Posted on 05/14/2008 3:19:45 PM PDT by Candor7
"About a month ago on my Web site, I requested that Vermonters e-mail me about what the collapse of the middle class means to them personally--not in esoteric economic terms but in a sense of what they are going through," Senator Bernie Sanders said in a speech to the Senate reciting some of the more poignant e-mails - you can watch the video here "Frankly, our people are pretty reticent. People in Vermont don't like to open up and tell everybody all of the problems they have. They try to keep it to themselves. We expected that we would receive perhaps a few dozen replies. In fact, over the last month, we have received some 700 e-mails that came into my office talking about how people in the middle class today are trying desperately to survive. I sometimes think that many of our colleagues here really don't have much of a clue about what is going on in the real world. It is no great secret that the halls of Congress are filled with lobbyists who make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year representing the energy companies, the coal companies, the oil companies, the drug companies, the insurance companies, the banks, and the credit card companies...It is far too rare that we hear the pain and the reality of life that is going on among ordinary people."
(Excerpt) Read more at sanders.senate.gov ...
The Dems have created this "crisis" by not allowing oil exploration off our coasts and in ANWAR.
And its all "BIG OIL's" fault? What an Ass Hat.
Thats 112 million barrels of oil sorry! LOL!!
“collapse of the middle class”
What the heck is he talking about?
This poll has drilling for oil as a solution to the problem as getting the least amount of votes when I just looked. Too many people are idiots and/or ignorant in not knowing that more domestic oil drilling throughout North America along with the building of many more oil refineries will truly bring down oil prices for the long-term. Where’s the PR to get these points finally across to the majority of the general public? The MSM has truly screwed up world politics for too long and in too many ways to count on every issue!
Yes, indeedy. We need to tell him that it is the fault of Congress and we need to drill more oil.
Bernie is a buttwart! A butt boil that should be lanced! Am I clear enough about my opinion about this pinko twit?
Even his own poll screws him over.
Question 6. - Who do you hold most responsible for high gas prices?
So far “Congress” is blamed more than either “Speculators” or “OPEC”. LOL!
Just click on "Read more at."
You mean a 112 BILLION!
112 million might get us through the end of the week.
We need more freeping of this poll!
The people who normally look at the Sanders web page are those who would agree with him anyway. Your opinion counts, but, only if you select the correct answer. Vermont is where people went when they destroyed Massachusetts. Beware New Hampshire.
Sanders’ legislative ability it like the host of “Queen for a day” where the person with the best sob story gets the legislation. Anecdotal evidence makes for poor legislation. It does not generalize very well. Trouble is he never looks at the other side. Which is why we have so many unintended consequences from our laws.
1. How much of a problem has the rising price of gasoline been for you and your family lately?
Very serious
53.92%
Somewhat serious
32.43%
Not too serious
9.57%
Not a problem
4.08%
2. As a result of rising gas prices, have you cut back significantly on your household spending or not?
Have
76.57%
Have not
19.30%
Unsure
4.13%
3. As a result of the recent rise in gas prices, have you changed your summer vacation plans?
Have
68.41%
Have not
31.59%
4. Do you approve or disapprove of the way the federal government is handling the energy situation?
Approve
2.77%
Disapprove
97.23%
5. How likely do you think it is that sometime this year you will have to pay $4 per gallon for gasoline?
Very likely
90.01%
Somewhat likely
8.05%
Not very likely
1.46%
Not likely at all
0.47%
6. Who do you hold most responsible for high gas prices?
Exxon Mobil and other big oil companies
52.14%
Speculators
36.40%
Saudi Arabia and other OPEC countries
28.77%
President Bush and Vice President Cheney
60.04%
Congress
37.66%
7. In the short-term, what do you believe Congress and the White House should do to lower gas prices?
Impose a windfall profits tax on big oil companies so that they cannot gouge consumers at the pump
71.18%
Crack down on speculators who are manipulating the price of oil
60.98%
Break-up OPEC in the World Trade Organization
30.60%
Make gas price gouging a federal crime
48.80%
Suspend federal and state gas taxes
25.16%
Drill More Oil
27.93%
8. In the long-term, what do you believe Congress and the President should do to develop a national energy policy?
Increase investments in renewable energy
78.24%
Make our vehicles, homes, buildings and appliances more energy efficient
63.86%
Drill for more oil
25.84%
Invest more in coal and nuclear
21.71%
9. Has the war in Iraq made the price of gasoline go up, go down or has the war had no effect on the price of gasoline?
Go up
66.47%
Go down
0.52%
No effect
17.00%
Unsure
16.00%
Done, but I don’t think that it will make any difference. There are a lot of terminally clueless people taking that poll and my truthful answers don’t make a spit~in~the~ocean worth of difference...
If he’s so damned concerned about the middle class, then why doesn’t he work to get the government to stop taking our money?
Those of us who are self-employed, with uneven cashflows really get screwed. We have to pay TWICE the social security, plus workers comp and even unemployment insurance.
One bad year can play havoc with cash flow, and every time we get a few bucks ahead, we have to give it to the government, which by far is the largest single item in our family budgets every year.
Say what you will about Bernie Sanders (S), at least he is honest about being a Socialist and doesn’t proclaim himself to be a Democrat in Name Only like so many DINOs.
Do you realize that Barack Obama’s voting record is to the LEFT of Bernie Sanders???
You are right, but before we began freepin, it was Big Oil and Bush with the high percentages for the problem.
Thats because WE BE FREEPIN HIS COMMIE POLL!
Thanks to all for doing it!
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