America Held Hostage 2011 .........

[global1]

by the oil companies. They have all the answers don't they?

Senator Stabenow asked them the following: "If you say by taking away the tax breaks we give you will raise the price at the pump - how much would we have to pay you to lower the price at the pump?"

The answer was just oilspeak doubletalk.

They know that they have us by the short hairs and they are sticking it to us.

I can't understand why they didn't come in and use a different tact. They should have said that they will voluntarily give up their tax breaks and that they will lower the price at the pump to a more reasonable level. This would get the heat off of them and still allow them to make record profits and it might also help them develop a better image with the American people.

They keep running commercials that show how great they are and how they are working on alternative energy solutions. We all know that if they do work out some alternative energy - they are going to gouge us on that too.

We're fighting a losing battle here.

Let's go back to dirt roads and horses.

[patricia92243]

1. "Asking" them to give up tax breaks doesn't make any sense. TELL them they are not getting any more

tax breaks, and if they raise the price of gas at the pumps, they will have to pay a higher rate of tax. The way it is being handles makes our leaders look like a bunch of fools.

[global1]

2. The Tax Breaks That They Do Have - Do They Run On Indefinitely Or......

are they subject to some sort of an expiration date?

I guess I'm questioning whether we should give any company/industry a tax break that runs indefinitely. Conditions which any tax break is granted are subject to change.

Maybe a tax break that made sense when it was provided to an industry made sense at the time - but conditions changed since then and don't warrant still providing to an industry.