I used to see bumper stickers that said, “I’m ridin’ with Biden,” but no longer.
The price of a new car has skyrocketed and gasoline prices are up over 17 cents a gallon today. Since Biden began reading from a giant teleprompter in a fake Oval Office we all get to pay more.
Maybe folks who displayed those stickers don’t want you to know they traded mean tweets for soaring inflation and supply chain shortages. Or perhaps they don’t trust Joe to keep it in the road like the disaster he’s made for America.
Ralph Miller
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In his comment Ridin' With Biden No Longer, Mr. Ralph Miller shows his ignorance of the economics of gasoline prices.
While every administration and Congress must share some of the blame in inflationary times, this administration cannot be blamed for the increase in gas prices.
Every Republican will immediately holler "Keystone Pipeline": they are wrong. The Keystone Pipeline Extension would have only made the cost of getting Canadian oil to refineries cheaper for the Canadians. It would not significantly (estimates are < 2 percent) increase oil supply as the Canadians have been selling all the oil they could pump. Any benefits from reduced oil transportation costs would accrue to the Canadians, not consumers.
Nor does "no new permits on federal land" apply. The oil companies already have thousands of permits for federal land granted, and there is no prohibition of drilling on private land. Those are oil company choices
Instead, the culprit for increased gasoline prices is (drum roll please): supply and demand. And possibly the greed of oil companies.
Once the Republicans ended COVID restrictions, guess what? More people began driving again. More goods were needed in stores to be purchased. And how did they get to those stores? On a truck. And the easing of COVID restrictions in other countries produced the same results.
No, Mr. Miller. You are wrong about the President Biden increasing gas prices. But if you think I am wrong, please show me the laws and regulations that allow any President to arbitrarily set the price of gasoline.
Joe Warren
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Let me count the ways, Mr. Warren.
Under the guise of protecting the “climate” his first priority was to hand the eco-terrorist / Orange Man Bad crowd their wish list by Executive Order on Jan. 20, 2021.
Executive Order on Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis | The White House
Along with the following supporting articles which can be easily found
Biden blocks drilling in ANWR, among his first acts as president Anchorage Daily News Jan. 21, 2021.
Biden Cancels 80 Million Acre Oil Lease Sale, Putting Louisiana Oil and Gas Industry in Danger The Western Journal March 17, 2021.
Biden halts oil and gas leases on U.S. land, water for 60 days The Denver Post May 9, 2022.
We can further more confirm that Biden had a greater desire to see that Russia was able to export their oil to the environmentally ignorant EU which was one of the factors emboldened Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden under fire from Congress for waiving sanctions on Russian gas pipeline company (nbcnews.com)
And another fun fact about Biden’s “benevolent” SPR releases was that some of that oil went to his friends, supports and contributors over there in Europe.
You see, 10 percent for the “Big Guy” may get what someone else wants but not what our country needs.
But then if I don’t look for it, it’s not there.
Jay Reed
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I am guessing that Mr. Warren's knowledge of the oil and gas industry is limited to what he has heard from the left-wing media and Jen Psaki's comments from the White House. Perhaps he should talk with someone who actually knows something about oil and gas exploration instead, which is what I did.
Issuing permits is not the issue. Joe Biden has made it clear from day one that he is at war with the fossil fuel industry. As such, fed regulators have put pressure on banks and financial institutions (look up ESG) to stop lending to oil and gas producers. This coupled with greater and more onerous federal and state regulations on drillers has hindered many oil and gas companies from drilling new wells. Mr. Warren is correct about supply and demand which ultimately drives prices at the pump, but Biden has done nothing but hinder supply while post-pandemic demand has continued to rise.
Common sense would tell you that at the current price per barrel of oil, oil companies would be trying to generate new production as fast as possible and while the number of drilling rigs is slowly growing, the numbers are well below pre-pandemic levels. So when you hear Jen Psaki spouting her nonsense about oil and gas permits, maybe she is not telling the whole truth.
Bottom line, Joe Biden and his administration are squeezing the U.S. oil and gas industry which affects every single American in terms of the cost of gas at the pump and the price of everything delivered by truck. Apparently, he would rather Americans suffer and risk destroying our economy than back off this idiotic policy of punishing one of America's best, and perhaps most strategic, domestic industries.
James Nelson
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Mr. Warren, in his response to Mr. Miller, quickly throws out the accusatory statement of "ignorance" of economics to Miller's letter about drastically increasing gasoline (actually all fuel) prices. Soon thereafter Warren reveals his political leanings by further chastises the Republicans' position on the Keystone pipeline. Warren is simply wrong on his economics!
Here is why: At the urging of his radical left socialist base of support President Biden, besides halting the Keystone pipeline, then froze oil and gas leases in early March 2021 to reward them with action on the new green deal. This is a clear signal to oil producers nationally the Biden administration will work against them at costs to them and the consumers.
Most citizens know that a President does not set fuel prices. A larger tool the President does have is impeding or stopping the production and supply as set out above. What does that do to prices?
When Biden directed the release of oil from the nation’s strategic petroleum stored reserve for six months to control energy prices what has happened? Prices still continued to increase weekly. Then last week came news media reports Biden plans to restore strategic oil reserves. Again, fuel prices have increased!
Warren argues a surge in demand for fuel is bringing this about from supply and demand. How should citizens take these and other conflicting actions from this administration? Are Biden's managers and handlers on the same page? We are seeing the disastrous results very frequently.
Gerald Presley
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To be certain, I agree with Mr. Joe Warren in his rebuttal to the above-mentioned article. It seems Mr. Miller gets printed every time he sends anything as if he was the only person in the world with any political knowledge and experience. He is not only one-sided but proves that he and only him has the answers to today's problems. I commend Mr. Joe Warren on his truthful remarks concerning the gas and oil prices. I did a lot of research this morning to make my point.
First, I am so, so tired of listening to people who profess that Donald Trump is a god and the greatest President ever and they practically worship him. He is not and will not ever be proclaimed as the greatest statesman of our time. So, when people I hear daily want to say, "We traded a few mean tweets" for a disaster of a President, and we wouldn't be in this shape if we had allowed the Keystone XL pipeline to be completed, there is a Keystone pipeline in the U.S. and has been for years; the XL was and addition to it that would bring the nastiest and most environmental destructive fuel in the world. It is not drilled it is excavated, killing thousands of acres of flora and fauna. What Mr. Miller promotes is the worst President in the history of the U.S.A, an egotistical, narcissist who lies every breath he takes. Someone who begs to be worshipped and condemns and tries to destroy anyone who disagrees with him. I didn't want this opinion piece to be long, but my research tells me I must do so. Here are the intelligent and experienced individuals who gave up their position or were fired by him during his term and some who stuck it out and were ridiculed by him:
Defense Secretary James Mattis, so much experience.
Mark Esper Secy. of Defense, who said Trump wanted to know why they couldn't shoot protesters, and would it be okay to fire missiles into Mexico because no one would ever know. And Trump said he was so bad that he had to take over running the Defense Department.
John Kelley chief of Staff, a decorated, high ranking war hero was replaced with Mark Meadows who has ties to Jan. 6.
Nikki Haley, UN Ambassador, quit, and maybe will run for president.
Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State, quit or resigned.
Jeff Sessions, Attorney General was fired, and Bill Barr was chosen, and he quit because he told Trump the election wasn't stolen.
Navy Secretary Richard Spencer and National Security Advisor John Bolton quit because they thought Trump was ignorant of international relations.
So, for the people who thought the majority of America voted for someone else because of "mean tweets", then maybe you should attempt to promote an honest, intelligent and morally acceptable Republican to run for the president in 2024 and I will vote with you. Or you can listen to Mr. Miller and vote for the man who wants to be king without the least regard for you just himself.
Clifton W. Duggan
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Mr. Warren makes the ridiculous liberal argument that there is no law that allows a President to arbitrarily set gas prices. Of course there's not. But what about his administration's goal of pushing everyone into electric vehicles by imposing regulations and sanctions on oil companies? They have stated as much. And now Biden is begging Venezuela and Saudi Arabia for oil because of his own policies. Perhaps he can release some more of the petroleum reserve......to Europe. That worked so well last time. And now he's buying back oil to replenish the reserve at prices much higher than the oil he released.
Everything this administration does is a complete disaster.
I hope you enjoy paying more for gas and food and everything else now. You voted for it, you own it.
Dennis Wooden