How should we lower gas prices?
Policymakers and oil industry officials, as well as critics, have been discussing ways to bring gasoline prices down. CNNMoney’s Steve Hargreaves reports on the debate. What do you think?
Stop buying gas from a certain company for along period of time then that company will lower their prices because they dont want to go out of buisness. It’s a fairly easy thing to do it just takes time and support from the people at large. It’s like addressing a grievence my grievence is the outragously high gas prices stop buying a companies gas and they will lower their prices.
Get out of Iraq is right!! Bush has come up with every reason under the sun why the reason of oil continues to go up. The American people are not as stupid as Bush gives us credit to be. He has done nothing to help the American people. If he wants to fight a losing battle in Iraq, send him and Chaney over with guns. Of course Chaney would probably shoot his foot off before he even got to Iraq. Also, what about the millions of illegals that are in our Country using up our benefits and products. It will take our Country a long time to pull out of the sink hole that the Bush Administration has put us in. What is he trying to do, take us back to horse and buggy. Well, who could even afford that at this point? There is no reason that we should be paying over $4.00 a gallon for gas, and then he oil companies throw it in our face the profitt they are making off us. The President must hate the Republican Party, because he has done everything possible to turn the American’s against them.
There is alot of good ideas out there….1. alternative fuels…not corn…someone made the comment “we have so much corn in the united states lets make that into fuel”…NO…Food prices would increase dramatically. 2. tax the people you buy ginormus suvs..what a lame brain concept. what would that do? crash the automoble industry. how bout we tax the conglomerates that post billions in profits..they lie we pay and the governments are in on it. in the 1960’s gm made a carberautor that got an average of 70mpg…a carb?..we have fuel injection now which is way more economical…the big wigs buy the patenets hide them away tell the public it cant be done and expect us to pay more…it all comes down to money. I like the idea of a boycot but just seems impossible. we need more research on hydrogen. we start researching and start building refueling areas. well thats all for now.
As the dollar goes down due to war spending and oil demand continues to be high due to Americans buying large gas inefficient SUV’s oil will continue to rise in price. Demand, War, War, and excess government spending (War), will continue to drive the price of oil up and the dollar down.
You discuss how economics work in a free market economy and then talk about government intervention by means of a carbon tax? Do you think we will come up with these alternative energy sources overnight? So let’s forget about the economy in the mean time. If gas is $4 or $5 dollars a gallon as you’re suggesting, whom do you think that effects first? Lower and middle class, By the way, do you have a 401k? I bet you’re one of those evil shareholders reaping the benefits of those oil companies.
Want lower gas prices? Get out of Iraq!
The US military is probably the world’s largest consumer of oil especially in war time.
When we stop burning $12 billion a month on the war, the US dollar might stop plummetting too. That should bring down crude prices.
A part of the problem with price increases is that an increase in raw goods benefits everyone along the supply chain right out to the pump. Ordinary accounting allocates costs and makes target profit derived from percentages based on costs. So each stage of suppliers benefit from their raw costs rising.
You don’t really think Exxon got record profits by having world’s best management razoring all costs, do you? A large part came a windfall profit created by the cost accounting methods.
The solution will make accounts howl. It’s simply to make profit a fixed offset to costs. In that way the inflation is not passed along to the next supply phase.
Take away the windfall tax to oil companies and give half of it back “at the pumps” and the rest as grants for new energy projects.
Tax the idiots that choose to buy the ginourmous SUVs and Trucks… They are hard to see around and pollute my beautiful planet.
A European style gas tax???
Any politician who votes for it ought to be ‘tarred and feathered’.
We need to stop this insanity of having different blends for a specific part of the country. A refinery that produces a specific blend which suddenly encounters production problems (either by accident or design) will cause a fuel shortage, resulting in higher prices. It is simply the law of ’supply and demand’.
I blame the environmentalists for part of the current refinery problems in that rabid objections to past attempts to add refinery capacity were staunchly opposed and eventually withdrawn. Now we pay the price for that stupidity. And NO, I do not own stock in an oil company.
Oil companies should be expected to invest some of their excessive profits in upgrading their existing refineries, many of which are past 30 years old.
It is obvious to the causal observer that the oil companies have NO INCENTIVE to behave differently; they are benefiting from their previous shortsightedness. I also firmly believe that the automakers are firmly in bed with the oil companies. Face it, WHY would the automakers produce a vehicle that gets superior mileage; if their ‘friends’ at the oil companies would see the corresponding loss in revenue. Of course, the automakers excuse is that ‘consumer demand’ dictates what they make. (consumer demand, my ass!) Doesn’t one hand like to wash another.
There was one post that made a lot of sense; a ‘gas guzzler’ tax. If you want a Hummer, then you can expect to pay for it.
All of this reminds me of a ‘National Lampoon Radio Hour’ program that aired back during the 70’s. In it, the announcer for “Monolithic Oil” promises the listeners that at Monolithic Oil, consumers will pay
and pay,
and pay,
and pay.
Boy, did they get it right.
And today, we are getting
screwed,
and screwed,
and screwed,
and screwed.
Time to wake up America!!!
this wold be ok if not for the fact that we would be handing over more of our money to the federal government or state governments to waste and we would still be in the same position 20 years from now.
We are trying to tackle something that in the long run doesn’t have an effective solution. We should be pushing very strong for other alternatives that have been proven to be effective like hydrogen vehicles, but because there is so may parties involved in the oil business it’s in their best interest to keep delaying these alternatives that are beneficial for our world.
Increasing the tax and telling people to use public/mass transport doesn’t help the large group of us that live in rural areas and have no option other than our own car. My husband is a rural mail carrier - he has to use his own car, pay for his fuel. We already spend more on his fuel than our house payment each month. We don’t hop into our cars and just drive around for the fun of it. What are we supposed to do???
$1.00 gallon more tax? I think it’s time to go back top basics and stop feeding these Goliaths.
Buy a bicycle, walk, take mass transit.
Stay home and read a good book, take up knitting, shoot hoops by the garage.
Anything but move that vehicle out of the driveway.
Let’s hit the big oil Behemoths in the wallet.
Exxon-Mobil posted BILLIONS in profits the first quarter! Whay don’t they take som of those profits and fix the refinerys or open more?
An increase in gas taxes and the prices themselves are just ordinary everyday THEFT.
We need to push more alternatives and use our resources, we have so much corn in this country, why not turn it to fuel. If we had a small carbon tax we could use the revenues from that to develop clean energy, more solar, wind, and fuel cell power. Requiring more efficient cars, our cars can’t be driven in China because they pollute to much, Inconvinient Truth. That is pathetic. And last but not least, get this guy who has all his money in oil out of the presidency.
Let gas hit $4 dollars with the hope it would compel people to buy more economical vehicals and thereby offset the cost increase while at the sametime, provide a more efficient use of a finite resource.
The first option is completely ridiculous! The only thing that would happen here is that the price would have to go up and still not come down.
For families that have jobs that require a truck and lots of driving - setting limits per family or getting a smaller car just doesn’t work.
One thing that I see as an issue often seems like they blame the US facilities that have to create so many different blends to meet the different regulations that are set on a state-by-state basis. This makes the facilities have to run inefficiently. Maybe we need to just have a national law instead so our facilities can make just one blend.
All-in-all, there isn’t just one answer to this question. We all have to cut back on excess use (including buying bigger vehicles than we need just because they are a status symbol), we need to drill for more domestic sources of oil, we need to look into alternative fuels, we need to make cars with MPG in mind again(like in the 1980s), we need to set common standards across the country, and the big oil companies have to lower their prices even if it cuts down on some of their record profits.
If everyone in the country had a simple stick shift or five speed, they could all do what I do. I call it the bicycle affect. When you’re riding a bicycle and you come to the top of a hill or want to come to a stop, what do you do? YOU STOP PEDDALING. Similarly, with my car, I shut off the engine. After coasting to the bottom of the hill, I pop the clutch and resume speed. When in the city, and see a stop light about 1/8 - 1/4 mile ahead about to turn red, I shut the engine off again and coast. If the light is still red, I leave the engine off until the light turns green. Doing this has increased the gas mileage of my Mazda Protege from 32 to an average of 50mi/gal. I have gotten as high as 56mi/gal in the summer. CAUTION: For the women drivers, young drivers, or if you are just starting to do this, I suggest NOT doing this on a curve because the power steering doesn’t work. You can still steer, but it’s more difficult.
A carbon tax or a surcharge of $2-$4 per gallon like the tax on tabaco products would reduce the demand and also create the need to manufacture more efficient/hybrid cars. I am in favor of a $4 a gallon usage tax on gasoline
I would love if we had mass transit like Europe. Each time I have been there, I only take mass transit, and I can go anywhere I need to. Why can’t we realize how efficient it is?
For all of you that can, ask to work from home. This will cut demand and eventually cut prices. Walk to the market if you live close enough. The key is to cut demand.
An increase in gas prices reduces demand??? That’s like saying an increase in food prices decreases demand - we’re all still gonna buy it because we need it. This is a society that buys bottled water, afterall.
Big Oil knows what it’s doing…why would they do anything to harm their multi-billion dollar industry now? They’re gonna squeeze it dry and then capitalize on alternative fuel when their revenue source has depleted, at which point they will say they’ve saved the world (by doing something in 2077 that could’ve been done in 2007).
I have nothing but patriotism for the USA, but this is the nature of capitalism.
They can put a man in space in a craft that can withstand extreme temperatures and incredible speeds…but they can’t get me more than 30 mpg for my car. Doesn’t make sense. Technology gets held back so demand won’t decrease - the plan is to mainstream fuel cell cars when gas is gone because “right now fuel cell technology is too costly.” Take light bulbs for example - they’re purposefully manufactured to fail over time so demand will only increase, never decrease. Fact is, light bulbs can last for decades, but that wouldn’t be very profitable now would it?
Come on guys, a couple of these suggestions are juvenile. A carbon tax to REDUCE prices? Not only will they not have a signficant effect on demand due to the inelasticity of demand for gasoline, but the burden of these taxes would fall, as with most such taxes on food fuel etc., disporportionately on the poor. MAKE the oil companies produce more oil? Great, and then what? Perhaps you should look at the biggest cause of high gas prices. It is not the oil that is being produced (with oil above $60 per barrel they have all the incentive they need), it is with the refining capacity in the US as well as the increased ethanol requirements in the US, which block out non-US sources of ethanol, which are available much more cheaply. Additionally, regional and seasonal gasoline blend requirements make the problems worse.
Wake up.
As long as there is vehicles there will be rising gas prices. The greed of the oil companies is why prices are going up. Rich government officials are getting richer and receiving kickbacks to keep their mouths shut. So what ya gonna do ?? Nothin. Society is so dependent on vehicles that we are our own worst enemies.
Folks, Let me introduce you to 2 new words. The are Disruptive Industry. There are over 200 patents in our data banks that increase the fuel milage of our autos. Why are the Auto manufactures not using any of these?
Stop and think what would happen if you doubled the fuel milage of an auto. That means the Federal and state governments would not be collecting the taxs they are getting now. On top of that the oil companies would would have to start cuttin back on their production. This is not the only industry that gets Disrupted when somebody else finds a better and cheaper way of doing things. Oh, lets talk about hydrogen. How about a on demand hydrogen system for an auto. There are people working on it now. Want to bet they will stop it from going into production.
Gas per gallon is $3.97 here on Beaver Island, Michigan. AS gallon of milk is $4.50 . So don’t plan your vacation here.
“The tax revenue, presumably, would be returned to the public for its own benefit” You’ve got to be kidding. Higher prices will definitely cut consumption and hurt the poor the hardest as your sources attest. However, it is my opinion that the federal government has show over and over that they cannot efficiently run programs. The government will only get bigger and create another inefficient program or tax credit. I might be able to accept the higher tax as simply a means of reducing consumption. However, I cannot accept the idea that the government will better spend the tax revenues for the public benefit.
I live in a small community. There is no public transportation. I have been forced to move to a smaller town to reduce my rent (the savings has now been eaten by higher gas) I am working 3 jobs to try to get ahead and begin saving for when I am old. At 50, recently divorced with no support, savings or retirement the costs are rising faster than I can earn money.
4 day work week? Great idea–I’d love to have a day off but the reality is I am working 3 jobs now and couldn’t afford a day off.
Limit my driving? How? There’s no public transportation, no carpooling (at all jobs I am a one man office). I have asked the board at my major job to allow me to work from my home office–the idea was refused.
The way I see it:
1. We need to elect someone who isn’t going to be afraid to make some tough decisions in the best interest of the people. REAL people.
2. We need to fund research and develop new forms of fuel.
3. We need to drill in our own country. Why do we go elsewhere for our fuel anyway??? Would you grow your own vegetables in your backyard, then leave them there and go spend money to buy the neighbors???? Makes no sense.
4. We need inexpensive hybrid cars. Cars the average person can afford to buy.
5. Tax breaks when we do so.
6. We need a way to fire politicians who do not do the jobs we elect them to do.
7. Big corporations should be fined when they do not create new efficient, low-cost alternatives. If we start hitting them in their pocketbooks maybe they’ll get the picture.
The solution does not rely on spending money as a country in the manner that all of these imply. Consider it akin to paying for an MRI at the hospital to have your appendix removed. The only solution that people seem to overlook is simple. If you can find oil cheaper, buy it and resell it. Competition is what makes the greats. When companies get too large and monopolistic, it takes good business sense to say “If it were possible to compete, someone would have done it already, but how can we do it?.” By having the government involved, with regulations and laws, we are paying a hefty fee as taxpayers. If we work toward new technology, more money. Even if we build refineries, more money for building and permanent staffing. There is no clear cut answer. By the way, if you can get oil for 25 cents in whatever country, let me know when someone realizes that the exchange rate is 10 american dollars to the 25 cents they will pay not including shipping costs. This issue is global in terms of supply and demand. Just remember, whether it is fuel alternatives, research for new technology, or regulation from a government body, it is not free. There is still no such thing as a free lunch.
I beleive the best way to lower fuel prices is to build one or two new refineries, built by the federal government. Then the government can supply itself with gasoline & deisel fuel for government vehicles & all fuel needed( fuel for vehicles, planes & ships) for the armed forces. By doing this, the major oil companies will only have to supply fuel for the general public.
Pass legislation that would allow the U.S to build a refinery with the goal of leasing the facility to another company in order to provide adequate gasoline reserves.
All I can say is quit making excuses and start working on solutions. The oil companies have all these alibis yet they’re enjoying record profits. The State and Federal government need to engage and stp this madness now!
First, an excess profits tax. The profits reaped from high gas prices are unconscionable. Make it less attractive to charge more for the product. Second, actually enforce the anti-trust laws. No thinking person can believe that prices are not the result of either a clear agreement between the suppliers or “conscious parallelism” in which there is a functional agreement to raise prices at the same time. Finally, a real investigation into how prices are determined by a real Congressional committee that is not beholden to the oil interests.
I hear a lot about how Americans should be lucky about not having to pay higher gas prices that would be comparable to European gas prices. The disadvantage here is that in most cases, where for example Germans would take a train when commuting between two cities, no alternate transportation is available. The US should invest in the infrastructure that supports less cars on the road, and I guess a basic education that changes the culture of cars being a status symbol (only people who have no car will take the bus or the train - at least in the heartland of the US).
Have the oil companies who have shut down their refineries to re-open them. I realize it costs a lot to run them but surely that would answer the supply and demand. they are certainly making record profit.
The Government should freeze prices now and charge the oil companies double their taxes untill gas is down to two dollars a gallon.
You can not reduce demand on gasoline!It has been proven when we had the gas shortage in the 70’s.They are not going to move my work,grocery store, or doctor’s office closer to my house!If these hugh profits where being made by the electric company’s evry state government would hold hearings..why not with the oil?
We do not need more sales taxs on gas
cars need to get better MPG and we need to stop the oil industry from it is doing everthing it can to keep the cost. When was the last time a new refinery was opened? there has not been a new one opened but they keep closing they and thats how they keep the cost of gas going up and up ….Congress must do something this..but they will not
To reduce oil company incentive to price gouge, Congress should pass an “excess profits tax” of 60% on all oil company profits greater than 5% over the company’s prior year profits. Revenues raised from the tax should be required to go to retiring federal debt.
This is so simple its mind blowing, everyone controls there own destiny with this issue. The quick fix is to reduce consumption…Slow down on the highways…all EPA Ratings on vehicles are based on 55 MPH, not 70 or 80 Mph.. Slowing down will be the quickest way to recuce consumption.
BY the way goverment has no interest to penalize the companys that help but them in office and no one wants an increase in taxes, of any kind.
In IL since Jan 1 we have seen our electrical rates increase from 85-150%. Now, lets add in the doubled upprice for gasoline. Hhhmm. well kids i dont think were going anywhere this summer, cant afford to. Last night on the gop debates,one of the candidates used the term of strategic importance, It seems to me that energy concerns should be, at the root , of the utmost strategic concerns of the american people. In stead, they are the concerns of multinational corporations “profit above people” mentality. If ‘freemarket’ capitalism is not a predatory remora on the people of this great nation, prove me wrong enrgy concerns, do the right thing. In case you are confused, that would meanyou could still be profitable without victomizing the american pepole or demanding a welfare handout from the US taxpayers/ gov.
How about stop lying about how much a barrel of oil costs and lower the damn prices, it’s that simple!!!!!!!!!!!
I think that since the middle east does not have the ample products like corn, milk, wood products, etc, we could raise the bar on these products that we export to those countries that supply our oil in comparison to the oil and then I think you would see oil come down. Maybe we need a MOOPEC, or a CORNPEC.
As John McCain points out, with Iran and other Middle-East countries reaping billions from oil, our petro-dollars fund BOTH sides fighting our troops in Iraq. AND we are funding our efforts with deficit spending. It is time the people in the USA start making sacrifices. Increase taxes on fuel to fund the Iraq War and better care for our Veterans, AND to reduce consumption to take money away from oil-producing countries.
1. More efficient cars and hybrids that get at least 50 MPG, and force production of SUVs and trucks that get at least 35 MPG within the next three years.
2. Require Oil Companies to build more refineries on Government land, and have the Government regulate the prices of gas and diesel fuels.
3. Government subsidized research should be doubled for the uses of hydrogen cells, battery powered / electric cars, and solar energy for our houses and business buildings.
4. A 4 day work week with 10 hour days, or allow telecommuting of two work days with the current 5 X 8 system.
5. Penalize through road taxes and purchasing taxes of large gas guzzlers.
6. Tell Congress and Senate to stop complaining and start doing something that will help to fix the problem in a more timely manner.
7. Prepare to sell your oldest offspring to the oil companies just to continue driving for a few more years.
Carbon Tax? Just what we need, Make gas more expensive so the price of everything we eat goes through the roof too. Promote exploration in our own country and build a few more refineries.
Sure, start the new tax. Create a commitee to disburse the new funds. Pay the commitee members low to mid 6 figures from the new found funds. Remainder of funds can be handed out to commitee members as Christmas bonuses or incentives.
Oh, by the way, send me an application, please.
Utilize our resources in the U.S., Alaska for one. We are waisting energy, food, goverment funding, and water with ethanol. Why add expenses by taxing (Prices are high enough)? Refinery profits are out of line. Reduce speed limits. And the list goes on.
Buying from small Oil Companies only. This way the Big Oil Companies will be force to low their prices. I hope
There is a quicker way to reduce gas prices. GET GAS/OIL OUT OF THE STOCK MARKET!!!!! There are way too many hands trying to make a quick buck off of this item. For further information look up contango. Adam Davidson did an excellent article concerning this topic. In order to see that article, please do web search for NPR, GAS, CONTANGO, DAVIDSON. (Not sure if I am allowed to post the link.
Get real… between government regualtions on too-many blends of fuel, and the lack of incentives for new refinery’s and the future’s market… we are all screwed! You want fuel, but you don’t want exploration and drilling in your back yard, or on your beach either, so 85% of the US Coast Line can’t be developed… are you aware that there’s enough fossil fuels off the California Coast for US Consumption for the next 200 years…? New taxes will not solve any of these problems, typical Democratic solution, let’s pass a tax as usual.
Allow a credit on the federal income tax return for the state and federal taxes paid on a gallon of gas. Have a standard amount for a car owner to deduct and allow higher amounts with proof of gallons purchased. This would be a credit directly against the federal income tax owed. It would have the effect of lowering the cost to the consumer.
I live in a smaller rural area. Many people commute from 50 to 100 miles one way to work. There is no mass transit available here. Carbon tax, higher prices, all the things memtioned, will just put more people on the waiting list for welfare. I don’t know a single person here that has not cut as close to the bone as possible on trips for food, medical care or errands. Vacation to the mountains or coast this year? FORGET IT! I am not sure what the answer is, but when the price of diesel, which is basically the bottom of the barrel, is as high or higher than premium, you know the consumer is getting gouged! Prices are higher for EVERYTHING due to the cost of fuel, and so belts are tightened for everything. No savings accounts, no IRA’s, no nothing, all money is going to get to work, eat a very cut back diet, and try to survive!
Pick a price for gas, say $4.00 per gallon, then fix that as the price nationwide. When the “cost” of gas from the oil companies is below that number, the Federal government uses that surplus to fund legitimate alternative energy programs. If the “cost” rises above $4.00, the government subsidizes the additional amount. This would pit the government against oil companies to drive the price down to keep from increased deficit spending.
The only option you mentioned which would work is to drill for more oil. Passing a carbon tax would only work if the funds went to push alternatives, instead this tax would find its way into the pockets of rich government officials. Without funds or a free market, there is no incentive to develop alternatives. Requiring a company to do anything will result in disasters similar to the price caps of the Carter administration. The only thing that will help is a free market where oil comapnies can drill wherever and whatever they need to and the government merely serves to break up monopolies instead of letting companies such as Exxon and Moble merge.
Car pool and cut consumtion in half. I take 1 mini-van to town with the whole family. Fuel consumption is dimished drastically.
I think that there is no shortage and no lack of profits by the oil companies. I think that the oil companies themselves created this whole shortage scam to make even more money on top of the billions they already have. This seems to happen every year just when people are beginning to travel for their vacations and the oil companies know they will need fuel to do so. This is just another case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. I have seen this over and over every year at this time and it is getting ridiculous. There is absolutely no reason for gas to be this high and if everyone would either boycott a few days a month or switch to some kind of alternative fuel then they would either have to lower the price or go out of business.
Want to reduce demand? What if companies allowed their employees to telecommute one day a week, where schedules and business activites can be accommodated.
Telecommuting would reduce rush-hour traffic, reduce pollutants into the air (cause of global warming), not to mention reduce stress levels.
From what I have read, companies that have implemented telecommuting for employees have actually noticed an increase in productivity. I know I get more done when I work at home because there are lots fewer interruptions and I have flexibility. I bet if we did the math, we could be saving thousands of gallons of gas every day and reap many other benefits.
Slow down to 60 MPH. If everyone slowed down it would imediately put a decrease in the amount of supply America is now demanding by 20%. This is something that won’t cost anyone money; its about choosing to go slower and conserving fuel and air quality. Stop going 80!
Simple: Just slow down. The amount of time you save supposedly getting there faster will really be lost as your waiting to fill up your ginormous tank. Don’t forget the money you just left at the pump too. If people have to put the peddle to the metal then maybe go back to 55 MPH laws.
Adding a carbon tax with the hope that the money would benefit the general public in a trickle down effect is ludicrous! First of all, since when did the government ever feel any compunction to use tax money for it’s specified purpose? Next, more mass transit is great, but what about people (like me) who live in rural areas? I’m 20 miles to the nearest small city. Am I going to load up my kids for a 20 mile bus ride every time I need to go grocery shopping? Where do I put my groceries on the bus? We need a solution that works for everyone, not just people in the big cities!
One proven and simple way to lower gasoline consumption is to get the speeds down on our highways. The days of driving behemouth SUVs down the road at 85mph must end. Aggressive enforcement by the state highway patrol coupled with stiff fines and license suspensions for repeat offenders would do the trick.
You people are blithering idiots. You must be liberal democrats. There is no oil shortage it is a way to rip off the consumer. It is an unmandated tax increase the government makes .50 per gallon as tax revenue. Increase supply,open new oil fields, and add refinery capacity is the way to solve the problem.
Unfortunately, when anyone has control of the amount of supply available for the demand of a product or service, they also control the price of the product or service.
When prices for the product or service keep increasing, and the amount of supply remains the same, or increases only inconsequentially, it is called perfectly inelastic supply.
As with Enron, when their traders learned that they could control supplies of electricity to the state of California, and thus control the pricing of electricity, and their profits, so too, with our American oil companies in control of supply, they too, hold the key to increased prices and profits, benefiting themselves, the stockholders, and governmental units that obtain a slice of the action through increased tax revenues…
For the past thirty (30) years, the number of suppliers in the U.S. has decreased to the point where there are just five major corporations supply refined petroleum products.
For the past thirty (30) years, the demand for refined petroleum products has increased in the U.S.
For the past thirty (30) years, oil companies in the U.S. have not built a single oil refinery to provide more oil refining capacity.
For the past thirty (30) years, oil companies have had no incentive to build more refining capacity in the U.S.
Oil refiners have reported 435 billion dollars in profits recently.
Since, the refiners will not provide increased refining capacity to meet the American demand, our government should take steps to intervene in this monopoly situation.
Through a similar organization like NASA, the American people should insist that our government create an organization to build five new oil refineries, and make the existing five oil companies buy them at 150% of the cost that the American people paid to have them built.
The five oil companies would pay for the new refineries, out of the excess profits they have taken from the purses and wallets of American consumers over the last thirty years.
These same oil companies would also be prohibited from raising future gasoline prices to pay for the purchase of these refineries.
This would be a solution that would provide American consumers with more refining capacity, and thus refuting oil companies claims that they do not have adequate refining capacity.
This would be a solution that would be far more beneficial to American consumer’s, than hitting the oil companies with an excessive profits tax and fines, that result in no increased refining capacity.
Give government more money, it will be added to the billions already wasted.
Let supply and demand work without government interference. A better way to reduce cost is to allow development of our own resourses thereby reducing dependence on imported oil.
A “carbon tax” that will pay for public transit sounds good in theory, but there are a couple problems with this. 1) Government money rarely seems to go where it’s supposed to. 2) Wha about those of us who live out in the country? Better public transit is a great idea for cities and towns, but some of us have n choice but to drive across the county for work every morning, and I doubt any bus is going to come out as far as my place where there’s nothing but cows and corn. I can’t afford to move into town. I’d rather not have to make the choice between paying for the gas to get to work and paying my electric bill. Go figure, I’m in that bracket that’s too high to get government aid, but low enough that I’m holding my breath hoping my car (pardon me, minivan - it was much cheaper than a car and so is the insurance) doesn’t need another part soon (I’m college-educated, too - yup, that degree sure got me a higher-paying job alright). It’s bad enough I’ve had to take an offer from my family to help pay for some meds I’m on. What about the people who don’t have that kind of support?
That and I have to wonder, if we’re talking solely about lowering prices, not lowering consumption, how does raising the price lower the price?
Increasing efficiency is a good bet. I know the car companies are balking, but the thing is, the more common a technology becomes, the cheaper it gets. Look at the prices of computers now compared to 5-10 years ago, and how much they’ve advanced since then. As more people get into it, work on it, and improve it, you can do more for less.
Alternatives is a good start, but there is a caveat with ethanol. If I understand correctly from what I’ve been told, it takes a certain amount of heat to run a still to make ethanol. Taking energy to make your fuel source. So with that figured in, is ethanol really more efficient? Now, if that calculation comes out as still being more efficient, if people are so worried about ethanol taking away the food crops, maybe the government could, oh I don’t know, stop paying farmers NOT to grow things.
All I know is right now I am grateful for the ability to carpool, as one of my neighbors works at the same office I do.
The congress should impose price controls on gasoline. Despite market fluctuations, oil companies are making unprecendented profits, are taking advantage of their lobbying power with politicians, and are probably planning to increases prices in the US even more.
It really is quite simple. Reduce the maximum speed limits back to 55MPH and get cameras on the overpasses to strictly enforce the law. also go to a national 4 day work week and a 4 day school week to cut down on the need for buses. Finally charge a high tax on new vehicles which do not get 25MPG.
First of all, Big Oil isn’t getting rich, their shareholders are. And who are they you might ask, well, they are the wealthy yes, but they are also average working americans who have 401k plans that invest in those companies. A larger gas tax is not a workable solution as it penalizes the little guy who can already barely afford gas, but the idea about putting a big tax on those vehicles that get less than 25 mpg is a great idea. Let those who want their status symbols pay the most. I would be willing to bet if that Expedition, Hummer or any other vehicle that got less than 25 mpg average had an additional 10,000 dollar tax added to the price tag, you wouldn’t see so many of them on the road. Earmark that tax specifically for exploration, drilling and refining.
Go read http://www.theoildrum.com and http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net. We are at world peak oil supply, and cannot increase our supply. The US peaked in 1970 at 10 million barrels per day and is now at 5 million barrels per day. More drilling is not going to solve the problem because the big wells were tapped out 30 years ago. Most of the big new wells today produce less than 200 thousand barrels per day, which will not make up for those big old ones that are dropping. We have used up over half the oil in the world, and Production around the world will soon start dropping and shortages will result.
We only produce one fourth of what we burn in the US, so we are heavily dependent on foreign oil. As other countries start controlling and keeping their own oil for their use, we will not be able to import as much or we will pay super high prices. The only way to survive is use less oil, and ultimately - NO MORE OIL!
Conservation and efficiency are great ideas, but temporary. Get off of oil now.
Increase taxes on gas for personal use, and use the money to improve public transportation. Businesses that need to transport goods should get a break. Tractor trailor lands should also get dedicated lanes on interstates in addition to impoved routes in large cities.
The carbon tax would be passed on to the consumer through food, clothing, and cost of oil.The carbon tax is a regressive tax because it would hurt the lower economical strata of people, who can least afford the tax
Since the economy of this Country is based on Cheap gas, I can not think of another way to bring it down. Understand that when you raise the price of gas, every else in the retail will start to go up. Then consider the rate of property taxes. The reason, schools, cities, and counties depend on cheap fuel (fire, police, school busses, and other city services).
How about the rise in construction cost.
One final thing, our economy is also base on purchasing things that we can actually do with out like going out to eat. How about buying automobiles. As we are already seeing, the Big Three Car Manufactors are already in big trouble. How much do you think high price of gas is going to hurt the small buisness owner? Understand this when a person is face with a choice of going out to eat or buying expensive gasoline to get back and forth to work, he will give up going out to eat.
The price of gas does not only affect what you pay at the pump, it is the very blood that keeps our Economy pumping.
The technology is there in alternative fuels.
We just need to use it and not let the oil cartel get in the way.
Take Oil off the Comodies Market!! These Jerks just keep bidding more and more for oil gas ext with no idea what it is doing to the Working guy. Yuo tree huggers who want 4.00 gas hope you like 15.00Lb burger 5.00 a loaf bread ect Trucks run on fuel high fuel prices=higher everythig prices.
Maybee we should shut down power plants. No electric = no air conditioning no DVDs no computers No refrigerators.
What we need is more Oil exploration in the good old USA lets do some alt fuels Necular power for electric is good . lets use coal as well as ethonal to suplament our oil use . We need more refineries built In this country.
The best ay to reduce dependance on foreign oil is to produce it our self!!
Slow down, drive 60-65mph and you can save fuel and still make a mile a minute which will still get you where you want to go while saving fuel which in the long run will lower prices!!!
Let natural market forces control gas price and demand! Why must everything always go to higher tax? I already work half the year just to pay taxes, if these taxes weren’t so high, putting my kids through college wouldn’t be such a burden. Our taxes are already ridiculously high, and if we give government more tax, government will just find another way to spend these monies.
My husband (live in SE FL) and I are 60 years old and no longer climbing the corp ladder so our incomes though not fixed are darn close to it and it seems now with the ever rising prices of everything (insurance, food) we are living pretty much paycheck to paycheck and not able to save anything. I’ve been w/my co. for 10 plus yrs & when they moved four years ago, 50 miles from my home, because I had many years invested & considering my age, I felt it better to commute. I have been commuting the last two - three yrs w/3 other women from my area, driving 2 days a week & sometimes more due to appts. I am for demanding that the companies produce more gasoline! Someone has got to step up to the plate. There no longer is in our area a middle class. We’ve now become the upper poor.
I believe that there should be a ‘gas guzzler’ tax applied to this idea. Some way to charge this tax according to the kind of car/truck/suv you drive needs to be figured out first though. For example a Hummer (or any other completely unneccessary large vehicle) would get a 2$ tax while a hybrid would get a $.50 tax and the rest of the vehicles would all fall somewhere in between on a sliding scale.
If the environmentalists and the socialist (let’s tax everything) Democrats just stay out of our pockets and leave the energy alone, maybe we could drill in this country and build more refineries
Many don’t realize that there are thousands, perhaps millions of people who can not get to mass transit, those who live in rural and semi rural areas.
To place an increase on already over-inflated gas prices would create more of a hardship to those who really need to drive. Give us a break and force the gas companies to lower their prices!
Driving habits need to be changed drastically - for each gallon of gas, about 20 lbs of CO2 go into the air. Tax the inefficient vehicles when they’re sold - offer tax rebates on the vehicles which are efficient. These vehicles already exist - my husband and I recently bought a Honda Hybrid which has been getting about 45 mpg. Yet the parking lots are full of SUVs and pickup trucks … obviously, people don’t care, and they won’t care, until gas prices in the US reach what they are in Europe.
There are a few ways to lower the gas prices.
1 - Demand it. Currently, there is no logical reason for them to be this high. Yes, oil prices are about $20-$25 per gallon more than they were eight years ago, but that isn’t even twice; that’s about a third more. The gasoline prices are grossly disproportionate of that.
2 - As I saw in a recent email, boycott the biggest offenders. Exxon-Mobile has been the company that has had the most expensive gasoline and has raked in the most obscene and shocking profits. I haven’t bought there gasoline in over a decade, and it would speak volumes if thousands of other people would do the same.
3 - Set higher federal standards for fuel efficiency. China demands that cars must get at least 50 mpg. My roommate’s car is 13 years old and gets 35 mpg, (which is the average fuel efficiency of a hybrid) and yet the average mpg of a new car being built today is 26! That should be an insult to the sensibilities of all car buying Americans, particularly since the cars are costing an astronomical amount to buy new as well.
In other words, it’s in the consumer’s power to do something about it, if only they all would.
Of course give more money to the government so Pelosie can have her bigger plane and fly to Seria medling in foreign policy which last time I checked is soley the responsibility of the Executive Branch not legislative!
GREAT, BUT WHAT IF YOU ARE IN A CATCH
22 SITUATION, CAN’T AFFORD THE ADDITIONAL TAX NOW, NOR THE HIGH COST
OF GAS NOW.
THE F–KEN GAS COMPANIES ARE RAKING
THE PUBLIC FOR TOO LONG!
It’s simple. It’s called collusion. It is the same thing that they did to California. If they weren’t colluding, and the market was working properly, the oil companies wouldn’t be making record profits. They would compete against each other and their profits, the cost of gasoline would go down. There was a huge consolidation of the industry a while back and now there are only a small handful of companies in control.
There is no real competition. Our government has not done it’s job to police the open market to protect us against this kind of thing. They are ignoring the problem at the expense of the public.
This isn’t the first time we have had this situation with oil companies. Remember Standard Oil and the break up of the Oligarchs?
We don’t have a shortage of oil, we have a corrupt government and corrupt oil companies.
Why is it that everybody skirts around the issue of conservation (using less) when the subject of high gasoline prices is discussed. There are a host of things which could be done to reduce the amount of gasoline we consume, and it not have a significant impact on any body……here are just two:
Schools:….every school in America has a host of people (stay at home mom’s, grandparents, people) who take their kids to school in their car….even though a school bus goes right by their house for this very same purpose. Make riding the school bus mandatory if a bus is available! Same millions of gallons a year.
Mail:…I don’t need 6 day a week mail delivery…..M, W, F or T, T, Sat would do just fine……this would cut the fleet of Postal Service vehicles in half (along with cutting the gasoline consumption in half)….and not impact any body in a significant way….save mega-millions of gasoline each year.
There’s more…..
MAKE THE GAS TAX REVENUE NEUTRAL -
CONSERVATIVES SHOULD EMBRACE THIS
We should raise the gas tax and lower income taxes for those affected by this by an equivalent amount (as much as possible).
1) This would please the Left as it would have the effect of lowering demand, as great incentive would exist to reduce usage,
2) It would please the Right as the flow of our dollars to hostile/unfriendly states would be reduced, and in the long term, people would reduce their expenditure on gas and therefore receive a total tax burden reduction.
I consider myself conservative politically, and disagree that the need to reduce our dependency on foreign oil (and the support it lends to those such as the house of Saud, Putin, and Hugo Chavez) requires additional total taxation. HOWEVER, if we wait for the market to bring the price up, we further increase our trade imbalance and continue to send dollars to these unfreindly locations. With a tax, this money would stay here in the US, and with tax Neutrality, we would not be expanding government with the excuse of national emergency.
The transportation industry certainly has room for improvement, and the government has a number of options for providing incentives for both companies and individuals to change their behaviors to reduce energy consumption. That said, I believe that most U.S. households use more energy on heating and cooling than they do on transportation, and it would be nice if this would get more attention in the media, instead of just bashing the automotive industry. Improving insulation and forcing more uniform adoption of updated building codes that allow use of proven “green” building techniques would save more energy, and one nice thing about improving insulation (and moisture management) is that it is a one-time cost with long-term payback.
Another tax will only hurt the consumer even more. Don’t we understand that our markets are consumer driven. We tax to death the consumer and we hurt the over all economy. Why is it we think that more taxes will solve the problem.
Heres a thought. There are all kinds of speculation about the worlds oil supply. It’s not how much oil is left. We need to start using alternative energy sources as the impact on our environment from fossil fuels is obvious.
Also, we have done a poor job of providing alternatives regardless of the reasons; Business or personal profit. Housing in urban areas is too expensive so people have no choice but to move farther from work. Public transportation in this country is second rate at best. The average pay is stagnant while the prices of energy and other basic necesities rise faster than inflation. I could go on and on.
First of all since this is a free market economy we must cut our military expenditure concerning fuel. Another aspect is to have government build refineries that will increase supplies since the Big oil companies have not had the incentive to build them. The next is to have states create laws that have a certain MPG for gasoline only vehicles to provide a true cut in demand. What this does is that every car out there that crosses a state border will be fined if they are above the MPG amount by state. This increases revenue for the state cutting taxes for the people in the state and cutting fuel costs. Another idea is to use natural gas and propane in certain areas for fuel, the natural gas companies use it for their vehicles.
Gas is a complete scam. I’m tired of hearing about how its price is going to be lowered. The price never lowers. There’s been alternatives for years, but that would not be profitable. American business at it’s best is ruining the the lives of everyday citizens. The American dream no more. Americas worst threat is this. It’s own people taking advantage of the others, lying, bitter betrayal.
We don’t need another tax. Stop urban sprawl, improve public transportation and make alternative fuel vehicles more affordable would have a bigger impact.
There are also some questions we should all ask: If the technology was there to produce vehicles that get 40, 50, 60 miles to the gallon, why is not being used? Why have we allowed the gas companies to monopolize? In a free market system like ours competition as well as supply and demand controls prices. It’s our government that represents us the voters that is supposed to control industry and maintain some form of competition which is good for business and the economy. Look at what deregulation of the energy industry did to the poor consumer in California.
We need to wake up and not sit around and hope the problem will just go away.
The real problems are technological and environmental. Everything else the article mentions misses the point. We only have so much oil. When it is gone, all the advances since the industrial revolution are gone.
The money the oil companies are making needs to be reinvested in research into alternative fuels. Guess what, even Exxon is doing this now. The problem with this approach is the focus is too narrow.
A global focus should drive our efforts. We need to power all our energy needs from sources that are renewable or so efficient, that the global impact is negligible and supply is not an issue. This puts nuclear back on the table, but not as currently implemented. Breeder reactors with very low amounts of radioactive byproducts are one leg of a multi-leg solution and should eventually be supplanted by cleaner technology, but this is one under studied potential. The other legs should focus on zero emissions such as solar/wind/hydroelectric/geothermal and extra-terrestrial methods and the carriers of this energy such as hydrogen.
Bio-fuels are not sustainable unless we find a way to produce huge yields and have a low energy way of refining the bio-mass to fuel. The brute force technique is to supplant the oil fired powerplants with bio-mass burning, but the primary problem with bio-fuels is still supply would be short and food prices would skyrocket as the total bio-yield is limited.
As our oil supplies are expended the only solution is to focus our efforts on the big picture and sustainable energy that doesn’t compete with food sources. The government should be fighting a “war” on the technological barriers and then use incentive taxing to gain the funds to help make the transition.
Market forces are too slow to keep on the current track and maintain a viable economy as everything depends on oil today. The oil companies recognize this, but even with their large balance sheet do not have the cash/drive to solve the overall problem. This is a global issue and civilization is at stake.
Why not switch to 4 - 10 hour work days. That would eliminate a lot of travel. Schools too decrease the bus trips and have a little longer school day. Maybe its time to write new blue laws for Sunday - let the earth rest that day - go to church and be with family.
Gas price of $ 3-4 per gallon is not really too much. The cost could be easily offset by savings money and health by cutting back on some bad habits such as driving very large cars, un-necessarily driving for long distances, paying too much for “Bottled water “which is more expensive than gas, buying aged wine which is 50-70% more expensive than 1 year aged wine while it basically is as good. Running quick calculation would result in saving $ 300-400 a month, which will more than offset the gas price increase; actually, it will pay for gas and have some extra as bonus.
Passing a “carbon tax” will not reduce my consumption of gasoline. I am doing all I can to conserve gas. I am going to stores only on the way home from work Monday through Friday, and I have a vehicle that’s getting roughly 34 mpg. All the tax is going to do is cause me to quit my higher paying job 25 miles away to a closer one that pays lower wages.
How can we lower Gas prices?
By building a cheap reliable Public Transportation system. Only big cities in the U.S.A. offer good Public Transportation, the rest have to rely on POVs. If going to work or school, would cost me three to five Dollars cheaper by bus or train, I would not have to think about making the switch. But first I have to have those means of transportation. Also Americans are really not into Energy Conservation, so I would not opose higher Gas Prices after it has been determined that the city and State that you live in, has a reliable and affordable Public Transportation System. And as long as the Truck Drivers, and people that make a living on the raod (Taxi Drivers, Truck Drivers, etc.)can have access to cheap Gas Prices.
Adding tax to gas to increase the gas price is ridiculous and stupid. What kind of idiotic logic is this? you are not lowering the gas price but increasing the gas price and it will not reduce the demand. If you need to drive you need gas. Instead increase Tax on all the gas companies posting huge profits and return that money to people. If present tax for oil companies is 30% make it 50% taxes. Because they are making huge profits playing with gasoline market and demand.
I GUESS THAT’S THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING NOW ADAYS. RAISE THE TAXES,
I’M TIRED OF TAXES I HAVE TO PAY TO MAKE SOMEBODY ELSE’S POCKETS BULGE WHILE MINE GET THINNER AN THINNER.I SMOKE CIGARETTES THAT ARE TAXED AT $30 DOLLARS A CARTON ALREADY.THEN I’M TOLD WHERE I CAN SMOKE THEM TOO ON TOP OF IT.WHY CAN’T THE TAXES BE LOWERED ON GAS OR FROZEN FOR THE SUMMER.SEEMS WE
GO THRU THIS EVERY YEAR LIKE WE DON’T KNOW IT’S GONNA HAPPEN.AND THE PRICE JUST KEEPS ON GOING HIGHER EVERY YEAR.THEY CONDITION US TO EXCEPT 2 BUCKS THEN 3 FOR NORMAL. WHEN’S IT GONNA STOP WHEN WERE PAYING 10 BUCKS A GALLON.THEY BLAME THE REFINERYS FOR NOT MAKING ENOUGH.THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THEY SHOULD START MAKING IT.JUST THAT THEY DON’T WANT TO, AN GIVE US SOME FLIMSY EXCUSE TO COVER UP THERE HUNGER FOR PROFITS.WAKE UP AMERICA IF WE ALL JUST STOPPED FOR 1 DAY AN DIDN’T USE A DROP OF GAS I THINK THEY WOULD NOTICE.OR I RED ANOTHER IDEA THAT IF WE JUST BOYCOTTED ONE OF THE BIG GAS COMPANYS.THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO LOWER PRICES AND AS USUAL THE OTHERS WOULD HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO FOLLOW SUIT.WE HAVE TO GAIN CONTROL OF THIS SITUATION BEFORE IT GETS OUTA HAND.IT’S ALL ABOUT PROFIT AND NOBODY CARES HOW THEY MAKE IT.AND THE GOVERNMENT DON’T CARE AS LONG AS THEY GET THERE TAXES.THEY AIN’T GONNA DO ANYTHING AS LONG AS THERE GETTING PAID TOO.WITH ALL OUR TECHNOLOGY YOU WOULD THINK SOMEONE WOULD INVENT A ENGINE THAT WORKS ON WATER.SEEING OUR PLANET CONSISTS OF 96 % OF IT.BUT THEN NOBODY WOULD TURN A BUCK ON THAT WOULD THEY…….
Simple: 1. You cannot sell a car that gets under 40 mpg in the US without paying substantive fines. 2. Tax credit for hybrid purchase with higher than 40 mpg efficiency. 3. Tax credit for veg oil or biodeisel vehicle purchase.
Return the money to the public? sisnce when has the government ever done that?
Taking public transportation, as the article suggests, is fine-if public transportation is available. Here in Montana, that isn’t an option-and with the great distances we need to travel, any such tax would be a disaster.
Maybe the politicians and big-city bigshots ought to remember that.
Try not buying anything but absolute necessities. That will cut your trips, cut out some of our energy hungry consumerism. (Fewer appliances will mean fewer mines, fewer trucks on the road. Fewer bath towels will mean fewer fertilizers and pesticides and…you get the idea.) This would change the economy drastically and make a true power shift. The consumer would gain a lot in the bargain.
Ok, one more idea - don’t have kids. Same idea of decreasing demand.
If we were to do this in the name of peace, we would have the troops home in 6 months.
This is bullsheet ideas. You fool is asking govt. to add 1-2 $carbon tax and provide better transit? No way!!! Gov. would spend all money for something else, and people would end up in z category transit service while paying more for gas. It takes 30 minutes for me to drive to office, while transit takes 90 minutes. Just imagene how much time it saves me to have a car? While I believe that govt. should first stop all wats in other countries. That;s only way to save money.. Not by increasing tax.. Again you are FOOLLLLL!
A carbon tax is a dumb idea. It fails the most basic economic test: it passes money from the most efficient economic engine: the consumer, to the least efficient: the government.
Ask yourself, do you think for a minute that Barbara Boxer knows better how to spend your money than you do?
I would like to expand on a previously mentioned idea. It is true that there hasn’t been a new refinery built in the U.S. for many years and it is easy to list two reasons. Typical is, “Not in my back yard”, after all, who wants to live next to a refinery? Let’s face it. Refineries were probably originally located far from homes and schools in indusrial areas. It was the home developers, and relaxation of zoning laws that allowed the encroachment of new tracts of homes closer to those smelly refineries, and now the home owners will fight tooth and nail to stop refineries from expanding production, thinking the polution will be even greater, and they’d be right. Another adversary against refineries are the environmentalist who would frankly like refineries to simply go away. They would love to keep their lawyers busy preventing ANY refinery from expanding. It would be wonderful if alternative fuel could be developed quickly, that didn’t contribute to global warming and those avenues need to be stepped up such as cracking water into Hydrogen and Oxygen on an “as needed basis” to eliminate the need to resort to compressed hydrogen in vehicles. These efforts need to be stepped up. Maybe it’s time the government create a “New Manhatten Project” to tackle these problems free of any copyright. Frankly, this could easily be a global project in which nations could be coordinated to “work” on the “cost-effective” solutions on the project.
In the meantime, refineries don’t just build themselves. Universities around the world have Chemical Engineering Colleges that train and turn out engineers capable of designing better refineries. Don’t you think it would be wonderful, and feasible to design a refinery that was so clean, that it didn’t exude any by-product? Wouldn’t it be wonderful for our nation to have the federal govenmment fund several such “experimental models” of refineries just to prove that it could be done…actually coming up with several models so that they would always be competing, one against the other, to see which one is the most efficient, and so clean that the cracking process is totally self-contained? I can see it now…UCLA school of chemical Engineering vs. CAL Tech or MIT; What a game!
Now, where do we build them? How about right next to the existing refineries? Remember, they’ll be non-polluting so they won’t be contributing to the current spewing that is already being done by the older refineries. Any major advances in the on-going technology development in the NEW refinery process would be given free to the oil refineries and the modernizations would become mandatory. And here’s the best part, the NEW, CLEAN refineries would be built large enough to be able to take over any refinery’s capacity should it “need” to shut down; either for modernization or repair. This would eliminate any spikes in gas prices forever since the additional, clean government refineries would be ready to take over in “emergencies” at a moment’s notice. Here’s the best part. No additional pipelines would need to be built except next door to the new, clean government refineries. Whenever Standard Oil needs to shut down a refinery, the crude could bypass the downed refinery to the local government refinery and be sent back to Standard Oil through their already existing distribution lines. Heck, the federal government may want to build several plants near their own national reserves as well… Just “in case.”
I realize this really doesn’t get us off the oil dependency habit quickly but, it will force oil companies to start thinking in new ways either on their own, or by forced, new regulations if necessary. In the meantime, the New Manhatten Project would be developing the ultimate solution.
I’ve often thought of what aliens landing on earth would think about our dependance on oil. They’d ask, “why do you use this product considering what it is doing to your planet, your health, and your very existance?” Of course, we’d answer the only way we could which is, “It works and we haven’t been able to develop anything better.” The aliens would a long look at our oceans which cover 70% of our planet, then back to themselves and ponder our stupidity.
the tax wont end up back in public matters like mass transportation. It’ll end up in politicians pockets like the majority of the rest of our money.
I don’t mind paying higher prices if the extra money was going for research for better alternatives. But right now that greed is the reason whether it be investor, state and federal government. How many states have lowered ther taxes while the gas has been up. Iknow when I lived in New York last year they thought not too hard about it. Then you didn’t hear about it. I think that election time is a good time to show your support of the people or parites that have done at least something to help this. At this time it looks like nobody in state or federal government are doing any thing. I really haven’t been a great voter in the past but it seems the way the goverment has been going I really need to take a long and hard look at the candidates. 4 to 8 years of this kind of goverment whether state or federal can really hurt our economy, Sometimes we get so busy trying to keep ahead we didn’t see this coming.
In addition the suggestions made by other readers, I would like to add several other methods of lowering gasoline consumption:
1) Impose a graduated sales tax on privately-owned motor vehicles, based on size and weioght of vehicle and engine displacement. For example, all vehicles with engine displacement of 1600 cm or less should be untaxed (in my own country, the average family car is the size of a Mazda 3 or a Ford Focus with a 1600 cc engine); SUVs and automobiles with V8 engines should be heavily taxed - up to 100% sales tax, as is common in my own country.
2) Impose a yearly license fee in the manner described above.
3) Offer tax incentives to use of alternative fuels and diesel engines.
Taxing consumption will reduce oil demand but by hurting the very people who are most hurt by high gas prices, the consumers who do not live or work in locations accessible to public transportation.
If we tax oil companies on profits not reinvested in new refineries and impose an increasing rate so that oil companies are given incentive to build refineries quickly I think we’ll see less of a supply problem in short order.
Requiring improved fuel efficiency and mposing a tax on cars which don’t meet new efficiency standards would also help by reducing demand.
If a tax would reduce demand, then we would have seen this already as prices increased. I believe in free markets and strongly believe that new technologies will bring solutions as the market offers economic incentives to do so. Keep Government out of this issue.
How about raising the tax on the record PROFITS that the oil companies have been reporting. DUH, I know they already are taxed. Oh, I had better watch out, Cheney will shoot me in a “hunting” accident.
Tax the heck out of gas. Maybe idiots will stop leaving their car run while they are sitting in the Walmart parking lot and fast foor drivethru windows.
Suppose we stop subsidizing American oil companies to the tune of billions while they’re already enjoying record profits, and we stop spending hundreds of bilions more dedicating our military almost exclusively to the protection of overseas oil access? Present pump prices are piddling compared to these costs–and they don’t incude the dead.
It is very ridiculous to even have a section to talk about lowering gas prices. High oil prices should be welcome as people in US have been used to cheap oils without knowing, or rather acknowledging the real prices they have been paying or how much damaged they have done to the entire world. Keeping gas prices high will lead to a necessary shift in life style at individual levels in US (people here even get angry when I tell them to turn off engines while people were just chatting for hours or while buses are waiting at a station for 30 mins) to let them notice that it is time, well probably too late now, that we need to conserve any natural resources, not only gases. However, in order to neutralize the difference in income level, especially the people on a fixed income, there should be a income/asset based tax to make an attempt to introduce somewhat uniform effects on tax increases. Furthermore, there should not be any government support on airlines, aerospace companies, or automobile companies. If they can’t perform well, then they should disappear. Then the government can use all those meaningless bankrupt support to increase funding for alternative fuels and education to fundamentally change the ethics in this country.
Let me see if I get this straight…the way to make gas less expensive is to tax it more which will make it more expensive which will in turn somehow make it less expensive? Not even Al “Inconvenient Truth” Gore would suggest something that ridiculous.
Are you fed up when you “fill up”?
With gas prices over $3.00 per gallon, Americans have to march because American fuel consumers can not even afford to pay $2.00 per gallon.
What you can do to bring a solution:
Organize a walk
If you have a kid at school, select two days or one a week, make a short flyer and through the school PTA or any way possible, ask other parents to participate for 20 minutes walk around school blocks with their kids, when they come to pick up their kids, they park their cars and collectively take a walk. Do the same thing when you go to church. After the Sunday prayer, ask everyone to walk around the church. God loves a collective effort. You can also go to City Council meetings on Tuesday night, and after the meeting is over, you can ask every one to walk. Walking is good for every one and particularly when it is for a good cause.
Call your local Media
Call local and National TV, Radio stations and newspapers to cover it. This is a nationwide problem, you want to go nationwide, and all people must get involved. You are walking to protest against high gas price as well as the subsequent price increases on other usable goods. You are walking because things are out of order and things are not right. It is your duty to bring things to justice and normal. You are walking against corporate greed. The fact is that this Nation does not have any other choice but to raise a collective voice against price gouging and profiteering. Due to the assault by Big Oils, if you march today for your rights you may not have to beg for your rights tomorrow. Please check http://www.pumpinmad.com Mehdi Shahbazi
The proposed “carbon tax” would only hurt the low- to middle-income families. Not only would the prices at the pumps increase, but the prices would also be reflected in the prices we pay for groceries and non-luxury household items required for everyday living, because the shipping cost would ultimately be passed to the consumer. I would like to see more alternative fuels, but don’t think that I would be happy with the performance; from what I’ve heard about E85, it only has about 80% of the performance of regular gasoline, giving it a lower efficiency rating. It has also driven the price of corn up so high that it is no longer that much less expensive than regular gasoline and any other product containing corn has also risen in price. Honestly, the problem will have to be solved by thinking out of the box, meaning that maybe the solution lies somewhere outside the realm of energy itself. Possbily in something such as better public transit or government support for the ability to telecommunicate to work, saving not only gasoline, but drive-time as well, increasing the amount of time that Americans have to sleep and spend time with their families. After all, isn’t that missing family time part of the other problems seen in America as well?
The federal government and State Governments already make more on a gallon of gas than the oil companies. So why give the government more money to waste. we need to drill more and have more modern refineries that can produce more gas. We also need to do more research into alternate fuels.
1. Massive Consumer Rotating Strike or Boycott on the Pumps with the big Oil Monopoly Company, until each company drops their oil price to reasonable consumer price.
2. Government need to take action on Oil Monopoly demand consumer reason price on fuel.
3. Free and Improve Transportation Services in Metro Cities, which will help reduce the demand on Oil.
4. Improve and Implement Alternative Fuel for Vehicles. The vechiles prices must be reasonable than conventional Fuel Vehicles
5. Extra Taxes do not reduce consumption of fuels.
6. Consumers and Goverment need to take massive action against Oil Monopoly to hold the company accountable for prices at the pumps.
1 build more refineries. No refineries has been built in nearly 30 years, while gasoline usage has increased. Oil is still affordable at $62 a barrel, it’s the crack spread that has widened. Hello, are we going to rely on our enemies to send us gasoline?
2. Phase in gas tax over the next 10 years. We have to send in a market signal for people to stop buying SUVs. Americans are like crybabies. Even with high gas price I still see only one driver in very large cars. We are are like crack addicts. Tax $25 cents per gallon more per year. In 10 years it will be $2.50 more.
Use the tax revenue to build our non-existant public tranportation system. Encourage private bus companies. Hello, I rather hop on a bus that cost say $30 from SF to LA than fly Southwest and burn kerosene.
3. Put tollways everywhere to discourage driving.
4. Stop consuming things! We are surrounded by oil derived products such as plastics. They produce hugh enviornmental problems. Start your local Compact group. Most Americans won’t die if we stop buying non-food things for one year.
I’ve watching the price of crude oil going down lately…on regular basis. Yet, the pice at the pumps continues to rise??? I don’t think it takes a genuis to figure out the oil companies are raping us blind! As everyone knows & sees, as soon as the nicer weather begins to arrive…up go the gas prices. But the oil companies blame this on lack of this or that, or demand is much higher. Doesn’t this happen every year? Do they think we are that stupid and niave? Is simply and excuse to raise the price. If an oil company has a 10 billion dollar profit in one quater, as did Exxon (I believe it was them), how can they justify such a huge profit!!! It merely means they are robbing the average American person blind!
Now it is a year later and beaver island is paying $5.20 per gallon. and by the way we can’t just stop buying it there, it’s the only station here.