Letters to the Editor
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Ok. I'm ready to join a third party...call it, Progressive Realist party
Not only should we NOT use the SPR to make Markey's constituents happy, we should be saving even more oil than we are.
Between Feinstein's quisling vote for Mukasey, and completely moronic foolishness like Markey's comments, I'm ready to leave the democratic party altogether. They might as well just hang a sign around their necks "I belong to Corporate America. When I'm not a total vote-whore. Want to join me?"
I really have had it up to here. Markey should be hung by his nuts and forced to read, carefully, every single link at www.dieoff.com.
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Paying speculators is not like paying a carbon tax
While from the immediate perspective of the consumer, a higher price is a higher price whether due to a tax or market speculation, there is a fundamental difference between the two that gets to the heart of many of the problems which have developed over the past 6 years. Paying a carbon tax would create public revenue which could then be applied to reducing the deficit or, say, buying more bullets for Iraq or making sure little Johnny can afford to go to the doctor so he's healthy enough to join the army and go to Iraq when he turns 18 and we're still over there.
Making speculators even richer than they already are does none of these things.
Taxes are not about making individuals pay for things -- taxes are about making sure that we as a society have enough resources to solve our common problems, and fairly bear the burdens of providing the benefits we all enjoy.
Among those benefits, for the speculators, are maintaining the "freedom" of the markets they enjoy so much. Makes it a little hard to understand why they shouldn't have to pay taxes on the income they derive therefrom....
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I agree....
... and I also think we should NOT start drilling in the Alaskan preserve just to keep the price of oil down. There isn't that much oil there, and I think we should save it until we *really* need it.
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US should establish own Oil Company in Iraq
See, this is how we can get Iraq to pay the cost of the war like the Neo Cons said they would. We'll call it Ameraqi Oil Company, 90% owned by Uncle Sam. All profits going to US Treasury. Nevermind how many laws this breaks, that has never bothered George. Then keeping the price of oil up won't seem like such a bad idea. After all, that IS why we went into Iraq, isn't it?
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If the Price is too high, stop buying
An average Californian consumes less than one-tenth the gasoline that the typical American consumes. If the whiny East Coasters would learn to consume less energy, the market for oil would collapse. Even though I would find my oil stocks' value greatly diminished, I would love to see this since it would give the future a chance to unfold.
As it stands, clearly energy is way too cheap in this country, since almost no one (outside of CA) is consuming at a reasonable level. Remember, every gallon of gas/oil is your way of supporting King George's Saudi masters and bringing about the rapture-crowd's end-of-times. Quit yer bitchin' and start walking, riding bikes, and learning how to manage in a 50 degree house you wimps. Our forefathers and mothers would be ashamed at how soft twenty-first century Americans are.
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Californians
use less oil than Easterners because you don't have winter over there, so don't get too self-righteous about it. It sure as hell isn't that you drive less.
But yes, the price of oil is too low, particularly gasoline. I'd be wary of letting the price of heating oil get too high, that causes big problems in particular for the elderly poor.
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Bush should not open oil reserve for spoiled americans
Americans consume oil at an unsustainable rate. If Chinese would consume as much we would need four more worlds to support them. On the other hand, it's Bush's "family" enjoying this price appreciation...I wonder how such an article would faire on skewz.com
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Thanks Mr. Leonard
I feel a lot better. I see now that this administration isn't to blame for hundred dollar a barrel oil. Maybe I will take that second job for 8.50 an hour, although I have to drive 20 miles one way. For four hours. But it will let me save for the Prius I will be able to buy in about 8 years.
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Re: Californians
This is for Appoggiatura. Yes, my friend, we sure the hell do drive less. Check out the data at http://www.statemaster.com/graph/ene_gas_con_percap-energy-gasoline-consumption-per-capita. Californians’ per capita gasoline consumption is indeed less than one-tenth the national average. You Easterners really should get out more; we have lovely winters that often allow us to ski on the fourth of July. Many of my friends and relatives in the Sierra Nevada mountain suburbs and the Siskiyous would be surprised to find that they “don’t have winters”. Also, cooling is a much less energy-efficient process than heating, and don’t even talk about the summer temps. in the Sacramento Valley. In spite of this, California also uses half the electricity per capita relative to the national average (Connecticut, Georgia and Tennessee are the only states to do better, but not on a per GDP rate).
If the rest of the nation would conserve energy like CA, we could shut down all of the Coal-burning power plants, stop all oil imports, and join the forward-looking nations of the EU in finding a way forward that avoids mass extinctions; extinctions which, at this point at least, will probably include us.
By the way, bicyclists have better legs, trimmer asses, six-pack abs and more “staying power”. Give it a try. We laugh at increased gasoline prices and the obese people who whine about them.
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What part of "Reserve" does Markey not understand?
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve's purpose is to provide oil in the event of an emergency, specifically a disruption of oil imports. It is the height of foolishness to try to turn an emergency reserve into a political football. It pains me to say this, but I actually agree with the Bush Administration on this one. (A pig just flew past my window, saying something about meeting friends for ice skating in Hell.)
I even agree with replenishing the reserve, even though the price of oil is historically high. Some have asked; why not wait for the price of oil to drop? Well, how likely is that? The best strategy is to make a series of small, steady purchases over time to minimize the market impact, and to average out the cost as prices fluctuate up and down.
Is the price of oil too high? Judging from all the gas-sucking SUV's I see on the road, I'd say no.