Government spending cuts are a priority for Republicans. In practical terms, this translates to reducing assistance programs for those struggling to make ends meet, among other cost-saving measures they advocate. One such program targeted for elimination is fuel assistance. Throughout Chelsea, hundreds of working poor depend on fuel subsidies to survive the winter months. The Republican-controlled House is determined to eliminate this support. Meanwhile, upheaval in Islamic countries abroad is driving another crisis. Libya’s revolution has sent oil prices soaring dramatically. Despite adequate supply, crude oil has surpassed $100 per barrel. Television coverage suggests gasoline could soon reach $3.50 to $4.00 per gallon unless the situation in Libya stabilizes. Less discussed on air is the equally troubling climb in home heating oil costs, which have become prohibitively expensive. Home heating oil is approaching or has already reached $3.50 per gallon. For a typical 200-gallon tank fill-up, this means spending approximately $700. Since fuel assistance typically provides families with $500-$700 for an entire heating season, recipients can afford just a single fill-up. For the remainder of winter, the working poor face the prospect of freezing, unable to afford continued heating at $3.50 per gallon for home heating oil. The Republican Congress response? Slash heating oil subsidies. Remarkable strategy, is it not? Four advanced jet fighters purchased for the Air Force cost $125 million each—more than all heating oil assistance distributed over the past 5 years. Military spending in Afghanistan and Iraq has exceeded $2 trillion total. Annual expenditures continue at $200 billion yearly. That $200 billion could repair every bridge, road and highway requiring maintenance nationwide, fund high-speed rail comparable to China’s infrastructure, construct new schools in every city across every state, and provide college scholarships to nearly all who seek higher education—yet spending continues. Instead, Tea Party Republicans demand government spending cuts and oil subsidy reductions. The oil and gasoline situation remains puzzling. Why does no one address the fundamental problem? Reduce oil consumption. Decrease oil imports. Eliminate the corrupt oil speculation driving prices higher despite the absence of actual shortages. What leadership exists, and where is this nation headed?
Oil Prices Going Up as Fuel Subsidies get Cut
