Legislating MPG?
 

I like the 5 year plan

I would also completely regulate such a commodity and service regulating industry that has routinely destroyed their projected profits that are already in the absurd. Not to mention the fact that they really have no operating cost since if they (refineries) need to spend more to make gas due plant problems, raw material gliches, environmental concerns they just pass the cost onto the consumer. The price of most products stay the same if such things temporarily effect their profits.

Why legislate minimum MPG? Just tax gasoline and let the market do the rest...

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Why legislate minimum MPG? Just tax gasoline and let the market do the rest... Why does it have to be either/or? http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...milies/nod.gif

Originally posted by Flubber


Huh?

If you are talking refining, I don't know why exactly think their profits are "absurd". There have been a few wild super profitable years but overall the ROI over any longer period on refineries have been pretty pathetic.

If you want to go further and regulate production of a barrell of oil, you are welcome to try but since the US is a net oil importer, I wonder about the effectiveness of any legislation. Please explain how 18 billion net profit is pathetic.

Originally posted by Joseph
Please explain how 18 billion net profit is pathetic. Did you read his entire post? It's not one year's profit, but over time. Oil is (was) a high risk-high reward resource. Not sure if it's as high of risk anymore, but for the whole war in the middle east thing ...

Yeah if we placed a 2.00 a gallon alternative energy tax on gasoline and diesel that went to funding alternative fuel sources, I'm pretty sure the market would find some solutions, and people would drive less as well.

Yeah if we placed a 2.00 a gallon alternative energy tax on gasoline and diesel that went to funding alternative fuel sources

Why would we want to piss billions of dollars in tax revenues away by spending it solely on funding alternative fuel sources, many of which are uneconomical?