Gas

There's been a lot of gas talk lately coming from the presidential candidates-in-waiting. It's certainly no secret that gas prices are becoming unbearable, gone are the days where the price for gas was between $1.20 and $1.40 - and that was in 1998. So with oil companies, gas prices, and the safety of the environment hot issues around the water coolers, it's time we found out what the candidates plan on doing about it.

Sen. John McCain set his plan before the country, a plan he calls the Lexington Project. According to his campaign website he will make the choices in "...producing more power , pushing technology to help free our transportation sector from its use of foreign oil, cleaning up our air and addressing climate change, and ensuring that Americans have dependable energy sources." So how will McCain produce more oil? As Tim the "Tool Man" Taylor would say, "more power." He plans on lifting the ban on offshore drilling, therefore making us less dependant on foreign suppliers, in addition to furthering our advances in technology that will help us become less dependable on oil itself. Now one would assume that the more we supply for ourselves, the lower gas prices would be - but to be on the safe side, never assume.

But the problem people have with McCain's offshore drilling plan, including Gov. Schwarzenegger (a McCain backer), is its potential harm on the environment. If people were really serious about not wanting to harm the environment, then we'd all be living like the Amish. McCain will also grant a $300 million prize to the "development of a battery package that has the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars."

While McCain hopes to offer Americans some psychological relief, Obama laughs saying that's just Washington talk for saying their doing something when their really not. Well in all honesty Sen. Obama, don't all politicians do that? I mean they say they will change the country for the better is that supposed to make us feel better and look to you as candidate to vote for? Just a though. Anyway, I already stated on another post Obama's energy plan but there's no problem with posting it again.

• Reduce Carbon Emissions 80 Percent by 2050
• Invest in a Clean Energy Future
• Support Next Generation Biofuels
• Set America on Path to Oil Independence
• Improve Energy Efficiency 50 Percent by 2030
• Restore U.S. Leadership on Climate Change

Sen. Obama has recently stated that he would push for a second stimulus package that would help Americans be able to pay the high gas prices. But for Americans to get such a rebate the oil companies would have to be taxed, and if their having to pay taxes then they'll need to get that money back. How do they do that? By raising gas prices, which result in a never-ending cycle.

Short Term Recap:

McCain-

• Gas Tax Holiday
• Lift on drilling ban
• $300 Million Prize

Obama-

• $50 Billion Stimulus Package
• Windfall Profits Tax
• Crackdown on Oil Speculators

One of the things that both candidates have in common is that some of their goals would not see results until long after they have left office. The only way for their plans to be carried through with is if the following president goes along with it. There's a risk in everything and with politics that's no surprise. Just thinking about it can make a person's stomach upset, and I think they call it gas.