May 29, 2008 - 7:35pm
Titus, DCCC chief take up gas prices against Porter
By Joseph K. Cooper
Category: HouseTags: George W. Bush, Chris Van Hollen, Jon Porter, Dina Titus, 3rd Congressional District
LAS VEGAS -- Democratic 3rd Congressional District candidate Dina Titus held a press conference Thursday in front of a Shell gas station in which she blamed the rising cost of gasoline on the Bush administration and her opponent, U.S. Rep. Jon Porter (R-Nev.).
Citing gas prices that hit an average of $3.94 in the 3rd district today, Titus, joined by Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), said the way to reduce gas prices was through new legislation to prevent price gouging, repealing tax breaks for big oil companies and expanding development of renewable fuel sources.
"The people in this district are hurting because of the Jon Porter/George Bush agenda," said Titus. "It's hitting them in the pocket book and not just with the cost of gas."
Titus said rising food, health insurance, drug and consumer goods prices have all happened "on Jon Porter's watch."
"While he just plays in the band, the rest of Nevada falls further and further behind," Titus said.
Titus said that Nevada is a "gold mine" for renewable energy such as geothermal, solar and wind power, but that those sources have not been effectively exploited.
"We're the only state in the west that doesn't have a fully developed wind program and yet the opportunity's there," said Titus. "It's a shame that Jon Porter hasn't done more to tap into those opportunities."
Van Hollen, who is touring different districts in the west as head of the Democratic effort to build their House majority, referenced a recent presidential trip to Saudi Arabia, where Bush unsuccessfully lobbied the Saudi government to increase oil production.
"That is the Bush/Jon Porter attempt at an answer to the energy crisis," said Van Hollen. "It's that kind of thinking that's got us in the trouble that we're in."
Porter has said that part of the solution to lowering fuel costs was to expand domestic drilling, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Titus, however, said she would not support drilling in ANWR.
"Even the Bush administration's Department of Energy issued a report saying that in twenty years it would bring down the cost by one cent [per gallon]," said Titus. "That kind of destruction of the environment for that little relief that long in the future is not worth it to me."
Pressed by reporters about the immediate impact of her proposals, Titus admitted that they may not lower gas prices too much in the short term.
"It's going to be long-term, but you've got to start somewhere," said Titus.
Nevada's 3rd Congressional District is viewed as one of Democrats' best hopes to pick up yet another Republican seat in the House. Van Hollen cited the split nature of the registered electorate and Titus' record both politically and electorally as proof of their chances.
Other districts Van Hollen visited today included Arizona's 3rd District and the Oregon 5th.
For more coverage of Van Hollen's efforts, click the links below from PolitickerAZ and PolitickerOR:
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I miss Andrew Martin
It is good to see Dina getting an education and have the willingness to fight for renewable energy but Andrew Martin was so far ahead of her. Everyone was so concerned with the fact that Martin did not pay his political bones enough to run for Congress against Robert Daskas and look what happened? Daskas self destructed (anyone really know the reason?) and Martin was the one who vetted him out. One can only hope that Andrew Martin and Dina Titus work together since he is such a fountain of knowledge. I know he is running for Assembly but don't know the district. At Nevada will gain him when he wins. Good luck to Dina but I really wanted Andrew for our next Congressman.
Gas Prices
Dina Taxes preaches relief at the pump for the average American but shuns the one real attempt to do so, and is running as a member of a political party that has made gas prices what they are with their legislation.
First off, imagine if we had begun drilling in ANWR when we first wanted to. Gas prices wouldn't be nearly as high as they are now. If we never had to grow so dependent on foreign oil then the Saudi Govt would never have decided they could sell oil at the gouging price they do. The BEST solution to all economic issues is to let American companies to their job and have the Federal Govt stay out of their ways. Titus is a member of the political party that voted against the drilling (which current polling shows at 57% favorability) and she has already pledged to vote against it.
Second, the enviromental tags attached to gas also help the prices to skyrocket. The American people don't know this, but each region has to mix it's own gas according to different enviromental standards, using different chemicals that dilude both the potency of the gasoline, but also makes it ILLEGAL to sell in different parts of the country. So as such you don't really see that level of free trade that you see in other businesses that allow for prices to be reasonable.
Thirdly, the repeal of oil tax credits??? There is a GREAT idea. Lets follow the logic real fast; you make 10,000 dollars profit, I now tell you that you are not going to be making 10,000 dollars, but instead you are going to be making 8,000 dollars profit. How many companies say "Wow, we just took a 20% drop in profits, lets LOWER the price of our products and lower our profits even MORE!!!"
So the repeal of their tax credit would do nothing to help reduce gas prices.
And lastly, taxes. The democrats have tried in the past to get a 50 cent per gallon tax increase. So instead of paying $4.00 a gallon of gas, we would be paying $4.50 per gallon of gas. So once again, we don't see any tax relief from any of the democratic agendas.
The only way we are going to see actual gas price reduction is through the free market, an increase in american drilling, a decrease in foreign dependence *which is a bi-product of an increase in american drilling*.
GET REAL!
Dear Scott Millerson, do yourself AND your candidate a favor by just getting over your personal feelings will ya? Andrew now has the full force of the Democratic Party on his side - so, why not join the team and quit whining!
Dear "Young Conservative", you're probably too young to know the original meaning of being conservative - but, thanks for doing your duty as a dumb-dumb and repeating the Repulican talking points! I bet that makes you feel like you're really somebody (and it's so much easier than thinking for yourself isn't it)?
Whatever happened to the 99 cent gas we were promised by the Republicans if we invaded Iraq? Oh, I bet you've forgotten that little gem of a Republican talking point haven't you?
We need to look at successful energy models in other countries - like Brazil where a gallon of gasoline is only 12 cents! Brazil had the vision to invest in many viable alternative energies some 20 years ago, and America needs to do something similar NOW!
Porter has been little more than a political puppet and Bush bag boy! Titus has the vision we need to move forward into the future!
Gas Prices
I agree with you that alternative fuel sources need to be found and they need to be found NOW.
However, I am talking about a solution that will fix gas prices now and the democrats have gotten it all reversed.
They want to remove tax incentives for oil companies and once again I ask you, what company is going to look at a profit loss in one sector and decide to jump for a profit loss in a different sector by charging less for their gas? While this is a republican belief, it is also pure common sense.
So they want to remove tax incentives for oil companies, but they want to increase the tax on gasoline for the average american. Their thought process being that "if we tax them more on their gas, then they'll buy less gas and oil companies will have to lower prices to compete and bring sales up". However this is completely backwards. People have been paying extreme gas prices for a while now and will not reduce the demand for oil, but rather will cut back in other areas. So this liberal thought process will work about as well as removing tax breaks for oil companies.
I do not appreciate being called a "dumb-dumb" and repeating Republican talking points. I was taught in a public school and fought against liberal propaganda from both teachers and students and have had to do my own independent thinking in order to show my fellow classmates that liberalism is not the answer and that conservatism is.
However thanks for filling the stereotype of the typical democrat who's first thought is always to start name calling such as dumb-dumb, however I have been called worse by close minded democrats who believe that their name calling will help them to win debates.
Facts on Drilling in the Refuge
This site is very well researched.
http://www.arcticwildlife.org/oil10myths.htm
The short version: It would take at least fifteen years after development began for one drop of oil to flow from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Depending on success of conservation and use of alternative fuels, it would reduce dependence of foreign oil about 4%. "The total supply would last about six months at current consumption rates." That's if the oil companies supply the product domestically, but there is no requirement to prohibit sale and export abroad. Profits come first, you know.
The only people to benefit from irrevocable damage to The Refuge will be the industry lobbyists and CEOs who put Bush/Cheney in office.
Mr. Millerson, perhaps like Martin you are new to the state and unaware of recent political history. In 2006, development of renewables in Nevada was a prominent theme in Dina Titus's campaign for governor. She is an expert on this topic. She said that one of her first acts as goveror would be to create a Southwest regional initiative on renewables. It is ludicrous to say that she is getting an education or Martin is ahead of her.
The party got Martin out of the way by switching him and his unusually acquired wealth to AD 13.
Well researched and wriiten, PV
But Dum Dum YC wants it NOW!! NOW!! NOW!!
And he/she calls theirself "educated". I wonder what he/she did with the money. You know...the money that was supposed to pay for his/her "education".
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