Gas Prices and The President's New Helicopter

[Mark]

It's amazing how these morons in gov propose solutions for gas prices by giving everybody $100 or eliminating gas taxes. It sort of seems like they're testing the will of the people (what little there is of it) to see if they'd take a short term fix (at $3 per gallon, $100 would net about 33 gallons of gas, good for about a week maybe) and to see if they even understand government and tax flow -- e.g. cutting gas taxes means that money for whatever the gas tax is used for must come from some other source, any of which is still out of the people's pocket. Meanwhile neither of these proposals strike at real problems with companies gouging consumers. Record profits, highest gas prices ever, yet they expect us to believe the two are unrelated!

And then there is the claim that prices are due in part to lack of production, which is supposedly due to no new refineries being built, yet the companies are raking tons of money, so why haven't they spent some on new refiners? And they blame hurricane Katrina too since the storm wiped out some oil related resources/refineries. There are record oil company profits, and no refinery repairs finished in New Orleans? ? ?

And on that note, here we are facing another hurricane season and what's the status in New Orleans? Levies aren't fortified yet, people still homeless, etc. Incompetitence or lack of funds doesn't explain any of this. But ponerology sure does. It also explains this:

http://www.livescience.com/technology/060507_marine_one.html

The President's New Helicopter
By Jonathon Keats

After decades of upgrades to a fleet of notoriously cramped Sikorsky VH-3 Sea Kings, the White House has tasked Lockheed Martin with a dramatic, $6.1-billion makeover of Marine One, the presidential helicopter, starting this summer. The goal: to fit a mobile Oval Office into the tight quarters of a chopper. The new fleet will consist of 23 VH-71 aircraft, each of which will have 200 square feet of cabin space, nearly double the Sea King's 116.

Aside from the legroom, the copter will incorporate major upgrades to the old defense and communications systems. Equally important is that the aircraft is flight-proven-the $110-million bird is derived from a European-built AgustaWestland EH101, currently doing military service for Canada and the U.K. Here, an inside look at the revamped Marine One, set to gradually go into service between 2009 and 2014.

Fuselage: Made of high-strength reinforced aluminum alloy, it can withstand crash impacts in excess of 15 Gs.

Engine: The VH-71 can shift from three 3,000-horsepower turboshaft engines to two, whereas the twin-engine Sea King must land if one engine fails.

Rotor: Five flared rotor blades increase the craft's efficiency by up to 30 percent over conventional designs when flying at 150-knot cruising speed.

Defense System: The VH-71s, like the EH101s they are modeled on, will probably feature radar-warning receiv-ers, laser detectors and flare dispensers to deflect anti-aircraft missiles.

Cabin: Measuring eight feet wide and 25 feet long, the cabin will include a lavatory and a galley kitchen. The fold-down stair spares the president from ducking during photogenic entrances and exits.

Communications: More room for communications hardware means the president will have secure and continuous access to all White House and Pentagon computer systems and data streams.

People are homeless across the nation, some have no food at all, others can't maintain a decent diet due to poverty, health care is available if you're wealthy enough to afford it. What's the gov do about? Upgrade the presidential choppers! Loosely translated: Line numerous pockets and to hell with everyone else -- let them eat cake or something like that. In short: It's looting.

Obviously a goverment "of the people, by the people, and for the people" is strictly reserved for those who pay attention and even then only in cases where those who do pay attention have more collective will power than those who finagle their way into government positions of authority.