Grand Oil Politics

I have been thinking about Corporate Average Fuel Economy a lot lately, in fact, every time I put gas in my car. CAFE Standards that establish fuel economy per mpg was brought by the “Energy Policy conservation Act” of 1975 in response to the 1973-74 Arab oil embargo a real oil shortages and daily odd even gas rationing, and a strictly enforced 55 mph speed limit but not today. You can buy all the $4 per gallon of gas that you can pump. There are no lines, no rationing and a 70 mph speed limit, The most disturbing part of this is that congress could do something about this issue. Increase CAFE standards so that we can get more miles per gallon of gas. The problem is the people who we elect to represent us. John Cornyn & Ralph Hall voted against raising CAFE standards while accepting hundreds of thousands and in Cornyn’s case, over a million dollars in campaign “contribution.” They have the backs of big oil companies, not the backs of their constituents.

The Dallas Morning News reports that at the newly opened Green Spot Market and Fuels in East Dallas, Republican Sen. John Cornyn urged Congress to adopt a GOP plan for deep-sea exploration in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and in western shale areas. He pulled up in an aide's Chevy Trailblazer, which the aide said costs $72 to fill up. After arriving in this gas guzzler Cornyn said, “Why not use more of what God gave us right here in America, rather than buying it from abroad and enriching people who are not friendly to the United States?" Then why did you vote no to raising CAFE standards?

What has Ralph Hall said about the problem? “I’m not in Big Oil’s pocket but I am by their side.” Enough said Ralph.

By: Christina Johnstone