There is not much we, as consumers do about the price gouging, except perhaps to use less oil. Not just in your cars, but by using less energy overall. As Mike already pointed out, President Carter wore a sweater around the White House and turned the thermostat down. But turning off lights in rooms not in use, turning down your hot water heaters in the summer months, getting heavier drapes to keep out the hot sun/cold drafts, etc. Oh yeah, and maybe try using some of that fancy biofuel. If W is encouraging us to use it, then it must be good stuff.
Seriously, it is good to see that more and more people are waking up and realizing that the United States has a profit-driven economy, and that supply and demand works (supply runs short, demand doesn't, so raise prices). But to think that the Federal Guvment will fix it by taxing us more? What are they thinking? OK, let's assume (snicker, ha-ha) that the Federal Guvment was able to efficiently and effectively manage the dispersement of R&D funds towards alternative fuels research. And let's also assume that the Federal Guvment were to add an additional tax on the windfall profits that oil companies are making on this price gouging (yeah, like W's puppetmasters would go for that). Well, how do they define windfall profit? All profit? Only profit that is considered excessive? How excessive is excessive - 10%, 20%, 30%? Who sets the bar? Would you trust W to set the bar? How about Congress? Given their (W, his administration, the Congress, etc.) track record with collecting taxes and spending money on the right things, IMHO, they should just stay out of it. Government meddling in a free-market economy is never a good thing. Enjoy! Earl Kinsley [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------------- "That government is best which governs least." -- Thomas Paine ---------------------------------- Check out my latest blogs at http://KinsleyForPrez08.blogspot.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alt.EnergyNetwork" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <Biofuel@sustainablelists.org> Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2005 5:27 AM Subject: [Biofuel] oil price gouging poll > Hmmmm, so in light of this poll, does anyone believe that the > oil co's, auto co's and politicos are going to > actually do anything about it, besides some feeble, feel good > conservation PR?? > > regards > tallex > > > Most Americans say oil companies are price gouging > > Four out of five Americans would support "a tax on > the windfall profits of oil companies" if the resulting > revenues were devoted to alternative energy research, > according to an Opinion Research Corp. (ORC) poll > conducted for 40mpg.org and the Boston-based nonprofit > and nonpartisan Civil Society Institute (CSI). > > CSI is a think tank and the 40mpg.org campaign is a > project of CSI. > > Other key survey findings include: 87 percent of Americans > think that oil companies are gouging gasoline consumers > today; 81 percent say the federal government is not doing > enough about high energy prices and America's overreliance > on Middle Eastern oil; 73 percent believe that recent > gasoline price hikes now make it more important that the > federal government impose higher fuel-efficiency standards; > and four out of five adults say that U.S. automakers should > follow the same path as Toyota, which intends that "all of > its new cars going forward will use fuel-saving hybrid > technology." > > In response to the poll, 40mpg.org has launched an online > petition at www.40mpg.org allowing Americans to tell their > members of Congress and the White House that they want > major steps taken in terms of a windfall profits tax on > oil companies and tougher fuel-efficiency standards on > vehicles. > > CSI president Pam Solo said: "Americans have seen too much > price gouging and too little action from Washington on > energy prices, fuel-efficient vehicles and our dangerous > reliance on foreign oil. The benefits of making 40 miles > per gallon the standard for all autos in the United States > are obvious to Americans: consumers save money; we reduce > our dangerous reliance on Middle Eastern oil, making us > more secure in the world; air pollution is reduced; and > we can cut the U.S. contribution to global warming by nearly > a third. Greater fuel efficiency makes sense, it is > technologically possible, the benefits are real and the > challenges can be overcome." > > Some key highlights of the poll are: > > + Price gouging. Some 87 percent think "big oil companies > are currently gouging consumers at the gas pump," with 57 > percent saying there is a "great deal" of such price gouging > going on. Fewer than 4 percent say "no price gouging is > going on." Political affiliation makes almost no difference > in how Americans respond to this question with 87 percent > of independents, 82 percent of Republicans and 91 percent > of Democrats saying there is a "great deal" or "some" price > gouging going on. > > + Windfall profits tax on oil companies. Seventy-nine percent > would "support a tax on the windfall profits of oil companies" > if the resulting revenues were spent on "research on alternative > energy." Support for targeting windfall profits tax revenues > to underwrite alternative energy research was higher than two > other listed alternatives: "wetlands restoration in Gulf Coast > states to minimize the impact of future hurricanes" (70 percent); > and "a direct rebate to each consumer with a driver's license" > (53 percent). > > + Federal inaction. Four out of five think "the federal government > is not doing enough about high energy prices and the U.S. > dependence on Middle Eastern energy sources." Political > affiliation was somewhat more evident as a factor in the > responses to this question, with 83 percent of independents, > 74 percent of Republicans and 90 percent of Democrats expressing > dissatisfaction with current federal policies > > + Higher fuel-efficiency standards. Seventy-three percent > think that recent gasoline price hikes now make it "much more" > or "somewhat more" important "that the federal government takes > new steps to require higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars > and other vehicles." > > + Hybrid technology. Four out of five Americans think that > "U.S. automakers should follow the same path" as Toyota, > which "has announced that all of its new cars going forward > will use fuel-saving hybrid technology." > > Survey results are based on telephone interviews conducted > among a sample of 1,019 adults age 18 and up living in > private households in the continental United States. > Interviewing was completed by Opinion Research Corp. during > the period of Sept. 15-19. The margin of error is plus or > minus 3 percentage points for the complete sample of 1,019 > adults. Smaller sub-groups will have larger error margins. s > > http://www.fairfieldcbj.com/current_issue/101005frop07.html > > > > next_generation_grid > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/next_generation_grid > > news resources forums > > tomorrow-energy > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tomorrow-energy > > > > Alternative Energy Politics > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Alternative_Energy_Politics/ > > > Get your daily alternative energy news > > Alternate Energy Resource Network > http://www.alternate-energy.net > 1000+ news sources - resources > updated daily > > > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 > messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
