Over a Barrel

Oil and Gas Company Executives Defend High Pump Prices As Essential to Maintaining Supplies

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Americans paying $3 per gallon at the pump have it relatively cheap when compared with prices globally, say oil and gas company executives who defend their record profits as essential to maintaining supplies. In parts of Europe and elsewhere in the West, gasoline prices are more like $5 per gallon to $7 per gallon, said the chairman of ConocoPhillips Co., James J. Mulva. Mulva and two other executives who appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" said they are optimistic about keeping a lid on domestic prices, unless their fears come true about the potential for damage to U.S. energy production from the hurricane season that began June 1. "I do understand why consumers are concerned. The thing that concerns all of us, I think, is that we're heading into hurricane season again," said the chairman of Chevron Corp., David J. O'Reilly.

Excuse me ... uh ... Mulva - are you the dad of Jerry's girlfriend whose name he couldn't remember? What a coincidence that I also commonly refer to the big oil companies by the names of female body parts.

Nothing galls me more than that tired old argument that tells us we are "lucky" to be where we are, and not somewhere else. It's irrelevant, because we are not in Europe, we are in the United States. Historically, prices in Europe have been higher, so the argument doesn't hold water - or oil.

As we know by now, consumers don't stand a chance against big business, whether it's oil or anything else. And yes, we are concerned about hurricane seaon - but isn't there a hurricane season every year? Why is it only the past couple of years that we have been concerned about it? I'm guessing that the 'Meet the Press' host didn't follow up that comment with a question.

They do understand that we are concerned, but there is a big difference between understanding and caring, and we know they don't care. The lid's off the hurricane season, folks, so keep driving those giant house-sized land cruisers and get ready to dig deep for another gallon. Here's an idea: Let's petition the National Weather Service to change the way they name hurricanes. Since we are supposed to be 'concerned', why not use appropriate names for storms that will affect people outside of the storm track? Here's my partial list. Feel free to add your own.

A - Anadarko

B - British Petroleum

C - Chevron

D - Dick Cheney

E - Exxon

F - just put your favorite "F" word in front of an oil company name

G - Gulf (although you could substitute "George W. Bush")

H - Halliburton

...well, you get it. And soon, we're all going to get it.