CincyInDC Posted May 6, 2008 Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 Sign the petition unless you hate America. [url="http://www.gastaxscam.com/letter.html"]http://www.gastaxscam.com/letter.html[/url] [quote]Dear Senator Clinton and Senator McCain, Please stop insulting the intelligence of the American people with pointless gas tax scams. Soaring gas prices are not something we can solve with a cheap gimmick. Gas prices are high because people around the world are using lots of gas including rising demand in developing nations like China and India. Prices are high because oil is a limited resource and production is limited, because of speculation on Wall Street, and instability in the Middle East. Gimmicks won't change any of that. Eliminating the federal gas tax all summer would only save American consumers about 30 dollars, send more money overseas, reduce our ability to invest in infrastructure, and encourage even more driving and pollution contributing to global climate change. At the end of the summer, gas prices would be as high or higher than before and no problems will be solved. The only way to save Americans from spending huge sums on gas is to reduce the gas Americans use. We need to invest in alternative sources of energy. We need to build more fuel-efficient cars. And we need to make it easier for more Americans to accomplish everyday tasks without having to drive. Real estate values are strong in walkable communities while they plummet in exurbs which require long, expensive commutes each day. Our federal policy can encourage more housing near offices and schools, and support more transit lines that get people to work without having to pay for gas. We also need to transport more of our freight by rail, a method that consumes far less energy and makes everyday goods cheaper for consumers. Experts and commentators agree that your gas tax "holiday" proposal is naked politics and bad policy. No matter whom we support in the Presidential race, we want a race about serious ideas instead of cheap scams for votes.[/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vol_Bengal Posted May 6, 2008 Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 Or, We could drill for our own in the Gulf, use ANWAR as a resource, develop our own sources of oil then go back to OPEC and tell them how much we're willing to pay per barrel and if they don't like it then tell them to screw themselves - they can peddle their wares elsewhere... If they don't have us to buy it they're screwed. Sure, China is purchasing but if we don't buy, 1/2 (at least) of their demand is gone. But, regarding the gas tax relief - that is a joke. My gas was $3.45 this morning - $0.18 less for a couple months isn't going to make a difference that is worth it to say the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer_Rice Posted May 6, 2008 Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 It's time for folks to express their disapproval to the ruling class! This is like transiting between Sylla and Charybdis. There's little room for errant navigation. Some observations. Our economic disintergration continues apace. It's going to get much, much worse before it gets better. Our current crop of pols and other influentials appear to be holding out hope that "standard" remedies will take care of the problems. They are misjudging the situation. Add in the normal amount of political pandering that goes on during election season and this proposal fits right in. It's not that it is a scam, it is that the proposal doesn't solve the essential problem, while it creates a few more--the primary one being the depletion of money for road repair which that tax funds. So I see the situation thusly: While folks are beginning to wake up to the severity of the crises we face, they are still too timid to take on the causes of the problem, in this case, [url="http://www.engdahl.oilgeopolitics.net/Financial_Tsunami/Oil_Speculation/oil_speculation.HTM"]the predominance of speculation [/url]which is forcing prices upward. Not surprising, considering that all three candidates are tied to unsavory elements in the financial world. Dog the hatches, folks, we're in for heavy weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go Tory Go! Posted May 6, 2008 Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 [img]http://img.timeinc.net/time/photoessays/2007/minneapolis_bridge/minneapolis_bridge_01.jpg[/img] It looks messy, folks, but it's a small price to pay for my $0.18 a gallon! Might I suggest you limit your bridge crossings while using your discount gas, though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Henrys Dealer Posted May 6, 2008 Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 [quote name='Vol_Bengal' post='663306' date='May 6 2008, 07:18 AM']Or, We could drill for our own in the Gulf, use ANWAR as a resource, develop our own sources of oil then go back to OPEC and tell them how much we're willing to pay per barrel and if they don't like it then tell them to screw themselves - they can peddle their wares elsewhere... If they don't have us to buy it they're screwed. Sure, China is purchasing but if we don't buy, 1/2 (at least) of their demand is gone. But, regarding the gas tax relief - that is a joke. My gas was $3.45 this morning - $0.18 less for a couple months isn't going to make a difference that is worth it to say the least.[/quote] There is a great interview with legendary oil man / billionaire investor T Boone Pickens in this month's American Spectator. He basically comments on some of the pereceptions of ANWAR vs. reality: His quote: [quote]"I don't think the ANWR is going to be released to be developed, but [concerning] the transportation of crude oil off of the North Slope in the pipeline area. Do you know what the capacity of that is? Some people have the idea that ANWR could solve a problem for the United States, which is ridiculous. ANWR they try to compare to Prudhoe Bay, an oil field where the ultimate recovery out of it is 14 billion barrels. It is substantially depleted. At one time that field could fill that Alyeska line, which is 2million barrels per day. Keep that in mind; that is all it is : 2 million. That has now declined to about 700,000 barrels a day and they put in satellite production from Endicott and other fields around Prudhoe Bay. But they've pretty well gutted everything that is available to go into that line. It is unlikely that ANWR will be as productive as Prudhoe Bay. Probably a third as much. But let's just say it is as productive. All that oil coming off of ANWR does is fill up that line. You go back to 2 million bpd [and] we're importing 14 million barrels of crude and products in the United States, using 21 million barrels of crude and products. So, the 2 million barrel Alyeska line would be 10 per cent of what we use every day. It has no hope of solving many problems for us. ... and ANWR could not go on production for instance if Congress passed something that would allow entry into ANWR in the next session [for] ten years."[/quote] Just based on what I read from analysts, that seems to be general consensus. ANWR has become a political hot potato, but overall, doesn't really address many concerns. And as for importing crude in, you folks were getting better in terms of reducing the dependence on OPEC, although that's falling away. [url="http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/import.html"]http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petrole...ent/import.html[/url] Approximately, 41% of the US's crude oil imports are coming in from Non OPEC sources. 58% from OPEC. Canada and Mexico are two of the US's largest suppliers. I'd expect Norway to move up that list, and Russia was going great guns a few years earlier, before the missile shield argument cut them off. Brazil could go up as PBR have just discovered that massive field off Rio state, but they most likely would retain a lot of it. And also, they are looking like they might join OPEC. [quote name='Vol_Bengal' post='663306' date='May 6 2008, 07:18 AM']If they don't have us to buy it they're screwed. Sure, China is purchasing but if we don't buy, 1/2 (at least) of their demand is gone.[/quote] It's closer to about 25%. OPEC should release their 2007 Statistical bulletin later this month which has their exports by region. For 2006, US demand, accounted for about 25.1% of OPEC's crude oil production. Which was an important figure, but not that critical. Especially when you look at the growth rate in other regions. (Asia, imported about 46% of crude in 2006 produced by OPEC) In 2000, they accounted for 39%....in 1993 , 33%. The trend is obviously rising swiftly. [url="http://www.opec.org/library/Annual%20Statistical%20Bulletin/pdf/ASB2006.pdf"]http://www.opec.org/library/Annual%20Stati...pdf/ASB2006.pdf[/url] (Page 36) (As an aside, I am amazed by how much oil Japan uses. They import more crude than the States, and have a fraction of the population and lesser cars) Another factor to consider in the whole, we should just find other sources of oil and tell OPEC where to stick it, is that in many cases OPEC just won't stand idly by and let that happen. For example, Canada is the US's largest supplier of oil via the Tar Sands in Alberta. And it's not surprising that the sovereign funds of many OPEC countries are actively shopping for assets there. TAQA, an oil company backed by Abu Dhabi in the UAE. They just purcahsed a smaller Cdn company. But with oil prices high, and revenues pouring in, they will be more aggressive in bidding for bigger companies in order to maintain their control of new supply coming on line. This is one case where the market economy has backfired, as imo, i think it's ridiculous, Canadians should have to pay so much for gasoline when they are sitting on possibly the largest deposit of heavy crude in the word. Another example is with Brazil. Petro Brasilia finds a huge field and then almost instantly, the pressure on them to join OPEC ratchets up ten fold. I agree with Homer that speculation is a huge part in the run up in price. But the US are already amongst some of the most efficient users of crude in the world. To reduce usage, the best way would be to develop an alternative fuel source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincyInDC Posted May 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 [img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2195/2312086673_35fb6573fa_o.jpg[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincyInDC Posted May 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 [img]http://www.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/05_05/obamatoon.JPG[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer_Rice Posted May 7, 2008 Report Share Posted May 7, 2008 Part I: [url="http://www.counterpunch.org/martens05052008.html"]Obama's Money Cartel[/url] Part II: [url="http://www.counterpunch.org/martens05062008.html"]The Obama Bubble Agenda[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Bengal Migration| Posted May 7, 2008 Report Share Posted May 7, 2008 [quote name='Homer_Rice' post='663513' date='May 7 2008, 12:07 PM']Part I: [url="http://www.counterpunch.org/martens05052008.html"]Obama's Money Cartel[/url] Part II: [url="http://www.counterpunch.org/martens05062008.html"]The Obama Bubble Agenda[/url][/quote] I've been wondering when we were going to see the truth out there. I'm no fan of any of the other candidates, either, but pretending somehow that Obama exists outside the system is ludicrous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vol_Bengal Posted May 7, 2008 Report Share Posted May 7, 2008 [quote name='KangarWhoDey' post='663523' date='May 6 2008, 10:32 PM']I've been wondering when we were going to see the truth out there. I'm no fan of any of the other candidates, either, but pretending somehow that Obama exists outside the system is ludicrous.[/quote] x2. I love the "he's for us"... "he's different"... Bottom line - he's a politician. His mouth is moving so 95% of the time he's lying... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer_Rice Posted May 8, 2008 Report Share Posted May 8, 2008 [url="http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2008/5/7woodiwiss.html"]This is a hoot[/url]; hat tip to The Big Picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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