Jack Layton Raving ....

Yeah I know it's redundant ... but he's been going on about gasoline prices and how he'll stick it to the big bad oil companies.

Try some facts Jack ...

Independent observers who follow Canadian retail gasoline prices say, on average, in 2010 crude costs accounted for roughly 47% of what Canadians paid for a litre of gasoline. On the same litre, taxes made up 33%, refinery operating margin accounted for 13% and roughly 7% was left as operating margin for retailers to cover their operating costs and return a profit. (Source: MJ Ervin & Associates/Kent Marketing Group).

Of note, in 2010 Canadian gasoline prices, including taxes, were second lowest among G8 countries. Due to lower tax levels, the United States had the lowest tax-in gasoline prices among the G8 nations.

Of course facts don't get into the brains of Layton and his supporters ..... so I would not expect anything different. But, just because he is going into his usual bullshit act of feigned outrage I think it deserves pointing out.

The only beef I have with the price of gas is the AMOUNT of tax I'm forced to pay.

Said tax is supposed to be used for ROAD maintenance and improvements and less that 0.01 percent of this money the government steals from us is used for that purpose.

Now ... I do not suppose that the likes of Laytoon would ever consider reducing these taxes to give us consumers a break. Nope ... not a chance because what the commies have always stated on the matter is that they would increase those taxes and include new levies as well.

While spouting off about how evil the oil companies are for charging enough to make a few pennies of a liter of the stuff .... with every word they utter on the matter they are full of shit. In addition to this hypocrisy ... they propose that they can force the oil companies to lower prices at the pump ... in effect saying that they will force the oil companies to operate at a loss.

Two problems .... ONE they cannot do this unless they are in the kind of position Hugo Chavez is in where they can rewrite laws to suit their ideological assumptions. TWO ... the price of oil Before it gets to the refinery is determined by the international markets.

Now suppose that the commies in the NDP actually could do what they say and succeeded!

For a small sample of the consequences .... take a look at Venezuela... and if you look there you will see that there are damned few people left with enough an income that allows them to BUY gas for their cars.

It may be true that you and I get screwed every weekend when the retail gas outlets jack their prices .... but that is NOT the same thing as the oil companies making a killing at our expense on the basic price of fuel.

The measure of support for the likes of people who make these proclamations LIKE Lack Layton does is essentially a measure of the gullibility of people who listen to them.

OMMAG