Campaign '08

By Taft Ayers

I must begin this article by stating that I am the closest thing to a "single-issue voter" that you will find. I care about conservative judges and that is about the extent of my political interest.

For so many years, I would hear folks say, "if you don't vote, then don't complain." I applied that logic for a couple of elections simply saying, "I don't complain, so I won't vote."

One day it happened. I complained. Therefore, I need to vote. I do not have a rocking chair on the American Front Porch and I don't tune in to FOX News or CNN, instead I spend my time perusing ESPN and Sportscenter.

I felt it only fair to give that disclaimer before I write the following. Feel free to rip me to shreds. I'll call it a learning experience:

I heard about Obama's new brilliant idea-a $1000 check for every American, paid for by oil companies. One of my buddies recently said, "Exxon just turned a 12 million dollar quarterly profit- which is good for the economy, good for anyone who has a retirement plan, mutual fund, or any other investment-Exxon's probably in there."

You do the math: 300 million people times $1000 = 300 Billion dollars. Assume Exxon makes 12 million profit each quarter, and is responsible for 1/6 of the "We-love-communism-profit-is-bad-tax."

That gives Exxon a 50 Billion dollar tax bill to be subtracted from their 48 billion estimated yearly profit (estimate based on one quarter of earnings). So now America's most profitable company will start seeing bleeding red ink. Who does this help? And where will gas prices go to keep Exxon profitable once profits are penalized?

Politicians do not pay their own car note, or purchase their own gas. Makes it easy to protect the Caribou, huh?