A Few Smaller

In this week’s edition of The Dawg Blog, instead of tackling one big topic, I am going to cover a few smaller – but no less interesting – topics.  Let’s Dive In
 
Michelle Bachman has made it known in a recent statement that she can, if elected President in 2012, return gas prices to less than $2 per gallon.  (Read the store here:  http://money.cnn.com/2011/08/18/news/economy/bachmann_gas_prices/index.htm?hpt=hp_t2).
 
Sounds good, right?  However, before we drink the Tea Party Kool Aid, let’s first analyze how stupid it was of her to actually say this in public.
 

The cost of crude oil is not controlled by the United States Government, it is controlled by OPEC – the governing body for Middle East Oil Production.  The Federal Government, as powerful as it is, has no impact on how OPEC sets their production levels or sets prices.  It has been the biggest issue for elected leaders for years – we are at the mercy of oil producing countries, many of which hate us, when it comes to our energy needs.
 
Now, it’s true that there is oil production going on in the U.S., however, our national output would have to expand dramatically – and include loser off-shore drilling restrictions – for that to happen.  We would have to most likely allow more drilling on federally protected lands as well.  And even if we did that, and even if Michelle Bachman served two terms as president, we wouldn’t have the infrastructure in place for that to even be possible.
 
Then, there is the theory about taxes.  Many conservatives say that we pay too much in the way of taxes on gasoline.  This may very well be true.  That being said, though, the numbers don’t make sense with what Bachman said.  For those of us in Washington, we currently pay 55.9 cents per gallon.  Add that to the federal gas tax which is currently 18.4 cents per gallon.  That is a total of 74.3 cents in taxes per gallon of gas.  Since the average cost of gas in Washington State is about $3.70 per gallon, even if you took away all gas tax, it would only drop the amount per gallon to just under $3.00 per gallon.  And while that would be closer than we are now to $2 per gallon, in this time of budget crisis, neither the Federal or the state can afford to cut their revenue so dramatically.
 
I’m not saying that Michelle Bachman couldn’t implement new policies that may reduce the cost of gas.  That could very well be true.  But to throw out a magical idea like $2 per gallon – when there is no way in heaven and earth that it could actually happen – gives me a little better insight into what she is willing to say to get herself elected.
 
In other words, she’s selling snake oil.
 
Other Thoughts:
 
Hey – Didn’t you used to be Newt Gigrich?  Isn’t it funny that when the next big conservative in line to announce for office finally announces he is running, he becomes old hat?  We saw it with Newt, Romney, Pawlenty, Cain…just to name a few.  Think that Bachman and Perry are next to pass into obscurity?
 
Am I the only one with a brain…?  Why is it that if our 401K plans are tanking so badly, how come we aren’t investing more of our national investments in Gold?  It seems like a no-brainer to me.  Of course, I thought NOT electing George Bush to a second term was a no-brainer too…
 
And Lastly…I’m sorry I missed last week’s blog update.  We are getting ready for our big live broadcast from the Habitat For Humanity for Kitsap County gala at the Kitsap Pavilion on September 23rd.  This black-tie affair is going to be a blast and we are really looking forward to being there with our live event coverage from 6pm until it’s done.  Honestly, I am hoping we can grab a lot of great interviews – including Hall of Fame Quarterback Terry Bradshaw!
 
And remember…
 
Stop drinking the Kool-Aid, kids…and think for yourself.
 
KDawg