"Just because you have a lease, it doesn’t mean there’s oil underneath there. You have to look for it. It takes capital expense … I’m tired, I’m really tired of this attack on drilling. Now multiply that to a multinational corporation and it’s the same thing. If they go deepwater drilling and they don’t hit, should they not write that off as a business expense? Sure they should." - Republican Congressman ShimkusJohn Shimkus also made a ham-handed attempt at Orwellian language by talking about "my little mom and pop drillers" in an effort to appeal to downstate Illinois conservatives. Because either he or they believe most petroleum comes from the local farmers oil well down the road?
Republicans are evil slime. Oil companies are getting Billions of free taxpayer welfare while at the same time they and the oil speculators are jacking prices up and making obscene profits.
But, the reason this additional Corporate welfare burden would be paid for Middle class and Poor is because Giant Corporations don't pay taxes in the US.
A comprehensive new study that profiles 280 of America’s most profitable companies finds that 78 of them paid no federal income tax in at least one of the last three years. Thirty companies enjoyed a negative income tax rate over the three year period, despite combined pre-tax profits of $160 billion.This really points to the bigger Republican Plan. The Republican Crony Capitalists, Vultures and Dutiful Lapdogs of the Plutocracy have been chipping away year after year at the Tax code in order to set up a system of legalized theft by the 1%.
“These 280 corporations received a total of nearly $223 billion in tax subsidies,” said Robert McIntyre, Director at Citizens for Tax Justice and the report’s lead author. “This is wasted money that could have gone to protect Medicare, create jobs and cut the deficit.”
The Right-Wing plan has always been to create a tax system wherein the entire burden of government falls upon the Middle Class. This accomplishes three goals:
1) Giant Corporations are protected by a legal system which subsidizes their losses and violently protects their profits,The current Republican Recession which is impoverishing so many Americans is the result of 4 main factors:
2) The meager pittance of Medicaid, SSI, unemployment thrown to the poor comes entirely from the middle class,
3) Facing the entire burden of a Nation-State and Massive Overseas Empire The Middle Class is ground down into poverty and penury.
1) Investment Firms and Banks making Risky Loans and Investments,But, Shimkus' plan would go further towards the real goal of the Republican Party which is the the destruction of American Democracy and the creation of a Neo-Feudalist Slave State the Rich Plutocracy has always wanted.
2) American Companies not investing in creating jobs in America,
3) The Economic Policies under former President Bush, including tax cuts for the wealthiest families,
4) Military and DoD expenditures during the GWoT.
Big Oil already receives obscene amounts of taxpayer funded subsidies for just such exploration... is this pompous prick suggesting we A)continue paying subsidies to Big Oil, B) add additional subsidies for DRILLING EXPENSES, and C)continue to pay through the nose at the pumps, and D) cut social services to fund this hair-brained scheme to reward his corporate donors?
ReplyDeleteWhat's the weather like on this clown's planet?
It appears that most of their drilling costs are already covered.
ReplyDeletesquatlo,
ReplyDeleteShimkus knows the weather can't possibly change because God told him. Seriously. Watch and Read about it.
But, yes we have to pay for all their costs (drilling, exploring, damage, manufacturing) and whatever they decide to charge.
BP and the OIL Monsters have total control over the Republicans.
I see absolutely no reason why the oil companies should be getting subsidies in the first damned place. And, if a oil company drills a dryb hole - blame the geologist; not We The People.
ReplyDeletePlus, Skimkus is on the take from BIG OIL in a HUGE manner. They call it campaign contributions; I call it bribery.
I am moving from the 7th congressional district with a great Democrat (and a Muslim) in the House to the 8th with a millionaire Republican.
I believe that everyone needs a hobby, Representative Larry Bucshon is going to become mine..
Excellent post!
Sarge
This could not define Romney and the Republicans better if it had been written by them to tout their values. Fossil fuel industries are in the biggest profit peak of all time, they are drilling and mining and refining record levels in the US and elsewhere, they pay a joke of taxes while using government agencies like the geological surveys, the land management and the department of Indian affiars, forestry department, like a pimp uses runaways. And they want less tax, more access, and for the free market to be blamed on Obama.
ReplyDeletefringee,
ReplyDeleteIt's really awful every time a company causes mass destruction the Wall street Naked Credit Defaults, BP in Lake Michigan or the Gulf, fracking or the repeated negligence of Massey Energy at the Upper Big Branch Mine the Republicans twirl their conservatives dupes around that regulations are the problem. Less regulations less EPA less problems.
It's a simple dance which they've perfected. It's also shameless and it's killing people.
John Shimkus holds a personal world's record: He has the world's biggest widest loosest anus, as a result of decades of letting oil company VIPs have their way with him.
ReplyDeleteBig Oil how about Bar Association?
ReplyDeleteAre you another blood sucking lawyer who benefits from Democrat policy?
Gotta love regulations and laws that aren't comprehendable
Anonymous said...
ReplyDelete"Big Oil how about Bar Association? Are you another blood sucking lawyer who benefits from Democrat policy?"
This clown doesn't know that the majority of suits are brought by one business against another, and they use lawyers. Gotta laugh at how this person hates lawyers but luuuvs the corporations they represent! Heh.
"...the creation of a Neo-Feudalist Slave State..."
ReplyDeleteI disagree with this conclusion! The wealthy do not want a slave state. Slaves have to be taken care of. They want a feudal state where the peons and peasants are reliant upon the wealthy, but can be completely dispossessed and removed from sight at the will of the feudal lords.
Here is another step on the road to serfdom. From Forida Republicans we have a new bill that says when workers do not receive their wages, they are prohibited from going to the courts to sue for their wages too.
ReplyDeleteOur Palm Beach County AFL-CIO President Pat Emmert called for a picket the other day and here is her fact sheet:
Wage Theft Info Sheet
Wage theft is a growing problem in Florida, one with incredible consequences for the families that fall victim to this despicable practice, as well as the health of our local economies.
• Wage theft occurs anytime a business or contractor refuses to pay agreed upon wages to an employee.
o Whether that refusal is in the form of an outright denial of payment, underpayment of the agreed upon amount or a violation of wage and hour laws when it comes to overtime of the minimum wage.
• The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has identified Florida as one of the worst states when it comes to wage theft, recording over 9,000 cases totaling over $28 million in lost wages in a period between 2008 and 2011.
• A comprehensive study by the Research Institute on Social and Economic Policy at Florida International University indicates that this is the tip of the iceberg and that actual cases could be as high as 300% more.
• Wage theft is a federal crime so when it occurs the victim’s only recourse has been to appeal to the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the DOL. Unfortunately, that means the worker becomes one of millions in a system that is struggling due to lack of resources.
• Nationally, there is one Wage and Hour Division investigator for every 146,000 workers.
• In Florida, there are 1.2 million workers for every WHD investigator, over eight times the national average.
• A broad coalition of Labor and community activists joined forces with the Miami-Dade County Commission in 2010 to create a local ordinance and enforcement office to deal with the problem.
o This groundbreaking new program has been a huge success with almost $500,000 recovered in lost wages with a cost to the taxpayers of only $15,000.
• The Florida Retail Federation filed suit against the Miami-Dade ordinance and while a ruling has not yet been issued, the Retail Federation decided to hedge its bets and file legislation that not only eliminates the Miami-Dade program but also prohibits any other local government from enacting their own program.
• This legislation bars local governments from taking action while doing nothing at the state level to address the problem…wage theft will still go unpunished and workers will have little recourse!
Sondra, thanks for the info about Florida. The Republicans are governmental suicide bombers, doing as much damage to workers rights, human rights, civil rights and womens rights and government ability in service to the 1%.
ReplyDeleteGOP motto: One Percent Akbar!
Anonymous @ 7:48am,
Well they want wage slaves and as far as taking care of their slaves, the One Percent has ingeniously devised a plan to push the Middle Class and Working Class into underground/back alley/black market areas for help while the courts, government and hospitals cater to their whims.
Republicans and Democrats are two sides to the same corrupt coin. For every republican you find screwing the little guy, you'll find a democrat screwing his sister.
ReplyDeleteLet's stop pretending either of the major political parties represent anything decent. They both sold out decades ago.
And another thing... there are a whole hell of a lot of rich democrats these days... the 1% is full of them.
ReplyDeleteOh no! The both sides do it Anonymous concern trolls have descended!
ReplyDeleteOh forsooth where oh where can I find some balance.
Please, there is no comparison between a Joe Walsh, the Tea Party dreamboat who screams at his constituents, ignores evidence about Wall Street's gambling because he "doesn't want to hear it and is sick of that crap."
Or the 16 Republican sponsors (versus 5 Democrats) of the Illinois HB Rape Wand Opportunity Act
Or Peter Roskam's drive to eliminate the EPA and the 223 of 236 House Republicans who voted to eliminate the Clean Water Act.
And please just being Rich isn't the problem. It's how you make your money. Right-wingers are making money off of death and despair, Mitt Romney and Stephen Schwarzman made money off of firing Americans and killing people overseas.
Additionally, these Vultures and 1% assholes Foster Friess, Harold Simmons, Sheldon Adelson, Bob Perry, Stephen Schwarzman, the Koch Brothers are funneling hundreds of millions to Republicans to undercut Democracy.
So, save the concern about Rich democrats for Hotair or Free Republic Mister Anonymous.
Too late! Progressives already beat them to it.
ReplyDeleteSilverfiddle,
ReplyDeleteSadly, it is your comment and thinking which are too late. Please pick up the White Man's Burden and go away...
From the US, I mean, personally I enjoy your posts here. :)
But, if you think taxes are slavery you have descended too far into Right-Wing madness...
Wait didn't Obama fire people too to save GM,or should I say the Unions.?
ReplyDeleteHe screwed the shareholders and gave the shares to his buddies and then he forced car dealerships who had been in business for years in favor of the ones he wanted to remain open.Affirmative Action for car dealerships. That Obama,always talking about "everyone getting a fair share"
Now we know what "fair shair" is all about
Sigh...
ReplyDeleteThat's just a right-wing lie about forcing certain car dealers to close. But, hey you read it on the internet so it must be true!
But, ooooooooh you're getting closer with your "Affirmative Action for car dealerships" dog whistle...
No not in the Internet actual people who were interviewed. Of course MSNBC made sure not to interview them.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't want Americans to know what happened. We need to keep them in the dark so they can tell us how wonderful and perfect Obama is. I don't know how he manages to just do everything so picture perfect.
We should be so honored to have someone with all his wisdom and "fairness"
First off sparky, Bush authorized the money for the auto industry a month before Obama took office.
ReplyDeleteSecond, look up chapter 11 bankruptcy. When a company has more debt than assets, shares are worth zip.
Third, while your boning up on chapter 11s, which I know you won't, look at the part about "restructuring". Restructuring gets rid of the bad and keeps the good, which means some people like those car dealers are gone.
Forth, MSNBC? Like you dimwits are so fond of pointing out, MSNBC has very poor ratings. You know what that means Sparky? It means not very many people watch it. You idiots trotting out MSNBC as the liberal equivalent to FNC does nothing but reinforce the fact that you're idiots.
Sparky?
ReplyDeleteYou're giving credit to Bush for the Auto bailout? Ha ha ha ha ha!
You heard all these things on Faux News.
How about this from Faux wherein they gave George W(orst President Ever) Bush a complete pass on the price of gas in 2008 but , blame President Obama for the price today.
Cal Thomas' line is the best,
Well, one of the problems we’ve had for a number of years in the media — and the entire media, mostly journalists, is that these charges get put out there, against the Bush administration or somebody else. And journalists don’t really examine the substance of it like they do during a political campaign. At least in the Washington Post and sometimes on O’Reilly with his “Reality Check” on this channel, they look at certain claims or promises to see what the facts are behind them.
And the facts are, as you suggested, no president has the power to increase or lower gas prices. Those are market forces.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Keep sucking that Faux News exhaust pipe Anonymous it's hilarious!