I decided to start a new thread, so that posting this would only get this thread shut down, not one of the several really good, but at times political, threads. Think of this as a project for everyone here to work on. Leave your feelings out of it. All I am looking for is factual findings. I think this will help some people realize that the price of oil is a global thing, has been for years. It is not a right wing or left wing conspiracy. This is just one of many political fence players in the oil business. Occidental Petroleum's Armand Hammer

<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>1956</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>Purchases Occidental Petroleum, $120,000.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>1961</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>J. Edgar Hoover memo: Hammer cannot be "pursued" because he is "protected" by Senator Al Gore Sr.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>1970</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>Older brother, Harry, dies.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>17 Jan 1973</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>Armand Hammer makes an illegal $54,000 anonymous campaign contribution to Richard M. Nixon's slush fund, money that was used in Watergate.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>1973</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>Armand Hammer sells a zinc mine to the father of Al Gore, $160,000.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>1973</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>Ten minutes after the above sale of land, Al Gore Sr. sells the zinc mine to his son, Al Gore, Jr., $140,000.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>1976</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>After pleading guilty, Armand Hammer sentenced by Judge Lawrence Lydick to one year probation and $3K fine, for his illegal campaign contribution and subsequent coverup.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>1978</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>Love Canal dioxin disaster, caused by subsidiary Hooker Chemical's dumping.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>1979</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>FBI launches an investigation over whether Armand Hammer attempted to bribe Los Angeles city officials.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>1980</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>Buys Leonardo da Vinci manuscript Codex Leicester and renames it Codex Hammer.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>21 Jun 1982</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>Prince Charles son, William Arthur Philip Louis Windsor born after 17 hours of labor, St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington. 7 lbs, 1.5 oz. Armand Hammer is the child's Godfather.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>1985</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>Younger brother, Victor, dies.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>1986</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>Obtains a seat on the board of Church and Dwight, the makers of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>1986</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>Pledges $1.3M to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in hopes of receiving a pardon. Never receives a pardon, and the money never materializes. Library tries to sue for the money.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>1988</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>Covert DNA testing reveals that Armand's son, Julian, is indeed his son.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>1988</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>Occidental Petroleum, revenue: $20B, profit: $302M.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>14 Aug 1989</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>President George HW Bush pardons Armand Hammer, after he donates $100,000 to the Republican National Committee and $100,000 to the Bush-Quayle Inaugural Committee. Who says money can't buy you everything?</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>10 Dec 1990</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>Armand Hammer dies of cancer.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>11 Nov 1994</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>Bill Gates buys Codex Hammer for $30,802,500 and renames it Codex Leicester again.</TD></TD><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap align=right><TT>1995</TT></TD><TD vAlign=top>At Vice President Al Gore's recommendation, Federal government sells Elk Hills oil reserves to Occidental Petroleum, $3.65B.


Ryan
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Novel concept. The energy industry caters to WHOMEVER is in office and get favors in return. (Not really a surprise to me, but probably to some...)

I sorta' like our one party gubbermint. (yes, more sarcasm.)

 

I imagine that this thread is going to be shut down. It is a shame that we can not carry on a conversation as adults without people attacking others.

On your topic though, one party is just as guilty as the other, especially on the issue of oil. I do not understand why it has taken so long for companies like Ford and GM to jump onto hybrids. I beleive that the Toyota Prius really knocked some common sense into the automotive industry.

If someone came out with a "true" hybrid truck that had 25 - 30mpg, they would most likely run away with the market. True being an F series, Silverado, Titan, Tundra or Ram, I don't mean anything like a Ridgeline or Avalanche.

- Chris

 

Get a membership and support the site. Then you can post this in the "Club FTE Member's Only" forum.

 

I'm probably going to do that soon, I used to be a paying member.

- Chris

 

http://www.wsws.org/news/1998/dec1998/merg-d15.shtml

"The recently-announced merger between major oil companies Exxon and Mobil will create not only the world's biggest oil company but also the largest corporation in terms of revenue"

"One of the major driving forces behind the recent mergers in the petro-chemical industry is the falling price of crude oil"

summary. low oil prices prompt exxon/mobil to form the biggest oil cartel since jd rockefeller's last wet dream. seven years later we're paying record high gas prices.

going on.. "With the price of oil not expected to rise in the near future, the major oil companies are seeking to consolidate their operations and develop economies of scale to produce huge savings, increased market share, combined resources in costly oil exploration and increase profitability."

makes sense. but oil prices are high now. why aren't we seeing any big projects to bring more oil to market? instead all i hear about is ANWR. 3$/gallon wouldn't be so bad if i was making 60,000 with overtime on some rig somewhere.

absolutely right both parties are complicit. the mergers were approved during the lewinsky affair when the federal government was controlled by two parties who chose to do nothing. but who can blame them. with the price of an election these days neither party can afford to be on bad terms with these guys.