White House energy policies increase costs while killing jobs

[Spiraling Leopard]

http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-national/white-house-energy-policies-increase-costs-and-costing-jobs

With the threat of an energy crisis looming, analysts conclude that White House polices are raising costs, and jeopardizing jobs; said Katie Boyd on Speaker of the House John Boehner's blog.

Have any of the current administration policies not done the same?  The same can be said for most liberal administrations including that of President George W. Bush.  Bush also signed the Troubled Asset Relief Program, (TARP) when he went against his free-market instincts.


According to a CNN report this morning, “gas prices jumped four cents overnight, with the average American driver now paying more than $3.40 a gallon,” the highest average since October 2008.  The increase in gas prices underscores what economists have been warning for weeks: the United States is on the verge of a looming energy crisis that could stall the already-sluggish economic recovery and cost jobs:

Today, gasoline has reached over $3.80 per gallon.

Note prices by state updated daily.

    * The New York Times: “Rising Oil Prices Pose New Threat to U.S. Economy”:  “If the recent rise in oil prices sticks, it will most likely slow a growth rate that is already too sluggish to produce many jobs in this country.”

    * The Wall Street Journal: “Oil’s Rise Threatens Economic Growth”: “IEA chief economist Fatih Birol said in an interview that if the price of oil averages $100 a barrel this year, the U.S. would have to spend $385 billion on oil imports—nearly $80 billion more than it did last year. … Such a sharp increase in U.S. import costs would present a ‘serious problem for business and consumer confidence, which the U.S. economy desperately needs for sentiment to improve,’ Mr. Birol said.”

    * Los Angeles Times: “Rising fuel prices could cramp economic recovery”: “From the farm to the factory, businesses are facing higher costs to grow the nation’s food, ship goods and manufacture products at a time when they’re already cautious about hiring new employees or placing big orders. The added burden of sustained fuel price increases could slow the nation’s already sluggish economic growth, analysts said.”

With oil prices already topping $100 a barrel and gas prices continuing to rise, what is President Obama doing to forestall the looming crisis and protect American jobs? Nothing. In fact, President Obama’s energy policies are only contributing to the crisis by hampering domestic energy production - raising costs for families and small businesses, and putting jobs at risk.  Here’s what analysts are saying about the job-crushing impact of President Obama’s policies:

    * CEO Steve Forbes: The Obama Administration’s “Lack of Political Will to Drill for Oil and Gas Compromises Our National Security and Jeopardizes Economic Recovery.” “The Obama administration is repeating the mistakes of President Jimmy Carter’s failed energy policies, which marred his term and stigmatized the 1970s. They are leading us straight into another national energy disaster. Key members of the Obama administration believe this friction abroad underscores the need to move away from oil and gas entirely and shift to boutique forms of alternative energy. Their lack of political will to drill for oil and gas compromises our national security and jeopardizes economic recovery.” (Politico, 3/2/11)

    * The Cato Institute’s Richard W. Rahn: “The President is Demanding That Businesses Create More Jobs While at the Same Time Denying Them the Ability to Do So.” “The Obama administration has stopped the new oil-production process in the Gulf of Mexico, even in the face of a court order requiring it to issue permits. The administration, through executive orders, has denied oil and gas producers access to millions of acres where large deposits of oil and gas are known to exist. The administration also is holding up permits for many new power plants, pipelines and industrial plants, all of which are costing Americans jobs and driving businesses to other countries. It is not unnoticed that the president is demanding that businesses create more jobs while at the same time denying them the ability to do so because of his environmental, energy and regulatory policies.” (The Washington Times, 2/28/11)

    * The Hudson Institute’s Diana Furchtgott-Roth: President Obama’s Energy Tax Increases Would Raise Costs for Domestic Producers that “Employ American Workers and Produce Revenues for All Americans.” “Oil is close to $100 a barrel as the Middle East is imploding, and President Obama wants to raise taxes on domestic oil and gas producers. Such taxes would, if approved by Congress, make the country more dependent, not less, on imported oil. … If America is to reduce use of imported fuels, it needs to raise domestic production as well as to conserve. This increases our long-term energy security, rather than harming it. Every single additional barrel of oil produced in America is one barrel fewer that we need to import -- and as we produce more at home, we employ American workers and produce revenues for all Americans.” (The Washington Examiner, 2/24/11)

With 13.9 million Americans still unemployed and economists warning that our economy could take another hit, it is time for President Obama to abandon his job-crushing energy policies and work with Republicans to enact an all-of-the-above energy policy that supports domestic energy production, provides for more clean renewable and alternative fuels, and increases conservation.  It’s a plan that will lower energy costs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and help create new American jobs.