Posted on 04/23/2006 6:29:49 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
If I put on my foil hat, I can say with certainty, that the Republicans are tanking this election cycle, and probably the following couple. They are purposely setting up the Democrats to win. OK, tin foil hat off now.
The bloody winter will be no better Down here!
Nice job, Sec. Bodman. The current mess we are in proves that we do not need an Energy Dept. with a budget of $23 billion and 100,000 worthless flunkies, who may be the only ones able to afford $5/gal. gas this summer. We could certainly spend those billions better by eliminating the Energy Dept. and sending every family a check to pay for their sky high gas bills.
Do SOMETHING. Anything.
The govt. can't do a lot and certainly price controls would NOT be a good idea, but it would certainly help his poll numbers if it looked like he was at least mentally engaged and not just saying "oh well."
Get rid of all the blends and have one. Do something for crying out loud.
A wind-fall taxes tax cut is in order dubya. Please get right on that.
Price controls maybe. It will kill the oil industry. Remember Nixon. Of course that was wage/price freeze, but they got him for that.
I don't think anyone has suggested price controls but what has been suggested by several people makes sense. I think that Pres. Bush should cancel the new additive until the infrastructure is in place and refineries can do a better job. He could get in front and provide some leadership by getting on TV and calling on congress to open ANWR and off shore drilling and make it easier to build new refineries. These moves alone would help the markets to run more smoothly.
How about using it as an issue to beat ANWAR obstructionists over the head? Say "Gee, we'd be well on the way to energy independence and lower prices if they had passed my energy bill. Let's talk about it now".
I want to see Bush fight his political enemies with the same determination and resourcefulness that he's show in the WOT.
Somebody with political aspirations could make a lot of headway right now. Every time you pass the big sign in front of a gas station you would think of the one who gets out in front on this issue. Free advertising, nationwide.
we don't want price controls - that will cause shortages for sure.
- end the blends, even if it means telling ADM to go to hell with their campaign contributions to artificially prop up their market for ethanol.
- release physical oil from the SPR at below market rates and sign a contract with the new iraqi government to replace what is released at an off market price as a form of "war repayment". this will help take out some of the contracts of the speculators bidding the price ever higher by just sitting there hitting a BUY button at the ask price on a computer screen someplace.
DO SOMETHING.
How about get off his ass and push ANWR drilling? How about suspending gas tax? How about gettign the EPA out of the gas formualtion business? How about stepping in and fast tracking permits for refinery construction (I know feds can't do it directly, but use the blly pulpit). How about opening up the strategic reserves? How about putting the hammer down on opec and make sure they come out monday saying they are increasing production?
Start having some VOTES in Congress to get the 'Rats nailed to their positions?
Less gov't not more, remember?
Market economics, futures, Iran tensions, blah blah blah.
The stations around here pegged it at 2.99/gal for the weekend because they could and because they knew anything over would cause more of a stink. Oil is getting more expensive, but the pump prices are being set/raised artificially and arbitrarily. End of discussion.
IMO, Bush can begin aggressively campaigning for and verbally pushing decreased regulations for drilling, decreased regulations on refinery construction, opening up of certain areas where drilling is prohibited, incentives and encouragement for oil refined from coal, ethanol, bio diesel, and other alternatives. Above all, he can repeatedly and loudly make the point that America can actually be energy independent rather quickly, if only we would follow through on those things. He can be forceful, and not let up.
However, in the past, it has been his habit to remain relatively silent for periods of time on his causes, at least publicly.
Should make for a frosty Thanksgiving. Even though Jeb'll be out of office, he's on record with his opposition.
FedGov and their lackeys--StateGov--are not going away no matter what. Time is limited now. There was time from the first warning in '73, but all that time was wasted. Now we need action, right now, major action. Construction should begin this summer on 300 new nuke plants. This need not cost FedGov a dime, but of course they will find a way to increase staff. The 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty should be withdrawn from immediately, that is our only hope. Nukes + Space. Or, get FedGov to fund development of electric cars, hydrogen cars, set up fast depreciation, and every other thing that will put the NatBudget farther into the red. Either that or watch the economy peak and begin a permanent decline.
Are you suggesting doing something destructive to the economy is better than doing nothing?
GWB looks disengaged, like he's going through the motions. Maybe he's being a dynamo behind the scenes, but his public face looks a lot like his father's did in the second half of his term...like he doesn't want to be there any more.
Not the end. Not event the beginning of the end. If I owned a gas station, why would I wait till the next batch of higher priced fuel is delivered to raise prices? The oil buisiness is a very capital intensive business prone to dramatic price swings. When prices go down, retailers lose money, because their existing inventory is more expensive than their future inventory will be. If my competitor across the street gets a new shipment at a lower cost than my inventory, he could lower his posted price and divert buisiness to his store. People will cross the street just to save a penny a gallon. When oil prices decrease, retailers often have no choice but to match the prices of their competitors even at a loss.
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