Posted on 03/15/2002 2:04:38 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
Edited on 04/13/2004 2:39:56 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (AP) --
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Boy it feels great to use the Dems own rhetoric against them.
calgov2002:
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Saying he wanted to get reelected...
As someone who worked for a "greedy, polluting" oil company when MTBE was mandated I can tell you that the oil companies were 100% against it. The oil companies notified the govt that MTBE would not reduce pollution & may actually add pollutants to the air-which has now been proven. (They did not anticipate ground water contamination.) However, the govt geniuses ruled against the oil companies & now are coming full circle.
Of course now they will require ethanol as an additive in an effort to pander to the farm belt. As a result, we will be subsidizing the farmers to grow the corn & then paying higher gas prices for the federally mandated ethanol additive. By the way, the oil companies have also stated that ethanol will not do anything to reduce pollution.
Some other states do use MTBE (and a few have refused to put it in). I heard a petroleum industry guy on the radio from out here in CA saying that there are about 60 different blends of gas used around the US depending on the time of year and location - state/region/local. There are strict laws regarding the distribution of the different blends based on alleged environmental reasons - i.e. if CA runs short on MTBE than it can't get extra from Nevada (no MTBE). The fragmented market helps keep prices high by limiting the supply of a particular (regional) blend.
Gray Davis knows he is going to need tens of millions to pay for this election campaign against Simon (he already has 30 mill saved for re-election). I would bet the house that there has been a back room deal cut with the oil industry or some intermediary to find funding for Davis if he got the extension. I have read that MTBE is very inexpensive to produce and the gas produced with it has a significantly higher profit margin (for the producer) than regular non-MTBE gas.
It's a state requirement, as it the law requiring it be phased out. Gray is dragging his feet getting it removed. IIRC, Gray's darling spouse on on the Exxon board of directors. You do the math...
Davis moves to keep gas prices in check
Gosh, one would never know which candidate SJMN might favor from *this* headline...
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