"Use it or lose it" oil legislation is a loser

The Obama administration is feeling the heat on high gasoline prices. Rather than solve the problem, they're trying to put the energy industry on the defensive. That tactic might lead to less oil being drilled--and it could compromise safety.

In a Fox News op-ed, Thomas Pyle of the American Energy Alliance tells us why "use it or lose it" is a loser:

With the president addressing energy security today as he continues to take flak for his energy policies and fuel prices creep toward $4 a gallon, his supporters have stepped up efforts to defend the president in anticipation of the 2012 election cycle. Their tactic is straight forward: deflect blame for his own misguided energy rationing schemes towards the "Big Oil" companies.

Senators Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and Bill Nelson, D-Fla., both outspoken critics of everything fossil fuel, lobbed a volley at U.S. energy companies by introducing a so-called "use it or lose it" bill to charge them per acre on federal leases which are not currently producing oil and gas. And yesterday, the Department of Interior delivered its report on the topic to the White House with great fanfare.

While these political maneuvers may play to the president's campaign apparatus, they should sound alarm bells for the American public.

This bill ridiculously assumes that there is oil and gas under every square inch of the mere 3 percent of federal lands that the administration makes available for energy exploration and production. Even if that were true, the last thing the federal government should be doing is rushing companies to drill wells without performing the necessary environmental analysis, seismic surveying, and exploratory drilling to search for the oil and gas. Furthermore, production on a leased allotment requires the very federal permits the administration continues to withhold from most prospective deepwater drillers, highlighting the fact that this measure is little more than a cheap political gimmick.

Technorati tags: Democrats politics economy Drill here, drill now government energy oil Obama Barack Obama

Public-sector unions' power cut in Ohio

On the same day legal maneuvering force Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker to temporarily place his budget-repair bill on hold--the one that takes away collective bargaining rights from most public-sector workers, a more far reaching bill was signed into law in Ohio.

Meanwhile, Illinois continues to head in the wrong direction.

Related posts:

Gov. Quinn Pro Quo: Pat Quinn's public-sector union cash, part four

Illinois: Almost 97% of state workers could be represented by unions soon

Technorati tags: government politics illinois politics Illinois Patrick Quinn Democrats democrat news Republican gop columbus ohio ohio politics organized labor wisconsin wisconsin politics scott walker

Unemployment rate falls to 8.8 percent

The nationwide unemployment rate fell to 8.8 percent, the lowest in two years, but still higher than the 8 percent level that the White House promised the rate would not exceed when the stimulus bill was being peddled.

The private-sector added 230,000 jobs, while the public-sector laid off  14,000--for a net gain of 216,000.

The private-sector is the catalyst for the economy.

On Fox News, analyst Stuart Varney decried the plight of the long-term unemployed--there are over six million of them.

And Peter Roskam (R-IL), the House Chief Majority Whip, issued the following statement regarding the latest unemployment figures:

These numbers continue to show that our economy is moving in the right direction but not recovering nearly fast enough. For the millions of Americans still out of work, today is just one more painful reminder that Washington's rampant borrowing and spending has grown our debt, but not jobs. Yet even as the borrow, tax, and spend policies severely hurt our economy, Senate Democrats continue to put politics ahead of policy – refusing sensible spending cuts – and rooting for a shutdown.

That spending mentality, coupled with a constant drive to raise taxes, is a recipe for sustained economic disaster. It's evident in Illinois where major employers – most recently Caterpillar and Jimmy John's – signal that Illinois' new job-crushing tax increases may force them to relocate to better business environments. We can't expect the private sector to create jobs when faced with the highest corporate tax rate in the world, a $14 trillion national debt, and the constant threat of new Washington regulations and taxes. That's why Republicans are focused on removing barriers to job creation by stopping Washington from spending money it doesn't have, and implementing policies like fundamental tax reform, no-cost free trade agreements, and reform of harmful bureaucrat-driven regulations.

Related post:

Roskam: High taxes have consequences

Technorati tags: business economy government politics Peoria Caterpillar illinois politics Illinois democrat dupage county peter roskam news Republican gop Congress unemployment

Video: Democrats' "extreme" spending

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was caught on tape plotting to label the Republicans and the tea party movement as "extreme." But as this video tells it, the real extremists are Schumer and his fellow Democrats.



Technorati tags: news chuck schumer politics tea party current affairs deficit democrat