this is obscene

Exxon Spends More on Lobbying than Entire Clean Energy Industry Combined

by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York

Guess it pays to be the biggest oil company in the world--even though their profits are at the lowest they've been in six years, Exxon still managed to spend more money on lobbying efforts for the climate bill than the entire clean energy industry combined.

Even with their gargantuan effort, the oil company still felt slighted in the version of the climate bill that passed the House last month (coal and agriculture got far more free permits to pollute than the oil company). Perhaps they at least got a consolation prize? Maybe an "I Spent $15 Million on Lobbying and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt" tee, or something?.............

so THIS is what all that profit is about

controlling our nation (and it's elections) of course! well we knew it all along, now we have the proof.

we're NOT going to hear (from msm) anything THEY (exxon/mobil) don't want us to hear. BUT not to worry, we STILL (for the time being that is) have access to the truth

ExxonMobil owns the media’s convention coverage.»

As ThinkProgress noted yesterday, ExxonMobil is sponsoring CNN’s coverage of both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. We also noted that CBS’s political coverage is sponsored by ExxonMobil. Now, it appears that National Journal has also opened its doors to Big Oil sponsorship, announcing on its website that its coverage of the 2008 conventions will be “presented by ExxonMobil”:

in MOST cases, people are wrong

to be angry at station owners. they have to make a living too. they're charging what big bid-nez (in this case OIL which is one of THE big big big 'uns) says they MUST charge. from thursday to friday in connecticut, gas went up AT LEAST $.10 a gallon (but i saw one that went up $.20). i didn't check the prices yesterday. i was out and about, but i had other things on my mind. GROCERIES for one (and THAT too wasn't pretty).

i know the people who work for big oil have to eat as well. but billions and billions and billions for the big boys while the rest of us are let to have cake? no

they're evil soul-less bastards

Peeved at Prices? Don't Blame the Dealer

Awash in Profit, Exxon Fights for Pennies While Raising the Rent

By Steven Mufson

Washington Post Staff Writer

Every time Sohaila Rezazadeh rings up a sale at her Exxon station on Chain Bridge Road in Oakton, her cash register sends the information to Exxon Mobil's central computers. If she raises the price of gasoline a couple of pennies, chances are that Exxon will raise the wholesale price she pays by the same amount.

Through a password-protected Web portal, Exxon notifies Rezazadeh of wholesale price changes daily. That way the oil giant, which is earning about $3.3 billion a month, fine-tunes the pump prices at the franchise Rezazadeh has owned for 12 years.

Now, however, Rezazadeh says she cannot stay in business. Credit-card fees are eating her profit margins. Exxon, which owns the station land, last week handed Rezazadeh a new lease raising her rent about 30 percent over the next three years. She stuck a copy on the window of her station to show customers who are angry about soaring pump prices. Rezazadeh has told Exxon that she cannot make money with the rent that high. Her territory manager's reply, she said, was simple: When you go, leave us the keys.............

i heard some of the testimony

(read by the news reporter) on npr
Exxon Makes Case on Valdez for High Court
by Nina Totenberg

All Things Considered, February 27, 2008 · The Supreme Court heard arguments from Exxon today that the amount the corporation has been ordered to pay as a result of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska is unreasonable.
Lawyers representing fishermen, Native Alaskans and others say the punitive damages are necessary, because Exxon has not shown that it takes responsibility for the spill and it has fired only one person over the incident: the captain of the Exxon Valdez............... (if you click the npr link above, in addition to the rest of the article, there's an audio link)



i was shocked, astounded and very disturbed. it seemed the justices had NO problems with exxon making money hand over fish (yes, i meant that) while the effected citizens of alaska STILL suffered. seems like they didn't hold exxon responsible even though it sure as heck appeared they knew the captain had 'drinking' issues (for at least 3 years they knew). sure they fired the captain (ONLY), AND EVERYONE ELSE GOT A BIG FAT EFFING BONUS.



it's GOOD to be an american (BIG CORPORATION that is)

At the High Court, Damage Control

By Dana Milbank

Exxon Mobil, the giant oil corporation appearing before the Supreme Court yesterday, had earned a profit of nearly $40 billion in 2006, the largest ever reported by a U.S. company -- but that's not what bothered Roberts. What bothered the chief justice was that Exxon was being ordered to pay $2.5 billion -- roughly three weeks' worth of profits -- for destroying a long swath of the Alaska coastline in the largest oil spill in American history.
"So what can a corporation do to protect itself against punitive-damages awards such as this?" Roberts asked in court.
The lawyer arguing for the Alaska fishermen affected by the spill, Jeffrey Fisher, had an idea. "Well," he said, "it can hire fit and competent people."
The rare sound of laughter rippled through the august chamber. The chief justice did not look amused. ........