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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mr. Whist who wrote (39716)	9/25/2000 11:40:10 PM
From: greenspirit	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

Article...Gore Has the High Energy Prices He Wanted... cnsnews.com Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2000 Vice President Al Gore wanted higher oil prices, and now he has them – and that's why we need a new president, says House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. Hastert spokesman John Feehery told CNSNews.com a new administration would bring a "commonsense energy policy as opposed to the wacky energy policy proposed by the vice president." The comments followed Gore's appearance on NBC's "Today" show Monday, where Gore rebuked Congress for not implementing key provisions of the Clinton administration's energy recommendations. Be Careful What You Wish For Said Feehery: "In 'Earth in the Balance' Gore said, 'Higher energy prices lead to conservation.' We are seeing the Al Gore vision being realized right now. "He wanted higher prices, and he's got them. That's the reason why we need a new president." On Friday, President Clinton – at the vice president's strong urging – directed the Energy Department to release 30 million barrels of oil from America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said, "We are taking this step to reduce the risk of heating oil shortages this winter." But others, including Texas Gov. and Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush, said dipping into the nation's oil reserve could create a strategic risk for the United States. Bush and other Republicans suspect politics was behind the decision to open up the oil reserve, just six weeks before Election Day. Libertarians: Problem Is Big Government, Not Big Oil The Libertarian Party also criticized the decision to tap into emergency oil reserves. Libertarian Party national director Steve Dasbach said in a statement: "The problem is not big oil, it's big government and big taxes. "Americans need relief from greedy politicians, not greedy oil companies." Dasbach said, "Much of the recent surge in gas prices could be erased instantly if politicians simply agreed to suspend the 43 different taxes imposed on the production and distribution of gasoline." He noted that between 1990 and 1999, state and federal gasoline taxes jumped from 27 cents to 42 cents a gallon. According to Dasbach, "If a gas moratorium were put into place, the price of a gallon of gas would immediately plummet by 54.2 cents in Hawaii, 53.7 cents in Connecticut, 51.4 cents in Nevada, 50.4 cents in California, and so on. Consumers would save a whopping $67 billion in one year." Government Greed "With gas and heating oil prices going through the roof, how can politicians justify continuing such scandalous taxes?" Dasbach asked. In an NBC interview Monday morning, Gore claimed that during the Clinton administration, "We have had some of the lowest real (oil) prices ever." He blamed the apparent lack of a successful energy policy on Congress. Specifically, Gore blamed Congress for rejecting the administration's recommendations on renewable energy, conservation, and efficiency. "One of the reasons why I'm taking this issue front and center is an effort to get a mandate, to get the next Congress to move toward more energy independence," Gore said. Gore was asked why the administration didn't tap the strategic reserve 10 months ago, when high oil prices caused the outcry, especially in the Northeast. "The situation was very different then," he said. "Since last February, we have had 10 months of promises from OPEC to raise production and bring the price down and stabilize it at a lower level, and they have not been able to follow through with what they pledged," Gore said.