Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The Hill: High gas prices are good for lobbyists

It should not surprise anyone that lobbyists are making a killing off the gas price situation that has put a dent in the pocketbook for the rest of us. An article posted on The Hill today shows just how lobbyists have taken advantage of the situation:

Rising gas prices have provided steady employment on K Street, even if the spike has made it more expensive to fill up the SUVs lobbyists seem to favor.

Advocates of various stripes have had to fend off a variety of legislation that would do everything from opening OPEC up to antitrust lawsuits, to allowing oil and gas developers access to offshore areas now off-limits, to taxing “windfall profits” the industry now gets and redirecting the money to promote renewable energy.

None of these proposals ever has much hope of passing, although they return every year, meaning new contracts for K Street.

No comments: