Big Papa Pump
I had this friend who was wild about wrestling, and his favorite character was a guy named "Big Papa Pump." He talked about this guy nonstop. He idolized him. Big Papa Pump was my friend's favorite celebrity. At the time, I didn't know who Big Papa Pump was, and I didn't really give a shit. So, why does this matter now?
This gas pump thing is out of control. We are paying nearly $3.00 in Cleveland. My friends in California and Hawaii are over $3.00.
GEORGE W. BUSH IS THE MODERN DAY BIG PAPA (GAS) PUMP.
This gas pump thing is out of control. We are paying nearly $3.00 in Cleveland. My friends in California and Hawaii are over $3.00.
ExxonMobil is reporting a 7% earnings increase over last year for the first quarter. As far as I'm concerned, they should shove that money up their asses and help out Americans who are giving up other lifetime necessities (food, for instance) to buy gas. By the way, that earnings increase was weaker than expected.
According to www.gasbuddy.com, the average American paid just a little more than $1.45 in June 2003. Now, prices are on the rise again, with predictions we will all be higher than $3.00 come Memorial Day weekend.
Enter Congress. Senators are thinking about giving every American a $100 gas "gift certificate". I'd rather have a gift certificate to Applebee's (which is my least favorite restaurant on the planet). They also have decided to investigate some of the major oil companies for price gouging. It's about time, and it only figures that it is being done in a mid-term election year. The Republicans are trying to save face, and I, for one, hope it is too little too late.
George W. Bush and his cronies made a lot of money from the rich oil industry, and now -- much to many people's delight -- it is coming back to bite this lame duck President in the ass. President Bush, himself, was an oilman down in Texas (who nearly went bankrupt). We all know about V.P. Cheney and his role at Halliburton, the world's largest oil field services company. Don Evans, the former commerce secretary, was CEO and Chairman of a relatively lackluster oil company called Tom Brown Inc. with interests in the inner Western states of the US. Evans was also a Board member of Sharp Drilling, an oil industry contractor. Hell, at one point Chevron even named one of its tankers for Condoleeza Rice (it since changed the name). Rice used to serve on Chevron's board, and is reportedly still deeply involved with the industry because of the United States' relationship with Nigeria, and its control of oil. Need I go any further? It just keeps getting deeper and deeper.
So, at the end of the day, let's all thank Big Papa Pump and his Washington buddies. Filler' up!
