Political Quotes

“oil companies recently announced record profits. Those of us who drive cars and trucks could feel our wallets shrink at the news. Throughout most of this year, American drivers have paid the highest gas prices of all time--more so in the wake of refinery disruptions caused by Hurricane Katrina. While petroleum company shareholders enjoy healthy stock dividends, the rest of us hemorrhage the cash. Industry analysts explain it away as ``business is business.'' Sound familiar? In the 1970s, political conflicts compelled Middle East oil sheiks to tighten their reins on oil production, sending shockwaves throughout our economy and creating long lines at the gas pump. Congress responded with laws promoting energy conservation and fuel efficiency that we thought would reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Unfortunately, 30 years later, here we are again. The Middle East remains in turmoil, and the engines of America remain firmly fueled on foreign oil. Exacerbating the problem is that the economies of China and India--two nations totaling over 2 billion citizens--are quickly expanding, and they are competing with the U.S. for the same pool of oil. Quite simply, worldwide production capacity cannot keep pace. And that means U.S. gas prices likely will remain high for the foreseeable future. More so than at any other time in a generation, our economy is exposed. In the year 2035, will the American market be shackled still to foreign oil?…”