Ignore that Little Man Behind the Curtain
(for the Molly Ivins Tribute Project)

       As we all remember, gas prices hovered around three bucks a gallon the
early part of last year.  Here in California we had an initiative on
the ballot to tax Big Oil and use the money to develop alternative
fuels.  Naturally Big Oil was going to threaten us with higher gas
prices if we passed the tax, but they had a problem.  Folks were mad at
them for raking in record profits through guvmint subsidies and record
pump prices.
       On the national level, the Big Oil Party might actually lose the
Congress, and if that happened, the Dems might start questioning the
oil crusade in Iraq (politely of course, not withdrawing the troops or
anything).  So gas prices needed to come down until the election.
       Just as they were fixing to bring ‘em down, some scientist up in
Prudoe Bay, Alaska found major deterioration in the oil pipeline which
meant it would need to be shut down until it was fixed.  For a day or
two the papers talked about how this major cut in oil supply would mean
a massive increase in gas prices.  You know, the free market and all
like that.
       Well, no.  The next week gas prices fell like a sky diver who forgot
his parachute.  By the first of September, I paid $2.399/gal, and
that’s where they stayed until 11/7 (which, coincidentally, was
election day).  During this period the Iraq War went just swimmingly
and Iraqi oil production sank to its lowest level yet; Bush’s good
friend Hugo Chavez was reelected with a massive majority in Venezuela
and said he was going to nationalize sectors of the oil production of
that country; and Nigeria suffered a massive oil explosion and fire
killing hundreds.  Any effect on oil prices?  Nope.
       Well, Big Oil batted .500.  They defeated the tax on oil for
alternative fuels, but they lost the House and the Senate.  And gas
prices?  On 11/8, I paid $2.439; on 11/11, $2.459; 11/17, $2.499;
12/15, $2.599; 12/21, $2.699.  Ignore that little man behind the
curtain.
       P.S. Before community organizer Saul Alinsky died, he said he’d
probably be bored in heaven, and he’d rather go to hell so he could
organize down there.  I’m sure Molly Ivins is bound for glory, but I
wouldn’t be surprised if she stopped by hell first to check on Saul and
report on how he’s doing.

Jim Barnard