The Conservative Edge

Although I left these thoughts as a comment to one of my posts, I wanted to make a separate entry containing some feedback concerning oil and gas prices. It seemed appropriate, as I just read a column by Bob Herbert, regarding Obama’s “two-year, nationwide effort to jump-start job creation in America…we’ll put people back to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges…”.

Thanks to Mark for a comment about the temporary drop in gas prices. I too will not be selling my fuel-efficient vehicles anytime soon. For the record, I own a 2004 Chevrolet Aveo and an old 1990 Ford Festiva that I use for work-related commuting. I bought my Aveo back in 2005, when I thought that gas would rise past $2 a gallon. It turns out I was right, although I never expected to see gas at $4 a gallon!

Also, I agree with “crude oil futures”, in the fact that oil prices can be excessively high, or low, depending on the supply/demand relationship. We need to be mindful of this, as our President-elect plans to introduce infrastructure projects to spur job creation. Infrastructure materials (especially asphalt) need to be affordable, which means that petroleum needs to be plentiful. Since it’s a safe bet that foreign countries won’t be too cooperative, we should be vigilant in securing our own supplies to keep up with future domestic demand.

Do you think that Iran and Venezuela, who have recently demanded cuts in oil output, will be as eager to increase production if our demand goes up? In fact, there are reports that OPEC will likely cut production again as soon as mid-December. Remember, infrastructure and construction projects require energy; more of it needs to be supplied here at home!

I watched quite a bit of the congressional interrogation of the Big 3 auto makers’ CEOs this evening (November 18). One thing that became clear was that the senators making up the questioning panel actually raised some very good points. I was also a bit surprised that the mostly Democratic panel was able to be clear, firm, and succinct in its questioning.

The final point made by Senator Dodd was perhaps more personally directed to the CEOs, instead of the companies. His point was this: the overwhelming issue that American taxpayers have with this bailout is the fear that the money will wind up in the pockets of CEOs and executives who are already making outrageously high salaries. Senator Dodd reminded Bob Nardelli about the severance package of $200 million he received from Home Depot, which many people have neither forgotten, nor forgiven.

This reminds me of a company I recently worked for. In June of this year (2008), Delphi Corporation closed the plant where I was employed as a tool-and-die-maker. Delphi is a major parts supplier to GM; our factory made brake parts and assemblies, and a few other chassis details. The workers were part of the United Auto Workers union.

In 2007, we voted for a contract that we hoped would keep the plant open until 2011. The contract called for drastic wage cuts for most of the workers. People earning anywhere from 20 to about 26-28 dollars an hour took a cut down to the 14 to 18 dollar an hour range. Some benefits were reduced as well. Some cash payments were to be included to help offset the cuts, but the fact remains that wages were lowered quite drastically, and accepted by the union workers.

However, we also found out that Delphi executives were to share over $300 million in bonus money at (or sometime near) the end of the 2007 fiscal year. For mismanaging a company into bankruptcy? It seems insane that this much money would be available for these people. And, we also wondered why and how the company could even be IN bankruptcy if it was generating that kind of cash. We all felt that we were being asked to sacrifice, so the top dogs could keep their money and lifestyles.

Remember the American Axle strike a few months ago? American Axle, a manufacturer of axles and driveshaft assemblies was also a parts supplier to GM. Some time after the workers went on strike, it was revealed that the CEO of American Axle earned $10 million a year. Yet, he and his company wanted labor to take up to 50 percent wage cuts. Is that really fair?

Many people have a negative view of the UAW and other unions, placing the blame for the demise of the auto makers almost completely on the unions. My own experience leads me to feel somewhat differently. The unions were no doubt emboldened at the exorbitant CEO and executive compensation. After all, if there was so much money available for the big guys, why shouldn’t the workers have a slice of the pie? But, labor is always blamed for companies’ failures. Labor can’t always be held responsible—there is a lot of ineptness and shortsightedness at the top of many companies in America.

And remember, there are lots of individuals and organizations who specialize in squeezing every last dime out of a company before shutting it down, and then moving on to the next victim. I should know; I’ve been through 2 plant closures in the last 3-1/2 years. I’ve seen a lot of people who were crushed by the losses of jobs that were held for 5, 10, even 20 years. I am one of those who has to put his life back together. Through no fault of my own, I am out of a job because somebody decided I wasn’t needed any more. It’s a pretty helpless feeling!

I’m sure people aren’t thinking too much about the high price of gasoline right now. It’s as cheap as it’s been in roughly 2-3 years. Here in southwest Ohio, we’re paying $1.89 for a gallon of regular gasoline. It’s funny how, when gas was costing $4 a gallon earlier this year, everyone was blaming George W. for the high prices, but nobody now will associate him with bringing prices down.

Actually, oil and gas did start declining in price after President Bush made a public statement about expanding U.S. exploration and drilling efforts here at home. When he made the statement in July, oil dropped every day during the following two-week time period. Apparently, the mere threat of increased supply was enough to cause oil speculators to begin pulling money out of the futures markets.

And now, we are seeing that the spectre of decreasing demand for oil is having the same effect on prices. But what’s going to happen when demand goes back up? Are we increasing our supply capabilites in anticipation of future use? If not, then we will surely see another spike in prices. I don’t think the current price levels will remain for long.

As other countries cut back on production and exporting, we should be endeavoring to find and secure more of our own energy supplies. Some countries like to routinely stage some kind of oil crisis, just to have an excuse to withhold oil from the evil United States. We shouldn’t let them affect us so much.

Here’s an example of what regularly happens abroad (from Yahoo Finance):

“Prices this week fell even as militants in Nigeria resumed attacks on the country’s oil installations. The military said it killed eight people while guarding a facility in the oil-rich south of the country.

Militants frequently attack oil facilities, seeking to hobble Africa’s biggest petroleum industry and force Nigeria’s federal government to send more oil funds to the southern states where the crude is pumped.”

Just click on the link for the full article:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Gasoline-continues-plunge-apf-13535926.html

The American government should allow Americans to use energy provided BY Americans. What could be more patriotic?

After writing my previous post, I found a very interesting article on Yahoo. This, to me, validates what I wrote about gas and oil prices and their effects on cities’ efforts to keep up street and road repairs.

Here is the link to the article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081109/ap_on_bi_ge/asphalt_shortage

I’d also like to include a short excerpt from the Yahoo article:

“Dozens of road repairs were delayed last summer and municipalities around the country may face another shortfall next summer. Road-maintenance projects that have gone forward cost significantly more as the price of asphalt nearly tripled over the past year.

The dearth of asphalt compounds the challenges states, counties and cities already face in fixing bridges, highways, local streets and other critical infrastructure at a time when budgets are squeezed by falling income, sales and real-estate tax revenues — not to mention higher costs for fuel, steel and other raw materials.”

This is why we can’t stop using oil. Doesn’t it make sense that we need to secure our own supplies, and not subject our economic stability to the whims of foreign countries? If, for example, Nigeria experiences a coup, and the oil production stops, why should that affect us, if we have established our oil drilling and production? A lot of jobs could be created, from the extra workers needed to repair roads in small towns, to the people hired to drill/pump/refine/transport oil and oil products. The Democrats have talked about infrastructure projects being key to reviving the economy, but cities and towns need to be able to afford the materials. Think about it!

So now that the election is over (although the media is still obsessing about Sarah Palin’s clothes), it’s time to think about what to expect after January 2009.

I personally believe we will see higher oil/gasoline prices beginning in Spring of next year. President-elect Obama is already considering using Presidential authority to reverse the executive decision made this year by President Bush to expand drilling in U.S territories. Many Democratic leaders and other liberals are expressing concern about the fragile and delicate environments in Utah and Alaska. I wish they could show equal concern for the tremendous economic price we pay for buying foreign oil. It is truly mind-boggling to think that there are Americans who adamantly oppose the production of American energy.

I recently read an article in my local newspaper about the difficulties many communities are experiencing in keeping their roads paved. Some towns are cutting back on repair and repaving of roads and streets. This is due to the dramatic increase in the cost of asphalt, which is a PETROLEUM-based product. Simply put, we could get more people working to pave more roads, if only asphalt was cheaper. What are we to do—start driving our cars on solar panels, instead of blacktop?

Let’s take it further—what other products have become more costly due to higher oil prices? How about all of the plastic containers that store all of those food products in the supermarket? How about cosmetics? Vaseline, for instance, is actually PETROLEUM jelly! Think of all the plastic chairs we sit on, or the computers made with polycarbonate materials. Think of how it costs more to get the oil changed in your car—you never see any $9.99 service specials any more. Tires cost more too. And let’s not forget how much more shipping charges we pay now, when we buy something from QVC or Amazon or eBay.

So, if the Democrats want to stimulate the economy, they should EXPAND oil and gas production, not restrict it. Think of all the jobs that would be created in the exploration, drilling, production, refining and transporting of oil, gasoline, and natural gas. Not to mention all of the related industries such as service and repair companies, trucking, and others that would increase hiring as well.

And we needn’t get upset with the oil companies’ profits, either. We’ve made the Saudis far richer with the money we’ve been sending them for the past few decades.

By the way, have you ever see the Democrats who are so concerned about the environment, actually spending time IN the environment? I’m not sure they could tell the difference between a maple tree and a pine tree. There aren’t too many of them I could equate with a Teddy Roosevelt!

I’ve been watching the cable channel AMC this weekend. Saturday was “Make My Saturday”, featuring some of Clint Eastwood’s finest movies. The Dirty Harry series ran in order on Saturday, and I couldn’t help but tune in. I do have 4 of the 5 Dirty Harry movies in my DVD collection, but I still watched them on TV—sort of like turning up a favorite song on the radio, even though you have the song on an album already.

Many people see Harry Callahan as merely a vigilante who happens to wear a badge. This is indeed a shallow viewpoint. The movies, made with Callahan as the main character, all have many things to say about society, relationships, and the power of independence.

Callahan does not hate women, or blacks, or Italians. In fact, there are many attempts to show how he developed strong relationships with several of his partners. In the first three movies, Harry comes to like and/or appreciate a Mexican, an African-American, and a woman who each become his working partner. In “The Enforcer”, Dirty Harry admits, “Kate…whoever draws you as a partner could do a helluva lot worse.”. And at the movie’s end, we see Callahan standing over his slain partner, clearly saddened that she had been gunned down.

And don’t forget that in “Sudden Impact”, Callahan actually saves the revengeful victim from being charged with murdering those who assaulted her when she was young. Why? This is where the introverted, yet surprisingly sensitive Dirty Harry makes a philosophical choice: to let the victim have her revenge, perhaps knowing that the real criminals may never be sufficiently punished for the crimes they had committed.

Could anyone else have portrayed the strength, the independence, and the fearlessness of Dirty Harry but Clint Eastwood? I read once that Frank Sinatra was originally considered for the part. Sinatra may have been good as a smart-assed Callahan, but could never have been the true maverick that Eastwood was. I think that Eastwood, a self-confessed introvert as well as the prototypical strong, silent male, was the perfect person for the role of Harry Callahan. He brilliantly showed the fortitude to face his enemies, and the courage to do what was needed to get his job done, even when his superiors tried to dissuade him.

And one important message rings true, even today: the violent who threaten society must be met with equal or greater violence. That’s the only thing that terrorists and murderers understand, but only a few can ever accept. Only Dirty Harry seemed to realize that many times, the only way to keep the peace is to overcome the evil violence with the violence of the just.

“Go ahead—make my day!”

Today is Election Day, although it seems that the media has already proclaimed Barack Obama as the Chosen One, the Obamessiah. So, I decided to avoid the TV and spend some time with my wife and son. This afternoon, my wife and I went to a hardware store and bought a leaf blower/vac, and later on, we met our son at a pizzeria and had some great pizza and stimulating conversation.

Our thoughts naturally gravitated to the election issues, and we could hardly avoid talking about the presidential contest. We all agreed that Obama, along with his (are we now supposed to capitalize the “H” since He is deity?) Democratic cohorts in Congress, will likely move this country in a very left and very socialist direction.

Here are some things I would expect to transpire in the next four years: the Supreme Court will re-interpret the Second Amendment, especially if the Court is rebalanced with Obama nominees; a national tragedy will take place approximating the 9/11 attacks; another huge tax increase will be passed, perhaps larger than the one Democrats passed earlier in 2008; energy prices will soar again, and likely stay at a high level; the NEA will be given more influence over our educational systems (sex ed will begin at the kindergarten level); there will be an unbelievable expansion of government programs that will be aimed at giving people just enough trust in the federal government to guarantee a bigger bloc of Democratic voters.

Any or all of these things could happen, as Democratic socialist power will undoubtedly grow after this election. And who knows how the progress in Iraq will be sabotaged, or how the housing and credit crises will be handled. We might see Bill Ayers as the national security advisor, and Jeremiah Wright as Obama’s official press secretary. If the Democrats get 60 seats in the Senate, look out for Obamageddon…

Yes, I know that seems odd. But I really am thankful for Metallica’s latest effort, “Death Magnetic”. You see, I am just terribly sick of hearing the mindless, stupid pounding of the now-ubiquitous rap and hipitty-hop music you hear thumping from every other vehicle you encounter at the gas station or traffic light. But now, I have something to fight back with.

I’d really like to have some giant speakers, fed by a couple of thousand watts, mounted in the back of my truck. Then, I could turn up Metallica’s “End of the Line” or “Cyanide” at the gas station next to some lowlife who’s trying too hard to get attention with his Kanye West or Eminem junk. I can’t believe that people—especially young white folks—think rap is so great that the rest of us should eat it up too. Not me! Metallica’s “Death Magnetic” is the kind of music that feeds the macho beast that lurks inside my normally quiet self. You’ll have to pry my metal from my cold, dead hands.

Come to think of it, I’m thankful that Ozzy is still around. And that AC/DC has a new CD. And that Guitar Hero is introducing classic rock and roll to young ones all across America. Maybe there’s hope for us rock aficionados after all. I remember when disco music got buried almost as soon as it became most popular. Yet, we’ve been enduring rap now for what—15 or 20 years? We need to throw off the rap rubbish and “Usher” in a new renaissance of metal music. Metallica’s new CD is a great way to get started.

Rock on!