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The united states would have total energy independance if we stopped exporting any of our oil and refined it here for our own use. Blame the oil companies for pumping US oil out of the ground and then exporting it to Japan and China where they get more per barrel.
Lol! You have no idea how that works, do you?
Foreign oil companies, like BP, pump oil out of the ground in the US. I can see it now....
"Shareholders, would you be willing to take a hit on your investments so those nice Americans can have cheaper gas? Surely, you won't mind making less money. What say you?"
Are you saying we disavow capitalism and nationalize our oil industry?
No. I'm saying that the conservative right keep saying there is an energy shortage in America and it's all Obama's fault. There is enough oil being pumped in the Continental US and Canada to supply all our energy needs. the problem is the oil companies exporting it.
If oil companies are going to export a large quantity of US oil production then they can't complain that Obama is responsible for the energy shortage.
Lol! You have no idea how that works, do you?
Foreign oil companies, like BP, pump oil out of the ground in the US. I can see it now....
"Shareholders, would you be willing to take a hit on your investments so those nice Americans can have cheaper gas? Surely, you won't mind making less money. What say you?"
Then don't blame it on Obama! Put the blame where it belongs on the oil companies who are getting top dollar from asian countries to feed their stockholders. Energy is not a political issue no matter how much the right want to make it so. It's a corporate P&L issue.
Then don't blame it on Obama! Put the blame where it belongs on the oil companies who are getting top dollar from asian countries to feed their stockholders. Energy is not a political issue no matter how much the right want to make it so. It's a corporate P&L issue.
Every thread on energy production ever posted in this forum blames Obama for the importation of oil from our enemies like Venezuela, and the ME. Sara Palin blames the Administration so does every right winger.
We are definitely making progress towards energy independence. That doesn't mean we have to throw all regulation out the window, as we can (and have) found a way to balance and get success - at all time high levels. Domestic energy production definitely isn't a fix all, but it's helpful.
Where did she say 'throw all regulation out the window?' I missed it; was it one of those subliminal, coded messages?
And here is why? Governor Frank Murkowski appointed her to a plum position as the ethics chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC). Once a year all political appointees in Alaska are required to sign a conflict of interest statement. Part of the statement requires commissioners to report any violation by their colleagues. Sarah felt she had no choice but to tell the truth about Randy Reudrich, the chair of the Alaska GOP and a fellow member of the AOGCC who was committing abuses. Ruedrich was refusing to complete and file disclosure reports that would have detailed his personal dealings with energy-related companies. When Ruedrich ignored her complaints, she went to the state attorney-general, Gregg Renkes. When Renkes ignored her (and threatened her with prosecution if she became a public whistle-blower), she went to the GOP governor who'd appointed her, Frank Murkowski. Murkowski knew about what Reurdrich was up to. When Murkowski ignored her too, she resigned. She then wrote a op-ed for the state's largest newspaper which directed public attention to the scandal. She was helped along by criminal investigations that have ended up with indictments and convictions of many public officials. Renkes was forced to resign as attorney-general. Reudrich ended up agreeing to pay a substantial fine for his ethics violations - not just the noncompliance with the disclosure forms, but substantive violations based on too-close ties with and favors from VECO, the drilling contractor that was center of most of the Alaskan ethics scandals, and he had to quit the Commission. Palin was attacked by both parties for doing what she did exposing the racket the good-ole boys had going on. In 2005, she continued to take on the Republican establishment by joining Eric Croft, a Democrat, in lodging an ethics complaint against Renkes, who was not only attorney general but also a long-time adviser and campaign manager for Murkowski. The governor reprimanded Renkes and said the case was closed. It wasn't. Renkes resigned a few weeks later, and Palin was again hailed as a hero by the GOP and she went on to defeat Murkowski knocking him out of the governors race and then democrat incumbent Tony Knowles.
Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Accomplishments 2003 – 2004
About the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC)
Mission: “To protect the public interest in exploration and development of oil and gas resources, ensuring conservation practices, and increasing ultimate recovery, while protecting health, safety, the environment, and property rights” (AOGCC, n.d., ¶1).
“AOGCC functions include maximizing oil and gas recovery, minimizing waste, approving oil pool development rules, and maintaining state production records”
“The commission also lends a hand in protecting the environment from contamination during drilling and also ensures environmental compliance in production, metering, and well abandonment activities, so federal agencies like the EPA as well as private interests and environmental groups have key interests in the commission’s activities”.
Summary of Sarah Palin’s Accomplishments as Committee Chair
In her position as Chairman of the AOGCC, Sarah Palin worked diligently to correct a conflict of interest that existed with Randy Reudrich, the Commission’s Petroleum Engineer. Reudrich was the State Republican Party Chairman, and was a member of the Republican National Committee. Reudrich simultaneously was a general manager Doyon Drilling and the key fund-raiser for the GOP. He solicited party dollars from the oil and gas companies the Commission was supposed to be regulating.
Ethics Issues with Randy Reudrich
Reudrich used the AOGCC office to run the GOP
Reudrich’s employer, Doyon “pled guilty to federal felony charges for environmental crimes on the North Slope”. Reudrich testified in July 1995 before a US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which was chaired by then Senator Frank Murkowski that disposing drilling waste back down wells improved environmental safety. Doyon; however, was adding hazardous waste to the drilling spoils to save money. BP was also involved with this. Doyon paid a $1 million fine, and BP $500,000.
Reudrich adjudicated two cases closely involved with his old illegal dumping case.
Reudrich shared confidential information with a coal bed methane company the Commission was supposed to be regulating.
Actions Taken:
Chairman Palin spoke with Reudrich personally on a number of occasions.
Chairman Palin pursued Reudrich’s conflict of interest issue within the Commission’s chain of command.
Sarah Palin resigned so that she could speak publicly about the issue. In her Chair position, Gov. Palin was legally bound to silence on the matter. The gag-order persisted for several months post-resignation.
Personal Consequences Suffered
Gov. Palin by her actions angered both the GOP (“talking ill of a fellow Republican” and “jumping on board with the Democrats”) and the Democrats (who accused her of “covering up for the GOP”).
Sacrificed a high-paying job that she also loved.
Results Achieved:
Reudrich the subject of a 16-page ethics complaint, “agreed to pay the highest civil fine in Alaska history.”
Sarah Palin earned the respect of lawmakers from both parties, as they got to know and respect her, because she unearthed the truth.
Why exactly is she worthy of being in the news again right now?
Other than in this forum, her name has not come up in the news since she wrote a book on the war on Xmas in order to capitalize on the commercialism of Xmas. Oh yeah and she wrote a workout book to capitalize on working out. Before that, hadn't heard of her since she abruptly quit her job to make more money and live in AZ. She sure does not follow through on much does she?
I don't understand what the OP is saying. Do you want Palin to become the Secretary of Energy? Has she shown any evidence of wanting that position? If so, under whose administration?
Harrier doesn't know that anyone aspires to be the Secretary of Energy.
Without having researched the backgrounds and circumstances of appointment and confirmation for the individuals who have held that position, Harrier would imagine that somewhat qualified people obtained that job through being supportive of the candidates who were able to elevate them to a cabinet position by virtue of being elected.
In the case of Sarah Louise Palin, she would be highly qualified for the job.
Harrier wouldn't mind Governor Palin being "Sec En", but he would be happier if the Energy Department went away, along with the Department of Education, and the... the ... oops.
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