UnAmerican

[Howey]

I'm glad to see Congress embracing the end of subsidies to the major gas companies as a means to legitimately reduce the deficit.

But is it UnAmerican, as ConocoPhillips seems to believe?

A Democratic senator blasted oil giant ConocoPhillips for using the term "un-American" to describe his proposal to strip tax subsidies from the five largest oil companies in the U.S. and use the savings to pay down the deficit.
 
Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, said it is "truly outrageous" for ConocoPhillips to use the term in a press release it issued Wednesday and said he expects the company's top executive to apologize when he appears at a Senate hearing Thursday examining the tax proposal.
 
"For ConocoPhillips to question the patriotism of those public officials who believe they do not deserve billions of dollars in wasteful subsidies is simply beyond the pale and I expect an apology from the CEO tomorrow at tomorrow's hearing, Menendez said at a news conference staged at an Exxon gas station on Capitol Hill to highlight the Democrats' proposal. "It is simply not acceptable."
 
A press release posted on the company's main web site page is headlined: "ConocoPhillips Highlights Solid Results and Raises Concerns Over Un-American Tax Proposals at Annual Meeting of Shareholders."

I don't know if these guys are coaching the Republicans or the other way around...

"These unprecedented proposed taxes, targeted at only five companies, would have serious effects on our company," CEO James Mulva says in the release.

Look, idiots! It's not a "tax increase". It's ending a tax break.

Does ConocoPhillips need a tax break?

NEW YORK — ConocoPhillips said Wednesday that first-quarter earnings jumped 43 percent as oil prices increased

[Howey]

ConocoPhillips executive pay as of 2006:

Executives and 2006 pay:
 James J. Mulva, Chief Executive Officer, $31,340,00[4]
 William B. Berry, Divisional Executive Vice President, $5,790,641[5]
 John A. Carrig, Chief Financial Officer, $11,682,435[6]
 James L. Gallogly, Divisional Executive Vice President, $4,169,688[7]


http://www.polluterwatch.com/polluter-info/153

Cono

coPhillips is one of the six supermajor oil companies, with operations in 30 countries and $155 billion in assets.  It is the sixth largest company in the U.S. and is the third largest U.S. oil company after ExxonMobil and Chevron.  ConocoPhillips is the largest producer of natural gas in North America and is third to BP and Chevron in U.S. oil production.  Conoco's history stems back to 1875 as a Utah kerosene company, becoming ConocoPhillips after a merger in 2002.  The company also owns Tosco and Burlington Resources, and the Union 76 brand.
 
With the exception of a dramatic loss in 2008 due to a poorly timed merger, ConocoPhillips is consistently one of the most profitable companies in the world.  Their net income from 2005-2009 was $28.78 billion, and another $9.3 billion has been made in the first three quarters of 2010.

From 2006-2010, ConocoPhillips has spent almost $50 million on lobbying and another $2 million in political contributions since the 2004 election cycle.  This money has successfully weakened bills that are counter to the company’s ambitions—tar sands expansion, hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, offshore oil drilling, pipeline expansion in Alaska, and chemical manufacturing.  In 2010 alone, the company spent over $16 million on a massive lobbying effort, trumping other oil and gas company lobbying expenditures.
 
The Political Economy Research Institute ranks ConocoPhillips number 11 on their list of the 100 worst U.S. polluters, higher than any other energy company.

[Howey]

In all fairness, it's not just the Republicans cowtowing to the oil companies.

The Democratic attempt to take on the major oil companies is being challenged from within, with representatives of producing states rushing to the defense of the dirty-energy industry, complicating the plan to present a stark contrast between the two parties.

Democratic Sens. Mark Begich and Mary Landrieu, who represent Alaska and Louisiana, respectively, each took to the Senate floor Wednesday to decry their party's attempt to strip tax breaks from the top oil companies.

Landrieu bemoaned the "inherent unfairness" of closing the tax loophole, insisting that doing so "will not reduce gasoline prices by one penny.”

[ekg]

Landrieu bemoaned the "inherent unfairness" of closing the tax loophole, insisting that doing so "will not reduce gasoline prices by one penny.”

well why would it?  Like it was published earlier, they have made 43% more since prices are up and they didn't lower their gas prices, so why would cutting their  tax break lower it? In fact, I'm sure it will raise it.. they have to get that 43% somehow.. But why do we want to allow this kind of blackmail?

this seriously pisses me off... Caterpillar did the same thing to their home state(I forget which state).. they blackmailed them, said "hey, if you end our tax breaks here we'll just up and move to another state who will give us that tax break back".. So much for loyalty to the state that made them..nevermind that their home state had been there for them all these years, helped them to become what they are,helped them succeed in the market... nope,  they just up and left over a losing that tax break. Well, fuck them! That is unAmerican!  That business wouldn't have been 1/2 what it is if it wasn't for their state and this country. Why do we allow corps t continue blackmailing us with threats of leaving if we don't acquiesce to their demands? How about they try and start up in Russia, or China, or Ireland.. how about they play by those countries rules.. and how about they go fuck themselves when Russia or China decides they want to take the company or the CEO's money just because they can and they figure out America is really a much better place to have your company and your products..

I am so tired of this bullshit myth that we need these companies more than they need us.. No, they need this country,the gov't, the people and the laws that keep them safe just as much as we need their jobs.. they do not have a higher ground here, go peddle your product in China where it can be ripped off at any time. Go peddle it in Dubai where your marketing costs will quadruple..

I'm sick of always giving into this crap. The "american" brand costs, the american patent protection costs,the american buyers market costs.. the safety of you and your company in this country costs! If you don't want to pay your share, then move.. I have no doubts an upstart company will take your place for you and become the next "America's best' while you wither away trying to sell your product from another country

[FooFa]

I completely agree with doing away with any and all incentives to oil companies. If it actually happens.

[uselesslegs]

It's gotten to the point where the big boys don't want to be part of the equation, they've decided they are the equation and I have no doubt, what so ever, that since we have no real alternatives to oil, they have finally gotten to the point where their emboldened enough to pull a shake down, openly.

This is just the beginning of a new dynamic.  It's about to get story book real.

[FooFa]

It's gotten to the point where the big boys don't want to be part of the equation, they've decided they are the equation and I have no doubt, what so ever, that since we have no real alternatives to oil, they have finally gotten to the point where their emboldened enough to pull a shake down, openly.

This is just the beginning of a new dynamic.  It's about to get story book real.

I almost got nauseous when I saw the headline about fuel prices expected to peak on Memorial Day weekend. The paper wherever I live has had that same projection for at least 30 years, news? The reason I'm skeptical on this as far as Obama actually delivering is that he has been two different people on pretty much everything. While he trumpets a better path to immigration, he's deported more illegals than Bush.

[Howey]

he's deported more illegals than Bush.

I think you're misunderstanding the concept of immigration reform if you think that's a bad thing.


Meanwhile, BACK ON TOPIC, the perp refuses to apologize for his UnAmerican comment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GyE2Sz8zxc&feature=player_embedded

[FooFa]

I think you're misunderstanding the concept of immigration reform if you think that's a bad thing.


Meanwhile, BACK ON TOPIC, the perp refuses to apologize for his UnAmerican comment:

So I can't mention anything about a direct comparison on the topic regarding the president, that's also off topic?

People don't generally take well to having others constantly question their cognitive abilities. The point was that he says one thing about immigration and since the illegals are the ones it effects, it comes across as hypocritical to them.

[ekg]

So I can't mention anything about a direct comparison on the topic regarding the president, that's also off topic?

People don't generally take well to having others constantly question their cognitive abilities. The point was that he says one thing about immigration and since the illegals are the ones it effects, it comes across as hypocritical to them.

fafa..

this thread isn't about immigration. It's about oil and corporations.. and taxes.. there was no 'direct' comparison from you, only the start of another topic that has nothing to do with the one we're talking about..

If you want to talk about Obama's immigration policies then start another thread, it's a pretty simple concept. Just because the president is an American and the title has the word American in it, mentioning him on immigration is not staying on topic.. it is in fact going wildly off topic.

 People don't general take to well to having others constantly come into their threads and throw stop stick in them either. The point is,  you should have just started another line of discussion since this current one had nothing to do with immigration..