Are you better off now #1?
(bumped– great first-time post! Welcome, LeighAnneS! -btp)
Are you better off now than you were 2 years ago? How about 4 or 6 years ago? By all indications the economy is doing well, so you’ve gotten those big raises and no longer have to worry about layoffs, right?
Or maybe not. Today Exxon announced 36% increase in profits from last year. The oil companies have been making record profits since Bush and his “rubber stampers” took office. So if you own stock in an oil company, you are probably better off.
In 2005, the GOP and Randy “Rubber Stamp” Kuhl voted against a proposal to make it illegal during an energy crisis to sell crude oil, gasoline or petroleum at unconscionable levels.
In 2005, the GOP and Randy “Rubber Stamp” Kuhl also voted FOR legislation which includes an estimated $85 billion worth of subsidies and tax breaks for most forms of energy production.
See RubberStampCongress for more details.
The GOP and Randy “Rubberstamp Kuhl” blocked the increase of the mimimum wage. The average cost of gas in the Rochester area is $3.00 a gallon and all indications are that it will continue to rise. I wonder how long it will be before the cost of gas per gallon surpasses the mimimum wage?
The “good economy” benefits only the top 5% of the income scale. That’s about $164,000 per household. It benefits the truly wealthy much more those around the 5% margin. The average income in Rochester is around $44,000 per household. The average income in the Southern Tier is around $34,000 per household.
So are you better off now than you were 2, 4, 6 years ago? There’s a 95% chance that you aren’t. If you are among the 5% who make $164,000 or more and are only concerned with your own finances, by all means vote for Randy “Rubber Stamp” Kuhl. He’ll do his best to take care of you.
If you are among the 95%, like me, who are losing ground because of wage stagnation, layoffs, rising gas prices, rising health care costs, vote for Eric Massa. Then maybe you’ll be better off in 2, 4, and 6 years from now.
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I love the DCCC rubberstamp link.
And I wonder how much funding Kuhl gets from energy PACs? Where I come from, that’s called a “kick-back” and gets you fired if you’re caught.
Great post, LeighAnne. And welcome aboard!
Here are Mr. Kuhl’s campaign contributions: http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?CID=N00026087&cycle=2006
I don’t see specific oil industry contributions. Just lots of Republican big business PACs…Amounts to the same thing. And Corning, Inc. I’m not surprised about that. Given a choice between big business and the little guy, Mr. “Rubber Stamp” Kuhl will vote big business everytime. What surprises me is the Union contributions. Has Mr. Kuhl ever voted for anything at any time that would actually benefit workers?
I kept digging in the http://www.opensecrets.org website. They have a “payback section.”
Money: The energy sector contributed $50.6 million in individual and PAC donations during the 2004 election cycle, 75 percent to Republicans. Environmental interests contributed $1.9 million, 88 percent to Democrats.
Jeepers. That’s a stark contrast. What kills me is the false choice, since energy+environment = sustainable energy = jobs = national security = etc…