It seems like every year, big election years especially, the Congress puts on a dog and pony show over oil prices. Everyone in Congress wants to make it seem as though they are doing something to resolve the issue, so with oil leaders sitting before them, we hear talk of “record revenue”, limiting supply and threats of recrimination. Then, nothing happens.

Every year oil prices go up in the spring/summer. They rise and rise, articles written from the year before are republished with only the numbers and lineup of world crises changed and news reports fill the television with speculation prices will reach a never before imagined level. Then, every fall, the prices go down only to spike again around holiday times before slowly moderating. This cycle does little but repeat.

So we all know the game, oil barrens make record profits while everyone pays more at the pump. Congress talks big but does little to nothing to help Americans. It is a display in futility and a massive waste of time and energy that could be better spent solving problems.

I honestly see both sides of the argument. I don’t know that we should put limits on the amount of money industries make, I don’t know that such a nationally vital resource should be manipulated in the way it is. I do know one thing, if Congress isn’t going to act by forcing any new kind of regulation or helping the American public out, they should stop the dog and pony show.

We live in a serious time with serious problems facing us and yet it seems increasingly obvious our elected leaders have little fortitude or fervor to get things done.