OPEC Control Over
World Oil Production

Skyrocketing Gasoline
Prices Nationwide

Airlines Crippled By
High Fuel Costs

Resolution for Action
By Groups and Candidates

New Law Needed to Stop
U.S. Govt. from Helping
Any Cartel Anywhere

U.S.-Iraq OPEC Delegate
Votes For April 1 Cutbacks;
Democrats Don't Complain

Drive To Lower Oil Prices
Gains Support from GOP
and Other Political Parties

Bush Administration, Kerry
Pretend Iraq/US Not in OPEC;
Nader: OPEC Has Not Cut Back

 More To Come

Get U. S. Government Out of O.P.E.C.--

A Golden Opportunity

            Oil is called black gold.  The American public has a golden opportunity to receive
a worldwide multi-billion dollar public dividend from the occupation of Iraq.  The U. S.
government has been actively supporting the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC) through its Iraqi membership.  President George W. Bush could stop the U. S.
participation in OPEC with the stroke of a pen.

Everyone knows that OPEC is a cartel with the purpose of maximizing the price of
wholesale petroleum to world markets.  Its members are Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,
Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela, all of
which have traditions of authoritarian regimes with little regard for individual rights.

The retail price of gasoline in California at the end of 2001 was under $1 per gallon.
It now stands at over $2 per gallon—a 100% increase over the late 2001 level.   The
primary cause has been O.P.E.C.’s ability to limit oil production in the face of steady
worldwide demand.  O.P.E.C. members have been able to derive tens of billions of dollars
of windfall cartel profits from the publics of the United States and the rest of the world year
after year.

American individuals, businesses, and governments have lost billions of dollars in
higher gasoline and other fuel prices.  Fuel is the second largest cost (after personnel) for
the airline, train, bus, and ocean shipping industries.

Government consumption of fuel results in tens of billions of dollars of extra taxes
imposed on individuals and business to pay for these excessive costs.  The Department
of Defense’s ships, aircraft, and vehicles consumes millions of gallons.  Tens of thousands
of state and local government vehicles and buildings consume vast amounts of gasoline
and heating fuel.  The money wasted in filling the tanks of tens of thousands of school
buses could better be spent inside the classroom.

American law outlaws monopolies, restraints of trade, cartels, and other measures
under a long line of anti-trust acts.  The occupation of Iraq presents a perfect opportunity
to apply this free enterprise concept in a truly meaningful way.   Nothing stands in the way
of the Coalition Provisional Authority of the U. S. Department of Defense from removing
Iraq from O.P.E.C. immediately.  Removing Iraq from O.P.E.C. and ramping up the
production of oil will result in significant decreases in crude oil prices, perhaps back to
the $15 per barrel level from a few years ago.

The American public has expended $150 billion in the Iraq invasion/occupation
so far and will expend another $100 billion in the coming year.  The removal of U. S.
participation from OPEC and even the removal of Iraq from O.P.E.C. would provide
true public dividends.  President George W. Bush has the power to order such action
with the stroke of a pen.  Congress should provide impetus and oversight for this dividend.

Moreover, the drafting of the Iraqi Constitution must include the outlawing of
monopolies and cartels.  After all, the Iraqi public can benefit tremendously from lower
gasoline prices too. It’s truly a win-win proposal.