Oil Companies Granted Windfall Profits By Senate -- Republicans Hate The American Populace

[HCE SuiGeneris]

Republicans block taxes on oil companies

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g8pZNJhU9yup14pmAsKngt5uDksAD917A9181

By H. JOSEF HEBERT – 42 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans have blocked a Democratic plan to tax the windfall profits of the largest oil companies.

Democrats on Tuesday failed, 51-43, to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster of the energy package, and bring the bill up for consideration.

Democrats said the huge profits enjoyed by the largest U.S. oil companies should be reined with motorists paying more than $4 a gallon for gasoline and oil prices soaring well beyond $100 a barrel. But Republican critics said higher taxes on oil companies would increase — not lower — gasoline prices and reduce the incentive for domestic oil exploration and production.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

1. exactly what constitutes a windfall?

that term scares me...

sP

[Breeze54]

3. They made $36 BILLION in PROFITS!!!

:nuke:

[ProdigalJunkMail]

4. but how much of that is % and how much is volume?

the company i work for makes MUCH higher margins than the oil companies do...are we making windfall profits? they DO have the most utilized product on the planet...could it be that they are not gouging us and it is volume that is to blame for those numbers?

i am all for doing away with their $17billion in tax breaks...but windfall profits is an awfully vague term...

sP

[Blue Diadem]

7. and that's just in the first quarter

from the link:

The five largest U.S. oil companies earned $36 billion during the first three months of the year.

[spanone]

10. maybe a company that makes 'record' profits on the backs of struggling citizens?

[ProdigalJunkMail]

11. define profit and profit margin for me

and then tell me which one we should use to determine this windfall thing of which congress speaks...

sP

[Mudoria]

15. ** crickets **

[ProdigalJunkMail]

16. 'tis the case when trying to inject some logic

into this emotional discussion...

sP

[Breeze54]

2. Fuck the Rethugs!! Vote them OUT!!! (We MUST take back the Senate in Nov!!)

Yeah, the GOP LOVES them OIL Companies.... but their constituents?

Not so much!

:grr: :nuke:

Thank You Democrats, for trying!! Get a bigger baseball bat!!!

[whistle]

5. let the repukes filibuster this and they'll all be voted out in November

...or send it back for a vote over and over until the 60 votes are obtained

[Zodiak]

8. It just pains me to think of how many Americans will suffer greatly

waiting to vote the pukes out.

A society that lives paycheck to paycheck cannot afford these kinds of rapid gas price increases...it will cost jobs, it will destroy families, it will result in poor health from less nutrition and less access to health care. It will increase crime.

What these pukes are doing with this filibuster is eating the American people alive...if it continues much longer, the American people will start to "eat the rich There is a lot of seething anger out there.

[BrklynLib at work]

6. Hope the public is made aware of the fact that we will be taxed to compensate for this lost income.

And/or many services will be cut back, by Federal STate and Local govts who will not have the funds for them.

[OhioChick]

9. I hope that all repubs that are

bitching about gas prices hear this...

[Raster]

12. Once again the Texas-American Petroleum Mafia has their rethuglican minions in the Senate protect

their interests. Make no mistake, the 43 that voted against the Windfall Profits Tax received their marching orders straight from Dallas. It is long past time we consider nationalizing the petroleum industry. Petroleum is a finite, strategic resource and SHOULD NOT be left to the private sector.

[BlooInBloo]

13. How did McCain vote?

[undeterred]

14. I HATE REPUBLICANS.

What a greedy bunch of liars.