Big Oil’s Lobbying Efforts Pay Off
Big Oil’s Lobbying Efforts Pay Off
The Wall Street Journal today reports that the major oil companies successfully “beat back†attempts by Congress to have oil companies pay their fair share in taxes:
Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp. and ConocoPhillips beat back an attempt by senators to raise their taxes by nearly $6 billion.
The Senate version of the bill at one point included a provision that would have cost the five largest oil companies — companies with average daily production of 500,000 barrels; gross receipts of more than $1 billion dollars in 2005 and an ownership in a refinery of 15% or more — about $5 billion by changing how they account for oil inventory. House Republicans dropped the provision from the final version of the bill.
A separate Senate measure would have stripped $700 million in tax incentives for large oil companies to explore for oil and gas. That provision, too, was dropped from the compromise bill that emerged from House-Senate negotiations.
Looks like Big Oil has been putting their record profits to good use.
PoliticalMoneyLine has a new analysis on how they’ve been spending their money. In 2005, the top ten oil companies spent a whopping $33,173,092 lobbying Congress and the Bush administration. The numbers are broken down by company below:
| Oil Company | Amount Spent |
| ChevronTexaco | $8,550,000 |
| ExxonMobil | $7,140,000 |
| ConocoPhillips | $5,098,084 |
| Marathon | $4,290,000 |
| BP | $2,880,000 |
| Occidental | $2,042,177 |
| Shell | $1,478,831 |
| Ashland | $904,000 |
| Sunoco | $540,000 |
| Anadarko | $250,000 |
| TOTAL | $33,173,092 |
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Ya know–screw it. This is no longer a country with a government by & for the people. ’sides, the murkan public is too apathetic and dumbed down to care what’s happening in their name (and with their tax dollars) anyway.
All you shills for the right wing corporatist bastards, I hope you’re happy.
May 11th, 2006 at 4:09 pmOh another pic of that fat slob CEO Raymond of Exxon on here > lol. All the Oil Cartel CEOs are dirty swindling swine, so arrest them all and off with their heads!
May 11th, 2006 at 4:10 pm6 Billion is so little to start paying of the 9 trillion in debt America is
May 11th, 2006 at 4:10 pmWhy, I’m… I’m shocked, I tells ya, shocked! I suppose the fact that gas shot up by a dime in MA today is kind of payback for Congress’ “attempt” to get them to pay their fair share of taxes. I’m about ready to firebomb Exxon’s refineries at this point. If I do, who’s gonna bring the weenies and marshmallows?
Btw, for you sleepyheads, Bob Herbert’s latest has been up since this morning. Something original later.
May 11th, 2006 at 4:14 pmYou know they’re really just compensation for extremely tiny winkies.
May 11th, 2006 at 4:14 pmDear any Republican troll:
Convince me that the GOP is doing what’s in the best interest of the country and its citizens vs. what’s in the best interest for corporations with lots of money to spend.
Good luck.
May 11th, 2006 at 4:15 pm9/11 did change everything. Instead of asking questions and demanding answers, the American people have become as much a bunch of stooges for corporate conglomerates and the new world order as the “leadership” of this nation on all levels.a Corporate predators are around because the people want it that way and are more than happy to vote against their own interests and not question those in authority when it is their right. The national association of manufacturers was the begining, but we now have CEO summits that call the shots on how America is to be driven. No tough questions will ever be asked by the corporate owned media.
My take on the first amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
What part of this still exists since the creation of free speech zones, a corporate owned press, and being tagged as a hater of America for asking for answers from those who are supposed to represent the people?
Freedom of $peech
Freedom of the Pre$$
Freedom of A$$embly
Petition government for redre$$ of grievances
They are all gone.
Americans are giving up the most prized possession any people anywhere could ever have had.
May 11th, 2006 at 4:19 pmAt least we now know why they need to charge 3.00 dollars per gallon..those greedy congressmen ask alot to do the oil companies bidding…and we wouldn’t want the oil companies to have to take their campaign contributions out of their pockets would we?
May 11th, 2006 at 4:19 pmDisgusting. I still don’t understand why a government would give subsidies to an industry reaping in record profits!
May 11th, 2006 at 4:21 pm#5 - Blubber jowls = extremely tiny winkies? Ack.
May 11th, 2006 at 4:26 pmHey, where’s Citgo? You mean Hugo Chavez doesn’t care if he get’s our business or not? Oh wait, most people are trying to use Citgo instead of giving their money to the Saudi’s.
Sweet Home, Venezuala!
Where the skys are so blue!
Sweet Home, Venezuela!
Bush is coming after you, next.
Peace, back by popular demand!
May 11th, 2006 at 4:27 pm#11 - Citgo. Wish I could, but I’d have to drive 2.5 hours. *sigh*
May 11th, 2006 at 4:28 pmWell, as investments go, they continue to reap the benefits. But now people are curious, that’s new.
May 11th, 2006 at 4:28 pmI want a list of the goddamn senators and representatives that voted on this!! I’m getting REALLY mad!!! can anyone come up with the roll call??
May 11th, 2006 at 4:34 pmThe United States Incorporation of America.
May 11th, 2006 at 4:35 pmAnyone who voted for the Bush/Cheney cartel should be kicking themselves in the pants about now.
The chickens have come home to roost.
The seeds sown in 2000 are blooming.
I am not a person who says I told you so because when an outcome is so awful, there is no need to pile on, but the state of this country is so endangered, that I would go on the roof and shout I told you so if I thought it would do any good. But even the fools who bought the Bush/Cheney sales promotional are in the same boat as we are — we are all screwed, big time.
Hey look! Jabba the Hutt!
May 11th, 2006 at 4:45 pm711 sells CITGO gas, in case you didn’t know.
May 11th, 2006 at 4:51 pmIn checking the link to the lobbyists, I couldn’t help but notice that Citgo (Venezuala) had no contributions. You don’t think the oil business couldn’t turn a profit without buying the political whores in D.C. do ya? Chavez don’t need no stinking contributions.
May 11th, 2006 at 4:53 pmBlubber jowls = extremely tiny winkies? Ack.
Comment by Zookeeper — May 11, 2006 @ 4:26 pm
Makes George Clooney look a little pale in copmparison, eh? ;)
Seriously, I could go through the rest of my life without seeing another picture of Jabba Tiny Winkie. (hint, hint, TP). How about one of Joe Wilson instead?
May 11th, 2006 at 4:55 pmlocation finder for CITGO GAS
May 11th, 2006 at 4:56 pmNOTE TO THINK PROGRESS… can you start posting a link that shows the roll call on these controversial votes. If these jerks’ names are published everytime they vote on something like this maybe they will get scared think about their re-election bid!!
May 11th, 2006 at 5:11 pmLIFO accounting is used by more companies than just the oil business and has been used for decades. If Congress wants to get into yet another area where they don’t know what they’re doing,that’s fine but it won’t be very pretty. The oil companies tax rate is higher than any other in the country. I realize everybody here is convinced that it’s manipulation although you’ll have to explain why somebody like Shell or BP or Exxon allowed the price of oil in the late 90s to be less than their lifting costs in the North Sea for example.
May 11th, 2006 at 5:14 pm#19 - How about one of Joe Wilson instead?
Comment by unbelievable
But only when the thread has absolutely nothing to do with him, wouldn’t that get some troll heads spinning!
May 11th, 2006 at 5:14 pm#21
i agree with that…at least think progress give us the bill number…
it is in this list somewhere, #21.
peace.
May 11th, 2006 at 5:18 pm#21
i think this is the roll call...straight party-line vote, with six or seven democrats not voting…but, it really doesn’t matter if they would have voted.
May 11th, 2006 at 5:24 pmIt’s disgusting. Horrifying. 33 million? To our politicians? Is that what I vote for? This is a disgrace.
May 11th, 2006 at 5:25 pmTJM: “The oil companies tax rate is higher than any other in the country.” and “Shell or BP or Exxon allowed the price of oil in the late 90s to be less than their lifting costs in the North Sea for example. “…
Got any proof of that?
Great suggestion, #21.
May 11th, 2006 at 5:27 pmThoughts TP?
Judd, you should tell Al to cut the song and give you more air time!
But only when the thread has absolutely nothing to do with him, wouldn’t that get some troll heads spinning!
Comment by Zookeeper — May 11, 2006 @ 5:14 pm
We could call it ‘vision conservation’ - SAVE THE EYES! SAVE THE EYES! Jabba makes mine bleed a little. That can’t be too good at my age… : )
May 11th, 2006 at 5:39 pmhttp://www.congress.org has all roll call votes posted on their website.
May 11th, 2006 at 5:41 pm#28 - Jabba makes mine bleed a little. That can’t be too good at my age… : )
Comment by unbelievable
Not at all attractive, and hard to coordinate, unless you wear a lot of black. ;)
May 11th, 2006 at 5:43 pmMonopoly Money.
The Capitalist Crystal Ceiling is Cracking, Crazing, popping sounds, its visible now.
The question is; When will it fall and will you be able to get out of the way fast enough…..?
May 11th, 2006 at 5:44 pmSeriously, I could go through the rest of my life without seeing another picture of Jabba Tiny Winkie.
Comment by unbelievable
Bill Maher has a good nickname for him, Fat Bastard. LOL
May 11th, 2006 at 5:54 pmBill Maher has a good nickname for him, Fat Bastard. LOL
Comment by Wayne — May 11, 2006 @ 5:54 pm
Bill Maher is hysterical. He needs a new show on regular cable. We could trade for David Spade.
May 11th, 2006 at 6:01 pmobviously, if you are a congressperson voting in the oil companies favor is just giving yourself a big fat raise
May 11th, 2006 at 6:01 pmI think Mike Meyers has a copyright on the name fat bastard because of the austin powers movies.
May 11th, 2006 at 6:02 pmSolitaire,the IRS has a tax stats page where you can look at tax rates for various industries,the tables are Excel spreadsheets. The compiled data on the IRS page has stats from 1994 through 2003.
May 11th, 2006 at 6:24 pmThe lifting cost data is at the EIA,the companies file a Form EIA-28 that details financial performance across all energy rtelated business lines.The North Sea data is in The Oil and Gas Journal. Subscription required. There are lots of articles on the web that will give you an indication of the difference between Middle East costs at 50 cents a barrel to North Sea estimates of 12-16 dollars/bbl.
I don’t think they’re his jowls, I think they’re his balls.
May 11th, 2006 at 6:27 pm#37 - You may be right, Jane. A guy with balls that big would want to display them. ;)
May 11th, 2006 at 6:46 pm#38, you’d think that they would have succumbed to gravity by now. He probably stuck them up there so he wouldn’t step on them.
May 11th, 2006 at 6:57 pmGood one zookeeper!
May 11th, 2006 at 7:00 pmyou too Jane!
May 11th, 2006 at 7:01 pmLOL
Thanks, enjoyed the fun!
I’m heading home now to watch Keith, Wayne’s leaving, too. (Schneider, that is - I see there’s another Wayne and another Jane posting recently. We still use our full names.)
‘Night, all!
May 11th, 2006 at 7:05 pmI don’t think they’re his jowls, I think they’re his balls.
Comment by Jane E. Schneider #37
unh unh Jane…
…Bushiva and L’il Dick’s loads…
…(he saves ‘em a’ la Monica’s blue dress)…
…ewwwww yecch!…
May 11th, 2006 at 7:38 pmCEO Raymond of Exxon eats caviar by the pound, and swills champagne by the gallon, so he is one ripe ton of lard > lol.
May 11th, 2006 at 11:18 pmJAMES… THANKS!! The Dems better be compiling these lists as we speak or i personally will have to kick some buttocks!!! i may be small but I’m Irish!!
May 11th, 2006 at 11:33 pmi would have to respectfully submit that any senator that voted to help oil,
May 12th, 2006 at 12:36 amshould be removed from the ranks, and have their benefit package revoked.
and jailed for bribery among other crimes against the people of this country
[…] Got extra buck? Want to make the biggest bang out of it? Do what big oil companies do. Buy a politician. […]
May 12th, 2006 at 1:59 am“Beat back,” may not be what they did. Who do they have to “beat back?” Oil and Congress all walk hand in hand with one hand in our pockets.
May 12th, 2006 at 6:12 amOil companies profits are about 9 cents a gallon, whereas the government takes in about 50 cents a gallon in taxes. If the oil companies have to pay more taxes—we’ll be paying more at the pump. The government is already raking in over five times the amount of the oil companies profits, and still they want more. (liberalism) They don’t dare increase the tax per gallon for the consumer because they won’t be able to villianize the big oil companies—they’ll be the villians—which they are—exept then it will be obvious. Good for the oil companies in beating back the greedy liberal law makers.
May 12th, 2006 at 8:16 amMay 12th, 2006 at 8:31 am
#52
That’s what liberalism is all about! Penalize capitalism and raise taxes.
May 12th, 2006 at 9:48 amThe federal gov’t collects 18.4 cents/gal.,state taxes differ. The gas stations make about 9 cents/gal but most stations arte independently owned. 6 states,in fact,prohibit corp. ownership of gas stations.
May 12th, 2006 at 9:52 amThe federal income tax receipts have increased from the record profits. XOM paid about $39 billion in taxes last year.
Everyone gets their cut in every step of the process—from the oil well to your gas tank. It’s worse than buying a house.
May 12th, 2006 at 9:57 am#51 - So, even by your innaccurate and misleading post, only $0.59 of the $3.00 price tag is accounted for. $2.41 / gallon is strictly mining and processing costs? I don’t think so. The oil companies have said the price is being raised to reduce demand. The price is not being raised because cost of processing has gone up. This is by their own admission!!!! Hello, they are making record profits. Did you miss that part? $0.09 profit for the oil companies? I think not. Maybe the gas stations, but not the oil companies. Remember too that when gas prices go up due to the oil companies’ greed, gas stations have to take a hit themselves to remain competitive. Nobody wins but greedy “texas oil men” types. Unregulated capitalism at work!
Oh but wait, we should blame the liberals and their silly notion of taxing to pay for government services. What are the liberals thinking? All good conservatives know you can just infinitely borrow money from foreign countries like China with no repurcussions! Taxes! Pfft!
May 12th, 2006 at 11:55 amThat’s telling the greedy fu*ks Parrotlover…
…they’ll (inbred Bushite TRAITORS like Antichrist #51) would justify pimping their mothers/sisters/daughters…
…as long as market forces are favorable to it…
…aren’t they despicable?
May 12th, 2006 at 12:37 pmI guess they will have one last good party! When the bars slam shut!!! you good for noting jerks! I dont know whos worst, them (oil) or us who gave it to them!
May 15th, 2006 at 8:25 pmAnyone who is upset by these stats should start seriously looking into either getting a bio-diesel or ethanol powered automobile. You can convert a jetta or passat for a relatively inexpensive amount of money and thousands of autos already have the capability to run of E-85. That is really the only way to “stick it” to the oil men.
May 19th, 2006 at 4:58 pmHow come in this f***ing country we vote these asswipes thining they’ll do good for our interest, but then they go a lie like mofos and nothing happens to them???
How about getting Raymond [Fat Bastard] mega villa address and pump some fresh Saudi crude on his turf? Even better, how about asking Exxon investor to demand thos 450 million dollars that he got as severence package? …and then he split some with Bush & Dick..
Why can we round these freaking asswipes and throw them in some Mexican jail for a very long time?
Why not?
FS
May 21st, 2006 at 9:28 pmWonderful web site, was very useful. Lovely touch having this guestbook. Thanks
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February 16th, 2007 at 12:17 pm