Nationalize gasoline?

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JRB

JRB

PFG, Picture Framing God
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San Diego, CA
This is in regards to the thread about gas prices. I received an e-mail advocating nationalizing gasoline. The author suggested writing your congressman to that effect. I was wondering how Grumblers feel about that?

John
 
As long as they don't nationalize fine custom framing... ;)

But seriously, this is America, nothing gets nationalized, and besides, the power of the oil lobby cannot be underestimated!
 
Originally posted by FramerDave:
Hey, it worked in the USSR for about 75 years.
Click to expand...
It did? As I recall from news accounts, those few who were fortunate enough to have a car were even more fortunate if they could find fuel for it.

Nationalizing gasoline would assure us shortages, rationing, and even higher prices. Government does nothing in commerce as well as the private sector does. I say let the free market work without restraint.

When Americans get tired of paying more and more for gasoline, our free market will turn toward more hybrids, maybe solar & turbine engines, and other transportation options, which will become relatively more practical. We have all of the technology necessary, but internal combustion engines have remained the optimum choice for most of us until now, it seems.

Edie may have the best solution...ride a bike. Or walk or carpool or use public transit. If enough of us took personal action sufficiently to reduce our fuel consumption by about 30%, I'll bet our fuel prices would be under $2 almost immediately.

The Middle East would miss our money more than we would miss their oil.
 
Well, I am in agreement with most of you. I did not want to give my opinion at first. That is one of the few e-mails I did NOT forward. If they nationalize gasoline, why don't they just nationalize everything?

Please DO NOT send this to your congressman. They will spend billions of our tax dollars on studies and committees to arrive at the same conclusion as a few Grumblers.

John
 
If gasoline prices continue to rise, market forces will produce/force conservation which will stabilize supply (assuming OPEC doesn’t cut off the tap again).

The gum’mint doesn’t have a stellar track record as far as managing transportation is concerned. Remember the ‘70’s gas lines with odd and even days to fill up? During those times, gas consumption actually went up since people waited for hours with their cars idling in order to top off their tanks which didn’t really need it. The economy tanked; interest rates, if I can remember correctly, were well over 17% and the inflation rate was over 5%.

No, keep Uncle Sam out of it. We’ll survive.
 
I understand that if the US covered 25% of their buildings and car parking spaces (lots) (25% combined) with solar panels this would generate enough electricity so provide all the electrical power the US would need…….

This is not that far fetched when you consider all these buildings and parking lots are already covered with some sort of material that had to be produced and installed….it is one of the projects that is getting some serious consideration in Ireland ………and given the advances in solar cell technology it could be part of the power solution ………………….
 
The government eventually screws up everything they touch. Everything!

What if covering roofs and parking lots costs 70 zillion bazillion dollars to make happen? Then another 10 zillion a year to maintain them. Would that be a better use of resources?
 
We'll see if the market forces will dictate usage; gas prices are up even more now, and I'm sure all those suckers who bought SUVs are regretting it now.

I think it would be fairly easy to make the switch to biodiesel; any diesel engine can handle it, the emissions are extremely low compared to gas, and the supply infrastructure is in place already; just switch out a pump in every gas station. We won't have to depend on Middle East oil, as it can be made with corn and soybeans, things we have no trouble producing.
 
Originally posted by FramerDave:
Hey, it worked in the USSR for about 75 years.
Click to expand...
Great ideas from socialism leading to communism... Just one of the many things that brought russia to it's knees.
 
Isn't the government involved too much already in our lives? I would HATE to see petroleum nationalized for the same reasons people are now complaining about the N.O relief. Anytime the government does anything it becomes a tangled bereaucratic nightmare.

Besides, buying petroleum isn't like buying a bushel of apples. A ton of things to consider, oil future contracts, what the Saudis and other oil producers will do 6-8 or 12-months down the road, what's the Chinese demand? What's the Indian demand? How much can we produce, how much can we refine? Oil prices spiked because of the refining and piping capabilities in Louisiana and now that they're coming back online the pricing has levelled.

And don't think Big Oil is swimming in profits; check an annual report of any of them and profits hover around 2 to 3% and if they are higher you're looking at a quarterly report, not an annual report. Yeah, they make profits now, only to be eaten when they must update and restart the refineries, the oil platforms and spend even more money on exploration

What no one seems to be mentioning is how oil relates to plastic, medicines and other non-fuel useage. Interesting to see how that plays out

[ 09-06-2005, 08:53 PM: Message edited by: Mike LeCompte CPF ]
 
Gasoline had already reached over $3.00 a gallon in San Diego, well before the hurricane. Seems to me the hurricane has just given them something else to capitalize on. Fuel prices have been on its way to the stratosphere for a long time. Lets face it, if it was ten dollars a gallon, we would pay it. If the government ever gets wind of that notion, you can bet fuel taxes will go up.

John
 
The real question that each of us can seriously be asking ourselves is:

"What will my life look like (what I do or don't do) when gas hits $5.00/gal?"

If you can figure that out now, then you can save some money now at $3/gal.
 
interesting theory.....do any amoung us actually think our beloved governmental agencies could ACTUALLY administor a project that big without flushing it down the tubes?????? remember the $300 toilet seats???????

not in THIS century
 
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