2008-04-27
White House candidates offer plans to curb high gas prices
In today's Dallas Morning News, Dave Michaels had this article:
White House candidates offer plans to curb high gas prices
Here is my reply to Dave, the candidates and Senator Pete Domenici:
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Congressional investigations into allegations of price fixing are just a dog-and-pony-puppet show. The appease the uneducated and do nothing. Would a congressman really bite the hand that lets them get elected?
Suspending the federal gas tax this summer is a paper-cut band-aid for a Monty Python arm removal.
But, if you offered a rebate to people making below $50,000, independent truckers, and small trucking companies (under $1.M in revenues), I could go for that. They have to apply for the rebate with their fuel receipts, if they don't, they weren't hurting that bad.
Even if you eased drilling restrictions tomorrow, how long would it take to put that product in the pipe? Two or three years? Five or ten?
My solution: Don't drive for a day, a national "park-it day", only EMS (police, fire, medical, and reporters) drive, everyone else, take mass transit or stay home. But, while I would do it, most people will not, again, they must not be feeling the pain that much.
I also favor an excess profits choice (on the big six supermajors): Either invest in renewables or contribute to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. If you chose the latter you just lose your excess profits, if you chose the former, will give you a 1.5x or 2x tax break.
We need a JFK-type end of the decade mandate: "By 2020 we will have a really good alternative to petroleum based passenger vehicles". Additionally, we mandate for improvements in rail transport to move some long distance freight from long-haul truckers to the railroads. Give the railroads upgrade funding to have three tracks on major cross-country routes (one west or north bound; one east or south bound; and one in the middle for dedicated high-speed traffic). Additional put R&D into a new type of locomotives and railcar technologies.
We don't need any short term band-aids. We need real long-term solutions. If we upgrade the rail infrastructure, we are investing in the country. The dollar and U.S. bonds would go up.
FYI: The Peugeot 308 hybrid diesel-electric currently holds the record of the most fuel efficient mainstream car, averaging 3.13 L/100 km (75 mpg–U.S.!) over a distance of 14,580 kilometers (9,060 mi). Of course this was all highway mileage and very conservative driving, but still...(Two New Fuel Economy Guinness World Records!!) Of course, this car is not sold in the United States!!!!
Lets either get this car in the U.S., or let Peugeot, sell the drivetrain to the partners Ford and Volvo.
Speaking of Senator Domenici why the hell can't he get a nuclear plant built in this country? He has been acting like the mouth piece of nuclear power for twenty+ years, but nothing. Why not build one at the Trinity Site? Or somewhere at Nellis AFB in Nevada? If we can't get one in the middle of Nevada, then we can't get one anywhere. Put twenty, new, small, cutting edge plants out there with the scrub brush, and lets go. The federal government will back all construction cost to any utility willing to step up and come to Nevada and build it. Put it to the west of the test site (on the edge of the Nellis AFB Bombing and Gunnery Range-east of Beatty), so even if there is "something that would go wrong" (like in France the last 30 years), not much would happen. Or, what about out by Van Horn? Have you looked at Culberson County lately?
There are "some" ideas with meat on them, not just political sound bites.
PS: I don't mandate touching the Strategic Petroleum Reserve unless there is REALLY an emergency. This is a crisis, not an emergency.
White House candidates offer plans to curb high gas prices
Here is my reply to Dave, the candidates and Senator Pete Domenici:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Congressional investigations into allegations of price fixing are just a dog-and-pony-puppet show. The appease the uneducated and do nothing. Would a congressman really bite the hand that lets them get elected?
Suspending the federal gas tax this summer is a paper-cut band-aid for a Monty Python arm removal.
But, if you offered a rebate to people making below $50,000, independent truckers, and small trucking companies (under $1.M in revenues), I could go for that. They have to apply for the rebate with their fuel receipts, if they don't, they weren't hurting that bad.
Even if you eased drilling restrictions tomorrow, how long would it take to put that product in the pipe? Two or three years? Five or ten?
My solution: Don't drive for a day, a national "park-it day", only EMS (police, fire, medical, and reporters) drive, everyone else, take mass transit or stay home. But, while I would do it, most people will not, again, they must not be feeling the pain that much.
I also favor an excess profits choice (on the big six supermajors): Either invest in renewables or contribute to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. If you chose the latter you just lose your excess profits, if you chose the former, will give you a 1.5x or 2x tax break.
We need a JFK-type end of the decade mandate: "By 2020 we will have a really good alternative to petroleum based passenger vehicles". Additionally, we mandate for improvements in rail transport to move some long distance freight from long-haul truckers to the railroads. Give the railroads upgrade funding to have three tracks on major cross-country routes (one west or north bound; one east or south bound; and one in the middle for dedicated high-speed traffic). Additional put R&D into a new type of locomotives and railcar technologies.
We don't need any short term band-aids. We need real long-term solutions. If we upgrade the rail infrastructure, we are investing in the country. The dollar and U.S. bonds would go up.
FYI: The Peugeot 308 hybrid diesel-electric currently holds the record of the most fuel efficient mainstream car, averaging 3.13 L/100 km (75 mpg–U.S.!) over a distance of 14,580 kilometers (9,060 mi). Of course this was all highway mileage and very conservative driving, but still...(Two New Fuel Economy Guinness World Records!!) Of course, this car is not sold in the United States!!!!
Lets either get this car in the U.S., or let Peugeot, sell the drivetrain to the partners Ford and Volvo.
Speaking of Senator Domenici why the hell can't he get a nuclear plant built in this country? He has been acting like the mouth piece of nuclear power for twenty+ years, but nothing. Why not build one at the Trinity Site? Or somewhere at Nellis AFB in Nevada? If we can't get one in the middle of Nevada, then we can't get one anywhere. Put twenty, new, small, cutting edge plants out there with the scrub brush, and lets go. The federal government will back all construction cost to any utility willing to step up and come to Nevada and build it. Put it to the west of the test site (on the edge of the Nellis AFB Bombing and Gunnery Range-east of Beatty), so even if there is "something that would go wrong" (like in France the last 30 years), not much would happen. Or, what about out by Van Horn? Have you looked at Culberson County lately?
There are "some" ideas with meat on them, not just political sound bites.
PS: I don't mandate touching the Strategic Petroleum Reserve unless there is REALLY an emergency. This is a crisis, not an emergency.
Labels: Gas Prices, National Engery Plan, Politics
