Bribery

So now Republicans are bribing Senators for their votes and they succeeded in passing their version of the Tax plan. The Republican Tax Bill was approved by Senators who before never voted for the bill. What made them change their votes?  They added new things to the Bill that had nothing to do with everyone’s taxes. They managed to open Alaska’s Natural Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. What is the point of having a preservation of natural lands if you are going to make the place into a stinking oil producing region? Well, they did it and got Alaska’s Senator to vote for it too. Why? Because they could give Alaskan taxpayers a oil break putting about $1,500 in the form of a refund in their pockets. How would it look if the Alaskan Senator turned down money from the government for its citizens? BRIBERY

Republicans have been trying to get at Alaskan oil for generations. Why let them do it now? Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski who is the Energy & Natural Resources Committee Chairman changed her traditional nay vote to a yay. Less oil production means less money for each Alaskan citizen. Now they will want to extract 7 billion barrels of oil from the pristine natural wildlife refuge. What will all that oil production do to destroying the natural refuge? These sneaky last minute   add on provisions to other bills is how Congress gets all their perks without time for debate or discussions. What is the rush? Another holiday vacation is coming up? Meanwhile major changes are just snuck into decisions on our environment.

Alaskan people will see more cash in their annual checks. Right now the price of oil is about $60 per barrel. With this plan 7 billion barrels of oil would bring about $420 million dollars. It could take another ten years before all that oil is actually flowing. Will we even be depending on oil that far into the future? We could be getting clean energy from windmills and solar by then. Why ruin the environment for a lousy $1,500 per year? Would the Alaskan people or any American vote for this extreme change in policy and the environment?

Most of the money made from oil production would go to paying state and federal taxes as well to oil companies that do the drilling. The people of America really would not benefit from this massive change for America. Senator Murkowski voted NO on Trump Care but has been BRIBED with this new Alaskan deal simply for votes. In the year that Trump has been in office he hasn’t won anything. Bribery will get him a win on taxes? A dozen House Republicans expressed concern over this new plan for Alaska. They are Rep. Fitzpatrick, PA,  Rep. Costello, PA, Rep. Meehan, PA, Rep. Relchert, WA, Rep. Banford, SC, Rep. Curbelo, Fl., Rep. LeBlondo, NJ, Rep. Bralti, NJ, Rep. Lance, NJ, Rep. Donovan, NY, Rep. Stefanik, N.Y., Rep. Faso, N.Y.

When the House and Senate have to get together to approve the bill, this Alaskan deal should be part of the tax Bill fight. Let’s hope big changes like this won’t happen to the American landscape just so that Trump could bribe voters so he can finally pass something besides his own personal gas.