Comments on: Why Gas Prices Are High http://www.donloper.com/government-and-business/why-gas-prices-are-high.html Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:06:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: admin http://www.donloper.com/government-and-business/why-gas-prices-are-high.html/comment-page-1#comment-1347 admin Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:55:05 +0000 http://www.donloper.com/?p=483#comment-1347 You know, if the government really wanted to speed things up, they could take a portion of <i>their</i> windfall profits from the tax they put on gasoline and put it into alternative energy research. Then they could open up ANWR and everywhere else to oil exploration, speed up the permit process, and try to help the oil companies make as much money as possible, which would result in; a) more tax revenue for the government and we all know politicians love that, and b) more investment in alternative energy research and we'd get to where we can all live off solar energy that much faster. You know, if the government really wanted to speed things up, they could take a portion of their windfall profits from the tax they put on gasoline and put it into alternative energy research. Then they could open up ANWR and everywhere else to oil exploration, speed up the permit process, and try to help the oil companies make as much money as possible, which would result in; a) more tax revenue for the government and we all know politicians love that, and b) more investment in alternative energy research and we’d get to where we can all live off solar energy that much faster.

]]> By: codyhilton http://www.donloper.com/government-and-business/why-gas-prices-are-high.html/comment-page-1#comment-1346 codyhilton Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:31:49 +0000 http://www.donloper.com/?p=483#comment-1346 You seem to abandon quickly the demand side solutions to the pain of high fuel prices. There has to be more to solving the pain of high fuel prices than just mass-transit i.e., fuel efficient vehicles, telecommuting, suburban business centers. I realize as Americans we hate to change the way of life we perceive as comfortable but I see high fuel prices as real motivation to solve real long-term problems facing this country. This country is too dependent on oil. I see nothing more efficient in curbing consumption than the high of fuel prices. Market forces will find solutions faster than any policy out of Washington. Increasing the supply of oil by opening up ANWR and off-shore drilling will not tackle the real problem of over dependence on oil. In fact increasing supply will just prolong the inevitable reality check of curbing dependence on oil and facing up to all of its nasty side effects. The Republican answer of opening up ANWR and off-shore drilling is just as much a band-aid fix to the pain of high fuel prices as the Democrats answer of inflicting high profit wind-fall taxes on oil companies. Both pander to the emotions of voters to give the illusion that their party is the one solving fuel prices problems. I doubt high fuel prices are going away but left to free market forces the pain of fuel prices will gradually diminish as consumers find alternatives to their current consumption patterns. You seem to abandon quickly the demand side solutions to the pain of high fuel prices. There has to be more to solving the pain of high fuel prices than just mass-transit i.e., fuel efficient vehicles, telecommuting, suburban business centers. I realize as Americans we hate to change the way of life we perceive as comfortable but I see high fuel prices as real motivation to solve real long-term problems facing this country. This country is too dependent on oil.

I see nothing more efficient in curbing consumption than the high of fuel prices. Market forces will find solutions faster than any policy out of Washington. Increasing the supply of oil by opening up ANWR and off-shore drilling will not tackle the real problem of over dependence on oil. In fact increasing supply will just prolong the inevitable reality check of curbing dependence on oil and facing up to all of its nasty side effects.

The Republican answer of opening up ANWR and off-shore drilling is just as much a band-aid fix to the pain of high fuel prices as the Democrats answer of inflicting high profit wind-fall taxes on oil companies. Both pander to the emotions of voters to give the illusion that their party is the one solving fuel prices problems.

I doubt high fuel prices are going away but left to free market forces the pain of fuel prices will gradually diminish as consumers find alternatives to their current consumption patterns.

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