California Schools and Big Oil‏

In Dubai, the people get free housing, free medical care and $5,000 per month. The people of Dubai share in their country's oil wealth. In Alaska, the people pay NO state taxes and the state government writes every state resident a check every year. The people of the state of Alaska share in their state's oil wealth. In California, big oil companies pump our oil from the ground for free, and then sell it back to us for huge profits. Right now these oil companies are reaping the highest profits of any industry ever in history, making a very few people immensely wealthy. But they are not sharing any of this oil wealth with the people of California. Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) introduced a bill to make big oil do just that. The bill, which required a two-thirds vote to pass, was defeated on the Assembly floor after Republicans refused to vote for it. The people of California need to understand that a choice was made - by a few Republicans - to continue allowing California to be the only state in the nation that allows oil companies to pump oil from our land and pay us nothing for it. And instead of asking the rich oil companies to share a little, the Republicans want to cut the school budget by another 10%. Assembly Republicans said the Nunez bill was a publicity stunt; that Democrats know that no taxes can pass as long as there is a rule allowing a few Republicans to block the will of the vast majority of California's people. But do the people of California understand this? Do they realize that just a few Republican votes can allow big oil companies to pump oil from California for free - while California's children face ever-worsening schools and more school budget cuts? What is more important here - big oil or well-educated California kids?