Consumer Advocates: Are you being served?

So on a day New York is suing Dell, Inc. over "deceptive" policies, another article appears about consumer advocates trying to petition Congress to help reduce gas prices on consumers. Ok, no big deal right, they are advocating for us. Wrong! Here are their solutions.

• More federal government oversight over oil industry market practices,
• Create strategic refinery and product reserves
• Enact policies that promote reduced oil consumption

Are you being served by these methods? Maybe number 2, but oh wait, Congress and the federal government are behind the refinery and oil production issues. Let's see, the EPA won't allow any new refineries to be built and Congress (i.e. Democrats getting money from left-wing environmental extremists) don't want increased oil drilling in ANWR or the Gulf. So why would number 1 be a good strategy again? Why would oversight be so great? Truth is, it would just empower government to wreck even more havoc. That ain't good for you and me, no sirree. Enacting polices that promote reduced oil consumption? Umm...are these people supposed to be CONSUMER advocates or left-wing nutjobs' advocates? Polices don't do crap! Oil consumption is NOT the problem. (Man, it is hard to shout in a blog.) Oil is high because Democrats and their nutjob backers want us to keep paying foreigners for oil. (You know, this is one area where Democrats don't want America to be self-sufficient and reduce outsourcing. Could it be they want terrorists to have money?)

So, if I was a consumer advocate, what would I argue for? How would I differ from these jackholes using deceptive lobbying techniques? Here are my plans.

• Eliminate the federal gasoline tax (currently 17 cents I believe) and pressure state governments to follow suit.
• Reduce the power of the EPA and allow new refineries to be built without the outrageous costs the EPA tacks on.
• Eliminate the mandate that gasoline have different mixture levels depending on the season.
• Allow drilling in the ANWR and the Gulf.
• More for the states, but eliminate all price controls such as minimum mark-up and price-gouging.
• Stop listening to idiots who don't understand economics.

Each of these steps would reduce the price of gasoline, some quicker than others. It is time Americans start asking people where they are getting their money when they advocate enviro-extremists' positions. Just as people distrusted cigarette research funded by tobacco companies, so too should we distrust environmental policies funded by extremists on the left-wing. Time to be consistent. And yes, I did contact my Congressman using most of the same arguments used in this post (mind you, with the noted exceptions of the state-based recommendations).

"Reduce gas prices! Reduce the Federal Government!"


Ok, so this is more of a P.S. than anything. But Yahoo! needs to stop quoting random "experts" and "ordinary" people. There is one lady quoted about being shocked with her bill after filling up for $4.09 PREMIUM gasoline. Well, duh moron, try using regular! Wow, what a shocker. And, instead of quoting psychologists, quote some bloody economists who actually understand the root causes of gasoline prices. It ain't that hard to find some. Anyone arguing against price controls, whoa, that is one they could interview. That is just "deceptive" reporting. Dang you, New York Attorney General, get your butt in here and start suing these bastards for deceiving the public.