Contrary Positions?

Bice and others are pouring through FoxPolitics through various archives taking before & after snaphsots of Jo Egelhoff, looking for gatchas. One "gotcha" jumps out at me:

As a candidate, Egelhoff promises to work to lower prices at the gas pump. As a blogger, she ripped "gas price whiners," defended ExxonMobil's (NYSE:XOM) profits and suggested cutting state spending on roads by 10%.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Daniel Bice column Egelhoff the blogger might argue with Egelhoff the candidate - Daniel Bice Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

There is no contradiction in what Mr. Bice notes. There is no contradiction between wanting lower prices and defending another's rights to the money they earned. There are ways to lower gas prices – ways that do not entail penalizing successful industries! The state makes good money on gasoline w/o worrying about finding the raw material, refining, dispensing, and paying people to do all of that. I would love to see $0.50/gallon gasoline but I do not whine when it is $4.00/gallon, I cut back elsewhere, I minimize trips, plan trips, drive more conservatively. There is no inalienable right to gasoline. I also defend Exxon's right to make a profit, I have run small business like enterprises with an eye towards maximizing profit, it really changes your perspective when you get on the other side of the supply & demand curve.

In the end, none of what Bice notes is earthshaking.