OT Celebration (Not intended to be offensive, possible humor)

From: Richard Erlacher <edick_at_idcomm.com>
Date: Sun Jul 8 16:18:14 2001

The energy problem is the result of too much government meddling in the market,
through overt and covert subsidy of one industry or another. I could tolerate
$10 per gallon gasoline if I didn't have to pay to make gas cheaper for others,
and then pay out over half my income in taxes of one sort or another.

If the GOV wouldn't let public land be used at ridiculously low cost to the
oil/coal/lumber...(whatever)... industries, and wouldn't subsidize those
industries through depletion allowances and things of that ilk, then we'd pay
more for gasoline and possibly other forms of energy as we consume it, thereby
making excessive consumption less transparent to us.

We'd ultimately pay the same, though, but we'd be more aware of its cost, which
might have effect on our behavior. We'd just pay with dollars with somewhat
less taken out in the form of taxes earmarked for those subsidies.

Likewise, if they'd stop taxing income (production) and tax consumption instead,
we'd pay more for our butter, but it would be with untaxed dollars. Of course
the GOV wouldn't get its rake off the top.

Also, you can bet Detroit would build more efficient cars if folks had to pay
$10 for a gallon of gas, even if it were with tax-free dollars.

Dick

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chad Fernandez" <fernande_at_internet1.net>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2001 1:00 PM
Subject: Re: OT Celebration (Not intended to be offensive, possible humor)


> Joe,
>
> I originally meant to send this a few days ago. I wrote it off-line and
> it has been sitting in my out-box, but here goes :-)
>
> I don't think "crisis" is quite accurate. The oil industry has had
> several refineries burn, and who knows, maybe some of them are old or
> undersize. They may need to build more. or rebuild burned ones. The
> electricity problems comes from growing and growing use, without
> appropriate updates on the power system.
>
> Drilling in new locations isn't supposed to increase refinery capacity.
> It is part of a longer range solution. Drilling in new locations is
> something a lot of countries are doing. Drilling in the North Sea is
> being done now, or maybe deeper water than normal..... I don't recall.
> I have seen a show on Discovery or TLC about the building of the
> platform. It was a huge engineering feat the way they built it.
>
> Personally, I'd like to see a move away from oil, not totally, but maybe
> a diversification. I'd like to see cars powered by grain alcohol,
> although I admit, I don't really know any specifics. Something might
> have to be done about people drinking the contents of ones gas tank :-)
>
> Chad Fernandez
> Michigan, USA
>
> joe wrote:
> > Is that the same energy crisis that the oil industry keeps saying is
> > being caused by a lack of refinery capacity? (Of course it is for the ones
> > of you that have been living in hole somewhere.) I'd like to know how
> > drilling in ANWAR or the Gulf of Mexico is supposed to increase refinery
> > capacity!
> >
> > Joe
>
>
Received on Sun Jul 08 2001 - 16:18:14 BST