Almost 11 billion teardrops

My eyes go misty on me every time I fill up my gas tank these days, but not for the reasons you might think.

Oh, sure, the price of gas has reached the point where I peer down the nozzle to make sure I get every last drop out of the hose.

But what makes me feel glum - so very, very glum - is how badly our oil companies are treated these days. I have a weak spot for underdogs, you see - even underdogs that periodically sink their teeth into my walleted behind.

I realize some of you may take issue with the word "underdog" to describe the oil industry.

Exxon Mobil, after all, reported its first-quarter profit this week - $10.7 billion, or 69 percent higher than a year ago. Shell recently shared its numbers, too, and they're shim-shimmery - $6.3 billion, or a 30 percent gain over the first quarter a year ago.

Predictably, these reports of good, old-fashioned American success have drawn outrage among some denizens of Capitol Hill.

Before we get into that, however, let us clear up a few things, beginning with the fact that Exxon Mobil really feels awkward about that $10.7 billion.

On its blog, the company explains that three-quarters of its earnings come from outside the United States. So, really, we're not being soaked nearly as much as it might appear.

And many things contributed to the company's rather embarrassing good fortune, such as political unrest in the Middle East and the rising demand for crude oil in cheery places like China.

But, as the company proudly points out, it shares its wealth with the U.S. government. The company noted that it paid $1.6 billion in U.S. income taxes and $8.2 billion in other taxes last year.

Well, sort of. As The Washington Post later reported, the company was counting $6.2 billion in gasoline sales taxes, which - of course - you and I pay. But it is awfully darned nice of Exxon Mobil to collect them, isn't it?

Despite these accomplishments and others - including that nifty Spillcam® in the Gulf of Mexico that captivated so many of us - oil companies aren't feeling the love these days.

"We understand that it's simply too irresistible for many politicians in times of high oil prices and high earnings; they feel they have to demonize our industry," Exxon Mobil's Kenneth Cohen told The Post.

Indeed, the demonization has sunk to the point where Democrats and some Republicans are talking, again, about cutting off $4 billion (or more) in yearly tax subsidies to the industry.

Politicians aren't the only ones speaking such evil. A couple of months ago, a former CEO of Shell, John Hofmeister, told the National Journal and some members of Congress that oil companies really don't need those subsidies all the time.

"The fear of low oil prices drives some companies to say that subsidies should be sustained," he said. "And my point of view is that, with high oil prices, such subsidies are not necessary."

But wait! Exxon Mobil's Cohen counters that those subsidies help keep the oil industry competitive internationally - three-quarters of their earnings, remember? - and prevent jobs from going overseas. (OK, that last part sorta sounded like a threat, but it's probably just a gentle suggestion.)

And eliminating subsidies for oil companies, Exxon Mobil says, would be most unfair as long as tax incentives are offered to companies engaged in - curl your nose here - "renewable energy."

I don't know about you, but I don't think it's sound public policy to encourage the development of alternative energy sources that might do less damage to the environment, public health and national security than our fun, frolicky addiction to fossil fuels. Nonsense is what that is. Just plain nonsense.

But there's more.

In addition to the aforementioned kindness that Exxon Mobil shows by collecting our gas taxes, it turns out the company and its colleagues are also major supporters of American democracy.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, oil and gas companies donated more than $25 million to congressional candidates in the 2010 elections, with 77 percent of that going to Republicans.

They give so generously, with no expectation of anything in return.

They're subsidizing democracy - and, well, that just makes me weepy when I peer down the nozzle at the corner station.

Daryl Lease is an editorial writer at The Virginian-Pilot. Email: daryl.lease@pilotonline.com.