assumed to be true for years. Our reaction is much like police Captain Renault in Casablanca being shocked to find out there was gambling going on in a place known for illicit games of chance.
There are those who still attempt to claim that the extreme increase in gas prices is driven by supply and demand pressures - but we're not sure how. That load of balony has been proven bogus time and time again. It's been debunked so many times, it amazes us that anyone with a shred of intelligence or decency even brings up the idea.
This time, OPEC just announced last week that they're cutting production due to weak demand. The Saudis admitted they see a glut of supplies in the world market for raw crude oil. Those who understand how oil markets work agree - it's the sharks on Wall Street, not the sheiks in the Middle East, who are responsible for the price of gas shooting up near or above $4.
Everyone knows what the true problem is. However, much like the problem of the U.S. not bringing in enough revenue - a different problem that even Mr. Boehner admitted to on Monday - no one seems to have the political will to actually DO anything about the speculators.
We all know what's broken. It's time to fix the problem. The problem isn't in the Middle East - and it can't be solved by drilling. The problem is on Wall Street.
No matter what the excuses of any of our politicians are on this issue, the problem needs action to fix it - and that lack of action is what is truly fueling the anger of most Americans.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
The True Costs Of Bad Ideas
As people and media organizations seem to note every few years, the cost of nearly everything - including mailing a letter or package - keeps going up. While we generally know this to be true, there are often hidden cost increases that really should be receiving more media attention than merely the cost of a stamp.
We point this out as many communities across the country are discovering the "hidden" costs of electronic communication, as their post offices face the very real possibility of being eliminated.
A post office for a community is often more than just a building where mail comes to be sorted and delivered. Just like small-town schools and businesses are key to sustaining life in rural America, so too is the American Post Office, even in our modern era of electronic mail nearly everywhere.
As our staff have sadly noted more than once; no matter how fast your internet connection, you still can't send Grandma's cookies via your computer.
A similar issue has come up with the GOP's latest ideas on how to cut the budget, specifically Republican Paul Ryan's plans to turn Medicare and Medicaid into voucher-based, privatized systems.
Thankfully, it appears that an ever-growing number of America's seniors may not be conned by this particular GOP attempt to funnel more money to the wealthy and to insurance companies from those who can't afford it. In both CBS/New York Times and Washington Post/ABC News polls released last week, it's obvious that Americans are NOT in favor of sacrificing the stability of Medicare and Medicaid in order to continue financing tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
To us, that's a no-brainer. The barely hidden cost of such a voucher system is obvious to anyone who has ever had to try and get private health care insurance in America, as every member of our staff have attempted, with varying degrees of success.
If you think it's difficult getting health insurance when you're young, healthy, and employed with a decent income, imagine trying to get private health care coverage when you're over 65, retired, and in less than perfect health. Even if you have a voucher, if no one is willing to take it - or costs are insanely high - any voucher the government would give you to cover the cost of health insurance would be rendered meaningless.
This is often the case with the attempt to privatize services that have worked well under government direction. In Washington state, they're finding this out with the cost of privatizing their state liquor control and sales systems. In Florida, the effort to privatize prisons is gaining the attention of many as a bad idea. There are growing numbers of bad ideas just like these.
We understand the appeal that ideas like this have for bean counters; privatizing the profits while socializing the losses of a business is, from the perspective of someone who is selfish, greedy, and myopic, a wonderful idea over the short term.
As we can see from the effects of the internet on the U.S. Postal Service, the hidden costs that come later - like the speeding up of the collapse of rural American towns - are the kinds of costs that corporate number crunchers rarely if ever figure into their claims that privatization will fix all of America's woes.
The true costs of bad ideas are rarely something their promoters will advertise up-front.
We point this out as many communities across the country are discovering the "hidden" costs of electronic communication, as their post offices face the very real possibility of being eliminated.
A post office for a community is often more than just a building where mail comes to be sorted and delivered. Just like small-town schools and businesses are key to sustaining life in rural America, so too is the American Post Office, even in our modern era of electronic mail nearly everywhere.
As our staff have sadly noted more than once; no matter how fast your internet connection, you still can't send Grandma's cookies via your computer.
A similar issue has come up with the GOP's latest ideas on how to cut the budget, specifically Republican Paul Ryan's plans to turn Medicare and Medicaid into voucher-based, privatized systems.
Thankfully, it appears that an ever-growing number of America's seniors may not be conned by this particular GOP attempt to funnel more money to the wealthy and to insurance companies from those who can't afford it. In both CBS/New York Times and Washington Post/ABC News polls released last week, it's obvious that Americans are NOT in favor of sacrificing the stability of Medicare and Medicaid in order to continue financing tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
To us, that's a no-brainer. The barely hidden cost of such a voucher system is obvious to anyone who has ever had to try and get private health care insurance in America, as every member of our staff have attempted, with varying degrees of success.
If you think it's difficult getting health insurance when you're young, healthy, and employed with a decent income, imagine trying to get private health care coverage when you're over 65, retired, and in less than perfect health. Even if you have a voucher, if no one is willing to take it - or costs are insanely high - any voucher the government would give you to cover the cost of health insurance would be rendered meaningless.
This is often the case with the attempt to privatize services that have worked well under government direction. In Washington state, they're finding this out with the cost of privatizing their state liquor control and sales systems. In Florida, the effort to privatize prisons is gaining the attention of many as a bad idea. There are growing numbers of bad ideas just like these.
We understand the appeal that ideas like this have for bean counters; privatizing the profits while socializing the losses of a business is, from the perspective of someone who is selfish, greedy, and myopic, a wonderful idea over the short term.
As we can see from the effects of the internet on the U.S. Postal Service, the hidden costs that come later - like the speeding up of the collapse of rural American towns - are the kinds of costs that corporate number crunchers rarely if ever figure into their claims that privatization will fix all of America's woes.
The true costs of bad ideas are rarely something their promoters will advertise up-front.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Friday Funday: Thanks And Hope
Every weekend, when each member of The Daily Felltoon staff usually gets some time away from our regular jobs, we like to do what we can to spend time with our friends and family, to recharge our internal batteries.
Whether that means we tinker around with an old vehicle, visit a national monument, or simply go to a baseball game, we think the time spent remembering NOT to work so hard is good for each of us, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
This weekend is a confluence of holiday celebrations, for those of many faiths. For nature worshipers, today is Earth Day. For people of both the Christian and Jewish faiths, this week, and this weekend, also have a very spiritual meaning to them.
In short, Earth Day to pagans, Easter to Christians and Passover to Jews, all have similar and related meanings.
For Christians, the season is about rebirth, and the belief that hope springs eternal. For Jews, the holiday is also about hope, and thankfulness, that we've been spared a horrible fate. For pagans, it's all about giving back to the world that we all live in.
We realize that not everyone is as lucky as we are.
For example, there are those in Japan who have lost their entire cities; their homes, their families, all the things in their lives that were so familiar, things they will never have again in quite the same way. Those across the U.S. who've been affected by tornados, or fires, or floods, are facing many of the same problems their neighbors in Japan are suffering through.
One of our own staff members suffered a similar series of tragedies nearly three years ago. In a very short time span, three sharp losses - including a major fire - destroyed the stability, and some of the income, of this staff member's life.
The rest of our staff, even before we began working together, helped out - as friends do.
When things seemed darkest, there was a comfortable chair, a place to work, words of kindness - and hope.
No matter what your spiritual beliefs are, we hope this weekend - or sometime soon - you take a moment to celebrate both of what two of the world's major religions are celebrating this weekend.
Be thankful for what you have, thankful that your life is as good as it is.
Then, give someone else the gift of hope.
Do something for someone they don't expect. Take a younger person under your wing, as a mentor. Or make a donation to your favorite high school or college athletic program. It doesn't have to be expensive, or even be something you purchase. You could simply give a smile and a wave to that neighbor you'd usually rather ignore.
Whatever you do, we ask that you give someone else some hope.
That's a gift that everyone can appreciate, and that the world needs more of all year long.
Whether that means we tinker around with an old vehicle, visit a national monument, or simply go to a baseball game, we think the time spent remembering NOT to work so hard is good for each of us, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
This weekend is a confluence of holiday celebrations, for those of many faiths. For nature worshipers, today is Earth Day. For people of both the Christian and Jewish faiths, this week, and this weekend, also have a very spiritual meaning to them.
In short, Earth Day to pagans, Easter to Christians and Passover to Jews, all have similar and related meanings.
For Christians, the season is about rebirth, and the belief that hope springs eternal. For Jews, the holiday is also about hope, and thankfulness, that we've been spared a horrible fate. For pagans, it's all about giving back to the world that we all live in.
We realize that not everyone is as lucky as we are.
For example, there are those in Japan who have lost their entire cities; their homes, their families, all the things in their lives that were so familiar, things they will never have again in quite the same way. Those across the U.S. who've been affected by tornados, or fires, or floods, are facing many of the same problems their neighbors in Japan are suffering through.
One of our own staff members suffered a similar series of tragedies nearly three years ago. In a very short time span, three sharp losses - including a major fire - destroyed the stability, and some of the income, of this staff member's life.
The rest of our staff, even before we began working together, helped out - as friends do.
When things seemed darkest, there was a comfortable chair, a place to work, words of kindness - and hope.
No matter what your spiritual beliefs are, we hope this weekend - or sometime soon - you take a moment to celebrate both of what two of the world's major religions are celebrating this weekend.
Be thankful for what you have, thankful that your life is as good as it is.
Then, give someone else the gift of hope.
Do something for someone they don't expect. Take a younger person under your wing, as a mentor. Or make a donation to your favorite high school or college athletic program. It doesn't have to be expensive, or even be something you purchase. You could simply give a smile and a wave to that neighbor you'd usually rather ignore.
Whatever you do, we ask that you give someone else some hope.
That's a gift that everyone can appreciate, and that the world needs more of all year long.
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