By Louis Avallone
–
To “have one’s cake and eat it too” is a popular figure of speech, intended to illustrate, of course, the futility of consuming a thing, while attempting to still preserve it. Or, to express it another way, “you can’t have it both ways”. Of course, that still doesn’t keep some folks from trying, but some folks might ought to let Mary Landrieu know that she may have eaten the last piece of that proverbial “cake” in Louisiana. Here’s what I mean:
The oil and gas industry contributes nearly $70 billion to our state’s economy, and funds almost 14% of the state’s budget through royalties and other fees. It directly, or indirectly, supports nearly 320,000 jobs throughout the state.
But the industry, and the thousands of Louisiana families whose livelihoods depends upon it, continue to suffer at the hands of an Obama administration intent on crippling our state’s economy, by making the oil and gas industry ineligible for the same federal tax incentives available to every other industry, and by increasing regulations through the EPA, effectively reducing drilling altogether. After all, according to Obama, why worry about an oil and gas industry that’s making record profits – especially when they’re not paying their “fair” share, right?
Considering the oil and gas industry’s importance to our state’s economy, not to mention our national security, it is undeniably difficult to reconcile Mary Landrieu’s tireless campaigning for the re-election of President Obama while, at the same time, she laments his promises of increasing energy taxes on the oil and gas industry, as well as the White House’s de facto moratorium on drilling and exploration. She is willing to accept nearly $3 million in campaign contributions from this same “price-gouging” industry, even as her own “guy” (Obama) says she either needs to “stand with big oil companies”, or she “can stand with the American people.”
And even if all of those contradictions weren’t enough, Mary Landrieu continues her religious support of the same Democrat Party that almost unanimously voted, in the U.S. Senate, to increase taxes on the oil and gas industry, not to mention her endorsement of the White House who literally holds Louisiana’s prosperity in the balance. In fact, Mary Landrieu is so committed to the Democrat Party that she votes along party lines almost 85% of the time.
And to add insult to injury, and despite Louisiana’s conservative values, and the fact that 58% of Louisianans voted Republican in the November election, Mary Landrieu still finds it representative of her constituents for her to campaign for a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate in Virginia, explaining her support by writing, “We can’t let the Republican Party win control of the Senate.” Really?
And now, with Democrats controlling both the Senate and the White House, the American Petroleum Institute is running commercials throughout the state, to encourage Senator Landrieu to stand for her constituents, and against the looming federal tax increases, and new regulations within the oil and gas industry, which are supported by the same Democrat Party, and White House, for whom Senator Landrieu so relentlessly campaigned.
If Senator Landrieu “knows that jobs killing energy taxes hurt Louisiana’s economy”, as those television commercials explain, then why would she have worked so hard to elect a President who doesn’t seem to understand that raising taxes on the oil industry will lead to less oil on the market, leading to higher oil prices, and ultimately, higher gasoline prices for consumers, which then raises the cost of almost everything else, from chicken to cheese?
If Senator Landrieu was “fighting for jobs”, why would she stand with a Democrat Party whose war on “big oil” extends well beyond federal tax increases, but will decrease “big oil” profits, as well? This won’t lead to more jobs, but it will decimate the pension funds and investment income of nearly 39 million senior citizens, not to mention the 76 million baby boomers approaching retirement, whose savings include mutual funds largely dependent on “big oil” profitability.
Senator Landrieu isn’t much of a fiscal conservative, as she obviously revealed in 2003 when she said, “I think the whole trickle-down (economy) is hogwash…(w)e tried that and it didn’t work”. But I think she knows differently, deep down. It may just be more politics for her, than is practical for us, considering our state’s precarious position in this war on “big oil.”
The problem is that Louisiana politics has moved on. The “every man a king” Democrat, or politicians that say one thing among their constituents, and another when they are back in Washington, is a tired, worn out template which is indicative of a politician more interested in the next election, than the next generation. And the fact that Senator Landrieu is the last Democrat in a statewide office is evidence of just how far Louisiana politics has moved on.
Louisiana needs a U.S. Senator that stands with them 100% of the time, not with the White House, or the Democrat Party talking points. You can’t have it both ways. It’s like it says in the Bible, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other.” Senator Landrieu is a good and decent person, but the people of Louisiana deserve her undivided service; representative of our good values and irrespective of good politics – or even good “cake.”