How should we lower gas prices?

Presently each gas station owner sells gas to politicians, soccer moms, local buisness and they support a little league team in their community. They also have a family of their own to support. So who is going to close this gas station down? Nobody. What can be done is goverment support them with selling alternative fuels. Close one gas station at a time. Doing it this way the above mentioned will stay the same. Maybe the next 30 years won’t be talk, talk, talk, and spend, spend , spend. Think about it

If they would do a flat tax across the bord. say 25% 10% state we would all have something and they can rid the mess. People can cope with this. The way it is now we all are waiting for the next mess they have dug us into U.S. that is. CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE this is what we have left after taxes

The only way to change the gas prices is to start making some serious changes to our system its broke and its inflation. goverment says make changes and never does cars in the 70’s got more mileage it can be done they dont want it done. Quit talking about it and do it new energy has been available for a long time.

Now it is a year later and beaver island is paying $5.20 per gallon. and by the way we can’t just stop buying it there, it’s the only station here.

Stop buying gas from a certain company for along period of time then that company will lower their prices because they dont want to go out of buisness. It’s a fairly easy thing to do it just takes time and support from the people at large. It’s like addressing a grievence my grievence is the outragously high gas prices stop buying a companies gas and they will lower their prices.

Get out of Iraq is right!! Bush has come up with every reason under the sun why the reason of oil continues to go up. The American people are not as stupid as Bush gives us credit to be. He has done nothing to help the American people. If he wants to fight a losing battle in Iraq, send him and Chaney over with guns. Of course Chaney would probably shoot his foot off before he even got to Iraq. Also, what about the millions of illegals that are in our Country using up our benefits and products. It will take our Country a long time to pull out of the sink hole that the Bush Administration has put us in. What is he trying to do, take us back to horse and buggy. Well, who could even afford that at this point? There is no reason that we should be paying over $4.00 a gallon for gas, and then he oil companies throw it in our face the profitt they are making off us. The President must hate the Republican Party, because he has done everything possible to turn the American’s against them.

There is alot of good ideas out there….1. alternative fuels…not corn…someone made the comment “we have so much corn in the united states lets make that into fuel”…NO…Food prices would increase dramatically. 2. tax the people you buy ginormus suvs..what a lame brain concept. what would that do? crash the automoble industry. how bout we tax the conglomerates that post billions in profits..they lie we pay and the governments are in on it. in the 1960’s gm made a carberautor that got an average of 70mpg…a carb?..we have fuel injection now which is way more economical…the big wigs buy the patenets hide them away tell the public it cant be done and expect us to pay more…it all comes down to money. I like the idea of a boycot but just seems impossible. we need more research on hydrogen. we start researching and start building refueling areas. well thats all for now.

As the dollar goes down due to war spending and oil demand continues to be high due to Americans buying large gas inefficient SUV’s oil will continue to rise in price. Demand, War, War, and excess government spending (War), will continue to drive the price of oil up and the dollar down.

What a load of libtard crap. tax tax tax. Just ignore the libtard hippies and start drilling.

You discuss how economics work in a free market economy and then talk about government intervention by means of a carbon tax? Do you think we will come up with these alternative energy sources overnight? So let’s forget about the economy in the mean time. If gas is $4 or $5 dollars a gallon as you’re suggesting, whom do you think that effects first? Lower and middle class, By the way, do you have a 401k? I bet you’re one of those evil shareholders reaping the benefits of those oil companies.

Want lower gas prices? Get out of Iraq!
The US military is probably the world’s largest consumer of oil especially in war time.
When we stop burning $12 billion a month on the war, the US dollar might stop plummetting too. That should bring down crude prices.

A part of the problem with price increases is that an increase in raw goods benefits everyone along the supply chain right out to the pump. Ordinary accounting allocates costs and makes target profit derived from percentages based on costs. So each stage of suppliers benefit from their raw costs rising.
You don’t really think Exxon got record profits by having world’s best management razoring all costs, do you? A large part came a windfall profit created by the cost accounting methods.
The solution will make accounts howl. It’s simply to make profit a fixed offset to costs. In that way the inflation is not passed along to the next supply phase.

Take away the windfall tax to oil companies and give half of it back “at the pumps” and the rest as grants for new energy projects.

Tax the idiots that choose to buy the ginourmous SUVs and Trucks… They are hard to see around and pollute my beautiful planet.

A European style gas tax???

Any politician who votes for it ought to be ‘tarred and feathered’.

We need to stop this insanity of having different blends for a specific part of the country. A refinery that produces a specific blend which suddenly encounters production problems (either by accident or design) will cause a fuel shortage, resulting in higher prices. It is simply the law of ’supply and demand’.

I blame the environmentalists for part of the current refinery problems in that rabid objections to past attempts to add refinery capacity were staunchly opposed and eventually withdrawn. Now we pay the price for that stupidity. And NO, I do not own stock in an oil company.

Oil companies should be expected to invest some of their excessive profits in upgrading their existing refineries, many of which are past 30 years old.

It is obvious to the causal observer that the oil companies have NO INCENTIVE to behave differently; they are benefiting from their previous shortsightedness. I also firmly believe that the automakers are firmly in bed with the oil companies. Face it, WHY would the automakers produce a vehicle that gets superior mileage; if their ‘friends’ at the oil companies would see the corresponding loss in revenue. Of course, the automakers excuse is that ‘consumer demand’ dictates what they make. (consumer demand, my ass!) Doesn’t one hand like to wash another.

There was one post that made a lot of sense; a ‘gas guzzler’ tax. If you want a Hummer, then you can expect to pay for it.

All of this reminds me of a ‘National Lampoon Radio Hour’ program that aired back during the 70’s. In it, the announcer for “Monolithic Oil” promises the listeners that at Monolithic Oil, consumers will pay

and pay,

and pay,

and pay.

Boy, did they get it right.

And today, we are getting

screwed,

and screwed,

and screwed,

and screwed.

Time to wake up America!!!

this wold be ok if not for the fact that we would be handing over more of our money to the federal government or state governments to waste and we would still be in the same position 20 years from now.

We are trying to tackle something that in the long run doesn’t have an effective solution. We should be pushing very strong for other alternatives that have been proven to be effective like hydrogen vehicles, but because there is so may parties involved in the oil business it’s in their best interest to keep delaying these alternatives that are beneficial for our world.

Increasing the tax and telling people to use public/mass transport doesn’t help the large group of us that live in rural areas and have no option other than our own car. My husband is a rural mail carrier – he has to use his own car, pay for his fuel. We already spend more on his fuel than our house payment each month. We don’t hop into our cars and just drive around for the fun of it. What are we supposed to do???

$1.00 gallon more tax? I think it’s time to go back top basics and stop feeding these Goliaths.
Buy a bicycle, walk, take mass transit.
Stay home and read a good book, take up knitting, shoot hoops by the garage.
Anything but move that vehicle out of the driveway.
Let’s hit the big oil Behemoths in the wallet.
Exxon-Mobil posted BILLIONS in profits the first quarter! Whay don’t they take som of those profits and fix the refinerys or open more?
An increase in gas taxes and the prices themselves are just ordinary everyday THEFT.

We need to push more alternatives and use our resources, we have so much corn in this country, why not turn it to fuel. If we had a small carbon tax we could use the revenues from that to develop clean energy, more solar, wind, and fuel cell power. Requiring more efficient cars, our cars can’t be driven in China because they pollute to much, Inconvinient Truth. That is pathetic. And last but not least, get this guy who has all his money in oil out of the presidency.

Let gas hit $4 dollars with the hope it would compel people to buy more economical vehicals and thereby offset the cost increase while at the sametime, provide a more efficient use of a finite resource.

The first option is completely ridiculous! The only thing that would happen here is that the price would have to go up and still not come down.

For families that have jobs that require a truck and lots of driving – setting limits per family or getting a smaller car just doesn’t work.

One thing that I see as an issue often seems like they blame the US facilities that have to create so many different blends to meet the different regulations that are set on a state-by-state basis. This makes the facilities have to run inefficiently. Maybe we need to just have a national law instead so our facilities can make just one blend.

All-in-all, there isn’t just one answer to this question. We all have to cut back on excess use (including buying bigger vehicles than we need just because they are a status symbol), we need to drill for more domestic sources of oil, we need to look into alternative fuels, we need to make cars with MPG in mind again(like in the 1980s), we need to set common standards across the country, and the big oil companies have to lower their prices even if it cuts down on some of their record profits.

If everyone in the country had a simple stick shift or five speed, they could all do what I do. I call it the bicycle affect. When you’re riding a bicycle and you come to the top of a hill or want to come to a stop, what do you do? YOU STOP PEDDALING. Similarly, with my car, I shut off the engine. After coasting to the bottom of the hill, I pop the clutch and resume speed. When in the city, and see a stop light about 1/8 – 1/4 mile ahead about to turn red, I shut the engine off again and coast. If the light is still red, I leave the engine off until the light turns green. Doing this has increased the gas mileage of my Mazda Protege from 32 to an average of 50mi/gal. I have gotten as high as 56mi/gal in the summer. CAUTION: For the women drivers, young drivers, or if you are just starting to do this, I suggest NOT doing this on a curve because the power steering doesn’t work. You can still steer, but it’s more difficult.

A carbon tax or a surcharge of $2-$4 per gallon like the tax on tabaco products would reduce the demand and also create the need to manufacture more efficient/hybrid cars. I am in favor of a $4 a gallon usage tax on gasoline

I would love if we had mass transit like Europe. Each time I have been there, I only take mass transit, and I can go anywhere I need to. Why can’t we realize how efficient it is?

For all of you that can, ask to work from home. This will cut demand and eventually cut prices. Walk to the market if you live close enough. The key is to cut demand.

An increase in gas prices reduces demand??? That’s like saying an increase in food prices decreases demand – we’re all still gonna buy it because we need it. This is a society that buys bottled water, afterall.

Big Oil knows what it’s doing…why would they do anything to harm their multi-billion dollar industry now? They’re gonna squeeze it dry and then capitalize on alternative fuel when their revenue source has depleted, at which point they will say they’ve saved the world (by doing something in 2077 that could’ve been done in 2007).

I have nothing but patriotism for the USA, but this is the nature of capitalism.

They can put a man in space in a craft that can withstand extreme temperatures and incredible speeds…but they can’t get me more than 30 mpg for my car. Doesn’t make sense. Technology gets held back so demand won’t decrease – the plan is to mainstream fuel cell cars when gas is gone because “right now fuel cell technology is too costly.” Take light bulbs for example – they’re purposefully manufactured to fail over time so demand will only increase, never decrease. Fact is, light bulbs can last for decades, but that wouldn’t be very profitable now would it?

Come on guys, a couple of these suggestions are juvenile. A carbon tax to REDUCE prices? Not only will they not have a signficant effect on demand due to the inelasticity of demand for gasoline, but the burden of these taxes would fall, as with most such taxes on food fuel etc., disporportionately on the poor. MAKE the oil companies produce more oil? Great, and then what? Perhaps you should look at the biggest cause of high gas prices. It is not the oil that is being produced (with oil above $60 per barrel they have all the incentive they need), it is with the refining capacity in the US as well as the increased ethanol requirements in the US, which block out non-US sources of ethanol, which are available much more cheaply. Additionally, regional and seasonal gasoline blend requirements make the problems worse.

Wake up.

As long as there is vehicles there will be rising gas prices. The greed of the oil companies is why prices are going up. Rich government officials are getting richer and receiving kickbacks to keep their mouths shut. So what ya gonna do ?? Nothin. Society is so dependent on vehicles that we are our own worst enemies.

Folks, Let me introduce you to 2 new words. The are Disruptive Industry. There are over 200 patents in our data banks that increase the fuel milage of our autos. Why are the Auto manufactures not using any of these?
Stop and think what would happen if you doubled the fuel milage of an auto. That means the Federal and state governments would not be collecting the taxs they are getting now. On top of that the oil companies would would have to start cuttin back on their production. This is not the only industry that gets Disrupted when somebody else finds a better and cheaper way of doing things. Oh, lets talk about hydrogen. How about a on demand hydrogen system for an auto. There are people working on it now. Want to bet they will stop it from going into production.

Gas per gallon is $3.97 here on Beaver Island, Michigan. AS gallon of milk is $4.50 . So don’t plan your vacation here.

“The tax revenue, presumably, would be returned to the public for its own benefit” You’ve got to be kidding. Higher prices will definitely cut consumption and hurt the poor the hardest as your sources attest. However, it is my opinion that the federal government has show over and over that they cannot efficiently run programs. The government will only get bigger and create another inefficient program or tax credit. I might be able to accept the higher tax as simply a means of reducing consumption. However, I cannot accept the idea that the government will better spend the tax revenues for the public benefit.

I live in a small community. There is no public transportation. I have been forced to move to a smaller town to reduce my rent (the savings has now been eaten by higher gas) I am working 3 jobs to try to get ahead and begin saving for when I am old. At 50, recently divorced with no support, savings or retirement the costs are rising faster than I can earn money.

4 day work week? Great idea–I’d love to have a day off but the reality is I am working 3 jobs now and couldn’t afford a day off.

Limit my driving? How? There’s no public transportation, no carpooling (at all jobs I am a one man office). I have asked the board at my major job to allow me to work from my home office–the idea was refused.

The way I see it:
1. We need to elect someone who isn’t going to be afraid to make some tough decisions in the best interest of the people. REAL people.
2. We need to fund research and develop new forms of fuel.
3. We need to drill in our own country. Why do we go elsewhere for our fuel anyway??? Would you grow your own vegetables in your backyard, then leave them there and go spend money to buy the neighbors???? Makes no sense.
4. We need inexpensive hybrid cars. Cars the average person can afford to buy.
5. Tax breaks when we do so.
6. We need a way to fire politicians who do not do the jobs we elect them to do.
7. Big corporations should be fined when they do not create new efficient, low-cost alternatives. If we start hitting them in their pocketbooks maybe they’ll get the picture.

The solution does not rely on spending money as a country in the manner that all of these imply. Consider it akin to paying for an MRI at the hospital to have your appendix removed. The only solution that people seem to overlook is simple. If you can find oil cheaper, buy it and resell it. Competition is what makes the greats. When companies get too large and monopolistic, it takes good business sense to say “If it were possible to compete, someone would have done it already, but how can we do it?.” By having the government involved, with regulations and laws, we are paying a hefty fee as taxpayers. If we work toward new technology, more money. Even if we build refineries, more money for building and permanent staffing. There is no clear cut answer. By the way, if you can get oil for 25 cents in whatever country, let me know when someone realizes that the exchange rate is 10 american dollars to the 25 cents they will pay not including shipping costs. This issue is global in terms of supply and demand. Just remember, whether it is fuel alternatives, research for new technology, or regulation from a government body, it is not free. There is still no such thing as a free lunch.

I beleive the best way to lower fuel prices is to build one or two new refineries, built by the federal government. Then the government can supply itself with gasoline & deisel fuel for government vehicles & all fuel needed( fuel for vehicles, planes & ships) for the armed forces. By doing this, the major oil companies will only have to supply fuel for the general public.

Pass legislation that would allow the U.S to build a refinery with the goal of leasing the facility to another company in order to provide adequate gasoline reserves.

All I can say is quit making excuses and start working on solutions. The oil companies have all these alibis yet they’re enjoying record profits. The State and Federal government need to engage and stp this madness now!

First, an excess profits tax. The profits reaped from high gas prices are unconscionable. Make it less attractive to charge more for the product. Second, actually enforce the anti-trust laws. No thinking person can believe that prices are not the result of either a clear agreement between the suppliers or “conscious parallelism” in which there is a functional agreement to raise prices at the same time. Finally, a real investigation into how prices are determined by a real Congressional committee that is not beholden to the oil interests.

I hear a lot about how Americans should be lucky about not having to pay higher gas prices that would be comparable to European gas prices. The disadvantage here is that in most cases, where for example Germans would take a train when commuting between two cities, no alternate transportation is available. The US should invest in the infrastructure that supports less cars on the road, and I guess a basic education that changes the culture of cars being a status symbol (only people who have no car will take the bus or the train – at least in the heartland of the US).

Have the oil companies who have shut down their refineries to re-open them. I realize it costs a lot to run them but surely that would answer the supply and demand. they are certainly making record profit.

The Government should freeze prices now and charge the oil companies double their taxes untill gas is down to two dollars a gallon.

You can not reduce demand on gasoline!It has been proven when we had the gas shortage in the 70’s.They are not going to move my work,grocery store, or doctor’s office closer to my house!If these hugh profits where being made by the electric company’s evry state government would hold hearings..why not with the oil?

We do not need more sales taxs on gas
cars need to get better MPG and we need to stop the oil industry from it is doing everthing it can to keep the cost. When was the last time a new refinery was opened? there has not been a new one opened but they keep closing they and thats how they keep the cost of gas going up and up ….Congress must do something this..but they will not

To reduce oil company incentive to price gouge, Congress should pass an “excess profits tax” of 60% on all oil company profits greater than 5% over the company’s prior year profits. Revenues raised from the tax should be required to go to retiring federal debt.

This is so simple its mind blowing, everyone controls there own destiny with this issue. The quick fix is to reduce consumption…Slow down on the highways…all EPA Ratings on vehicles are based on 55 MPH, not 70 or 80 Mph.. Slowing down will be the quickest way to recuce consumption.
BY the way goverment has no interest to penalize the companys that help but them in office and no one wants an increase in taxes, of any kind.

In IL since Jan 1 we have seen our electrical rates increase from 85-150%. Now, lets add in the doubled upprice for gasoline. Hhhmm. well kids i dont think were going anywhere this summer, cant afford to. Last night on the gop debates,one of the candidates used the term of strategic importance, It seems to me that energy concerns should be, at the root , of the utmost strategic concerns of the american people. In stead, they are the concerns of multinational corporations “profit above people” mentality. If ‘freemarket’ capitalism is not a predatory remora on the people of this great nation, prove me wrong enrgy concerns, do the right thing. In case you are confused, that would meanyou could still be profitable without victomizing the american pepole or demanding a welfare handout from the US taxpayers/ gov.

How about stop lying about how much a barrel of oil costs and lower the damn prices, it’s that simple!!!!!!!!!!!

I think that since the middle east does not have the ample products like corn, milk, wood products, etc, we could raise the bar on these products that we export to those countries that supply our oil in comparison to the oil and then I think you would see oil come down. Maybe we need a MOOPEC, or a CORNPEC.

Go back to the Nation wide 55 MPH Speed Limit.

As John McCain points out, with Iran and other Middle-East countries reaping billions from oil, our petro-dollars fund BOTH sides fighting our troops in Iraq. AND we are funding our efforts with deficit spending. It is time the people in the USA start making sacrifices. Increase taxes on fuel to fund the Iraq War and better care for our Veterans, AND to reduce consumption to take money away from oil-producing countries.

1. More efficient cars and hybrids that get at least 50 MPG, and force production of SUVs and trucks that get at least 35 MPG within the next three years.
2. Require Oil Companies to build more refineries on Government land, and have the Government regulate the prices of gas and diesel fuels.
3. Government subsidized research should be doubled for the uses of hydrogen cells, battery powered / electric cars, and solar energy for our houses and business buildings.
4. A 4 day work week with 10 hour days, or allow telecommuting of two work days with the current 5 X 8 system.
5. Penalize through road taxes and purchasing taxes of large gas guzzlers.
6. Tell Congress and Senate to stop complaining and start doing something that will help to fix the problem in a more timely manner.
7. Prepare to sell your oldest offspring to the oil companies just to continue driving for a few more years.

A carbon tax? too stupid for words.

Carbon Tax? Just what we need, Make gas more expensive so the price of everything we eat goes through the roof too. Promote exploration in our own country and build a few more refineries.

Sure, start the new tax. Create a commitee to disburse the new funds. Pay the commitee members low to mid 6 figures from the new found funds. Remainder of funds can be handed out to commitee members as Christmas bonuses or incentives.
Oh, by the way, send me an application, please.

Utilize our resources in the U.S., Alaska for one. We are waisting energy, food, goverment funding, and water with ethanol. Why add expenses by taxing (Prices are high enough)? Refinery profits are out of line. Reduce speed limits. And the list goes on.

Buying from small Oil Companies only. This way the Big Oil Companies will be force to low their prices. I hope

Go natural and use horse and buggy to commute.

There is a quicker way to reduce gas prices. GET GAS/OIL OUT OF THE STOCK MARKET!!!!! There are way too many hands trying to make a quick buck off of this item. For further information look up contango. Adam Davidson did an excellent article concerning this topic. In order to see that article, please do web search for NPR, GAS, CONTANGO, DAVIDSON. (Not sure if I am allowed to post the link.

Get real… between government regualtions on too-many blends of fuel, and the lack of incentives for new refinery’s and the future’s market… we are all screwed! You want fuel, but you don’t want exploration and drilling in your back yard, or on your beach either, so 85% of the US Coast Line can’t be developed… are you aware that there’s enough fossil fuels off the California Coast for US Consumption for the next 200 years…? New taxes will not solve any of these problems, typical Democratic solution, let’s pass a tax as usual.

Allow a credit on the federal income tax return for the state and federal taxes paid on a gallon of gas. Have a standard amount for a car owner to deduct and allow higher amounts with proof of gallons purchased. This would be a credit directly against the federal income tax owed. It would have the effect of lowering the cost to the consumer.

I live in a smaller rural area. Many people commute from 50 to 100 miles one way to work. There is no mass transit available here. Carbon tax, higher prices, all the things memtioned, will just put more people on the waiting list for welfare. I don’t know a single person here that has not cut as close to the bone as possible on trips for food, medical care or errands. Vacation to the mountains or coast this year? FORGET IT! I am not sure what the answer is, but when the price of diesel, which is basically the bottom of the barrel, is as high or higher than premium, you know the consumer is getting gouged! Prices are higher for EVERYTHING due to the cost of fuel, and so belts are tightened for everything. No savings accounts, no IRA’s, no nothing, all money is going to get to work, eat a very cut back diet, and try to survive!

Pick a price for gas, say $4.00 per gallon, then fix that as the price nationwide. When the “cost” of gas from the oil companies is below that number, the Federal government uses that surplus to fund legitimate alternative energy programs. If the “cost” rises above $4.00, the government subsidizes the additional amount. This would pit the government against oil companies to drive the price down to keep from increased deficit spending.

The only option you mentioned which would work is to drill for more oil. Passing a carbon tax would only work if the funds went to push alternatives, instead this tax would find its way into the pockets of rich government officials. Without funds or a free market, there is no incentive to develop alternatives. Requiring a company to do anything will result in disasters similar to the price caps of the Carter administration. The only thing that will help is a free market where oil comapnies can drill wherever and whatever they need to and the government merely serves to break up monopolies instead of letting companies such as Exxon and Moble merge.

Car pool and cut consumtion in half. I take 1 mini-van to town with the whole family. Fuel consumption is dimished drastically.

I think that there is no shortage and no lack of profits by the oil companies. I think that the oil companies themselves created this whole shortage scam to make even more money on top of the billions they already have. This seems to happen every year just when people are beginning to travel for their vacations and the oil companies know they will need fuel to do so. This is just another case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. I have seen this over and over every year at this time and it is getting ridiculous. There is absolutely no reason for gas to be this high and if everyone would either boycott a few days a month or switch to some kind of alternative fuel then they would either have to lower the price or go out of business.

Want to reduce demand? What if companies allowed their employees to telecommute one day a week, where schedules and business activites can be accommodated.

Telecommuting would reduce rush-hour traffic, reduce pollutants into the air (cause of global warming), not to mention reduce stress levels.

From what I have read, companies that have implemented telecommuting for employees have actually noticed an increase in productivity. I know I get more done when I work at home because there are lots fewer interruptions and I have flexibility. I bet if we did the math, we could be saving thousands of gallons of gas every day and reap many other benefits.

Slow down to 60 MPH. If everyone slowed down it would imediately put a decrease in the amount of supply America is now demanding by 20%. This is something that won’t cost anyone money; its about choosing to go slower and conserving fuel and air quality. Stop going 80!

Simple: Just slow down. The amount of time you save supposedly getting there faster will really be lost as your waiting to fill up your ginormous tank. Don’t forget the money you just left at the pump too. If people have to put the peddle to the metal then maybe go back to 55 MPH laws.

Adding a carbon tax with the hope that the money would benefit the general public in a trickle down effect is ludicrous! First of all, since when did the government ever feel any compunction to use tax money for it’s specified purpose? Next, more mass transit is great, but what about people (like me) who live in rural areas? I’m 20 miles to the nearest small city. Am I going to load up my kids for a 20 mile bus ride every time I need to go grocery shopping? Where do I put my groceries on the bus? We need a solution that works for everyone, not just people in the big cities!

One proven and simple way to lower gasoline consumption is to get the speeds down on our highways. The days of driving behemouth SUVs down the road at 85mph must end. Aggressive enforcement by the state highway patrol coupled with stiff fines and license suspensions for repeat offenders would do the trick.

You people are blithering idiots. You must be liberal democrats. There is no oil shortage it is a way to rip off the consumer. It is an unmandated tax increase the government makes .50 per gallon as tax revenue. Increase supply,open new oil fields, and add refinery capacity is the way to solve the problem.

Unfortunately, when anyone has control of the amount of supply available for the demand of a product or service, they also control the price of the product or service.

When prices for the product or service keep increasing, and the amount of supply remains the same, or increases only inconsequentially, it is called perfectly inelastic supply.

As with Enron, when their traders learned that they could control supplies of electricity to the state of California, and thus control the pricing of electricity, and their profits, so too, with our American oil companies in control of supply, they too, hold the key to increased prices and profits, benefiting themselves, the stockholders, and governmental units that obtain a slice of the action through increased tax revenues…

For the past thirty (30) years, the number of suppliers in the U.S. has decreased to the point where there are just five major corporations supply refined petroleum products.

For the past thirty (30) years, the demand for refined petroleum products has increased in the U.S.

For the past thirty (30) years, oil companies in the U.S. have not built a single oil refinery to provide more oil refining capacity.

For the past thirty (30) years, oil companies have had no incentive to build more refining capacity in the U.S.

Oil refiners have reported 435 billion dollars in profits recently.

Since, the refiners will not provide increased refining capacity to meet the American demand, our government should take steps to intervene in this monopoly situation.

Through a similar organization like NASA, the American people should insist that our government create an organization to build five new oil refineries, and make the existing five oil companies buy them at 150% of the cost that the American people paid to have them built.

The five oil companies would pay for the new refineries, out of the excess profits they have taken from the purses and wallets of American consumers over the last thirty years.

These same oil companies would also be prohibited from raising future gasoline prices to pay for the purchase of these refineries.

This would be a solution that would provide American consumers with more refining capacity, and thus refuting oil companies claims that they do not have adequate refining capacity.

This would be a solution that would be far more beneficial to American consumer’s, than hitting the oil companies with an excessive profits tax and fines, that result in no increased refining capacity.

Give government more money, it will be added to the billions already wasted.
Let supply and demand work without government interference. A better way to reduce cost is to allow development of our own resourses thereby reducing dependence on imported oil.

A “carbon tax” that will pay for public transit sounds good in theory, but there are a couple problems with this. 1) Government money rarely seems to go where it’s supposed to. 2) Wha about those of us who live out in the country? Better public transit is a great idea for cities and towns, but some of us have n choice but to drive across the county for work every morning, and I doubt any bus is going to come out as far as my place where there’s nothing but cows and corn. I can’t afford to move into town. I’d rather not have to make the choice between paying for the gas to get to work and paying my electric bill. Go figure, I’m in that bracket that’s too high to get government aid, but low enough that I’m holding my breath hoping my car (pardon me, minivan – it was much cheaper than a car and so is the insurance) doesn’t need another part soon (I’m college-educated, too – yup, that degree sure got me a higher-paying job alright). It’s bad enough I’ve had to take an offer from my family to help pay for some meds I’m on. What about the people who don’t have that kind of support?

That and I have to wonder, if we’re talking solely about lowering prices, not lowering consumption, how does raising the price lower the price?

Increasing efficiency is a good bet. I know the car companies are balking, but the thing is, the more common a technology becomes, the cheaper it gets. Look at the prices of computers now compared to 5-10 years ago, and how much they’ve advanced since then. As more people get into it, work on it, and improve it, you can do more for less.

Alternatives is a good start, but there is a caveat with ethanol. If I understand correctly from what I’ve been told, it takes a certain amount of heat to run a still to make ethanol. Taking energy to make your fuel source. So with that figured in, is ethanol really more efficient? Now, if that calculation comes out as still being more efficient, if people are so worried about ethanol taking away the food crops, maybe the government could, oh I don’t know, stop paying farmers NOT to grow things.

All I know is right now I am grateful for the ability to carpool, as one of my neighbors works at the same office I do.

The congress should impose price controls on gasoline. Despite market fluctuations, oil companies are making unprecendented profits, are taking advantage of their lobbying power with politicians, and are probably planning to increases prices in the US even more.

It really is quite simple. Reduce the maximum speed limits back to 55MPH and get cameras on the overpasses to strictly enforce the law. also go to a national 4 day work week and a 4 day school week to cut down on the need for buses. Finally charge a high tax on new vehicles which do not get 25MPG.

First of all, Big Oil isn’t getting rich, their shareholders are. And who are they you might ask, well, they are the wealthy yes, but they are also average working americans who have 401k plans that invest in those companies. A larger gas tax is not a workable solution as it penalizes the little guy who can already barely afford gas, but the idea about putting a big tax on those vehicles that get less than 25 mpg is a great idea. Let those who want their status symbols pay the most. I would be willing to bet if that Expedition, Hummer or any other vehicle that got less than 25 mpg average had an additional 10,000 dollar tax added to the price tag, you wouldn’t see so many of them on the road. Earmark that tax specifically for exploration, drilling and refining.

Go read http://www.theoildrum.com and http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net. We are at world peak oil supply, and cannot increase our supply. The US peaked in 1970 at 10 million barrels per day and is now at 5 million barrels per day. More drilling is not going to solve the problem because the big wells were tapped out 30 years ago. Most of the big new wells today produce less than 200 thousand barrels per day, which will not make up for those big old ones that are dropping. We have used up over half the oil in the world, and Production around the world will soon start dropping and shortages will result.
We only produce one fourth of what we burn in the US, so we are heavily dependent on foreign oil. As other countries start controlling and keeping their own oil for their use, we will not be able to import as much or we will pay super high prices. The only way to survive is use less oil, and ultimately – NO MORE OIL!
Conservation and efficiency are great ideas, but temporary. Get off of oil now.

Increase taxes on gas for personal use, and use the money to improve public transportation. Businesses that need to transport goods should get a break. Tractor trailor lands should also get dedicated lanes on interstates in addition to impoved routes in large cities.

The carbon tax would be passed on to the consumer through food, clothing, and cost of oil.The carbon tax is a regressive tax because it would hurt the lower economical strata of people, who can least afford the tax

Since the economy of this Country is based on Cheap gas, I can not think of another way to bring it down. Understand that when you raise the price of gas, every else in the retail will start to go up. Then consider the rate of property taxes. The reason, schools, cities, and counties depend on cheap fuel (fire, police, school busses, and other city services).
How about the rise in construction cost.
One final thing, our economy is also base on purchasing things that we can actually do with out like going out to eat. How about buying automobiles. As we are already seeing, the Big Three Car Manufactors are already in big trouble. How much do you think high price of gas is going to hurt the small buisness owner? Understand this when a person is face with a choice of going out to eat or buying expensive gasoline to get back and forth to work, he will give up going out to eat.
The price of gas does not only affect what you pay at the pump, it is the very blood that keeps our Economy pumping.

The technology is there in alternative fuels.
We just need to use it and not let the oil cartel get in the way.

Take Oil off the Comodies Market!! These Jerks just keep bidding more and more for oil gas ext with no idea what it is doing to the Working guy. Yuo tree huggers who want 4.00 gas hope you like 15.00Lb burger 5.00 a loaf bread ect Trucks run on fuel high fuel prices=higher everythig prices.
Maybee we should shut down power plants. No electric = no air conditioning no DVDs no computers No refrigerators.
What we need is more Oil exploration in the good old USA lets do some alt fuels Necular power for electric is good . lets use coal as well as ethonal to suplament our oil use . We need more refineries built In this country.
The best ay to reduce dependance on foreign oil is to produce it our self!!

Slow down, drive 60-65mph and you can save fuel and still make a mile a minute which will still get you where you want to go while saving fuel which in the long run will lower prices!!!

Let natural market forces control gas price and demand! Why must everything always go to higher tax? I already work half the year just to pay taxes, if these taxes weren’t so high, putting my kids through college wouldn’t be such a burden. Our taxes are already ridiculously high, and if we give government more tax, government will just find another way to spend these monies.

My husband (live in SE FL) and I are 60 years old and no longer climbing the corp ladder so our incomes though not fixed are darn close to it and it seems now with the ever rising prices of everything (insurance, food) we are living pretty much paycheck to paycheck and not able to save anything. I’ve been w/my co. for 10 plus yrs & when they moved four years ago, 50 miles from my home, because I had many years invested & considering my age, I felt it better to commute. I have been commuting the last two – three yrs w/3 other women from my area, driving 2 days a week & sometimes more due to appts. I am for demanding that the companies produce more gasoline! Someone has got to step up to the plate. There no longer is in our area a middle class. We’ve now become the upper poor.

I believe that there should be a ‘gas guzzler’ tax applied to this idea. Some way to charge this tax according to the kind of car/truck/suv you drive needs to be figured out first though. For example a Hummer (or any other completely unneccessary large vehicle) would get a 2$ tax while a hybrid would get a $.50 tax and the rest of the vehicles would all fall somewhere in between on a sliding scale.

If the environmentalists and the socialist (let’s tax everything) Democrats just stay out of our pockets and leave the energy alone, maybe we could drill in this country and build more refineries

Many don’t realize that there are thousands, perhaps millions of people who can not get to mass transit, those who live in rural and semi rural areas.
To place an increase on already over-inflated gas prices would create more of a hardship to those who really need to drive. Give us a break and force the gas companies to lower their prices!

Driving habits need to be changed drastically – for each gallon of gas, about 20 lbs of CO2 go into the air. Tax the inefficient vehicles when they’re sold – offer tax rebates on the vehicles which are efficient. These vehicles already exist – my husband and I recently bought a Honda Hybrid which has been getting about 45 mpg. Yet the parking lots are full of SUVs and pickup trucks … obviously, people don’t care, and they won’t care, until gas prices in the US reach what they are in Europe.

There are a few ways to lower the gas prices.
1 – Demand it. Currently, there is no logical reason for them to be this high. Yes, oil prices are about $20-$25 per gallon more than they were eight years ago, but that isn’t even twice; that’s about a third more. The gasoline prices are grossly disproportionate of that.
2 – As I saw in a recent email, boycott the biggest offenders. Exxon-Mobile has been the company that has had the most expensive gasoline and has raked in the most obscene and shocking profits. I haven’t bought there gasoline in over a decade, and it would speak volumes if thousands of other people would do the same.
3 – Set higher federal standards for fuel efficiency. China demands that cars must get at least 50 mpg. My roommate’s car is 13 years old and gets 35 mpg, (which is the average fuel efficiency of a hybrid) and yet the average mpg of a new car being built today is 26! That should be an insult to the sensibilities of all car buying Americans, particularly since the cars are costing an astronomical amount to buy new as well.
In other words, it’s in the consumer’s power to do something about it, if only they all would.

Of course give more money to the government so Pelosie can have her bigger plane and fly to Seria medling in foreign policy which last time I checked is soley the responsibility of the Executive Branch not legislative!

GREAT, BUT WHAT IF YOU ARE IN A CATCH
22 SITUATION, CAN’T AFFORD THE ADDITIONAL TAX NOW, NOR THE HIGH COST
OF GAS NOW.

THE F–KEN GAS COMPANIES ARE RAKING
THE PUBLIC FOR TOO LONG!

It’s simple. It’s called collusion. It is the same thing that they did to California. If they weren’t colluding, and the market was working properly, the oil companies wouldn’t be making record profits. They would compete against each other and their profits, the cost of gasoline would go down. There was a huge consolidation of the industry a while back and now there are only a small handful of companies in control.
There is no real competition. Our government has not done it’s job to police the open market to protect us against this kind of thing. They are ignoring the problem at the expense of the public.
This isn’t the first time we have had this situation with oil companies. Remember Standard Oil and the break up of the Oligarchs?
We don’t have a shortage of oil, we have a corrupt government and corrupt oil companies.

Why is it that everybody skirts around the issue of conservation (using less) when the subject of high gasoline prices is discussed. There are a host of things which could be done to reduce the amount of gasoline we consume, and it not have a significant impact on any body……here are just two:

Schools:….every school in America has a host of people (stay at home mom’s, grandparents, people) who take their kids to school in their car….even though a school bus goes right by their house for this very same purpose. Make riding the school bus mandatory if a bus is available! Same millions of gallons a year.

Mail:…I don’t need 6 day a week mail delivery…..M, W, F or T, T, Sat would do just fine……this would cut the fleet of Postal Service vehicles in half (along with cutting the gasoline consumption in half)….and not impact any body in a significant way….save mega-millions of gasoline each year.

There’s more…..

MAKE THE GAS TAX REVENUE NEUTRAL –
CONSERVATIVES SHOULD EMBRACE THIS

We should raise the gas tax and lower income taxes for those affected by this by an equivalent amount (as much as possible).

1) This would please the Left as it would have the effect of lowering demand, as great incentive would exist to reduce usage,
2) It would please the Right as the flow of our dollars to hostile/unfriendly states would be reduced, and in the long term, people would reduce their expenditure on gas and therefore receive a total tax burden reduction.

I consider myself conservative politically, and disagree that the need to reduce our dependency on foreign oil (and the support it lends to those such as the house of Saud, Putin, and Hugo Chavez) requires additional total taxation. HOWEVER, if we wait for the market to bring the price up, we further increase our trade imbalance and continue to send dollars to these unfreindly locations. With a tax, this money would stay here in the US, and with tax Neutrality, we would not be expanding government with the excuse of national emergency.

The transportation industry certainly has room for improvement, and the government has a number of options for providing incentives for both companies and individuals to change their behaviors to reduce energy consumption. That said, I believe that most U.S. households use more energy on heating and cooling than they do on transportation, and it would be nice if this would get more attention in the media, instead of just bashing the automotive industry. Improving insulation and forcing more uniform adoption of updated building codes that allow use of proven “green” building techniques would save more energy, and one nice thing about improving insulation (and moisture management) is that it is a one-time cost with long-term payback.

Another tax will only hurt the consumer even more. Don’t we understand that our markets are consumer driven. We tax to death the consumer and we hurt the over all economy. Why is it we think that more taxes will solve the problem.

Heres a thought. There are all kinds of speculation about the worlds oil supply. It’s not how much oil is left. We need to start using alternative energy sources as the impact on our environment from fossil fuels is obvious.

Also, we have done a poor job of providing alternatives regardless of the reasons; Business or personal profit. Housing in urban areas is too expensive so people have no choice but to move farther from work. Public transportation in this country is second rate at best. The average pay is stagnant while the prices of energy and other basic necesities rise faster than inflation. I could go on and on.

First of all since this is a free market economy we must cut our military expenditure concerning fuel. Another aspect is to have government build refineries that will increase supplies since the Big oil companies have not had the incentive to build them. The next is to have states create laws that have a certain MPG for gasoline only vehicles to provide a true cut in demand. What this does is that every car out there that crosses a state border will be fined if they are above the MPG amount by state. This increases revenue for the state cutting taxes for the people in the state and cutting fuel costs. Another idea is to use natural gas and propane in certain areas for fuel, the natural gas companies use it for their vehicles.

Gas is a complete scam. I’m tired of hearing about how its price is going to be lowered. The price never lowers. There’s been alternatives for years, but that would not be profitable. American business at it’s best is ruining the the lives of everyday citizens. The American dream no more. Americas worst threat is this. It’s own people taking advantage of the others, lying, bitter betrayal.

We don’t need another tax. Stop urban sprawl, improve public transportation and make alternative fuel vehicles more affordable would have a bigger impact.

There are also some questions we should all ask: If the technology was there to produce vehicles that get 40, 50, 60 miles to the gallon, why is not being used? Why have we allowed the gas companies to monopolize? In a free market system like ours competition as well as supply and demand controls prices. It’s our government that represents us the voters that is supposed to control industry and maintain some form of competition which is good for business and the economy. Look at what deregulation of the energy industry did to the poor consumer in California.

We need to wake up and not sit around and hope the problem will just go away.

The real problems are technological and environmental. Everything else the article mentions misses the point. We only have so much oil. When it is gone, all the advances since the industrial revolution are gone.

The money the oil companies are making needs to be reinvested in research into alternative fuels. Guess what, even Exxon is doing this now. The problem with this approach is the focus is too narrow.

A global focus should drive our efforts. We need to power all our energy needs from sources that are renewable or so efficient, that the global impact is negligible and supply is not an issue. This puts nuclear back on the table, but not as currently implemented. Breeder reactors with very low amounts of radioactive byproducts are one leg of a multi-leg solution and should eventually be supplanted by cleaner technology, but this is one under studied potential. The other legs should focus on zero emissions such as solar/wind/hydroelectric/geothermal and extra-terrestrial methods and the carriers of this energy such as hydrogen.

Bio-fuels are not sustainable unless we find a way to produce huge yields and have a low energy way of refining the bio-mass to fuel. The brute force technique is to supplant the oil fired powerplants with bio-mass burning, but the primary problem with bio-fuels is still supply would be short and food prices would skyrocket as the total bio-yield is limited.

As our oil supplies are expended the only solution is to focus our efforts on the big picture and sustainable energy that doesn’t compete with food sources. The government should be fighting a “war” on the technological barriers and then use incentive taxing to gain the funds to help make the transition.

Market forces are too slow to keep on the current track and maintain a viable economy as everything depends on oil today. The oil companies recognize this, but even with their large balance sheet do not have the cash/drive to solve the overall problem. This is a global issue and civilization is at stake.

gov con trol or bigger gov more taxes solves allthings

Why not switch to 4 – 10 hour work days. That would eliminate a lot of travel. Schools too decrease the bus trips and have a little longer school day. Maybe its time to write new blue laws for Sunday – let the earth rest that day – go to church and be with family.

Gas price of $ 3-4 per gallon is not really too much. The cost could be easily offset by savings money and health by cutting back on some bad habits such as driving very large cars, un-necessarily driving for long distances, paying too much for “Bottled water “which is more expensive than gas, buying aged wine which is 50-70% more expensive than 1 year aged wine while it basically is as good. Running quick calculation would result in saving $ 300-400 a month, which will more than offset the gas price increase; actually, it will pay for gas and have some extra as bonus.

Passing a “carbon tax” will not reduce my consumption of gasoline. I am doing all I can to conserve gas. I am going to stores only on the way home from work Monday through Friday, and I have a vehicle that’s getting roughly 34 mpg. All the tax is going to do is cause me to quit my higher paying job 25 miles away to a closer one that pays lower wages.

How can we lower Gas prices?
By building a cheap reliable Public Transportation system. Only big cities in the U.S.A. offer good Public Transportation, the rest have to rely on POVs. If going to work or school, would cost me three to five Dollars cheaper by bus or train, I would not have to think about making the switch. But first I have to have those means of transportation. Also Americans are really not into Energy Conservation, so I would not opose higher Gas Prices after it has been determined that the city and State that you live in, has a reliable and affordable Public Transportation System. And as long as the Truck Drivers, and people that make a living on the raod (Taxi Drivers, Truck Drivers, etc.)can have access to cheap Gas Prices.

Adding tax to gas to increase the gas price is ridiculous and stupid. What kind of idiotic logic is this? you are not lowering the gas price but increasing the gas price and it will not reduce the demand. If you need to drive you need gas. Instead increase Tax on all the gas companies posting huge profits and return that money to people. If present tax for oil companies is 30% make it 50% taxes. Because they are making huge profits playing with gasoline market and demand.

I GUESS THAT’S THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING NOW ADAYS. RAISE THE TAXES,
I’M TIRED OF TAXES I HAVE TO PAY TO MAKE SOMEBODY ELSE’S POCKETS BULGE WHILE MINE GET THINNER AN THINNER.I SMOKE CIGARETTES THAT ARE TAXED AT $30 DOLLARS A CARTON ALREADY.THEN I’M TOLD WHERE I CAN SMOKE THEM TOO ON TOP OF IT.WHY CAN’T THE TAXES BE LOWERED ON GAS OR FROZEN FOR THE SUMMER.SEEMS WE
GO THRU THIS EVERY YEAR LIKE WE DON’T KNOW IT’S GONNA HAPPEN.AND THE PRICE JUST KEEPS ON GOING HIGHER EVERY YEAR.THEY CONDITION US TO EXCEPT 2 BUCKS THEN 3 FOR NORMAL. WHEN’S IT GONNA STOP WHEN WERE PAYING 10 BUCKS A GALLON.THEY BLAME THE REFINERYS FOR NOT MAKING ENOUGH.THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THEY SHOULD START MAKING IT.JUST THAT THEY DON’T WANT TO, AN GIVE US SOME FLIMSY EXCUSE TO COVER UP THERE HUNGER FOR PROFITS.WAKE UP AMERICA IF WE ALL JUST STOPPED FOR 1 DAY AN DIDN’T USE A DROP OF GAS I THINK THEY WOULD NOTICE.OR I RED ANOTHER IDEA THAT IF WE JUST BOYCOTTED ONE OF THE BIG GAS COMPANYS.THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO LOWER PRICES AND AS USUAL THE OTHERS WOULD HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO FOLLOW SUIT.WE HAVE TO GAIN CONTROL OF THIS SITUATION BEFORE IT GETS OUTA HAND.IT’S ALL ABOUT PROFIT AND NOBODY CARES HOW THEY MAKE IT.AND THE GOVERNMENT DON’T CARE AS LONG AS THEY GET THERE TAXES.THEY AIN’T GONNA DO ANYTHING AS LONG AS THERE GETTING PAID TOO.WITH ALL OUR TECHNOLOGY YOU WOULD THINK SOMEONE WOULD INVENT A ENGINE THAT WORKS ON WATER.SEEING OUR PLANET CONSISTS OF 96 % OF IT.BUT THEN NOBODY WOULD TURN A BUCK ON THAT WOULD THEY…….

Simple: 1. You cannot sell a car that gets under 40 mpg in the US without paying substantive fines. 2. Tax credit for hybrid purchase with higher than 40 mpg efficiency. 3. Tax credit for veg oil or biodeisel vehicle purchase.

Return the money to the public? sisnce when has the government ever done that?

Taking public transportation, as the article suggests, is fine-if public transportation is available. Here in Montana, that isn’t an option-and with the great distances we need to travel, any such tax would be a disaster.

Maybe the politicians and big-city bigshots ought to remember that.

Try not buying anything but absolute necessities. That will cut your trips, cut out some of our energy hungry consumerism. (Fewer appliances will mean fewer mines, fewer trucks on the road. Fewer bath towels will mean fewer fertilizers and pesticides and…you get the idea.) This would change the economy drastically and make a true power shift. The consumer would gain a lot in the bargain.
Ok, one more idea – don’t have kids. Same idea of decreasing demand.
If we were to do this in the name of peace, we would have the troops home in 6 months.

This is bullsheet ideas. You fool is asking govt. to add 1-2 $carbon tax and provide better transit? No way!!! Gov. would spend all money for something else, and people would end up in z category transit service while paying more for gas. It takes 30 minutes for me to drive to office, while transit takes 90 minutes. Just imagene how much time it saves me to have a car? While I believe that govt. should first stop all wats in other countries. That;s only way to save money.. Not by increasing tax.. Again you are FOOLLLLL!

A carbon tax is a dumb idea. It fails the most basic economic test: it passes money from the most efficient economic engine: the consumer, to the least efficient: the government.
Ask yourself, do you think for a minute that Barbara Boxer knows better how to spend your money than you do?

I would like to expand on a previously mentioned idea. It is true that there hasn’t been a new refinery built in the U.S. for many years and it is easy to list two reasons. Typical is, “Not in my back yard”, after all, who wants to live next to a refinery? Let’s face it. Refineries were probably originally located far from homes and schools in indusrial areas. It was the home developers, and relaxation of zoning laws that allowed the encroachment of new tracts of homes closer to those smelly refineries, and now the home owners will fight tooth and nail to stop refineries from expanding production, thinking the polution will be even greater, and they’d be right. Another adversary against refineries are the environmentalist who would frankly like refineries to simply go away. They would love to keep their lawyers busy preventing ANY refinery from expanding. It would be wonderful if alternative fuel could be developed quickly, that didn’t contribute to global warming and those avenues need to be stepped up such as cracking water into Hydrogen and Oxygen on an “as needed basis” to eliminate the need to resort to compressed hydrogen in vehicles. These efforts need to be stepped up. Maybe it’s time the government create a “New Manhatten Project” to tackle these problems free of any copyright. Frankly, this could easily be a global project in which nations could be coordinated to “work” on the “cost-effective” solutions on the project.

In the meantime, refineries don’t just build themselves. Universities around the world have Chemical Engineering Colleges that train and turn out engineers capable of designing better refineries. Don’t you think it would be wonderful, and feasible to design a refinery that was so clean, that it didn’t exude any by-product? Wouldn’t it be wonderful for our nation to have the federal govenmment fund several such “experimental models” of refineries just to prove that it could be done…actually coming up with several models so that they would always be competing, one against the other, to see which one is the most efficient, and so clean that the cracking process is totally self-contained? I can see it now…UCLA school of chemical Engineering vs. CAL Tech or MIT; What a game!

Now, where do we build them? How about right next to the existing refineries? Remember, they’ll be non-polluting so they won’t be contributing to the current spewing that is already being done by the older refineries. Any major advances in the on-going technology development in the NEW refinery process would be given free to the oil refineries and the modernizations would become mandatory. And here’s the best part, the NEW, CLEAN refineries would be built large enough to be able to take over any refinery’s capacity should it “need” to shut down; either for modernization or repair. This would eliminate any spikes in gas prices forever since the additional, clean government refineries would be ready to take over in “emergencies” at a moment’s notice. Here’s the best part. No additional pipelines would need to be built except next door to the new, clean government refineries. Whenever Standard Oil needs to shut down a refinery, the crude could bypass the downed refinery to the local government refinery and be sent back to Standard Oil through their already existing distribution lines. Heck, the federal government may want to build several plants near their own national reserves as well… Just “in case.”

I realize this really doesn’t get us off the oil dependency habit quickly but, it will force oil companies to start thinking in new ways either on their own, or by forced, new regulations if necessary. In the meantime, the New Manhatten Project would be developing the ultimate solution.

I’ve often thought of what aliens landing on earth would think about our dependance on oil. They’d ask, “why do you use this product considering what it is doing to your planet, your health, and your very existance?” Of course, we’d answer the only way we could which is, “It works and we haven’t been able to develop anything better.” The aliens would a long look at our oceans which cover 70% of our planet, then back to themselves and ponder our stupidity.

the tax wont end up back in public matters like mass transportation. It’ll end up in politicians pockets like the majority of the rest of our money.

I don’t mind paying higher prices if the extra money was going for research for better alternatives. But right now that greed is the reason whether it be investor, state and federal government. How many states have lowered ther taxes while the gas has been up. Iknow when I lived in New York last year they thought not too hard about it. Then you didn’t hear about it. I think that election time is a good time to show your support of the people or parites that have done at least something to help this. At this time it looks like nobody in state or federal government are doing any thing. I really haven’t been a great voter in the past but it seems the way the goverment has been going I really need to take a long and hard look at the candidates. 4 to 8 years of this kind of goverment whether state or federal can really hurt our economy, Sometimes we get so busy trying to keep ahead we didn’t see this coming.

In addition the suggestions made by other readers, I would like to add several other methods of lowering gasoline consumption:

1) Impose a graduated sales tax on privately-owned motor vehicles, based on size and weioght of vehicle and engine displacement. For example, all vehicles with engine displacement of 1600 cm or less should be untaxed (in my own country, the average family car is the size of a Mazda 3 or a Ford Focus with a 1600 cc engine); SUVs and automobiles with V8 engines should be heavily taxed – up to 100% sales tax, as is common in my own country.

2) Impose a yearly license fee in the manner described above.

3) Offer tax incentives to use of alternative fuels and diesel engines.

Taxing consumption will reduce oil demand but by hurting the very people who are most hurt by high gas prices, the consumers who do not live or work in locations accessible to public transportation.

If we tax oil companies on profits not reinvested in new refineries and impose an increasing rate so that oil companies are given incentive to build refineries quickly I think we’ll see less of a supply problem in short order.

Requiring improved fuel efficiency and mposing a tax on cars which don’t meet new efficiency standards would also help by reducing demand.

If a tax would reduce demand, then we would have seen this already as prices increased. I believe in free markets and strongly believe that new technologies will bring solutions as the market offers economic incentives to do so. Keep Government out of this issue.

How about raising the tax on the record PROFITS that the oil companies have been reporting. DUH, I know they already are taxed. Oh, I had better watch out, Cheney will shoot me in a “hunting” accident.

Tax the heck out of gas. Maybe idiots will stop leaving their car run while they are sitting in the Walmart parking lot and fast foor drivethru windows.

Suppose we stop subsidizing American oil companies to the tune of billions while they’re already enjoying record profits, and we stop spending hundreds of bilions more dedicating our military almost exclusively to the protection of overseas oil access? Present pump prices are piddling compared to these costs–and they don’t incude the dead.

It is very ridiculous to even have a section to talk about lowering gas prices. High oil prices should be welcome as people in US have been used to cheap oils without knowing, or rather acknowledging the real prices they have been paying or how much damaged they have done to the entire world. Keeping gas prices high will lead to a necessary shift in life style at individual levels in US (people here even get angry when I tell them to turn off engines while people were just chatting for hours or while buses are waiting at a station for 30 mins) to let them notice that it is time, well probably too late now, that we need to conserve any natural resources, not only gases. However, in order to neutralize the difference in income level, especially the people on a fixed income, there should be a income/asset based tax to make an attempt to introduce somewhat uniform effects on tax increases. Furthermore, there should not be any government support on airlines, aerospace companies, or automobile companies. If they can’t perform well, then they should disappear. Then the government can use all those meaningless bankrupt support to increase funding for alternative fuels and education to fundamentally change the ethics in this country.

Let me see if I get this straight…the way to make gas less expensive is to tax it more which will make it more expensive which will in turn somehow make it less expensive? Not even Al “Inconvenient Truth” Gore would suggest something that ridiculous.

Are you fed up when you “fill up”?

With gas prices over $3.00 per gallon, Americans have to march because American fuel consumers can not even afford to pay $2.00 per gallon.

What you can do to bring a solution:

Organize a walk
If you have a kid at school, select two days or one a week, make a short flyer and through the school PTA or any way possible, ask other parents to participate for 20 minutes walk around school blocks with their kids, when they come to pick up their kids, they park their cars and collectively take a walk. Do the same thing when you go to church. After the Sunday prayer, ask everyone to walk around the church. God loves a collective effort. You can also go to City Council meetings on Tuesday night, and after the meeting is over, you can ask every one to walk. Walking is good for every one and particularly when it is for a good cause.

Call your local Media
Call local and National TV, Radio stations and newspapers to cover it. This is a nationwide problem, you want to go nationwide, and all people must get involved. You are walking to protest against high gas price as well as the subsequent price increases on other usable goods. You are walking because things are out of order and things are not right. It is your duty to bring things to justice and normal. You are walking against corporate greed. The fact is that this Nation does not have any other choice but to raise a collective voice against price gouging and profiteering. Due to the assault by Big Oils, if you march today for your rights you may not have to beg for your rights tomorrow. Please check http://www.pumpinmad.com Mehdi Shahbazi

The proposed “carbon tax” would only hurt the low- to middle-income families. Not only would the prices at the pumps increase, but the prices would also be reflected in the prices we pay for groceries and non-luxury household items required for everyday living, because the shipping cost would ultimately be passed to the consumer. I would like to see more alternative fuels, but don’t think that I would be happy with the performance; from what I’ve heard about E85, it only has about 80% of the performance of regular gasoline, giving it a lower efficiency rating. It has also driven the price of corn up so high that it is no longer that much less expensive than regular gasoline and any other product containing corn has also risen in price. Honestly, the problem will have to be solved by thinking out of the box, meaning that maybe the solution lies somewhere outside the realm of energy itself. Possbily in something such as better public transit or government support for the ability to telecommunicate to work, saving not only gasoline, but drive-time as well, increasing the amount of time that Americans have to sleep and spend time with their families. After all, isn’t that missing family time part of the other problems seen in America as well?

The federal government and State Governments already make more on a gallon of gas than the oil companies. So why give the government more money to waste. we need to drill more and have more modern refineries that can produce more gas. We also need to do more research into alternate fuels.

1. Massive Consumer Rotating Strike or Boycott on the Pumps with the big Oil Monopoly Company, until each company drops their oil price to reasonable consumer price.

2. Government need to take action on Oil Monopoly demand consumer reason price on fuel.

3. Free and Improve Transportation Services in Metro Cities, which will help reduce the demand on Oil.

4. Improve and Implement Alternative Fuel for Vehicles. The vechiles prices must be reasonable than conventional Fuel Vehicles

5. Extra Taxes do not reduce consumption of fuels.

6. Consumers and Goverment need to take massive action against Oil Monopoly to hold the company accountable for prices at the pumps.

1 build more refineries. No refineries has been built in nearly 30 years, while gasoline usage has increased. Oil is still affordable at $62 a barrel, it’s the crack spread that has widened. Hello, are we going to rely on our enemies to send us gasoline?

2. Phase in gas tax over the next 10 years. We have to send in a market signal for people to stop buying SUVs. Americans are like crybabies. Even with high gas price I still see only one driver in very large cars. We are are like crack addicts. Tax $25 cents per gallon more per year. In 10 years it will be $2.50 more.

Use the tax revenue to build our non-existant public tranportation system. Encourage private bus companies. Hello, I rather hop on a bus that cost say $30 from SF to LA than fly Southwest and burn kerosene.

3. Put tollways everywhere to discourage driving.

4. Stop consuming things! We are surrounded by oil derived products such as plastics. They produce hugh enviornmental problems. Start your local Compact group. Most Americans won’t die if we stop buying non-food things for one year.

I’ve watching the price of crude oil going down lately…on regular basis. Yet, the pice at the pumps continues to rise??? I don’t think it takes a genuis to figure out the oil companies are raping us blind! As everyone knows & sees, as soon as the nicer weather begins to arrive…up go the gas prices. But the oil companies blame this on lack of this or that, or demand is much higher. Doesn’t this happen every year? Do they think we are that stupid and niave? Is simply and excuse to raise the price. If an oil company has a 10 billion dollar profit in one quater, as did Exxon (I believe it was them), how can they justify such a huge profit!!! It merely means they are robbing the average American person blind!

CUT THE TAXES IDIOTS…NOT RAISE THEM! THE GOVT. EARNS MORE THAN 4 TIMES WHAT THE GAS COMPANY DOES…AND YOU THINK THEIR PROFITS ARE OBSENE!!!

Sounds like another way to separate citizens from their cash and at the same time give the government even more control over our lives (and money). No thanks.

Taxing gasoline an additional $1.00 to $2.00 per gallon will throw millions out of work and drive the country into a massive depression. What idiot thinks that is a good idea? We all don’t live in some big city where we can walk to work or the grocery store or the pharmacy or to Church or to anywhere. Why is the “solution” proposed by big city Democrats punish the heartland? What is wrong with these people?

Billions and Billions of dollars in profits from the oil companies that the President and Vice Pres. both own stocks in. Here’s one for you, we need to stop buying oil from overseas and start growing our own fuel. This will put America completely independant and our own economy will sky rocket. The oil companies are going to bring this country to its knees and they don’t even care. All they care about is their own dollar. This is absolutely ridiculous and totally un-called for. The oil companies cannot explain the record profits (billions) that they have had in recent years. Also, there are a lot of people saying that when you compare the price of a gallon of gas to the price of a gallon of milk, it’s not the much. DO YOU BUY 30 or MORE GALLONS OF MILK AT A TIME???? I didn’t think so. The price of gas is the product of stupidity and the gouging of America. The sad thing is, America’s own government is the one to blame!! Alternative fuels like E85 that are a product of corn are the way to go to make us compeletly self sufficient as a country as far as fuel goes. But, all the conspirators won’t let that happen because that would be getting into their pockets. Someone needs to ask George Bush and Dick Chaney just exactly how much stock they own in oil companies. I guarantee you, they will tell you it’s none of your business.

We’ve got to liberate ourselves from the tentacles of the middle-east and the oil companies. We must encourage alternative fuel research and development by (initially) subsidising it with “government” money. The money for this subsidy should come from a gas tax. In a few years, when competing fuels become competetive with gasoline, the subsidiy can be done away with. Then we can let market forces do what they will. But, initially (for the public good) government has to intervene. Our country is not great solely because because of capitalism, but also because of its intelligent regulation by government.

EITHER MAKE BIG OIL COMPANIES INVEST THEIR PROFITS IN NEW REFINERIES IN THE U S OR TAX THEIR PROFITS AND HAVE UNCLE SAM DO IT FOR THEM

PLEASE STOP BUYING CITGO GAS AS THIS BELONGS TO CHAVIS

I think anyone whos been to a Wal-Mart or the DMV lately and seen the educational state of our population ought to know that people are not going to cut back on resources for the good of mankind.

The government will have to mandate efficiency. I think a big gas tax is a great idea to reduce consumption and wastefullness and increase funding of residential wind and solar as well as electric cars.

We could also slow China’s emmissions down if we didn’t buy all the cheap crap they make for us.

Unfortunately, everything to do with gas and oil is a catch-22. Want more efficient cars? Car makers will have to invest to build or retool plants and pass that cost onto the consumer. Produce more oil? Oil companies will spend billions building a refinery or two and pass that cost on to consumers. Every alternative only leads to increased costs for the consumers. Turn to alternatives such as biodiesel or ethanol? Both burn less efficiently than gas, leading to higher costs just because it takes more, not to mention, both use more energy than they produce, which leads to even higher consumption.

The only way to keep fuel costs low is to simply not use it. Ride a bike, take a bus, car pool. Everyone has an excuse not to, but not using the fuel is the only way to keep it around. I ride a bike to work three days a week. Right there I’ve cut my fuel use 60% during the week. Believe me, you can too.

There are lots of fascinating ideas here and a lot of reality. Drive slower. Buy only from Citgo so at least someone gets benefit from the money who is NOT from the Middle East or Texas. Make your kids take the bus to and from school all you suburban moms. Read my blog at energyrefuge.com

Switching to alternative fuels is the only solution to high/rising gasoline/oil prices. E85 for example – 85% ethanol, 15% gasoline – is commonly used in Brazil and Sweden with some use in the U.S. Ethanol burns cleaner and produces more horsepower which would benefit the environment and those who insist on having powerful cars. Converting an internal combustion engine to ethanol fuel is simple – race cars have been using this fuel for many years and ethanol fuel is becoming the standard fuel for the Indy Racing League. In fact, the Model T Ford was capable of running on either gasoline or ethanol. Ethanol produced from corn, sugar cane and multiple other crops would put more farmers to work and eliminate government subsidies on farmland. Most of all, ethanol would cut the world’s reliance on oil, reduce cost of fuel, and reduce greenhouse emissions.

Ultimately, hydrogen power makes the most sense with its byproduct being water – but it’s doubtful the oil lobby will allow this technology to develop – which would drastically reduce the need for crude oil based fuels.

I find it interesting to see that people want to set up a carbon tax to raise the price of fuel, and then let the market control demand, while on the other hand law makers refuse to do a thing that may further damage GM and Ford. True that hundreds of thousands of people work for these companies, and millions more in supporting industry, but they need to stop sitting on employment as an excuse for not adopting what the world needs “more efficient cars and trucks!” It’s time that America is given a new task, a new goal much like the moon missions; beat the rest of the world to building the highest efficiency into cars, trucks, and buildings. The Russians had beaten us to space, but in the end we beat them to the bigger prize. Lets set the goal higher, and win!

Why isn’t anyone forcing a windfall tax on the oil companies?

It’s a shame that both sides of our elected government are afraid to stand up for the people who elected them when it comes to allowing a single industry to negatively impact the lives of such a large percentage of their constituents!

I think it would definetely help due to when this would be imposed, we would go into an economic depression. With all the layed off poor people revolting due to the obvious class warfare that would result, demand would drop considerably. After all, you wouldn’t need to drive outside of traveling to the nearest riot point.
Has to be the dumbest idea since invading Iraq.

How about another approach, since much of this is caused by the “free trade” orgy with China, just impose 30percent import tarriff on Chinese goods. Since the communist state companies are useing unfair currency manipulation to gain market share in the US, this would easily be justified and cut the demand from China for oil resulting in a drop in oil prices.
By time this war on the lower and middle class be held in China rather than in the USA as it is now.

Has it occurred to anyone that the American People are not interested in reducing energy usage? The American People only want to pay less. Until “We The People” decide to use less energy by buy cars with higher MPG, carpool, or use mass transit, the problem will still be there. The government can not and should be trying to create an artifical solution like a carbon tax or mandating higher MPG on cars. The people need to buy the cars with higher MPG.

Just think if the prices for all consumer goods were as volitile as gasoline. Imagine if milk went up a dollar a gallon over a couple month’s time.

Stop unnecessary traveling; stay home, walk, use public transportation when available.
Less demand, lower prices.

I’m a college graduate student that makes very little money to cover gas prices as they already are. Yet I would support a carbon tax, or any tax, to raise the cost of gas.. since I feel that this is the only way to eliminate our unnecessary addiction to imported oil. Let’s face it, the alternatives are out there… cellulose-based biofuels, hydrogen, battery-hybrids, etc… but until the cost of gas becomes completely prohibitive, sales of these alternative vehicles will continue to lag… detering future investment in their production. So tax gas… raise it to $10.oo a gallon… I assure you, the cost will hurt me more than you, but we’ll all be grateful years from now.

Goverment wants more MPG. Oil company’s will want more money per Gal.–But if oil company’s dont sell enough gal. The price will drop . we will buy more gal. Then price will slowly get higher. Then we do it all over again. ( That my story )

We have to reduce the use of oil. We don’t have it and everyone that does hates us.

The benefit of the tax is that it doesn’t simply go to the oil companies as more excess profits. But we would need to be able to account for this money. The two most meaningful uses for these funds would be 1) research into alternative fuels and 2) better mass transit.

We can’t keep going the way we are going. Americans better wake up and smell the coffee. or pretty soon the pot is going to be empty.

Americans are not stupid, however, they are ignorant. Educate them to avoid jackrabbit starts followed by slamming on the brakes at the next light. Easy does it: driving smoothly is one key to saving gas and saving money. Next, require auto manufacturers to install gauges which give one the instantaneous mileage of one’s vehicle. The gauges would go a long way in educating drivers in how wasteful are such juvenile habits as jackrabbit starts, braking at the last instant, and excessive speed. Require circuitry which allows the engine to shut off at stops and restart instantaneously when one presses the gas pedal. This weekend I drove 585 miles, about 75 of which was local, stop and go driving. I averaged 71.2 MPG, my cost was $23 ($2.80/gal). I have a hybrid which has the gauges, shuts off at stops, and I practice what I preach about driving habits. With 89k miles on my car, my lifetime average is 62 MPG. The technology has been available from Honda and Toyota for 8-10 years. Perhaps it’s time for American manufacturers to leap into the 21st century. PS My wife’s business vehicle, a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo has gauge which offers instantaneous gas mileage. While the Jeep will never approach the mileage of my hybrid, the gauge allows one to at least see how one’s driving habits affect gas mileage and thus improve one’s mileage.

I agree with the concept of raising the price of gas, in fact i would say that the tax should go even higher. The price should be at least $5 a gallon, in part to make alternative energies more viable and also to force reduction in consumption. As far as giving the government the money from these taxes, i think that perhaps funding alternative energy solutions via low-cost loans or other means might be a good use for this money, rather than funding unnecessary wars or otherwise wasting the money.

I’ve read the comments here from other readers and they seem very short-sighted. Some say they want cheap gas and with it the same reliance on foreign oil. Some argue that its not capitalistic to increase taxes. Give me a break – an oil president and we are being fleeced by big oil. Coincidence? I think not. Sounds like cronyism and not capitalism. Open your eyes people!

Think energy independance.

Until we reach the hydrogen solution, we can bridge the gap with the use of plug-in hybrids. This technology takes the present hybrid technology and beefs up the battery pack and allows for a daily charge that would allow for close to 40 miles of travel at speeds 35mph or lower without the gasoline engine ever engaging. Early prototypes are showing averages between 100-150mpg. More information can be found at calcars.org
The short term expense can be easily offset with a very generous tax credit from the Federal Government and can be directly subsidized be taxing those vehicles that use an inordinate amount of fuel. For example, the special tax on a Cadillac Escalade will directly go to the hybrid owner in the form or a tax credit. I don’t advocate taking away the freedom a consumer has to make choices in what they purchase, however, I do advocate that their choices have some consequences.

Exactly what were you smoking when you came up with the suggestion that the way to lower gasoline prices is to add a $2 tax? A far better idea would be to limit the profit that the oil companies can make to a certain amount per gallon. Right now higher prices are in their best interests. A significant tax on SUV’s and pickups on steriods would encourage people to drive modestly sized cars again.

Any profit over 1B dollars my an oil company should be taxed at 100 percent and returned to the people as refunds.

Nationalize the oil companies. Oil companies are taking records profits. Americans are being fleeced like sheep by a government of, by and for multinational corporations.

to bring gas prices down, you haveto have lots of unsold gas at the pumps.

to get people to use less gas to have lots of unsold gas, all you have to do is ask. americans jump at national challenges, and funny, unlike the 70’s, we havent been asked to conserve, let alone mandated to conserve. hum. something tells me there is no shortage.

Comparing our high gas prices to Europe is not a comparison at all. Europe’s high prices are due to taxes and nothing else. The consumer gets little benefit from the high gasoline taxes in Europe.
As for Mr. Nikhil’s comment, we don’t need to get used to it. Americans don’t want the limited life and freedom of movement that most Europeans have, directly caused by high taxes on income and consumption.
I frequently visit Europe, but have no wish to live there.
We can conserve and find alternative fuels.

We blame everybody but ourselves. You don’t like then stop driving until you absolutely have to. The petroluem companies don’t care because they are making record profits they sell less gas and make double the money. I say this to them, keep your gas, I can walk, I can use E85. HEB food stores in South Texas made a deal with Texas Farmers and said, I’ll buy your corn and will build refineries to produce the Ethanol so that we can mix it with the 15% of petroluem drilled right here in Texas in order to strive for alternate fuels. The bueauty is that the money stays right here in Texas. We will not send our money over seas to a country that wants to blow us up.

In order to lower fuel consumption they need to give tax breaks to companies that promote telecommuting. Large cities like NY City should prohibit Hummer type vehicles from entering the city and only allow car poolers in during rush hour. In otherwords, force people to use mass transit or car pool.

LOWER GAS PRICES!!!! THE DEMAND IS THE SAME AS IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN!!!!!

65% of the richest people own this countries money, the rest of the people (35%) are fighting over the remains. We need to get rid of the extreme capitalism and quit letting the gas companies monopolize the countries fuel!

I am sick and tired of the high gas prices! Heaven forbid if the owners of these big companies loose a couple million out of there billion dollar profit.

To everyone that reads this please participate in the gas strike May 15, 2007!

There a lot of good suggestions already posted but one of the biggest elephants in the room is that too many businesses are building their facilities where it’s cheap for them but expensive for their employees to get there. If there were tax breaks for businesses who build/open in facilities within walking distance of public transportation and tax the businesses who open facilities where their employees have no chioce but to drive should be taxed and taxed heavily. If anyone is ultimately responsible for the problems with using too much fuel this is one of the biggest ones. I don’t see why tax breaks keep getting given to companies who “develop” unused land which just ends up forcing that many more people to drive.

Give the tax breaks to companies who re-develop crumbling inner cities which already have decent public transportation which most of the workers can use to get to the office.

I categorically reject any tax where the revenues generated from the tax are spent in such a manner which there could not be adequate monitoring. Anyone who would give away their money for a tax as suggested in this article can send it directly to me. I’ll make sure that I use it to find ways to reduce their gasoline dependency. Trust me.

Freeze the price per barrel at $50.00 This would take a leader which this country lacks. Would this put a leash on speculators who drive the price up.

Two amazingly naive quotes from this article:

>> “The tax revenue, presumably, would be returned to the public for its own benefit…”

Yes, since that’s worked so well in the past. Giving the government a bigger role in our lives has always turned out to be quite efficient and effective. Just look at the TSA. Nice idea.

>> “…the government should require refiners to operate at a certain capacity…”

We should also pass legislation mandating cooler weather. That way, people would run their air conditioning less, and power companies could burn less natural gas making electricity. Brilliant. I wonder if the author is aware — refineries make more money by selling more product. They have a huge incentive to produce as much as possible TODAY. They also need to refine safely; mandatory minimums would cause more hurt workers and separated families. Texas City, anyone?

A gas tax, while considered regressive by some, is what we need NOW.

The price of energy in most other developed nations is priced as a precious resource with taxes going to pay for infrastructure, etc. The price of gasoline internationally is above $4 per gallon.

The US needs to learn a tough love lesson and NOW is the time before the economy starts going in reverse.

As for those who say the gas tax is toughest on the poor we can add a tax credit for the poor to the earned income credit or equivalent.

We need to build more refineries we have not built one in over thirty years. Why? Everytime one is proposed the enviornmentalists go nuts. Build a few of those, refine more oil gas prices go down.

Get real this will kill the people who live in the rural parts of the US. We do not have mass tranist and it is 60 plus miles to get to a Walmart. We have to drive trucks becuase the roads are gravel or dirt, which when it rains or snows they are a bloody nightmare without fourwheel drive. Just giving farmers a break won’t work either since people who teach in the schools, work at the power plants that supply power to the urban area, and all the others who live rurally, need gas cheaper just to live. I would ride mass transit if it were available, but it is not. Giving a tax break to those who live on the edge does not help with the day to day expenses. Let the profit making people at Exxon, BP and the other big gas companies pay the extra taxes unless they drop the prices.

Enforce the gas guzzler tax. Cars like Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s pay a gas guzzler tax and they should. HOwever cars like the Ford Expedition which uses more gas than most exotic sports cars, are exempt. Close that loophole, increase the gas guzzler tax and maybe that will make people think twice about buying that next lumbering SUV.

I would love to be able to walk or ride a bicycle to work but at 20 miles away that is just no possible. My vehicle is efficient but most people cannot just go out and buy a new car especially the lower income people this carbon tax would hurt the most. There is just now public transportation but it is a two hour round trip. I cannot get back in time to pick my child up from day care. So far the two best ideas I have heard are the shorter workweek and offering companies incentives for remote employees.

First of all make it illegal for anyone connected to an oil company to make campaign comtributions to all politicians. I really believe our elected officials feed those who contribut to their campaign funds. This might get the politicains to start subsidising progress on fuel cell development. The fuel cell has been around since the late 1940s, over sixty years and we still have no infrastructure to sypply inexpensive hydrogen to the public so they might use it as a source of energy. Many companies, most non-US, market stationary fuel cells but without a method of delivery no one will put one in a car.

I don’t believe we as a country are making a true effort to reduce consumption. Trips to buy just a carton of eggs; parents buying cars for kids who in turn just cruise aroung; truck drivers just sitting in idle for long periods (should be a law); and a thousand other reasons. People don’t care! The other issue is that the USA has one of the poorest transit systems in the world and local, state and federal government are doing nothing. In addition, and I hate to say it, but, government needs to take over the oil industry to stopped the excess profit taking; its almost criminal. We also need additional refineries so maintenance downtime doesn’t affect prices.

Everyone just has to stop being so greedy. Where we get the oil from isn’t the only problem. It’s the assholes over here in the U.S. raising the prices more than they should be. Like for mothers day. I’ve seen gas stations raise their prices over 25 cents just to rip people off. They didn’t pay that much for whats in their gas tanks. They are just greedy and taking peoples hard earned money. Gas is the seed to the economy. High Gas Prices + Dumb President = USA down hill

Blaming the oil companies is just plain silly. People act as if they are taking these big profits and hiding them somewhere. How business works: Those profits go to the ordinary people that own stocks, IRA’s, pension accounts, through stock appreciation and dividends. Democrats create an image of a company as a greedy monster, which is good politics but totally inaccurate and misleading. You want the profits of the oil companies? Buy a few shares of stock. Note, though, that those profits represent a return of less than 10% on investment.
Oil companies and their employees risk their lives and livelihoods to supply the lifeblood of our economy. They go years without significant profit, and now that they have a good year, they are made out as evil. Take away a few of the oil companies, and then see what happens!!

Hurt the “poor”, the most! No Way! Mostly the poor don’t own cars. They don’t drive long distances or ride in “back up” to go to work.
When are you guys going to get it–it is, and always will be the middle class that suffers the most–always.

Carbon tax? I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this silly idea. So many silly flaws in the article–the assumption that the government would use the money to benefit anyone–given Democrat control, any receipts would go toward their stated agenda of wealth redistribution. One more way for the people busting their humps by getting to work to support those who choose not to work. If you want to take more money from the working people, then at least give it to the oil companies earmarked to build refineries, and change the laws to that more refineries can be built. Drill a couple small holes in the huge wastelands of Anwar. Make every celebrity who talks about global warming turn in their Hummers and private jets, and make them keep their swimming pools unheated for three months of the year.

EVERYONE in this country needs to get over it!High gas prices are here to say and will continue to increase. The rest of the world pays far more than we ever have for gasoline. Yes, people will have to change the way they think about getting from one place to another, some much more than others.How many people have experianced gas rationing? I have and it is not pleasant. If the people of this country don’t change their gas greedy ways,rationing will be one of many devastating consequences that will inevitably cause destabalize all gas dependant countries and perhaps world wide economic depression. Hmmmmm isn’t that exactly what the terrorists would like to see happen? They wouldn’t have to lift a finger. They could just sit back and watch as we implode. Wake up! if not for yourself then for future generations.

Let those that use pay. Many people drive smaller rigs and many people have done other things to cut useage. We can cut useage but in the meantime let those gas guzzlers pay.

You don’t exactly inspire confidence in your plan to reduce gas prices by leading off with a proposal to increase them. No matter the logic behind a gas tax, that was just stupid.

Whatever remaining credibility you might have retained, it was dashed by saying that “presumably’ the tax revenue would be returned in the form of some benefit to citizens. While I have no doubt that something would be done that some people might find beneficial, I imagine that this circuitious route would be just about as inefficient as possible. Waste is bad, right?

While the laws of supply and demand have their place in the world, they have no place here. This is not demand, it is need. Oil is unfortunately the lifeblood of the world. It is not optional, and it is not a luxury item that we can do without. If the price of gas is driven so high that the average worker cannot afford the gas to get to work, the economy will be effected when millions of Americans lose their jobs. The idea of adding a tax to gasoline, which would nearly double the price, is insane. In essence, people would still need to buy the same amount of gas that they already do, but it would be at an even higher cost. Add to that the fact that the price of all products would go up considerably as the increase of fuel prices would be passed on to the consumer. At the same time, companies would be forced to give smaller raises to their employees to counter the loss in revenue due to the increase of their own fuel prices. This is essentially the true “trickle-down economics.” The government is simply trying to cash in on one of the greatest money makers known to man. The entire oil issue is based purely on greed. Oil companies explain that the per-barrel oil price has gone up, so the per-gallon price of gasoline will go up as well. Yet the top three U.S. oil companies – ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhilips – have reported record profits in 2006. Clearly the rise in the price of oil did not hurt them in any way. They simply passed it on to the consumer with a little extra for their own pockets. The U.S. government will not do anything to fix this because they pulled in $27.9 billion for income tax in 2006 from Exxon alone. This greed has gone so far that we are now engaged in a war, which is killing tens of thousands of people, solely for the purpose of making those record profits even higher. Yes, we need to become less reliant upon oil by developing alternate sources of fuel and increasing fuel efficiency. However, the responsibility for this lies with the manufacturers of oil-consuming products and not the consumer. It makes little sense that the consumer is forced to pay for the mistakes of these companies, while those same companies are rewarded for those mistakes through increased profits. We need to put a leash on these companies and stop them from continuing this immoral and unjust behavior.

it is stupid to make the gas more.people who meed it to go to work or other places will still have to pay it. make a cap and the oil companys can’t go over that amount.

Brilliant, let’s just drive the country into a depression by raising the cost of gasoline. STUPID !

It’s like any other money problem you face in everyday life. Stop blaming someone else, stop looking for someone else to solve a problem for you. Use your head, determine what expenses you can reduce, eliminate, or postpone. Set your priorities, establish a budget, and spend to the budget. Look for alternate transportation. Carpool, ride the bus, work closer to or maybe from home. The big thing is to quit complaining and start taking positive action for a solution.

Everyone knows or should know that there is only ONE oil company with different names. Remember when PhillipsConoco lost output from one rig in the Gulf and everybody’s price went up? If they were truly different companies, wouldn’t the others pounce on their misfortune? NO! They all acted like they all took a hit in their output. Which brings me to my question and point. How come oil companies NEVER EVER take a hit. No matter if it’s bad weather, an accident, etc. They never lose. If somebody that ate at Taco Bell and got sick, Taco Bell loses revenue. I’m sure that there are probably a number of pet food brands that are taking a hit right now. When I get sick or take time off of work for whatever reason, I can’t come back and expect the company to give me an increase in my salary because I couldn’t work. I just take the hit in my revenue. Not so with oil companies! Main reason – a monopoly on a necessity, plain and simple. What to do? Maybe boycotts for a month. One month Shell, next month Exxon, and so on. Anything to affect their stock market price. Free market you say? Maybe there’s an even better way to give them a reality call. Think people! You’re not sick and tired of taking hits for every business in the country? We like having them around, but they NEED us! Again, think and talk it over with your friends and peers.

The carbon tax should be used to subsidize ethanol. Eyhanol solves all the problems. You do not need to build new refineries if you switch to ethanol. Ethanol is made in distilleries which either already exist or if new one are build are cleaner than refineries. Since the carbon in ethanol comes from green plant sources it does not contribute to global warming. Adding ethanol to the motor fuel mix will increase fuel supply, lowering fuel price.

The fact is, lowering gas prices is *not* what we need. What’s truly needed is mandated fuel economy (vs. penalties on low mpg vehicles) more HOV lanes and better mass transit.

Simply stated, if we make it easier to be efficient, it’s more likely to happen.

Population control! Stop breeding like this!!

Less consumers, less demand.

There are too many people on this planet!!!

I think the gas prices are absolutely crazy. Yes, we do make more money than in the past. But how many people live pay check to pay check? We can hardly afford to goto work. And with gas prices raising so foes everything else. Come on somebody…give us a break.

Raise fuel consumption tax is a must to conserve fossil fuel in the U.S. Consumers elsewhere pay much higher fuel prices and drive much more efficient cars. People in the U.S. do not deserve to be the exception

Everyone is looking for ways to tax the people to use less gas. The Government should show the way by providing incentives to use less gasoline. First the government should provide tax rebates for people who purchase cars – like the Toyota Prius and the Honda. Then, so the government doesn’t loose money, they should add a $2/gallon gasoline tax so that the people who insist on driving gas guzzlers will pay a fee for their indulgence. This of course would add an additional incentive to upgrade to the greener cars. Of course, the real question is does our government really want to encourage people to use less gasoline. When we answer that the direction will be much clearer.

We should consider making gasoline a “utility” and controlling it like some other energy sources.

The primary reason our gas prices are so high is that our dollar is tied directly to oil. Once we inflate the dollar to pay for all sorts of happy feel good spending, or at least to go around the world to keep people accepting our dollars, oil goes up.

This is all easy. It’s not big oil vs you. It’s the Federal Reserve vs. you.

How about we agree to fuel our cars on odd and even days as in the past? Certainly worked then!

I think we should raise the tax on gasoline and use the money to improve public transportation. Then we reduce gas because it is more expensvie and we have public transportation which is more cost effective. This does not only reduce our reliance on foreign oil, but it reduces global warming.

Simply ban imports of foreign oil. Demand will drop because prices will rise.

The oil rich countries will suffer economic loss and even China cannot take up that much slack.

More incentive will be given to find more economical ways of transportation.

Eventually, the oil rich countries will offer a better price for the product.

Because of the reduction of available gas we then ration the supplies and anyone that goes over pays a tremendously high price. Rationing will be adjusted for shipping companies so that enough fuel will be available for moving trucks.

The economy will suffer short term but will recover as ingenuity takes on the issues of gas/transportation costs.

Ride a motorcycle.

If we were really serious as a nation about conserving energy, then why not a Presidential mandated 55 mph speed limit?

So your first proposal to lower gas prices is to raise gas prices?

Brilliant!

You show your true bias when you are more concerned with lowering “profits currently reaped by oil companies and their shareholders” and redistributing them in the form of “cheaper health insurance or a gasoline tax credit for lower income people” than you are in finding the cause of high gas prices.

Brake up the oil companies under the regulations against monopoly. The price of gas is the result of monopoistic oil limiting domestic supply. When oil companies compete consumers win.

Want lower prices? Get government out of the picture. Government already takes more than oil produces and distributors earn with each gallon of gas sold. Drill for oil, especially in ANWR and off the coast of Florida. Build more refineries, reduce regulations for custom blends, and eliminate the silly regulations that complicate changing blends. We mix them in our tanks; let oil distributors mix them in the pipelines. That’s the supply side. On the demand side, do what you can to drive less. Plan and combine trips where possible.

We will eventually move away from oil, but the change will not be easy, it will not be free, and it will consume a shocking amount of energy to replace the existing infrastructure. Think before you leap.

Our country is very spoiled at cheap gas prices at $3 right now. Many of the European countries and industrialized Asian countries pay $5-6 a gallon and we are complaining. Why? Because we have to drive these gigantic, gluttenous fuel sucking SUVs and trucks.
2007 Suburban & Yukons proudly present themselves that they can do 22mpg in the highway. Well when the Car and Driver Magazine tested their fuel efficiencies, thoese SUVs achieved only 12mpg combined.I don’t know why we as citizens continue to support middle eastern countries by being number ONE in the world for oil consumption. I am willing to pay $5 a gallon of gasoline just to wake our people up and forced to buy more fuel efficient vehicles. Also US auto manufacturers must wake up and produce more efficient vehicles and stop producing high horse powered gas gazzlers which take up space in our beautiful country!

Success at last! Adding $2 to the price of gas would finally allow the gulf between the rich and the middle class to disappear. The commuter who is just able to make mortgage in a bedroom community 30-50 miles away from work could now be in transient housing controlled by the rich (renting). The single parents, would now have to choose between (commuting)working and eating on any given week. That would allow them to get on welfare and public assistance. No more driving to a low paying job for them. When wealthy people who have no concept of living payday to payday make such stupid plans, the people (us) need to do something about it. What about the French, they don’t get stirred up very often but the “let them eat cake” remark changed history. “let them be poor” is just as offensive. Vote, Protest, Write your Representatives and Vote in people who will change it.

Absolutely follow with a tax and we will all be better off in the long run. Republicans are anti-tax because that is the only support item they have left so they dont dare loose on that issue. vote them all out off office and get this country back where it belongs.

We can quickly lower gas prices by seizing control of Saudi Arabia, and also liberating women there. Once in control of Saudi Arabia, we can be an extensive network of airbases in addition to the one’s already there and also naval facilities. Saudis could be granted the same status as Puerto Ricans as a US territory and also like Alaskans could directly benefit from oil production. With the US in control of the worlds key oil producer, we could keep gasoline prices at reasonable levels. The US would also be in a position to totally thwart Iranian and radical Muslim aggression as no one in the area would dare mess with a well grounded massive US presence in the area.

Illegal immigrants in the US could be sent to Saudi Arabia as an alternative to being sent back to where they came from and could earn a pathway to legal residence in the US through service to the US forces in Saudi Arabia.

With the US in Saudi Arabia, the US could end military assistance to Egypt and reduce military funding to Israel as the US would be in a position to totally annihilate an Arab or Muslim aggression in the area. This take no prisoners approach would be respected by the radical forces in the middle east as they only thing they do respect is brute force and overwhelming power.

The world has used the first half of all the economically recoverable oil, oil that can be produced at a price that customers can afford to pay. From now on the price of oil is only going to rise. There will be small fluctuations, but the generally the price is going up. Assuming $25.00, (in the equivalent of today’s dollars) is the highest possible price people, (except the very wealthy) will be able to pay, and that the second half of the world’s oil will be gone by about 2045, then it will be reasonable for prices to rise about $.50 every year from now until 2045.

Unfortunately, long before the price for a gallon of liquid fuel gets anywhere near $25.00, the world economy will have descended into a depression that will make the years after 1929 look like a good time.

Practically, the U.S. economy can probably, just barely, tolerate a fuel price of $10.00 per gallon. I know that prices higher than this will put me out of business. This gives the United States about 12-15 years to develop a new energy infrastructure, before the nation’s economy collapses into chronic recession or depression. Judging by the last forty years of alternative energy development and deployment, things don’t look good for the U.S. or the World.

Based on this rather stark analysis, I would like to see a carbon tax phased in at about $.30 per year per gallon of liquid fuel, until the price rises to equal the cost of a gallon of methanol produced using solar generated electricity and sequestered carbon dioxide. This would put a gallon of fuel at solar parity, the true cost of a gallon of fuel. At this time, solar parity is somewhere between $6.00 and $9.00 per gallon. This gradual price rise would give the economy some time to continually absorb the increases, which will still have a difficult time, even under the best possible circumstances. This would also put the country on a continuously sustainable alternative fuels base and go a long way toward stopping global warming

I would like to see the carbon tax money spent exclusively on providing grants, loans and guarantees to pay for the greatly accelerated development of a carbon neutral energy infrastructure. Grants and low interest loans could be paid to low income folks to help them buy new fuel efficient autos, install solar booster systems for hot water and heating and for other conservation and conversions measures. The bulk of the money could be used to build the two thousand or so community based solar powered methanol/methane
fuel and power generating plants needed around the nation to provide real alternative fuels and energy for the U.S.

The good news is, that business in all alternative energy areas would boom and the U.S. would experience an enormous industrial and economic boom, not unlike the tech revolution of the last decade, as it built a new energy base. All this would result by shifting money from the oil companies and the oil producing countries to the new U.S. industrial energy base.

This is all beginning to sound suspiciously like a real national energy plan designed to solve the worst of the energy problems facing the United States. Opps!!!!

Use less gas and gas prices will decrease. If people would drive slower, ie.. the speed limit, and use less gas, then the gas companies will lower prices to increase demand. Simple basic economics everybody say believe in.

If Big Oil controls the prices on gasoline, does it really matter what we do? Seems like they do what they want right now. Our goverment has had commissions investagate them and find nothing wrong. Right, like I really expected them to do anything with Big Oil with all the lobbiest in Washington.
If we were to cut demand in half, would that really cut the cost of filling up our tanks? They could just produce less gas, but just charge more. There is no fair market when they are all working together. Working together, they can do what they want. Let’s see, more mergers, less competition.
There will not be an alternative energy until some group finds a way to make the large profits. Our government needs to invest some money into alternative energy to something done.

1. Reduce state and federalgas taxes by 50%. Does government really need more tax money?
2. Mandate 30MPG min for all new cars and light trucks with a 25% tax credit to purchasers.
3. Provide 25% investment tax credit for construction of new gasoline refineries-and:
4. Fast-track approval (3-6 months) for new US gasoline refineries.

I’m still seeing a lot of comments from people expecting big business (car companies) to bear the entire brunt of the solution.

To those who ask why car companies don’t produce smaller, more efficient vehicles, the answer is simple:

We weren’t buying them. Gas was cheap, so people walked right past the Geo Metro on the dealer’s lot and bought themselves a Blazer. There is a reason Toyota and Nissan got into the truck market. We wanted trucks. It can’t be reasonably expected for a company to produce nothing but small vehicles that nobody wants, especially when there are other companies that are more than willing to produce popular vehicles.

Expecting government to legislate large vehicles out of existence is an absurd idea as well. In a country that resists any sort of legislation that looks like the government is trying to force something on its public, how well received would a government telling you what you can and cannot drive be?

Imposing fuel economy standards is another band-aid idea that doesn’t work. It would be very easy to argue that the CAFE standards (and resulting smaller, poor performing vehicles that resulted) of the 70’s and 80’s are largely responsible for the current SUV problem. People wanted big, powerful vehicles and couldn’t get them, so they bought big, powerful trucks.

Once again, it comes down to this: You decide what an automaker sells. When automakers see a demand for large vehicles they meet that demand. When they see a surge in demand for smaller vehicles they change their product lineup to reflect it. The car business is reactionary: We tell ‘em what we want, and they build it. As with anything reactionary, it takes time to adjust. When we suddenly start worrying about fuel economy and start buying B-segment or hybrid cars we can’t expect all the manufacturers to immediately have them ready to go. The few manufacturers that are ready will prosper, as is happening with Toyota and Honda right now, but remember this: In 1991, everyone wanted big SUV’s, and Ford/GM had them ready. They prospered. It has nothing whatsoever to do with import VS domestic. It is simply a matter of who is the first to market to meet the demands of the fickle car buyer. Right now import brands are thriving because they already had these new, smaller cars ready in other markets.

As for urban sprawl: I bought a house in the country (40 miles from the city with three acres of land for $60k. If this house would have been a mere 25 miles closer to the city it would have been a $240k house and wouldn’t have included 3 acres. On top of that, my property taxes are $400 annually, compared to the $2500 annually they would have been within city limits. I breathe much cleaner air out here, too. Even if every one of the 1500 residents within 10 miles of me commuted those 40 miles every day we still wouldn’t see the smog out here that the small city of Halifax, with its 300,000 people, would see. It would take a heck of a lot more than $4 a gallon to offset those numbers and the advantages of peace and quiet and cleaner air, and make me want to move closer…

What an infuriating article! All of these suggestions involve using bigger government to interfere with something the market will handle beautifully if it is allowed to function.

Gasoline prices are rising – and they should be allowed to keep right on rising until consumers start demanding cars that are substantially more fuel efficient. It will happen and we won’t have to count on the government to “return tax money to the public with consumer-friendly spending.” Where in the Constitution of the United States does it make it legal for the Federal Government to even touch this issue? It doesn’t.

At $4 or $5 a gallon, we’ll stop buying Ford Explorers and it will become honestly profitable for auto companies to focus on fuel efficiency – all without trusting a bunch of politicians with an even larger portion of our hard-earned dollars.

The article also talks unashamedly about oil-company profits like they are a bad thing; something to be purposefully reduced. I’m sorry, I thought this was America! It’s good when companies and shareholders make money. You know who the shareholders are? Us. We all own these guys through the mutual funds in our 401(k)s. Besides, oil companies are just now approaching the profitability of the average S&P 500 comany after decades of barely getting by. They make big dollar profits, but the investments required to drill for oil are huge! The percentage profitability of oil is just average!

Let’s let the market work – there aren’t any inefficiencies here! Let’s also stop undermining the free-market system that made this country great!

The only real way to reduce the cost of gasoline would be education. We still live in a society infatuated with large SUVs and commuting long distances due to urban sprawl. A carbon tax would likely help to lower demand…of both oil and the large SUV. Opposing such a tax makes little sense anyway since predictions are calling for an increase of nearly $1.00 per gallon anyway by summer’s end. Even a marginal reduction in demand could help curb this predicted increase.

A $1-$2/gallon gas tax would slow down demand alright. It would also crush our economy. How about a 25 cent tax where 100% is used to fund the building of new Nuclear plants. At 385M gallons/day that would be almost $100M/day in proceeds. Westinghouse claims the volume cost of their AP1000 1GW plant to be $1B. We fund a new one every 10 days. Then recoup some of that by having companies bid to operate them. Take the recouped money and use it for battery research. Electric plug in vehicles are the way to go for a great many of us if they can get them to a 60 mile range at city driving speeds. But the cars also need to be cheap.

Just reducing demand is not a solution. Lets solve this permanently.

By adding an extra tax on each gallon of gas you are just penalizing the user for the greed of the oil companies. Tax the oil company profits, that would change everything. Since they are not developing any new fuels, take away their tax writeoffs for “research” that they are not really doing. It’s time for the government to step in and stop the greed !! Get out of Iraq and put the resources into controlling the flow & price of oil for the benefit of the comsumer.

Fantastic idea coming from inside the beltway. More taxes, more public transit, and more government waste. What most politicians don’t realize is that there is life outside of the beltway. What would this do to people living in rural areas? Try living in a state like Montana with the rising fuel cost. There are 6 major cities in the 4th largest state, with no less than 100 miles in between any of them. What about the farmers that feed the country that live a good distance from these cities, that are forced due, to weather, loads, many other fact, to drive larger vehicles? This type of fuel “TAX”, would do nothing but harm the ones that keep a good portion of the U.S. fed and moving.

People need to stand up and demand change from our elected state goverment reps. This would put presure on washington. When a nomanee is running for office in your state, people need to put gas prices at the top of the list. And let your nomanee for office know if you can not do the job we will ask you to step down. And keep the presure on. And dont stop !!!!

Electric cars.
The Tesla car tesla.com. Is already out. It charges in 3.5 hrs. It looks like a Ferrari and has even greater speed. By going to electric cars the cheapest fuel available, including nuclear, can be used. This change will cause oil to come down and become just another choice. The technology will be domestic, the fuels can be domestic, in the case of biofuels and even nuclear CO2 will be reduced. By not importing as much oil inflation will drop. And if domestic automakers get ahead on the curve they may be able to export more cars as well as taking back domestic market share ! This will affect many other industries glass, steel, rubber, etc. as well.

Why not take our money out of the Social Security fund and build refineries? Oops, sorry, what money. Best put a new tax in place………………

What a stupid ass lib article typical raise taxes what an idiot.

A carbon tax on gas. What a great idea. Look what high taxes on “petrol” has done for European gas prices. I have an idea. Let’s set fire to our paychecks. If no one has money, no one will be able to buy gas. That will reduce demand.
More taxes on gas. What’s wrong with you people.

I use my car only for doctor appointments and groceries. For everything else I find other ways to get there. I and many others on fixed incomes cannot afford that kind of tax. We hear lots about “take public transportation”. Great idea, if public transportation runs by the doctor offices and places for obtaining groceries. They don’t out here. In fact they don’t go anywhere near most of the doctor’s I need to get to.

A tax on gas guzzling new vehicles seems a good way to go. Let those who don’t try to be responsible in their choice of new vehicles foot the bill. If they can afford a new car, they can afford a new tax.

Everyone drive just 5mph slower everywhere you go. Also if we lowered the speed limits by 5mph or 10mph. Also think about conserving, keep it on our minds, in our daily driving routine.

stop all gas price controls
if people want to give away gas let them
have a price war
let the market control the gas price
ON the LOW end
CUT all gas tax

I’d like to see gas rationing. Everyone would be allocated a fixed and equal amount of fuel. Those who drive gas guzzling vehicles would see their vehicle
spend more time parked in the garage. It would provide a big incentive for everyone to migrate towards fuel efficient vehicles.

What happen to the electric car? Why do the hybrids cost so much more? It’s seems that if America was serious about this global warming and dependence on foreign oil we would be moving a lot faster to break this dependence on foreign oil. I fill when I fill up at the pump I’m just making someone else who is already rich richer and also supporting the real terrorist countries from which this comes from. The government always talks about supporting our troops. How are we supporting the troops and the war and still fiancing the terrorist everytime we fill up at the pump. Other alternatives are out there, but as long as there is oil in the ground someone thinks there is money to be maded. That’s what it’s all about making money. If the big oil companies and the government really wants gas alternatives it could be done very soon. But I feel they are all out for greed of that mighty dollar. I would love to by a more fuel efficient automobile, but the prices are too high right now for me to afford. By the way, WHAT HAPPEN TO THE ELECTRIC CAR?

A carbon tax is by far the best solution b/c it will move prices towards what is the “true cost” of burning fossil fuels. That is, the cost of producing and delivering the product plus all the other costs to society, such as fighting wars and cleaning up the environment. Carbon fuels are a gift from nature that we have taken for granted and are recklessly exploiting. People need to look at themselves as stewards of the planet and to carefully consider the long term effects that our short term gluttony has caused.

Spend a Trillion on war, but spend 1 billion on fuel cell research. How do you put a terrorist out of business, take away his oil profits…When a President leads a nation he does so through the use of long range policy choices. This President has chosen a very short term, and it turn out no solution to the problem of terrorism. If only a Present was brave enough to put those trillions into research. Research that could wipe out terrorist monetarily; while at the same time placing the US back into the number one position in the world economically. For he who holds the next light bulb, will surly light the way!!!!!!!!!!

Charge all the oil companies with TREASON!There is no reason they should be making the ridiculous profits during a time of war !

Treason! Now that IS a novel idea!

We can cut demand by 10% to 15% almost instantly by lowering the speed limit on interstate and state highways to 55 mph.

I think that all of the executives of all the oil companies should be charged with treason.It is after all, a time of war, and illegal to to guage prices during a time of war.

Why would we stupidly want to reduce our consumption of gas or the oil that it comes from so that the price would be lower for our overseas competitors? This is not only harmful to our economy, but aids them in building a larger cheap labor industrial complex that will continue to lower our standard of living.

Ha! The Liberal Democratic solution to all of our woes, a NEW TAX! Sigh.. Can anyone here honestly explain to America what the Gasoline futures traders are doing to the common man?? I swear I saw the range for the price of gas last week span over .10!!!! There are knuckleheads who have money that are holding the rest of us Joe Schmoos feets to the fire. We are there willy nilly hamsters or lab rats. (Or insert your own) Plain and simple the price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in January here in SE WI was 1.97 now it’s 3.35. That in my calcualations is just over a 66% increase in the price. HOWEVER the price of oil during the same timespan went from just over $50 a barrel to where it now, $62 a barrel. Now geez, that’s $12 or 24%. How in the world are we getting squeezed like this?? We are all sheep. And if we don’t speak up they will continue to fleece us, LITERALLY! Don’t know what else to say.

only oneway to lower gas prices being crude oil prices below 60.00

During World War II they rashioned gasoline for the American public. Each family was given a colored or lettered sticker which represented how much gasoline you could purchase. Gasoline is a commodity just like bread and milk. If you want to bring the price down just use less or buy stock in the oil companies and use the stock dividend to supplement you fuel expenses. Otherwise, just grin and bear it.

I think more taxes on gasoline stink. A dedicated tax won’t exist that a politician can’t use to buy votes; a good example is the Earned Income Tax Credit (all together, can we say WELFARE?). A low-income tax credit from a carbon tax is just another EITC.

Why aren’t the auto makers selling cars today that burn gas more efficiently? Technologies exist to do it. Why are the politicians giving them a 13-year grace period to achieve just 27 percent better mileage? We could have had that in our vehicles 13 years ago.

I refuse to believe that a society that sent a man to the moon and returned him safely to earth cannot solve the “energy crisis”.

Possible solution.
It’s only the BIG corps. that are reaping huge profits. Continue buying your gas the way you have been, just do not buy from the big guys. Exxon, Mobil. Just buy from the smaller shops in your town. The big guys will have to drop their prices in order to bring back the consumers.

Oh yes, let’s increase the tax that way the government can show you once again how much better they can handle YOUR money -

NOT

A carbon tax!!!! Increase gas prices at the pump by $1 or $2 !!! This would reduce profits to oil companies and their shareholders??? ARE YOU CRAZY??? You actually think this tax is not going to be passed on to consumers??? This idea actually came from professionals??? People who actually have influence ??? Whoever thought of this idea is clearly not in touch with reality. I’m just appalled by this idea just being talked about. Why don’t you just take an eraser and use it on everyone in this country that makes less than $50,000/yr.

A carbon tax is simply the dumbest thing proposed yet! To think, the government, who already is reaping a windfall with the increase in pump prices (sales taxes) imposing still more taxes on a country that is overly taxed already. When will people like this idiot who who has floated this hairbrained idea stop and consider the the broader picture – how an additional tax will hurt this nations economy and the very people he says he wants to aid, the poorest of the poor. Giving us this new tax will raise every single thing in our stores and cause the poor to have to do without – but then, he is not thinking that far ahead, he only wants the government to grow and grow and become ever more burdensome on the people of this land. A carbon tax? How about a tax on the journalist and politicians who rattle on about the glories of big government – the carbon they are putting out is choaking alot of us!

People do not make a decision about how much gas to use when they are at the pump, so a gas tax will not work. History has shown gasoline demand to be largely inflexible to changes in prices.

Where people do make a decision that affects how much gas they will use is when they buy a new car. Hybrid or Hummer? What will work is a tax on gas guzzlers (and eliminating the current subsidy) together with a credit for fuel efficient vehicles. This would be a carbon tax, but it would be paid up front when the vehicle is put on the road, not at the pump.

California’s AB 493 is a good example of a step in this direction.

Drilling for more oil is the worst idea. We cannot possibly find enough domestic oil to replace what we use in foreign oil, and we are still producing greenhouse gases no matter whose oil we burn. Only conservation will reduce greenhouse gasas. Only conservation can help us achieve a goal of using no foreign fossil fuels.

Why are we waiting for Government to do something when their loyalties are decided by money and lobbyist influence, not market forces.

If lettuce is $1.19 a head I don’t buy lettuce till it’s under a dollar. The lettuce will then rot on the rack and the grocer stops buying it. The farmer now has lettuce rotting in his truck, and needs to sell what good lettuce he has at the lowest price possible.

Ergo if gas is too expensive, buy it every other week instead of weekly.

How do you do that you might ask?

200,000 people this year will buy a Prius and will cut their avarage consumption 50%. That is enough to affect demand.

Even if you cut your consumption 25% by prurchasing a more efficient SUV, that will still have an enourmous affect if ten million more people join you. It will also send a message to automakers. You are the market, don’t buy the lettuce!

Start producing auto’s with better fuel economy… What happened years ago to the carb that you could get like 80 mpg ?
This is all just a bunch of bull. People werent so gready this would not be.

Jealous of SUVs? Dont complain some of us need vehicles that big for various reasons Kids! our Jobs! to pull our Boats if we could buy gas for them! Its not the V8 or V6 you are stupid if you think that it is ths size of the vehicle it is the fuel delivery fuel injection was a scam its a joke to make you think something was being done ,carburators have been built that get over 100 miles to the gallon!! Cars of the 40s-50s were more efficient then the cars now twice the weight with oh god not a 8 cylinder they got over 20 miles per gallon whats your little 4 cylider get in a car 1/3 the weight and better arrow dynamics lets notforget the government scam of 87,89,92 octane IT WAS 93 before that!! and the higher the octane the more horse power and Higher MPG What about? Amry tanks? Thousands of horse power but yet they still get over twice the mileage of an SUV dont belive me check it out! cars run around 13:8 to 16:8 fuel to are ratio engines have been made that run just fine at 64:1 !! So Is it us dumb asses with the suvs that you fools think should be limited to gas or is it our government and the auto makers We should just all forclose our houses claim bank(corrupt)see and see how our government likesthe 3rd world country we have created OH AND QUIT BUYING RICE GRINDERS ALL THE MONEY IS GOING OVER SEES TOYOTA IS NOT AN AMERICAN CAR THE PROFIT GOES TO JAPAN YOU YUPPIE FOOLS A LEXUS IS MADE BY TOYOTA BUY A CADILLAC even buying a used import is wrong it keeps the resale up if you dont buy them the there is no resale value and no one will buy them!! Do you want our country to survive or do you want to just whine about gas We have lost most of our jobs to immigration and over sees it is also LOWERING OUR WAGE IF IT WASN’T FOR THAT WE COULD ALL AFFORD GAS AT 5.00 A GALLON!(IT IS THE CORRPORATIONS AND THE OLD MONEY BREAK THEM UP!!!) There is more oil in the us than the rest of the world but the government makes more off of us if they sell it overseas then buy it somewhere else overseas you are forgetting about importing and exporting they get money for that and for the hippies that wanna ride there bikes try living more than a mile from your jobs like everyone else try manual labor see how long you last Unions used to help with all these things being regulated but you all have been brain washed they have helped us all now you and the government are desroying them how would you like to work 7 days a week and get paid half as much that is what we are headed for unions are for the people start supporting them again make them strong why do you think corps keep trying to eliminate them they are here for you not them! Stikes or fighting for wage they are not trying to screw you they are trying to make it so we can all live not paycheck to paycheck unions are why we dont work 7 days a week 14 hours a day an we have holidays we dont work it wasnt the government or some random decision help yourself save what is left of our country please we all need to help any way we can stop immigration!!! We are paying for all of them if they are working of not We need to stand united
DO NOT BUY GAS ON MAY 15th

Has no on ever noticed? Gas prices were at an expected slight increase for years until, and oil barron became president then a appox. an 80 cent raise happened, Clinton came it stayed the same. Then another oil barron became president then approx $1.50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! rise again! coinsidence I dont think so.

Taxes, taxes and more taxes! Regulations, regulations and more regulations! Is that the answer to every woe we have? What will higher taxes get us? The government does not have a vested interest in reducing the amount of gasoline we consume. Why? TAXES! If they demand that cars get up to 35mpg it will eat into their tax revenue. Since the current taxes are basically earmarked for highway and road construction and that tax revenue is reduced what will they do then? Raise taxes somewhere else or let roads and highways slowly go in disrepair because states and local governments would no longer have the funds to build and repair. Also, a study came out recently that said despite the higher and higher taxes and subsequently higher gas prices in Europe that consumption was going UP, not down.

The state of Oregon did a test to find alternative ways to capture fuel tax in case the consumption in gas fell which in-turn would have a huge cut in their tax revenue. So, to combat that, they tested a GPS system that would count the miles a vehicle would drive for a period of time and then just bill the owner of the vehicle. Don’t believe me, Google “oregon testing gps”.

Until the government can find a way to collect “gas” tax without us consuming as much gas as we currently are, the government will not really do anything about gas consumption by really funding alternative fuel projects. It is not, in my opinion, a conspiracy theory, (as most politicians are not that smart without), it is just reality.

Also, we can not conserve our way out of our dependency on foreign oil. We are just too big of a country. The numbers just don’t add up. The reason is that we, the United States, imports 65% of our total oil use. (Only 26% of that comes from OPEC nations, by the way). We just can’t conserve that much oil anymore. The only way we will be able to get out of our dependency on foreign oil is to come up with a realistic alternative fuel. And not batteries! Why not batteries is that in that quantity, batteries will soon, very soon, become an environmental nightmare. In my opinion, hydrogen is the only way to go. It is the most abundant element/fuel on earth and it is the cleanest. The only problems today, but not tomorrow, are how to simply and cheaply “crack” or produce hydrogen in the quantities we need, safely store it and come up with a nationwide distribution system. But, whoever comes up with that will be the next Bill Gates or Warren Buffet of the 21st century.

How about allotting so many gallons of gas to each driver each month.You can “roll over” any unused gallons and save them for vacations and such or you can sell them to people who drive gas guzzlers.At least the people who use less gas can make a little money and maybe pay for their gas.

Imposing a new tax to “improve the mass transit??? health cheap insurance?…??????
That is like to believe “the elefant fly”!!!!
Can Oscar de la Hoya return some profits to the fans?..NO..he will not.. Can the big companies ” lower the profits?? NO …until the Federal Goverment and the Congress stop the irrational and inmoral ways to squezze the wallets of the american people from the Oil companies..

Simply induce energy supplying companies (oil) to focus on renewable supplies of energy by introducing an REAL incentive scheme to invest in all areas of production and marketing of renewable sources.
Exclude food (corn etc) based “ethanol” products as they will not work in the medium to long term in any viable economic model.
Tax oil based “profits” while allowing off sets against the introduction of distribution for new technologies.
Encourage energy distributors in the same way.
Encourage consumers in the same way.
Encourage car makers in the same way.
The technology is already here from solar to hydrogen cell.
What we are talking in reality about is Centralize Government dependencies on the control of “certain” tax revenues no matter how they are generated. An idea which is still in the 1900’s rather than in the 21st century when flow of capital and labor moves beyond borders.They should be encouraged to adopt a different model of governing one perhaps based on overall good rather than greed.
Innovators invent go with your vision nothing will stop you,

Want to lower gas prices? Cut the profit of the biggest benificiary of gas prices; taxes. The gas companies make only about 8 cents per gallon. The taxes are in excess of 50 cents. Look it up. See for yourself how much those goverment leeches are stealing off of you every time you fill up.

Raise taxes on the profits gas compaines earn. They announce there will be a shortage (they will produce less gas for peak summer season)and they inform us gas could reach $4 a gallon. U.S.Government should reduce all credits to gas compaines and set up winfall profit taxes of 95%.
Only in America could Exxon raise prices, then brag about record profits 10 Billion per quarter and get away with it. Oh yes they did give shareholders $.03 raise in dividens per quarter……what a joke. Of course big fat load CEO retired with a 351 Million dollar retirement package….what a joke.

I don’t think a carbon tax will do anything but hurt the American people. First of all you can’t use less of something that has become a necessity just because you want to. Cities and towns aren’t set up in the U.S. for people to do anything other than drive to work and school and other activities. You need to change that first, by creating other options for people and then ask them to cut back. I don’t know how people making minimum wage or even $10.00 an hour are making it. Especially single people trying to live off of one income. I think the government needs to be thinking of giving them gas vouchers to help them, and having the colleges and universities in the U.S. have students and teachers try to come up with ways to make communities less dependent on gasoline. Our young people can come up with some very intriguing ideas when asked to. How about a scholarship for an excellent idea.
Maybe we could get some ideas from other countries. I know when some students from Germany visited South Carolina last year, they complained how you had to have transportation to go anywhere. They were used to being able to walk everywhere, from place to place. Maybe our heads of state should be talking to builders and seeing if they start setting up communities with retail and groceries etc within walking distance. Yes, this would be an adjustment to what we are used to, but you have to start somewhere.

Did anyone else notice how the article is titled “6 ways to lower gas prices” when the very first “answer” will never, ever work. Raising taxes on gas is not designed to lower prices, and never will.

So the basic premise is that the it is okay for the government to make billions off of our gas purchases, while it’s inconceivable that big oil should make a dandy profit? At least the gas companies are actually doing something for their money!

So, supply and demand: Demand for gasoline has been steadily increasing, while a new refinery has not been built since 1976. Oil companies would be happy to build refineries if the government would get off the regulatory bandwagon! Not only has our demand increased without an increase in supply, but our current production facilities are aging and in need of more and more repairs. Not to mention, they have to be retooled every year to accomodate boutique fuels like ethanol.

I think the purpose of tax should be to raise the money the gov’t needs to fulfill it’s CONSTITUTIONAL obligations, period….not be a means for social engineering. The solution to these problems is not more gov’t…the gov’t is at the very root of the problem by tampering with the free market.
I also think the purpose of journalism is to act as an observer, reporting the facts of events that take place for the rest of us who could not witness such events as they unfolded. Not to spread left wing propaganda. CNN gets an F

Posing carbon tax is the most efficient way. It will stimulate the R&D for higher efficiency cars and alternative energy, push more people to adopt those technologies earlier and cut back unecessary use, while cost the public nothing(assume the tax money collected will return to the public)

Any subsidies to big oil should be for development of alternative energy (and I understand that despite making record profits for the last several years, they are still getting subsidies); any subsidies to the auto companies must be tied to higher fuel efficiency. I suspect that both industries would suddenly find ‘green’ more palatable.

A carbon tax? Steve Hargreaves so missed the point with that suggestion. Labelling it a carbon tax means a lot of silly government spending on things we don’t need with environmentalists groups fighting over the windfall tax free money.

Increased Gas Tax. This tax would at least imply that the proceeds would actually be earmarked for better highways, public transporation and applied towards other forms of transportaion and energy sources. More palatable, but still the very inefficient big government taking billions from consumers and giving little back while fighting over the money for pork projects.

If high taxes work so well, then Europe must be paradise. Anyone reporting on the condition of the roads, highways and public transportation systems of places like France and Holland? Also, their consumption must be nothing……..WRONG! They are consuming more and their air and water is worse than ours. Been there, seen that.

There are some insane people providing ideas here. Just because all of “you” are extremely wealthy and can afford to pay any amount for gasoline, the “rest of us” CAN’T afford this. Gas prices for me just hit $3.19 a gallon. I cannot afford to make it anymore, I truly can’t. I have what I used to believe was good employment, but that is no longer true. I see prices at the grocery store go up just about every week and gas prices always go up on the weekends and back down a little on Tuesday. I make $18/hour and the prices of food and gas for the basic necessities are putting us in debt. We work, pay the house payment, pay insurance, pay for food, pay for gas. There is nothing left at the end of the week. Gasoline is taking all of our money.

all puting another two dollars of tax will do is force more low income people on to wellfare. Why is it it is allways lower income people take the brunt of ideas about fuel prices?
How about rationing? that is the only way higher income people will be forced to conserve fuel.Let them sit at home,and cancle vacations,like the average joe is being forced to do.

I don’t know about your “carbon tax”. People still have to go to work, don’t they? I work too far from my work (I can’t walk or bike either-interstate highway-) Unfortuatly, they have us “over a barrel” pardon the pun

Sounds like liberal redistribution of wealth scheme, nice try to hide the classic socialistic agenda into the “reducing dependence on oil” perspective.

When was the last time a tax was collected and used for the purposes it was intended? I seem to recall the last time I pumped gas there are already taxes on gasoline.

This one misses the mark because it is based on the presumption that the governments best interests are being served by reducing the public consumption of this fuel. The opposite is true ad it does not depend on who sits in the oval office it has to do with economics!

Taxing the poor and the working class with additional payments at the pumps is not the best method. Passing a windfall profits tax on the Oil Company so that their higher prices will reap more money for government treasury will bring prices down faster

Lessen the demand for some drivers.
%40 cut in gas: Allow employees to work from home twice a week.
Promote carpooling: Allow employees to wear jeans and a polo shirt instead of slacks
Learn to ride a motorcycle
If employee rides a motorcycle let them wear jeans
—-
Americans need to reclaim the quality of life in this country that our parents once had a tast of!
It’s not just the damn GAS. Its accountability, corruption, and above all the %$#@ up mindset of people of & what’s in it for me& and not what is in the best interest of us all.
Oh yeah and as for our political so called leaders. Drop the benefit package, you can have Social Security just like the rest of us AMERICANS. As for the bills quit bloating them with more than one item to focus on. A bill on Medicade is just what it is a bill on medicade not some obscure kickback to drug makers on page 400 of a 1000 page document.
Really sick and tired of you people abusing the power that WE HAVE BESTOWED ON YOU.

This article is LAME and inaccurate. You state the first way to lower prices is to charge us consumers 5 times more tax than we’re already paying? Nice try, gas stations are making 9-12 cents per gallon, the government makes 40 cents per gallon already. Who’s the one screwing the consumer here?

You make the kind of profits the oil companies are making, and say it is not their fault is implied ignorance. The Oil Companies are not in it alone for sure, but they are the the BIGGEST
contributors.It is about profiteering. Big Business and Big Government.Refineries and their problems, is to appease you and I as consumers.It is AN EXCUSE for the politicians not to get their hands
dirty. This the 2007, no one fights
The 60’s and the 70’s are over. Thus people think they have to take up the tail pipe.

This hydrocarbon tax is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. OK Ya lets raise the price of gas and tell people we are lowering it. ARE WE STUPID. You have to increase oil supplies. You have to relaxe your already ridiculous environmental regulations. You have to allow drilling in the US. We simply cannot have our cake and eat it to. And last but not least alternative fuels. BUT TAXING THE PEOPLE THAT YOU SAY YOUR HELPING duh duh. I’m sorry but the government will not give it back to the people , they never have!!!!!! I trust the Oil co. more than our politians!!!!!!!!!

RE: “. . . gasoline tax credit for lower income people.”

Oh my. As a middle income taxpayer, I already subsidize lower income people on their college tuition, rent, telephone service, natural gas and electricity, and a list that goes on and on. Now some want to add gasoline to the list. Let’s see, I’m supposed to cut back on my driving while lower income people can continue to drive all they want with cheap gasoline.

Import more economic vehicles from outside the U.S. For example Volkswagen just began marketing their “Blue Motion” Polo in Europe, it gets 62 MPG with a 1.4 liter TDI Diesel engine and costs under $20000. Econoic Diesel vehicles from VW have been aorond for many years.
I have been driving a 2002 VW Golf TDI and its 5 year mileage has averaged 46.5 MPG. In 1980 I used to drive a VW Diesel Rabbit which got 42 MPG. The technology is and has been there for less fuel consumption.
Perhaps the U.S. automakers could take a lesson from the European automakers.

Carbon Tax? Are you for real? The governement has failed us miserably on this topic. And you want us to trust them just so that they would spend away that extra carbon tax foolishly like they do everything else. Bad idea. What get me the most is the politians for the most part are more interested in fighting amongst theirselves than to do what’s right to help out the working man.

the Government should impose a no drive day via the use of an alphabetical equation which would limit diving each day. This was imposed in Europe years ago and made a significant impact in supplies

I can barely afford to live now!! At this point it costs more for gas per month then my husbands truck payment. We do not drive any more then necessary because we CAN”T AFFORD TO. I am already consuming less gasoline, I can’t use much less. My husband HAS to drive to work 5-6 days per week. If he does not work, we do not eat, or have a home to live in. As for my driving, I go to town once each week for groceries. We have a two acre lawn that we mow, and we HAVE to do that. I was FINALLY able to start to save a few dollars each month and now the gas prices have gone up and continue to rise, so there goes my tiny little attempt at saving for retirement. HA! I have cut back as much as I can now, what else can I do? The rich people in the world have no clue what the average HARDWORKING class person has to endure to survive in this world. Sure put a HUGE tax on our gas, I will just have to file bankruptcy and maybe then I can get some food stamps or free medical help. FORGET RETIREMENT!

When comparing higher fuel prices in Europe to the United States it is not an apples to apples comparison. We read news stories about how Americans have it lucky at $3 per gallon when Europeans are paying $6 or more per gallon. First, the United States land area is larger than most individual European countries. Americans commutes are longer than most Europeans. European gasoline is taxed at a higher rate than the United States taxes gasoline. Public transit is more widely available in Europe than in the United States. Shorter commutes, smaller more fuel efficient vehicles, wider availability of public mass transit and other factors suggest the European economies can better withstand higher gasoline prices.

Where is the same outcry from Congress that existed last year (with lower gas prices)? I guess since the Democrats took over Congress, the cost of gas is no longer a Republican issue. And the sad part is, the American people actually bought into the idea that Congress could do something about oil prices. In the meantime, gas consumption went up in the face of rising prices. No wonder the rest of the world laughs at us.

VW diesels get 40-50mpg with no penalty in performance. This is easy. Imagine the dent in demand if we all drove vw jettas!

Welcome to Hubbert’s Peak folks! Also..you might want to check out the Government Accounting Office (GAO) on Crude Oil. It ain’t pretty folks. But..just keep driving those SUV’s and waste, waste, waste. One day, you will be walking those Interstates. Want some links? Drop me a e-mail AATWS@aol.com …Ta, Ta

Simple problem, simple solution – national 4 day work week. Save up to 20%.

Carbon tax is a stupid idea!!! In Europe gas is about $5.5 to 6.2/Gal However, the cities and towns are compact and the distances are shorts.They have efficient public transport system and they can easily switch to alternative vehicles:scooters,bikes etc.or to walk.
When America moved to suburbia we lost all of the above and became dependent on the private car including the poor and the very poor.Carbon tax will not bring backthe European structure that we destroyed but will devestate almost every one.It will also increase production cost and will raise most prices domestically while reduce competitiveness abroad.What we realy need is energy efficient systems such as 100 miles/gal vehicles, green buildings alternative energy sources etc. and we are going in the right direction. Brazil which does not have much oil is today almost self suficient in energy and we start to learn from them. 25 years ago president Reagan shut down all the energy research institutes claiming that oil is cheap and we do not need them for the forseen future. Now it came to haunt us. All the money in the world acn not buy time.

The answer to lowering gas prices rests in first passing the windfall profits tax. When Congress even contemplates this prices fall the same day. Second, I like Thomas Friedmans idea of an energy race or initiative such as the space race in the 1960’s. By pouring more money into the universities we will create jobs and speed the discovery of viable alternative fuels.

I think if we limit each car owner to 200 gallons of gas per month, we could really have a profound effect on gas prices. This will also create impetus for us to change our culture. I do not believe anyone should have a “right” to use as much gas as they want!

I am a Mortgage Loan Officer of twelve years. The problem I often see is that folks are up to their eyeballs in debt. They owe more than their big, gas guzzling cars are worth so they can’t sell them or even trade them in. And so they get stuck with the SUV they bought two or three years ago. What is even worse is when folks let themselves get talked into rolling the negative equity from the previous car onto the debt tied to the new car. In general, I believe that most people don’t understand financing, whether it’s for a vehicle, a credit card or a house. Eventually all most folks really know is the vise grip debt repayment put on their finances. I see so many people who are living pay check to pay check. They can’t buy more fuel efficient vehicles. They can’t put insulation in their homes. They can’t sell their homes and move closer to their places of business. At the end of the month they are broke or go even farther in debt. The tragic part is that it isn’t only the uneducated people who fall into this trap from a lack of sophistication. I see this occuring across all types of socio-economic stratas.

Forget taxing the people who use it. That’s stupid considering oil companies are earning record profits quarter after quarter. The best thing to do would be to take oil off the public markets where opinions and emotion (and profiteering) determine the prices. The pricing should be regulated by the government just like the utilities. It’s getting rediculous that companies are raking in more and more every day as we pay more because people keep mentioning every unstable situation in the world.

I think everyone needs to start focusing on forcing the oil companies to give back some of their unimaginable profits. Why doesn’t anybody ever talk about this?

The carbon tax is a stupid idea. People are having a hard time paying for gas to go to work now. Raising the cost of gas to 4 or 5 dollars a gallon will put people out of a job because they won’t be able to afford the gas for thier cars.

I’m wondering why we’re still going full steam on all these highway projects when the only way out of this crunch is through mass transit. Europe with much higher oil prices that us copes well because they have awesome mass transit systems while we here in USA complain about moderate oil prices because we have no alternative but to drive.

All of the comments listed so far have not mentioned that the price of gas has gone up over a dollar a gallon very rapidly in the past year or so.
All of that money has gone to the oil companies.If we would have placed a carbon tax on fuel a year ago I believe the oil companies would be less likely to steal from us.
Gas will go another dollar per gallon higher.
Lets go with a carbon tax and get the money back to the people while driving down demand with higer prices.

The best way to lower gas prices is to elect a new president. That’s what the American consumers get for electing oil men to the Oval office

Build more refineries and drill more wells. This price fix is far from being a “free market” commodity. There is a handfull of people controlling the supply.

Let Walmart get into the business. They could drill for it. Produce it. Refine it. And get it to market at a low price. Then let Shell, Mobil, Chevron etc etc compete with the “Big Wally”. I’d put my money on Sam’s operation. He sure has kicked the ass of the pricing on every other retail type product he sells. Compare his price on tires, electronics, food. And everyone else has had to fall in line to compete with him.

But you would have to have an operation the size of WalMart to get the attention of oil guys that are currently fixing the price.

It makes no sense to lower the price of gas by a few cents a gallon and then add a $1-$2 per gallon tax. We want to lower prices at the pumps…not increase them.
We need to get into the record profits posted by these gas companies.

Last time I checked, the price of bicycles hadn’t gone up at all . . . and most medium-sized to larger cities have some form of bus or public transit (great opportunity to read!) . . . but oh wait only lowly poor people ride the bus or their bikes.

Face it, Americans are addicted to ego, not gas.

Everyone has their ideas on how to lower the price of gas but I believe that the best way is for the government to ban the production of all SUV’s. I hear talk that cars should be more fuel efficient; but if that is the case why do so many car manufacturers still insist on making vehicles that get 15MPG on the highway and about 10 in the city? The people who drive these vehicles care more about the social status symbol that their gas guzzler represents instead of the fact that they are one of the reasons for the continuing spike in fuel consumption.

One way to lower the price is to have a national “No Buy Gas Day.” The gas companies like any other big business needs CASH FLOW!!!!. There is a move on to make May 15 A NO BUY GAS DAY. It worked before and it will work again. Another way is to get the congress to stop having MEETINGS to discuss “Why the price of gas is so high?” Most of the Congress are in the pockets of big oil business.

When the President of the United States make the statement to drill more wells in Alaska is a joke. Most of the oil goes over seas, too expensive to ship it the United States to be processed.

no more taxes, first it will be .25/ gallon then 5 years from now $3.00 if you give them an inch they will take more and more.

The solution lies with effective efficient vehicles. For example there is no reason we can’t build 3 cylinder cars…the Geo Metro is an example.

This car regularly lasted 150K. No more 8 cylinder, 10 cylinder vehicles, take the $ out of the auto industry…they are the cuase of some of the excess consumption.

Make it a standard 32 hour work week or 4 day work week. less drivers on road.

Back in the 1940’s, my father and brother went through GM’s research and development lab and they saw with there own eyes, caburetors on shelves that would get 40, 50 & 60 miles per gallon. This as I said was back in the 1040’s. The car companies do not want to develop cars that get good gas millage so the oil companies would suffer.
Also there is more shale oil here in the United States than the middle east around Colorado which can be recovered for $25.00 a barrel.

By lowering consumption and thereby lowering demand. Below are a couple of ways that might just work:

1) PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
For each 100 additional persons riding public transportation, there would be 90+ fewer vehicals on the road. Aside from the direct savings of fuel, it would also reduce congestion on the roadways, making commuting less stressful.

2) STOP SUBURBAN SPRAWL
In every large metro areas, people are moving further and further away from city centers and business parks to improve their “quality of life” on their own private 1+ acre wooded lots. However, this only makes for longer commutes, greater traffic congestion and you guessed it, more fuel consumption. Why not mandate denser communities with greater number of public parks.

3) CORPORATE VAN POOLING
A large company I used to work at used to provide van pools. Vans would leave the corporate campus at 10 to 15 minute intervals picking up and dropping off workers at their doorsteps or in their neighbourhoods.

4) CAR POOLING
Auto makers maybe able to improve fuel efficiency by 3% to 5%. For each two people car pooling, fuel consumption is reduced by 50%!

I realize some of these ideas may seem entirely
UN-American. I love to head on out the highway with the top down and Stephanwolf’s Born to be Wild blasting as much as anyone, but let me ask all of you:
Wouldn’t you love to cut your commute time in half and be able to sail into work on an uncongested road everyday?

I for one would gladly put up with the minor inconveniances of mass transit or car pooling to get an hour of my life back five days a week, every week for the remainder of my working life!

BUILD MORE REFINERIES!!!

Streamline the regulations so they’re not so darn expensive to build.

USE THE RESOURCES WE HAVE!!!

We have enough oil of our own if we were simply allowed to drill for it. If we did, we could tell the Middle-East, Russia, Nigeria, & Venezuela to all take a hike. But no……, we’d rather have to fight wars to protect the oil supply from other countries. Afterall, wouldn’t want to risk a few dead ducks…

Our country never learned from the 1973 / 1974 Arab Oil embargo when we had to wait in line for hours to buy gasoline. The US does not have a national energy policy like you see in Europe. As our energy prices spike this summer, Congress should pass evern higher gas taxes that could be used to improve our mass transit systems and fund research for more efficient use of our electricity and fossils fuels. Keep the price of gasoline at $4 or more and you won’t see too many Hummers and other stupid vehicles on the road.

The solution to our problem is not lower gas prices but higher ones like in Europe with much lower prices for diesel. Combine this strategey with special tax incentives for driving diesel and other fuel efficient cars and our consumption of fossil fuels would start to decline.

Better than 60% of European cars run on diesel and get 35+ MPG. Also, energy conservation is an everyday focus for them because of the high cost for electricity and natural gas. My wife and I drive two used diesel Mercedes sedans that get 32+ miles per gallon.

I’m really surprised at how few people have mentioned no competition. As the oil companies have merged and either bought up or run out of business the smaller competition, prices have gone straight up. We have only our government and the greed of the robber barons to thank for the prices. It’s 1910 all over again..anybody seen a Teddy??

The real “problem” is that gas prices aren’t all that high. Inflation has done a great deal to raise the prices, and in comparison to historical inflation-adjusted prices, $3 a gallon now isn’t that bad. As a proportion of their total wealth, Americans are spending less on gas right now than they have previously.

Offer tax breaks to companies who maintain a certain percentage of their workforce as remote (i.e., working from home 40% of the time). Let’s face it, people aren’t spending a ton of time in the car going for leisure drives. It’s the work commute. Cut down on commuting and you cut down on gas.

I think the government should leave everything alone. No taxes (which are never efficient, only increases the government wast. When people think they are paying too much for gasoline they will park their vehicles and find alternative meas of transportation. Then consumption and price will go down. The Democrats in Washington are making a big stink about oil company profits only because they were not wise enough to by stock in the oil companies , which are owned by millions of small investors. If government and taxes get involved things will only be worse. And yes the oil companies made big profits last couple of years, but nobody looks back at the 70’s and 80’s when oil was $20 a barrel and they were struggling to stay afloat. Nobody junped up and tried to help the oil companies so names like Gulf, Mobil, Texaco, Getty Oil and othes were swallowed up by bigger oil comapanies to stay afloat. Where was the government then. Hey you don’t like $3 a gallon, go to Mexico and buy $6 a gallon government gas or Europe for $7 a gallon gas. And yes there are countries that have 25 cent a gallon gas, but nobody can afford to buy it.

Quit comparing US prices to Europe. Europe has so much tax on their gas it isn’t even funny. Automakers have to make autos that get better MPG period. I have to drive X miles to work every day regardless of what I drive. I can’t move any closer. Give me a car that gets 10 more mpg and I will use less gas daily. Do not give buyers the choice of a car that gets 15mpg and a car that gets 30+mpg. Set the bar high on all future cars and you will see a reduction in usage. Our economy depends on ppl going places and goods being shipped. Making a gallon stretch further is the answer. Figure out how to do that and you got the problem solved.

Hey Dave in Douglassville:

You cannot increase the supply of a dwindling commodity. You might have decided to move miles away from work to take advantage of less population density (people like you tend to bring the density with you and then move further away to escape what you brought), but the decision of you and millions like you to sprawl outward was motivated by the false hope that oil would be cheap and plentiful forever. Well, it’s not, and no alternative will fuel America’s expansive, sprawling tastes. Maybe we will have to understand that we can’t always have what we want and decide to go back to more centralized developments near where we work and shop.

Why not let people drive what they want? This is America, You can gripe and complain all you want about people driving this truck or that, but it really doesn’t matter. Trucks are how our products get to market. Organic Veggies are delivered in a Prius. Gas is expensive right now because of ethonal mandates hence there is a shortage, We need to produce oil domestically and we need to build refineries. Going 100% Nuclear in every state would reduce carbon output hundreds of time over than if we banned Hummers and Excursions.

Why doesn’t the US auto industry produce more fuel efficient cars? In Spain, last year I saw mostly small, stylish cars that I know many Americans would love to own.

Yeah, the carbon tax is a great idea! We Americans can pay an extra dollar for each gallon of gas to lower worldwide demand so that the Chinese can get it for a dollar cheaper a gallon. And in what alternate universe do you think that this tax revenue will be redistributed to the American public? Maybe sixty years ago, but nowadays it would all go straight to the oil companies in the form of tax breaks and subsidies to make up for the drop in revenue caused by the drop in demand. No wonder the American Petroleum Institute doesn’t oppose this plan. I’m not even a Republican and even I can see that this tax is possibly the worst idea ever proposed in history.

Its about time a carbon tax was imposed. Not having one has made America more dependent on foreign oil so that some people can drive gas guzzling SUV and other absurdly inefficient cars. If the rest of the world can do fine with more efficient cars so can Americans.

Why not focus on MPG. The gas companies have patients on technology that would double, triple, or more the MPG. Why can’t the government go after them to solve the short and long term problem?

In order to lower gas prices, we first have to determine whether the American public cares about this issue because it seems that we, as a nation, merely care about the monetary cost of fuel, and not it’s downstream implications towards respiratory health (ex. asthma), air and water pollution, and global warming. Because human nature is reactionary, rather than preventive, it is easy at time to lose hope in the strength of humanity and its clairvoyance on such issues. If we can agree that this dire issue is worth fighting for, then Americans will follow suit and do the right thing. For me personally, I’m waiting for Tesla Motors to come out with its 3rd-generation electric car.

I would like to see more affordable alternative vehicle options on the market so when I am in the market for a new car, this is within reach.
Adding an additional tax at the pump places lower-income individuals at a significant disadvantage. Outside of major cities, many towns across the country do not have a public transportation system so folks have to drive. This makes it much harder on working individuals and families who continue to struggle with costs elsewhere in their lives.

I think one way to help reduce the price of gas would be to establish a national speed limit. The diffrence in gas usage at 60mph vs 75mph is on average around 15 to 20%. Imagin millions of cars saving 20% on gas everyday and you can see the inventory really starting to rise. People will not reduce their freeway speed on their own, a new limit needs to be astablished

The best way to lower gasoline prices, is to increase the supply. Roadblocks to building additional oil wells and refineries should be removed. Continue to research alternative fuels as a suppliment or eventual replacement.

I am totally against any sort of “Carbon tax” for several reasons. The biggest being that the tax would place the biggest burden on the lower income people, who would be forced to cut back on something else in order to continue to fuel their cars. This ripple effect would have a detrimental effect on retailers like Wal-Mart, as well as driving a stake through the service, vacation, and recreational vehicle industries. The hit our economy would take as a result will likely rival the crash of 2000, if not 1929.

On the other hand, the wealthy people will continue to use their private jets, large cars and even larger yachts. They’ll just have to dig deeper in their pockets. The rift and animosity between the “have nots” against the “haves” would likely be intensified as a result.

Unlike Europe, the United States culture has been built upon the idea of personal mobility. Any change that forces a change to this lifestyle will likely have an adverse effect to many people, their property values, and support industries catering to this lifestyle.

As a personal example, I commute 85 miles a day to work, so that I could take advantage of more affordable housing and less population density. If I were unable to commute, I would be unable to work, and therefore unable to live where I do. Public transportation does not reach out this far, nor will it pull my 6000 LB boat or 10,000 LB camper on weekend jaunts.

High gas prices hurt everyone except the rich. Millionaires don’t care if it costs $50 or $100 to fill their tank. $50 is pocket change to them. Very high gas guzzler taxes and disallowing business to write off luxury SUVs would help reduce consumption.

People like to complain about the price of gas but it really doesn’t effect there life if they’re paying $2 or $3 a gallon. Gas is over $3 a gallon and demand is at an all time high. People are still willing to pay $4 for a CUP of coffee at Starbucks, $3 for a GALLON of gas is very very cheap considering the nature of the oil and gas business.

Hi
As a person on a fixed income, (social security) I cannot afford higher gas prices, I am driving less in order to cut down gas consumption. I cannot afford a more fuel efficient car. I think I would be in favor of some form of rationing, not by price. Thank you Duaine

The only way Americans will understand the importance of energy conservation in their vehicles is to link the cost to the vehicle type. In otherwords, if you drive a Hummer perhaps $6.00 per gallon would get your attention. If you drive a hybrid perhaps $2.50 is your fair share. Why should we all pay for the other guys ego?

All six options increase regulation and are anti-capitalist with the exception of number 6: allow more drilling. Free markets work and the best price control is simple supply and demand. If more drilling is allowed, supply increases and prices eventually fall. With enough time at the high prices right now, the market will find other alternatives without the government dictating them. Prices are higher than they need to be due to government regulation on building new refineries and drilling in certain areas.

Adding a $2/gal gas tax would just kill the average working man. Many people drive to work daily. It’s their only means of transportation. Giving it back to low income familys is not the answer. They still have to pay it and God only knows when it finally gets back to them.

Has anyone else seen that a primary reason gas prices are so high is that oil companies who own refineries have no vested interest in building more to increase capacity as long as they can soak the american public for outragious profits? Maybe a solution would be for the Federal Government to break up the oil monopoly by building several refineries and generating and selling gas. I’ll bet that you’d suddenly see the oil folks doing the same to compete then! Until this happens however, we had all better get use to reaching farther and farther into our pockets to further enrich the oil execs and their share holders.

It seems as though everyone is looking to the government for help with the energy problem, be it for the sake of gas prices or global warming. We all scream that oil companies are fleecing us (and in my opinion, they are), but really, saving money on energy (and producing less harmful emissions) comes down to an individual level. There is only one way to save money/pollute less, and it’s very simple: Use less. By making simple choices as individuals we could do more to reduce energy consumption than we ever could by sitting around, waiting for government to legislate big business green. Simple choices such as using CFL bulbs, using sunshine and wind instead of gas or electric dryers to dry clothes, and turning off TVs, computers and appliances when we’re not using them might not make much difference if only one person does it, but if everyone did it we’d save a bundle, collectively. The same goes for cars. Drive the speed limit, plan your errands better, invite a co-worker that lives nearby to carpool with you, and avoid idling in drive-thrus and while waiting for somebody (say, picking up a kid at school). Those are all choices that save fuel without costing you anything. There are other ways too, such as making smarter vehicle choices – when it comes time to trade in that Explorer or FourRunner, buy something that meets your needs. Needs and desires are two different things. You might need a vehicle, but you want a 5500 pound, 4WD, V8, truck-based sport ute. If you choose a vehicle that is larger and burns more fuel than you really need, you’re not serious about saving money and have no right complaining about the price of fuel.

Patently ridiculous! Lower gas prices by raising gas prices? Have the eggheads forgotten that if you didn’t grow it, catch it, or hunt it yourself, it came to you on a truck? That cost would get passed on to the consumer again through product cost. Demand for anything is part need and part want. Demand for gas hasn’t fallen because in large part, need holds the lions share of demand.
How about lowering the gas prices by lowering the taxes placed on them? How’s that for a novel idea? How about displacing a few seals that no one has ever seen and go drill in Alaska? How about building nuclear power plants so that oil can be directed mainly to the gasoline market. How about building new and more efficient refineries to quickly produce gasoline. Not to mention create thousands of new jobs and thousands of new taxpayers and consumers. How hard is this?
For an admittedly radical idea, how about letting the free market solve the crisis in Iraq? How about buying oil from them thereby giving everyone cash incentive to stop behaving like fools and start making money. I don’t care how loudly you scream epithets at the imperialists, if someone offers you cash, you take it.

Blaming Big Oil is excellent politics but it is stupid ultimately. Big Oil controls only a fraction of global oil reserves and it cannot, on its own, meet demand. The problem also is that Big Oil is being locked out of more and more countries around the world. The countries which own the world’s largest reserves do not invest in the best technology, therefore supply is constricted.

I think high oil prices are good. We have been used to cheap oil for far too long. Nothing drives innovation better than market necessity and with prices continuing to climb, we will soon see a flood of innovative transport technology. For far too long, no one wanted to invest in alternative technology because the market wasn’t there for it.

Lastly, Americans had better get used to high oil prices. At $3 a gallon, Americans still pay some of the lowest prices on earth for petrol. In Europe prices have been at $7 or more for years now. Get used to it.

The imposition of a “carbon tax” will not be redistrubted as indicated in the article. The goverment would end up squandering the money and energy policy and reliance on oil will go unchanged. Rebates to consumers for conservation through use of alternative energy sources is the only way to affect a change from the status quo.

A relatively easy way to increase efficiency is to use the market forces. Instead of taxing everyone, just tax the people that use more gas. Create an extra sales tax on the 20% least fuel efficient (MPG) vehicles of 10% of the price. Create a sales tax rebate of 10% of the vehicle price on the 10% most fuel efficient vehicles. Note that sales of the least efficient cars will fall, and they wont be 20% of the cars sold, and that sales of the most efficient cars will rise, and they won’t be 10% of the cars sold. Readjust over time as technology allows. A Camry Hybrid gets 38 MPG vs a regular Camry at 28 MPG. The technology exists today, and will get better over time.