Another Corporate Scam

The companies that extract natural gas from public lands pay the government, that is to say the taxpayers of America, a fee based on market prices and volumes pumped. Well that’s what’s supposed to happen. Guess what? The Bush Administration has ‘loosened the rules and reduced the auditing’ of the deals the government has with the gas companies. This is despite the fact that many of them have been admitting that they have underpaid for the gas. The New York Times has the story here: As Profits Soar, Companies Pay U.S. Less for Gas Rights.

Why aren’t I surprised by this? Why must it be that anything Bush touches benefits big business? This scam comes at the direct expense of the Federal Budget that the Republicans have just cut billions from. Of course the billions cut came from the poor by way of food stamps, medicaid etc. No, I am not surprised, just disgusted.