FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
How long have we been listening to the politicians talk about our need to reduce our dependence on Middle East oil?
Well, the House actually passed an energy bill last week that would mandate the first major increase in fuel economy standards in more than 30 years. It would require automakers to raise their "corporate average fuel economy" or CAFE standard by 40 percent to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. That bill is now pending in the Senate.
Supporters say it would save the U.S. 1.1 million barrels of oil a day... that's about half the oil that we import from the Persian Gulf region.
Enter the lobbyists for big oil and car companies. They are working overtime to kill the bill. The White House is threatening to veto it. The New York Times says President Bush is echoing a position taken by the auto manufacturers and a coalition of industry groups including the oil companies. They say they're concerned about who would regulate the new 35 mile per gallon standard.
How hollow does that sound? The government can create massive, ineffective bureaucracies at the drop of a hat…ever heard of the Department of Homeland Security? But they're threatening to veto the first meaningful energy bill in 30 years because they don't know who will enforce the standards?
Our dependence on Middle East oil is at the heart of so many of our current problems. But, like everything else, the big corporations have a stranglehold on the federal government
Here’s my question to you:How much influence should corporations have over energy legislation?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Ken writes:
Corporations should have zero influence. Nothing in Washington will change until we use tax dollars to finance election campaigns. It sound expensive at first, but it will save us billions in corporate welfare to the energy, pharmaceutical and insurance industries alone.
Pete from Ohio writes:
The bill in question is useless. 35mpg by 2020 is laughable. That should be a 5 year goal, at minimum. Corporations should be leading the way in energy research. If there is any legislation at all, it should be significant tax incentives to any company or individual who is devoting time and money to finding clean, renewable sources of fuel and energy. The free market will find a solution much quicker than lethargic, ineffectual bills such as the one in question.
Dawn from Kansas writes:
Energy companies should have SOME influence. They are authorities in the field, after all. But there must be sturdy boundaries between policy and profit.
James Leon from Kansas:
Corporations should have almost no influence over our government period. Most of our problems in America and our government were caused by large corporations lobbying our elected officials and putting them in the pockets of these corporations, instead of working for the people who elected them.
Bob writes:
How much influence should the foxes have over the henhouse policies?