Please Make Some Sense...

...or at least try to be consistent

A few years ago, Bush had a great idea. Lower our taxes, and kick it off with a $300 check for most tax-paying individuals.

The percentage of our population that saw the logic in this were very happy about it and we reaped a lot of rewards as a result of lowering taxes. And being laid off at the time, that $300 sure helped me.

Another percentage of our population threw a fit, and mischaracterized the effort. Tax cuts for the rich, some people won't get a check.... notice the focus on "who didn't get a check" regardless of the fact that "they didn't work."

We also had Hollywood telling us how selfish we were - we needed this money for social programs - the list went on and on.

But today we have a robust economy to show for it. Good idea, good timing.


Now, we have a very very bad idea on our hands. Unlike what we saw with Bush's efforts which was backed up by substance i.e. a tax cut, we're looking at a one-off. And:

• $100 doesn't do squat, it's petty cash that will be gone in three days
• Is this backed up by an oil refinery being built?
• Is this backed up by drilling - anywhere domestic?
• Is this backed up by anything?

No.

All it will do is hemorrage cash through administration and redistribute tax dollars. It will not buy any brownie points, it will not be an effective popularity stunt, in fact, people will forget it in a blink of an eye. Or the next time the price floor goes up, and it will.

And what would an oil refinery cost?? Would an oil refinery cost roughly $100 for every taxpaying citizen?

I am sure we have a huge percentage of our population - the ones who don't understand supply and demand - who are tapping their fingertips together thinking they're sticking it to the man. But all it is, is the government "making reparations" on behalf of the "big bad oil companies who compensate their execs with a 400 million retirement package".

The big issue I have with this???

Why don't people bat an eye at having +% of their earnings confiscated by the government, yet flip their lid at the increase in the cost of gas.

With the 40-hour work week a thing of the past, and being expected to be available and/or monitoring emails via crackberry while you're on vacation in the Caymans with your love of your life and/or your family...

... I would say that the effort we expend on trying to earn a buck nowadays to stay ahead of the tax curve should be the focus of what hacks us off.

Our earnings are being siphoned and many of us have forgotten that.

Put my $100 toward increasing supply or diversifying our energy portfolio. If you want to spend the money, please do something productive with it.