"Congress to eliminate the billions in taxpayer dollars we currently give to oil companies"

[Sheepshank]

Anyone notice Biden clapping and smiling, the Chamber applauding. But Boehner, scowling and keeping his hands firmly in his lap...or where evern he puts them for comfort when he doesn't like what he's hearing.

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Yep - I sure did

The only thing that would have made ME cheer happier is if Obama had point blank come out and stated that the Oil/Gas companies haven't paid a thin red cent to the US government in over 10 years. . . . while they experienced record profits.

[Skink]

2. Is this the Bizarro congress that is going to do this?

[Ozymanithrax]

3. I agree with the idea...but the Congress won't do it.

Perhaps that will be part of teh 2012 campaign.

[Dr Fate]

9. In his last SOTU, he promised that he would not extend tax cuts to the wealthy.

So you are right to make a distiction between what is being said now and what will actually happen.

If Obama and his see-no-evil supporters can find an excuse or excuses to cave on this, I believe he will. I look to his coddling of BP after the disaster they caused. I doubt very serioulsy that he will ever punish big oil.

I look forward to being proven wrong, so any one who wants to has my permission to book mark my post and throw it in my face as soon as big oil loses their tax breaks.

[Kdillard]

4. If this happens which I doubt I can imagine what will happen to gas prices.

[golfguru]

7. Stop worrying, if that happens you will be taking public transport

since you will not be able to afford to drive a car much.
But I support punishing the oil companies and subsidizing the green
energy companies. To hell with the gasoline business...they are the
main cause of global warming.

[FormerDittoHead]

8. It's going to regardless... It's not if it's when...

As the world's population increases, and the sources for oil decline, the price will go up.

I personally think having cheap gas has been a great detriment because the low price, which assumes that quantities will never go down, has stifled investment in alternatives.

(having a short-sighted business culture, along with the control they enjoy over gov't hasn't helped either)

It has always frustrated me, when discussing alternative energy like hydrogen, that the argument is *always* that it's not cost effective. But being "cost effective" *means* to compare it to the cost of (cheap) oil and so little has gotten done.

Let oil go up, let gas get to $10 a gallon and you'll see a SHITLOAD of innovation and adoption of alternative energies...

[patrice]

5. K&R for us to take ownership for our own part in what happens with this. nt

[saras]

6. Once the money is given to the oil companies, it is 'eliminated' from Congress's jurisdiction

I don't think there is any other plan for the money.

[GeorgeGist]

10. And the Lions will win the 2011 Superbowl.