Yes, oil is too expensive - for security, environment

Sac Bee ^ | 4/5/04 | Paul Sabin

[NormsRevenge]

As gasoline prices reach record highs around the country, President George Bush and Sen. John Kerry are competing to cast blame and tout their price-busting strategies.

Bush is urging passage of the administration's proposed national energy bill, stalled in Congress, including the opening of the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. Kerry criticized the president in San Diego on Tuesday for allowing gasoline prices to increase by 11.5 percent during the past three years. Kerry says Bush should divert oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to the consumer market and persuade OPEC leaders to increase production.

[NormsRevenge]

Paul Sabin teaches American history at Yale University and is executive director of the Environmental Leadership Program. His book, "Crude Politics: The California Oil Market, 1900-1940," will be published by the University of California Press in November 2004.

[NormsRevenge]

fyi

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[NormsRevenge]

[ClearCase_guy]

What drek!

As gasoline prices reach record highs around the country

A good economist knows that this is meaningless without an adjustment for inflation. If you do that, we are not a record highs.

President George Bush and Sen. John Kerry are competing to cast blame and tout their price-busting strategies. Kerry says Bush should divert oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to the consumer market and persuade OPEC leaders to increase production.

In other words, Kerry’s strategy is to weaken our war fighting capability and to beg the Arabs for a favor. Doesn’t sound good. In addition, I believe Kerry's “price-busting strategy” includes a 50 cent tax on each gallon of gas.

The price hikes, which have peaked nationally in California at more than $2.25 per gallon, hit the poor disproportionately, cutting into limited disposable income.

Actually, a good many of those poor folks don’t own a car, so they are not impacted at all. A good economist knows that. Also, what’s with the whole “limited disposable income”? The only person I know with unlimited disposable income is John Kerry. Senior Citizens live on a limited income – but so do I! I can ask my boss for more money, but chances are my income will remain limited to what I already earn.

Is Paul Sabin a pen-name for Krugman?

[biblewonk]

Ping. Both parties love cheap gas.

[templar]

A good economist knows that this is meaningless without an adjustment for inflation.

The same economists that were assuring me a year ago that we would be flooded by cheap oil as soon as the Iraq war ended? Economists need to open the shades on the windows of their ivory towers occasionally and look out at what is going on in the real world. Maybe they could start by looking at what their 'inflation adjusted' prices (for oil) did to the economy the last time they were heading this high.

[finnman69]

I'm not quite sure, but is this man advocating for artificial high prices or heavily taxed oil to increase efficiency?

Why not let the laws of supply and demand accomplish the same thing naturally? When oil reserves become more difficult to tap, the natural economic rise will spur creation of alternative energy sources in a manner that makes sense according to the free market. Government interference makes no sense.

[narby]

In Japan today, where energy prices are higher, the rapid adoption of energy-efficient technologies means that the country consumes 25 to 30 percent less energy per unit of output than the United States

So, I suppose we should build rail systems and super high density cities like Japan, and become vulnerable to terrorism as recently shown in Madrid?

Ever notice how Hamas targets busses in Israel? But rarely cars?

American cities like Denver, with no river choke points and almost entirely car oriented would be the hardest to damage via terrorist means. As well as offering the most attractive living conditions.

[blanknoone]

persuade OPEC leaders to increase production.

If Kerry thinks he can 'persuade' OPEC to increase production, why doesn't he just do it? Make, the argument, John.

While he is at it, why doesn't he 'persuade' France to send troops to Iraq? After all, if it is 'persuasion' then it is based on the argument, not the position, and power, of the office of the persuader. So, in the national interest, Mr. Kerry, start persuading...if you think you can.