Okay I get it, it costs BIG money to produce crude oil, like early iron mining in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, everything was big, costly and, they were innovating as they went along. The iron mining industry has taken advantage of tax abatement's, but nothing compared to the oil industry. I can give you an example, several years ago, an iron mining company in Michigan got a dollar knocked off each ton of iron ore shipped to down-state Michigan for a period of 7 years, total tax savings, about $3 million dollars a year.
Now, petroleum companies in the United States, the so called big five, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Conoco Phillips, BP and Shell, with the help of the United States government, will continue to reap American tax money through loopholes created in part by the government elected to represent the very people that are taking another "tail-pipe" shot by the oil companies.
In early May, 2011, oil executives stood before a governmental panel and explained how, even though the companies that these men represented were reporting record profits, they needed the federal government to give them a break on taxes.
Cited was the fact that big oil needed these breaks, tax incentives and governmental assistance to drill for oil in the United States. Sounds kind of like sports teams trying to tap taxpayers funds for a new stadium for their exclusive use.
A big difference between big oil and professional sports teams is that sports venues go before public voters in the form of a referendum, while big oil goes directly to the source of public funds, the federal government. Although sports teams do have lobbyists as do their league affiliations, big oil companies have 4 or 5 times the number that sports teams do.
Oil companies, in the 1960's begin their public trough feeding and it has grown into today's sweetheart deals accounting for billions and billions of dollars each year. What you have is the poor customer not only paying at the pump, but you have him paying not only for development and drilling, but for transportation, refining and all sorts of other regulatory issues connected with the industry.
Total tax breaks for the oil companies over the next 10 years, around $77 billion, not a bad piece of change, if you can get it.....which they have done. The reasons cited by the 5 executives earlier in May:
A. Oil is getting harder to find
B. Oil Companies face global competition
C. The loss of tax breaks will drive up the price of oil
It is untrue that oil is getting harder to find, the same way that iron ore is not as hard to locate as in past years. The technology has dramatically changed, increasing the ability to discover new oil and natural gas reserves. As I said at the beginning of this Blog, "the industry is innovating as it goes along, it does not stand still, it devises new and almost revolutionary ways to do their business," and find and drilling for oil is just one of those revolutionary break through.
Oil companies have been in a global competition with foreign oil for years and like foreign oil, American companies make profits, big profits. The fact of the mater is that American oil companies are less tied to global markets because of increased U.S. production and increased Canadian tar sand production that is flooding the American market. There is no surprise with regards to the Canadian influx of this type of oil as all of the big 5 have made major investments in the tar sand project.
Without tax breaks or incentives, the price at the pumps would probably raise, but it could be a hell-of-alot easier to control through government intervention then foreign oil. A tax increase could off-set any increase at the pumps.
It's time for the petroleum American companies to stop holding customers hostages at the gas pumps through both tax breaks and the price per gallon. Our elected officials need a gut check, and to get their collective heads out of their tail-pipes.
I WANT TO BE A LIFEGUARD, (Breitbart.com)
There are several reasons why I would like to become a lifeguard at the beaches of California and although I had a lifeguard certificate at one time, about a hundred years ago, my reasoning today would not be the same as those many years ago.
Today the beaches of Newport Beach, California are kind of a gold mine for the watchers of the beach cuties that grace the beaches with their frolicking volley ball games, sun bathing and occasional dip into the ocean spray. These young studs with the sculpted bodies, tanned to a golden hue with a fluff of sun bleached hair, "God I heat these guys," are making big bucks watching for trouble on the beaches.
Seems as if the beaches are the home, "during the day," of young mothers with their children in tow, or those well endowed sun worshipers that most men would pay to watch. The Newport Beach lifeguards make on average close to a hundred grand a year for their jobs, (full time). The highest paid, in fact, a supervisor, makes closer to $200 thousand a year, "now that's nice work, if you can get it."
Once found out, there was of course a groundswell of anger during these cash strapped times from beach-goers and budget watchers as well. The 13 member full-time crew of lifeguards have kind of been blindsided by the reaction, having enjoyed the prestige of their jobs in an ocean-centric town that relies on summer tourism for a major portion of their income.
The lifeguards feel offended at their pretrial as suntanned slackers lounging in beach towers as the surf rolls in. they say that there is a "hell-of-alot
The Newport Beach lifeguards are considered public safety employees under the fire department, the same as fire captains and battalion chiefs. A full-time lifeguard trains more then 200 seasonal lifeguards, run a junior lifeguard program that brings in more then a million dollars a year. Full-time guards work their way into management positions, must stay certified as instructors in an array of advanced emergency, scuba and rescue techniques.
Base salary for Newport Beach lifeguards range from $58,000 to $108,492 for the top paid battalion chief. With a benefit package, special compensation and overtime, 2 chiefs made more then $200,000, while the lowest paid "officer" cleared more then $98,000. In addition to the gaudy pay amounts, each and every lifeguard receives an additional $400 for suntan or sunscreen as well as extra pay for night duty.
As an old Y.M.C.A. program director, I never knew that lifeguarding could make three times the amount of money that I was making. Am I jealous, you bet, am I envious, or course, do I want one of their jobs, you betcha, could I save a floundering swimmer, of course not, but I sure could tan to a golden brown and get a sore neck from watching the beach babes.
MY SEESTERS BIRTHDAY, (Frazer Chronicles)
On a purely personal note, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce my sister to the world of Blog. Jane, "not her real name" reads my Blog on a semi-regular basis and usually has some caustic remarks to make, sometimes spelling, sometimes grammar, and sometimes the subject matter. I usually consider the source, chalking her comments up to pure ignorance, or the low source of the gen pool that she came from, "she is adopted."
Janie, "not her real name" has been married twice, has had numerous affairs, or as she likes to call them, "raw sexual encounters," all before her current weight gain. In the illustrious words of the Big & Tall stores, where she does the majority of her shopping, "she has ballooned out nicely."
I have promised, (in the past) not to divulge either her actual age, 61, or her date of birth, 5-20-51, but that was then and this is now. I really don't know why Janie, "not her real name" is so concerned with trying to hide her age, most people figure she's closer to 70 then 60, so now that they know her real age, they can start planning for a funeral in the not to distant future.
Janie, "not her real name" was an operator for Detroit Edison, a power company in Michigan, until they no longer needed her services, old age can be a bitch. The company put the old babe "out to pasture" before her 60th. birthday, kinda like they would an old horse, luckily they didn't drop her at the glue factory.
Jane's "not her real name" new husband, Dennis McLean Esquire has been entrusted by her loving family to attempt to rehabilitate "our" baby sister from her many flawed habits that she has picked up during her life. From drugs, to alcohol, to food, to a sordid lifestyle, Dennis has his work cut out. I do hope that the money that my two sisters and I are paying Denny keeps him "on the job."
I could go on with this dissertation for hours, there's so much material, so many instances, so much additional ammo, but I have to digress, I believe that I can speak for my two sisters when I say, "possibly the worst mistake our parents made was to seek adoption of the little baby left on the butcher's doorstep," that little baby, bundled in a tatter blanket, we now call our sister."
Kidding all aside, Jane, "her real name" we all love you and rejoice in your birthday, reminding you to have a safe, but happy time while you celebrate (your day). I love you, your big brother, who is allowed to write like this, it simply shows my love for you.
MY SEESTERS BIRTHDAY, (Frazer Chronicles)
On a purely personal note, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce my sister to the world of Blog. Jane, "not her real name" reads my Blog on a semi-regular basis and usually has some caustic remarks to make, sometimes spelling, sometimes grammar, and sometimes the subject matter. I usually consider the source, chalking her comments up to pure ignorance, or the low source of the gen pool that she came from, "she is adopted."
Janie, "not her real name" has been married twice, has had numerous affairs, or as she likes to call them, "raw sexual encounters," all before her current weight gain. In the illustrious words of the Big & Tall stores, where she does the majority of her shopping, "she has ballooned out nicely."
I have promised, (in the past) not to divulge either her actual age, 61, or her date of birth, 5-20-51, but that was then and this is now. I really don't know why Janie, "not her real name" is so concerned with trying to hide her age, most people figure she's closer to 70 then 60, so now that they know her real age, they can start planning for a funeral in the not to distant future.
Janie, "not her real name" was an operator for Detroit Edison, a power company in Michigan, until they no longer needed her services, old age can be a bitch. The company put the old babe "out to pasture" before her 60th. birthday, kinda like they would an old horse, luckily they didn't drop her at the glue factory.
Jane's "not her real name" new husband, Dennis McLean Esquire has been entrusted by her loving family to attempt to rehabilitate "our" baby sister from her many flawed habits that she has picked up during her life. From drugs, to alcohol, to food, to a sordid lifestyle, Dennis has his work cut out. I do hope that the money that my two sisters and I are paying Denny keeps him "on the job."
I could go on with this dissertation for hours, there's so much material, so many instances, so much additional ammo, but I have to digress, I believe that I can speak for my two sisters when I say, "possibly the worst mistake our parents made was to seek adoption of the little baby left on the butcher's doorstep," that little baby, bundled in a tatter blanket, we now call our sister."
Kidding all aside, Jane, "her real name" we all love you and rejoice in your birthday, reminding you to have a safe, but happy time while you celebrate (your day). I love you, your big brother, who is allowed to write like this, it simply shows my love for you.
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