Does Obama Agree with Chu?

The price of crude oil rose from $38.57 per barrel when President Obama took office in early 2009, to over $107 as of March, 2012.[1]  As you can imagine, a 177% increase gets people’s attention.

Given that 68% of the price of gasoline is the crude oil cost, the gas prices you and I pay at the pump have skyrocketed to an average $3.90 per gallon across the United States.  Prices rose even higher on the West Coast.[2] [3]

Keep in mind; even if you don’t drive a car, oil is the key ingredient in tens of thousands of consumer goods. Out of every barrel of oil, 27.8% goes toward heating oil and 22.2% goes toward products derived from petroleum for the manufacturing of chemicals, synthetic rubber, and plastics.[4]  Bottom line—rising oil prices impact everyone!

Let’s look closer at this alarming situation.

Chu’s Quotes         

Meet the Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven Chu.  Dr. Chu is becoming famous for his remarks:

“Coal is my worst nightmare.”

–      Steven Chu, April 23, 2007, Presentation at U.C. Berkeley[5]

“Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe.”

–      Steven Chu, September 2008[6]

“High gasoline prices will make research into such alternatives more urgent.”

–      Steven Chu, March 2012, Politico[7]

When questioned about The Energy Department by Rep. Alan Nunnelee, Dr. Chu responded, “No, the overall goal is to decrease our dependency on oil, to build and strengthen our economy.”

–      Steven Chu, March 2012, Politico[8]

Political Season

High gas prices will not score points for President Obama during election season.

Recently Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker and candidate for the Republican Party, called on President Obama to fire Dr. Chu because of his stated view on gasoline.[9]

Dr. Chu, a physicist who rides his bike to work, has since retracted his statement about wanting higher gas prices.  “I no longer share that view.”[10]

Decide for yourself if you think Dr. Chu’s comments were politically motivated.  At Berkeley, he was one of the nation’s outspoken advocates for scientific solutions to global warming.[11]

Back to the Gas Pump

Gas prices rose long before the situation started heating up in Iran.  If anyone tells you the Obama administration cannot impact the price of oil, please ask them,”Why, when the Saudi’s increase production, does the price of oil generally drop?”

Dr. Chu was appointed by President Obama. We need to ask the President some questions:

1. Do you agree with Dr. Chu’s previous remarks?  If not, why is he still leading the Department of Energy?
2. Do you agree with Dr. Chu, that it is not the Department of Energy’s policy to help lower gas prices?
3. Would increased oil production lower gas prices?  If yes, why did your administration ban new offshore drilling?[12]

Gas prices impact everyone!  As prices rise, our economy slows down.  Increased gasoline prices act like a tax that disproportionately impacts the poor.

Don’t let candidates run away from their past actions.  Hold their feet to the fire!  This link shows an offshore drilling map and timeline of previous presidents’ actions compared to President Obama.  NOTICE THE RED ON THE MAP.  Red areas show all the regions blocked for drilling that were open prior to Obama taking office.

Obama’s energy policy is choking our economy.  Network; use social media; tell this to everyone you know so that  we never have $5 per gallon European gas prices.[13]