Way to Go!

I just found out that a bunch of friends, who live and work in Houston, have been released from their jobs with oil companies. And, I understand that more people will be losing their jobs over the next couple of weeks. We (as a Nation) are still struggling with a bad economy. People need jobs! And, yet, this administration takes the decision to stop deep water oil and gas activities in the Gulf. Why?

Well, this administration is all about perception. And, by shutting down deep water drilling in the Gulf, it looks like the administration is being tough with the oil industry. Maybe this administration should have thought this through. Clearly, stopping oil and gas activities in the Gulf is costing jobs. This, at a time when we really need fewer unemployed people - not more. The situation in the Gulf is an environmental tragedy of epic proportions. But, shutting down the oil and gas industry in the Gulf is just making the problem worse.

I wonder ... what if these oil and gas workers were union workers? Would this administration have been so quick to cut off their lively-hood? We know the administration used tax payer's dollars to save auto worker's jobs. What if these jobs were in a blue state? Statistics show that most oil field workers are very conservative; thus, not Obama supporters. Let's keep this simple: Did the administration consider the loss of jobs before they shut down the oil and gas industry in the Gulf? Was there a political agenda?

If this administration understood the concept of a free market, they would not have needed to shutdown the oil and gas industry in the Gulf. It's really simple. It's called risk. Businesses (particularly the oil industry) are constantly evaluating the risks they are willing to take, in order to earn revenue. I assure you: no oil company (or any company) wants to take the risk of losing billions of dollars because of an accident; like the one in the Gulf. It's just common sense. If this administration understood more about business, they would have realized that they did not need to shut down the oil industry in the Gulf; they would have realized that businesses know how to manage risk in order to get a return on investment.

Yet another reckless action by this administration, is resulting in more unemployed people. This administration claimed that GM was too big to fail. Really. They claimed that if GM went bankrupt, that all the businesses who depend on GM would also go bankrupt. What about the large scale economic havoc, that shutting down the oil business will have on the Gulf States? How is this different? Oh yeah, this administration bailed out GM; and, they caused the shutdown of the Gulf oil industry. Isn't this a double standard?

It gets even better. Not only has the administration destroyed the oil industry in the Gulf, they have severely impacted our supply of oil. We are still in an economic crisis! If you do something to drive up the cost of oil, you will make the economic crisis worse. It's called inflation. Oil is required to transport goods. That cost is passed onto consumers. I will not even talk about all the foreign countries that are still sucking our (American) oil reserves dry. What were you thinking!

This administration had an opportunity to demonstrate leadership. Instead, they have cost more American jobs at a time when jobs are scarce. And, this administration has put our supply of oil at risk. I just don't understand the rationale for such reckless behavior. Don't you care about the American people?