My fellow Americans, are you ready to tighten your proverbial belt in order to fork over $4 a gallon for gasoline as early as this spring? If not, I suggest you get ready because, according to an article in today’s The Advocate, that is exactly what we will be paying, with the price beginning to inch upward this month, as it already has in many places around the nation.

But, and here’s what I find interesting, as well as a bit suspicious: whereas we are going to be paying the highest price in history in order to fill our gas tanks and go zooming about on America’s highways and byways, Exxon Mobile, as well as Chevron Corporation, have posted the largest profit in American history. In fact, according to John Porretto’s article (2008), Exxon Mobil “turned a profit last year fat enough to buy a fill-up for every car, truck, and SUV in America,” not once but “four times” (Advocate, p. D1). The company’s profit for 2007 was an unbelievable—completely mind-numbing—$40.6 billion, as Exxon benefited from crude-oil prices averaging around $100 per barrel (Advocate, p. D1). And Chevron, running number 2 behind Exxon, posted a profit of $18.7 billion (Advocate, p. D1).

I don’t know how you feel, but in my opinion, that’s just obscene. And is it just me, or does anyone else out there think there’s, to borrow from Shakespeare, “something rotten in the state of Denmark”? (Yes, I have used that quote before in previous blogs, but I like it.) What I want to know is why on earth we are being forced to pay astronomical prices for fuel while oil companies are making astronomical profits?

Porretto also said, given these hefty profits, many people believe “Big Oil is profiting at the expense of most Americans” (Advocate, p. D1). My answer to that is “Duh.” The oil companies are obviously profiting at our expense. After all, we are the ones having to pay outrageous prices in order to drive to work, school, shopping, etc. On the other hand, what I find interesting about Porretto’s comment is his use of the little adjective “most” before Americans (as in most Americans) since this implies there are actually some Americans who are not all that upset over having to pay more to fill-up their vehicles’ gas tanks. And the question is “who”? Well, that’s easy to answer. It’s the people who own stock in the oil companies as well as those in upper management, for example, CEO’s.

And that brings me to my real point, which is how attempts to enact more market oversights and to repeal the huge tax breaks provided to the oil industry have been continually blocked by the industries’ “powerful lobbying efforts” in Washington, even though as Judy Dugan, director of The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said, “There’s no excuse for continued inaction by Congress and the White House” (Porretto, Advocate, p. D1). No excuse? Well, another “Duh” to that, because there is an excuse, although not a very savory one, and that is how our nation’s leaders, for the most part, just happen to have ties with the oil industry. Think “Texas,” and you’ll get the picture.

Now think about it some more. Haven’t you noticed how gas prices started skyrocketing under the current administration’s watch? And what about the prices for other goods, like groceries, clothing, healthcare, and pretty much everything else we consumers need in order to survive? Haven’t they too gone up, up, and away? And then there’s also the cost of the War in Iraq, which by conservative estimate will hit $1.1 trillion during the current fiscal year. I don’t know about you, but, personally, I’m sick and tired of it. The question, however, is what can I do about it? What can you do about it? Well, I think the answer’s quite simple. We can vote on Election Day and get someone into office who might work not only to lower prices at the gas pumps but also to make things a little better for America before it’s too late to do anything at all.  

Porretto, J. Associated Press; The Advocate; Baton Rouge; February 2, 2008. p. D1.