Oil industry to get boost from Bush plan to close military bases

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=b4a0bc08386f5989

Big News Network.com Friday 29th April, 2005

Behind the Bush administration's plans to close military bases across the United States is another plan: to convert them to oil refineries.

The closures were earmarked for 2003 but because of the attacks of September 11 the process was delayed until this year.

The move to close military bases is a controversial one principally because of the impact the installations have on the local economies where they are located. There are 425 bases across the country.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the military has a surplus of base capacity of 25% and closing a number of them could save $7 billion a year. Others argue that with the country at war it is essential the bases be retained.

But what has not been disclosed, until this week, was that the administration has a plan to have the sites earmarked for closure converted to oil refineries. The plan was unveiled at a little publicised Small Business Administration conference in Washington on Wednesday. The president said he was recommending the plan to address the country's energy needs and reduce dependence on foreign energy sources.

Bush said expanding refinery capacity would help address the shortage that's partly blamed for skyrocketing gasoline prices. 'The last oil refinery built in the United States was completed in 1976,' he said.

more...
couldn't you see this coming!!!

[liberal N proud]

1. With free land to build refineries, Do you think!

[smoogatz]

2. Also slated for refinery construction:

Yellowstone Park, Cape Cod national seashore, and the Capitol Mall.

[pscot]

3. A plan guaranteed

to build local, bi-partisan opposition. I don't think Karl Rove has been getting enough fish in his diet lately.

[74dodgedart]

4. Oil companies are making record profits and Bush has a plan to

give them further gov't subsidies.

[petronius]

5. It may not be totally nutty

We could use more refinery capacity, and a lot of military bases are polluted to the extent that extensive cleanup would be required for other uses. The questions I would have are whether the bases chosen for closure are actually surplus, and whether the transfer of land to the oil company would be a giveaway, or a market-value sale. Another issue to be addressed would be whether the refinery would have more detrimental effects on the local area than the base...

[wishlist]

6. Financial windfall to oil companies with no guarantee of lower prices

Bush setting stage for major corporate benefits at expense of American taxpayers. I doubt consumers will benefit any in the long run.

[AValdoux]

7. Double Whammy

Not only do these communities lose jobs & revenue from closing the bases, they get an environmental nightmare in their backyards. I guess Bush figures once they take away the bases the communities will put up with anything to replace the jobs.


AValdoux

[lovuian]

8. I bet this was in the notes in Cheney's Energy Meeting

we never got to see!!!

[DBoon]

9. in a different country, the spare land would be poor people's housing

That different country was the USA 30 years ago.

[Ganja Ninja]

10. Ok freepers what's the difference between this and welfare?

Welfare for corporations that only yesterday reported earnings for the last quarter in the billions of dollars. Let me say that again, In the last quarter they earned billions of dollars.Some of this land is prime real estate worth millions and even billions.

Why should this government give away such valuable assets to companies that are right now making more in profits than they ever have? I'll tell you why. It's because this administration is corrupt and that's putting it mildly. Bush/Cheney are nothing but lying crooks and you freepers put them in power.

:grr: :banghead: :grr: :banghead::grr: :banghead::grr: :banghead::grr: :banghead::grr: :banghead::grr: :banghead::grr: :banghead::grr: :banghead::grr: :banghead::grr: :banghead:

[0rganism]

11. No Shit Sherlock

You could make that headline out of damn near ANY bush policy:

"Oil industry to get boost from Bush plan to invade Iraq"
"Oil industry to get boost from Bush plan to privatize Social Security"
"Oil industry to get boost from Bush plan to end emissions regulations"
"Oil industry to get boost from Bush plan to open ANWR for drilling"
"Oil industry to get boost from Bush plan to exempt pollutors from class-action lawsuits"

I challenge anyone to find a "Bush plan" that DOESN'T offer a boost to the oil industry.

[MasonJar]

12. Not having started a war based on lies would have saved $300

billion and 1000's of lives.

[bklyncowgirl]

13. Will they be,er reimursing the taxpayers for this land?

Seriously. I work for local government and you can't dispose of a ten year old computer without sending to to the equipment auction.

We're talking about large areas of land--alot of it waterfront property--this sounds like a serious breach of ethics to me.

But what else is new.