Thursday, February 23, 2006

Republican corruption by the numbers, Part 2: Energy policy

More high--or low--points from the report on Republican corruption released this week by the Democrats on the House Rules Committee. You can read Part 1, on health care, here.

Today's topic: Energy policy. Serious number this morning.


$2.45

Average price per gallon to which gasoline is expected to rise in the US in 2006.
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16

Projected percentage increase ($195) in the cost of heating the average US home with oil this winter.
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24

Projected percentage increase ($178) in the cost of heating the average US home with natural gas this winter.
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40

The percentage increase in Mobil Exxon's profits (to a record-breaking $36 billion total) for 2005.
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14

The percentage increase in taxes paid by Mobil Exxon for 2005.
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$7 billion

Royalty payments the federal government will not receive in the next five years from oil companies for drilling on federal land, under a combination of lax Bush administration enforcement of regulations and "royalty-relief" loopholes.
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18

Number out of the top 25 Bush/Cheney campaign contributors from the energy industry who were invited to participate in Dick Cheney's secret "energy policy task force" meetings in 2001.
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0

Amount the Republican energy plan will reduce US energy consumption by 2015.
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$1.5 billion

Amount Halliburton makes annually on oil recovered using "hydraulic fractioning"--a process in which oil production is increased by forcing toxic chemicals into the ground--since the secret Cheney "energy policy task force" overruled environmental objections by scientists at the EPA.
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$400,000

Amount of deferred salary Cheney has received from Halliburton since 2001.
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123

US chemical plants located such that a toxic release might place over a million people in nearby population centers at risk.
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0

Number of those plants who enhanced their security after the proposal to require them to do so was killed by Karl Rove.
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$250 billion

Amount Congress has already given the Bush administration to pay for the Iraq war, not counting the extra $70 billion Bush has requested for this year or the extra $50 billion he's requesting for next year.
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1

Number of Hooters restaurants subsidized in Republican Congressman Billy Tauzin's district, in the 1100-page Energy Bill conference report in 2003.
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Tomorrow: National security

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

We all have heard of Organized Crime, but Mr Cunningham took that to a whole new level during his stint as BribeMeister of the Congress.

He actually had a Menu which showed ala carte prices for different kinds of bribes!

You gotta love such effrontery.

Combined, of course, with such incredible stupidity. Do these people really think that they are entitled to go to Washington to pillage and plunder? That they are above the law?

Brian Ross of ABC News reported on February 27, 2006:
“The sentencing memorandum includes the California Republican's "bribery menu" on one of his congressional note cards, "starkly framed" under the seal of the United States Congress. The card shows an escalating scale for bribes, starting at $140,000 and a luxury yacht for a $16 million Defense Department contract. Each additional $1 million in contract value required a $50,000 bribe. The rate dropped to $25,000 per additional million once the contract went above $20 million.”


Can’t wait for more Entitled Politicians to get their dues!