Ten years ago oil was selling for $10 a barrel, and you could buy a gallon of gasoline for about 89 cents. Today oil is selling for about $120 a barrel, and a gallon of gas costs over three dollars(over four in some markets) and with summer coming prices are going to go up even more. So the plan the democrats have put forth is to punish oil companies for "windfall" profits. A stupid plan from a stupid party. Unfortunately it's not an unpopular one. First of all let's look at the Democrats plan. What would constitute a "windfall" profit? Knowing their love of taxation it's probably any profit at all that would get them in trouble. Why stop at oil companies? If another industry is thriving an making a lot of money shouldn't the Democrats step in and cruch it? Shouldn't we be happy that American companies, that already pay huge amounts in taxes, and employ Americans are doing well. I guess not. To Democrats there is no greater sin than success, no greater heresey that someone shouldn't be dependent on the government for prosperity or failure.

But, since most people don't know all that much about economics, it is safe to beat up on the oil companies for political profit. For most Americans oil companies are just slightly more popular than al- qaida right now. But here's how it works. The oilcompanies don't set the prices on oil. OPEC does, and you can thank speculators on the commodities market that keep driving it up higher and higher. Supply and demand have something to say about it too. We use more oil than we used to and third world countries, that barely used any oil at all, are now conusmers. Low supply and high demand means there is going to be a high price.

Well, what about the price at the pump? What about it? Oil comanies have expenses or did we all think they just extract that oil for free?(oh, and point of disclosure. Before I'm accussed of being a shill for the oil companies, or on their payroll, I would like to point out that I do not work for an oil company, I don't know anyone that does, and I'm certainly not on their payroll) They have expenses. All those record profits just don't go into Swiss bank accounts. They have employees to pay, new equipment to buy,and research to conduct. All of that costs money. Remember that it is getting harder and harder to get to the oil we need. As much as most people hate oil companies where would we be if they all went out of business? Are we going to drill oil ourselves? Or ask the government to do it?

So, while no one likes high gas prices, it's time that we find solutions instead of scapegoats. We have oil offshore, but the Democrats won't let us drill. We have billions of barrels in ANWR, but the Democrats won't let us drill. We could go to nuclear energy to cut back on oil consumption, but the Democrats are against that. We could use our coal(we have enough coal to supply our energy needs for centuries)and make that into gasoline. We did it during World War Two, and South Africa gets their gaoline that way today, but the Democrats are against it.

It seems the only thing the Democrats are for is high gas prices, and blaming the oil companies. Maybe it's time we blamed congress for tying our hands on energy.