Oil's Corrupting Influence

Just when the American people think they have heard it all about oil company corruption, a new report just released by the Inspector General of the Interior Department documents a "culture of ethical failure" in the office of the Mineral Management Service, the federal agency in charge of offshore drilling.

 

Government officials handling billions of dollars in oil royalties partied, had sex with and accepted golf and ski outings from employees of energy companies they were dealing with.  Chevron, Shell, Hess Corp, and Gary-Williams Energy Corp., were all named according to the report.  Secretary of the Interior Dick Kempthorne promised swift action to restore the public trust, and said he was outraged by the immoral behavior, illegal activities and appalling misconduct.

 

None of this would have happened if the energy companies involved would not have offered this illegal and unethical activity to the government employees.  Mr. Kempthorne should have equally harsh words for the oil companies also.  Energy companies who do this are worse than the people who accept their favors and should be branded as such.  There can be no corruption without those who corrupt.

 

Elected officials need to completely cut contact with representatives of the oil companies and treat them like they do the average taxpayer.  Those who corrupt care nothing about the people, only greed and unethical behavior.  Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-WV) of the House Natural Resources plans to hold congressional hearings on the report.

 

Once again this is just another example (too many to number) of a given agency operating without any checks and balances or oversight that is so familiar to the Bush ideology of non regulation.  Secretary Kempthorne followed that script for his department.

 

The minerals management services royalty in kind program handles billions of dollars and the program was supposed to take a business model approach but officials donned a private-sector approach to everything they did, often flounting government ethics rules the report also said.

 

Oil companies, the same guys who are putting pressure on Congress to open up offshore drilling while at the same time refusing to drill on millions of acres they own or lease in the United States.  Congress should tell them to go take a hike.

New Energy Legislation vs. Greed

The House of Representatives in Congress recently passed energy legislation that would provide for a 40% increase in fuel efficiency for new cars and light trucks by 2020 for a fleet wide average of 35 mpg.  It will be up to the Senate now to reconcile any differences they may have before it can be sent to Mr. Bush for his signature.

 

It has been reported that Republican Rep. Joe Barton said that if the bill clears Congress, he would recommend that Bush veto it.  Some Republicans have complained that the bill does not do enough to increase domestic production of oil.  Can you imagine that?  With $90 barrel oil, $3 gas, our import of oil up over 36% since the Arab embargo of 1975, and now we import over 60% of America consumption and some Republicans say that. 

 

Their problem is they want more corporate welfare for big oil.  There is enough reasons for big oil out there to increase production right now.  Big oil is so connected with foreign producers, they invest money overseas that could be used in the United States.  In a nut shell, it is called GREED.  The United States is going through the most sustained period of price increases in oil and gas and all because of the war in Iraq and speculation.  And who are the speculators and the ones who benefit from this speculation?  Yea, you guessed right.  And now they are working on the latest speculation----war in Iran.

 

The bottom line is that the oil and gas industry does not need any more corporate welfare deals to increase production or drill new wells when we are importing 60% of our needs.  Greed runs in their blood.