I wanted to follow up my intro post with a few comments...
Today was a typical Saturday. Fortunately, the past half of the week has been a lot drier, as we have been plagued with wet (and hot) weather here all summer. There are so many spiders outside that when I go out to do anything, I invariably run into a web with my face and/or glasses. I really feel sorry for a lot that has happened this week, especially in New Orleans, and have been following the news. A day or so later, there was a lot of rain and wind here, but not as bad as the storms we received last year. After the hurricane, gas was a big problem. It went from around $2.50/gallon to $3.99 and finally today back to around $3.10 in the area. Wanda & I went to the flea market this morning, and later to have lunch at Tijuana Junction in Arden, a welcome change to our busy schedule.
We have a busy week coming up, so I'm trying to iron out the look & feel of this blog page, then do a few other things...
Now I'm going to send a link to this site to a few friends via e-mail and see if they post, that would be nice. I've been reading about "blogs" for quite some time now, and never had a chance to set one up before...
Well. till later then... 

Your gas average is about the same as ours here just north of Houston. Comments: If available need preview button on the comment section. With the small window to type in it is hard to see how the comments looks. Like the colors you are using.

Huzzah for Frank

This is my first time on a BLOG! Hello, everybody. I'm here in Springfield, OR, on a sunny, cloudless day. Hello!;)

Hey FF, Thought I'd post an Editorial about those Poor Struggling Oil Companies!

The recent “Energy Bill” that was passed here in the States, doesn’t actually do anything to help America’s energy crisis. Why would anyone think that it might especially if W has his selfish greasy paws involved in it? At its essence, this provision is a $1.5 billion giveaway to the oil industry, Halliburton, and Sugar Land, Texas.

The1.5 billion provision, benefiting oil and gas companies & Halliburton, and Sugar Land, Texas, was mysteriously inserted in the text. (Heavens to Betsy wonder how that got slipped in there? Because maybe a Dick in the House has connections?) The provision was inserted into the energy legislation after the conference was closed, ( reminiscent of the UN-Patriot Act) so members of the conference committee had no opportunity to consider or reject this measure. Before the final energy legislation is brought to the House floor, this provision should be deleted.

The conferees were told that they would have the opportunity to consider and vote on the provisions in the conference report. But the subtitle was not included in the base text circulated to conferees, and it was never offered as an amendment. (Still this this Administration is benevolent & only has the best interest of the American people in mind? They do if those Americans are owners of Multinational Oil Corporations!)

On the merits, the subtitle is an indefensible giveaway to one of the most profitable industries in America. The provision establishes a $1.5 billion fund, up to $550 million of which would be dedicated direct spending, which is not subject to the normal congressional appropriations process. Although the name of the subtitle refers to "ultra-deepwater and unconventional natural gas," it appears that the $1.5 billion fund created by the subtitle can in fact be used for many oil and gas projects. According to the language of the subtitl

Pt2

is an indefensible giveaway to one of the most profitable industries in America. The provision establishes a $1.5 billion fund, up to $550 million of which would be dedicated direct spending, which is not subject to the normal congressional appropriations process. Although the name of the subtitle refers to "ultra-deepwater and unconventional natural gas," it appears that the $1.5 billion fund created by the subtitle can in fact be used for many oil and gas projects. According to the language of the subtitle, oil and gas companies can apply for funds for a wide variety of activities, including activities involving "innovative exploration and production techniques" or "enhanced recovery techniques." While oil and gas companies could be required to contribute to the costs of their projects, the subtitle expressly provides that the Department has discretion to reduce or eliminate any such contribution. (Corporate welfare is Alive & well when America is being asphyxiated by the Spend thrift Bushs!)

The subtitle appears to steer the administration of 75% of the $1.5 billion fund to a private consortium located in the district of Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Ordinarily, a large fund like this would be administered directly by the government. The subtitle, however, directs the Department to "contract with a corporation that is constructed as a consortium." The leading contender for this contract appears to be the Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA) consortium, housed in the Texas Energy Center in Sugar Land, Texas. Halliburton is a member of RPSEA and sits on the board, as does Marathon Oil Company. The subtitle provides that the consortium can keep up to 10% of the funds - in this case, over $100 million - in administrative expenses. Can you imagine any business more worthy of helping out, more than those poor struggling oil companies? Personally I don’t see how the Oil companies keep from going bankrupt? Do you? Thankfully W

Friday, September 9th 2005 @ 1:33 AM

Pt.3

Thankfully W cares enough about struggling American businesses to give them a hand!)

The subtitle further provides that members of the consortium, such as Halliburton and Marathon Oil, can receive awards from the over $1 billion fund administered by the consortium.
In short, the subtitle provides that taxpayers will hire a private consortium controlled by the oil and gas industry to hand out over $1 billion to oil and gas companies. There is no conceivable rationale for this extraordinary largess. The oil and gas industry is reporting record income and profits. According to one analyst, the net income of the top oil companies will total $230 billion in 2005. If Congress has an extra $1.5 billion to give away, the money should be used to help families struggling to pay for soaring gasoline prices - not to further enrich oil and gas companies that are rolling in profits. (This is where the priorities of the current administration are. They care nothing about the poor or middle class. Their priorities are concerned with nothing but lining the pockets of those who pulled strings to put them in power & making the wealthy more wealthy! Aren’t you glad to know that those poor struggling oil companies can stay in business for another day?)

The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power.
Franklin D. Roosevelt