Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Gas Rebates

So I came across this article talking about how Obama now wants to send out $1,000 rebates to American families to help soften the blow from the pressure we’ve felt at the pump. Where is he going to get that money? He’s going to take it from the oil companies, of course!

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/08/01/obama-calls-for-1000-rebates-to-offset-energy-costs/

But I thought he said he was going to raise taxes on the oil companies and use the money for alternative fuel exploration…? I guess we can add another lie to his long list of empty promises.

Exxon mobile already pays more money in taxes to our federal government than the entire bottom 50% of American tax payers (http://seekingalpha.com/article/88703-exxon-s-record-taxes-capital-and-exploration-spending-in-perspective).

Exxon’s profit margins were around 10%, which is right around the industry average, and oil company's margins are worse than firms in the chemicals industry, pharmaceuticals, and the beverages and tobacco industries (http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/04/does-exxon-mobill-have-windfall-profits/).

So Obama’s platform is going to be to punish corporations for earning profits? Should we expect to see Obama start to steal money from Microsoft, Google, Wal-mart, and Berkshire Hathaway and spread it out among the poor and middle class as well?