/re-reads the 10th amendment.

rmoose: re-reads the 10th amendment.

Is that the "thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife" one?

TFA states that we import 60% of our oil. They are trying to pass this so that the US can sue OPEC. (who provide a bulk of the imports).

What about the 40% we get from inside the US from companies charing us just as much as OPEC?

Note to subby: Bills must be passed by BOTH houses before they become law. Oh, and there's that pesky signature/veto presidential thingy, too.

Perhaps we need the Federal Government to get into the business of oil refining. The Government and numerous states have created incentives across the country for oil companies to build or expand refineries. The Federal government has gone so far as to ease EPA regulations to make the building of oil refineries less of a financial risk.

Oil companies have instead been closing oil refineries down (about half of the oil refineries that were running in 1975 are still functioning today). Oil companies have been reaping huge profits on the artificial scarcity of refined petroleum products.

So maybe it is time for the Federal government to take some of the closed down naval yards that we have and open some oil refineries... because economic stability is a national security concern. Lets see if a not-for-profit competitor shakes them up enough to start building up their infrastructure again.

Code_Archeologist: Perhaps we need the Federal Government to get into the business of oil refining.

Because the departments of Education, Agriculture, and Defense have been such fiscal successes.

Not to put your idea down or anything, Code_Archeologist. There really does need to be something done to shake up the refining industry. Back in the 90's, when all this EPA regulation was going strong, Big Oil just sat back and said, "Sure, we'll stop building and upgrading refineries. But I don't think you thought your cunning plan all the way through."

Now, here we are, 10-15 years later. Big Oil is laughing all the way to the bank.

Way to go, hippies!

To allow the US to sue OPEC. WTF. If a suit wins and they pay cash moneys for the suit costs. Where are they gonna recoup it from? Thats right, oil sales. They will just cut back more production to drive the price up again. The consumer pays for it in the end, no matter what.

MrBigglesworth: The consumer pays for it in the end, no matter what.

This.

Not to mention, the entity that makes the most profit from a gallon of gas is THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. Especially since the gov't has exactly nothing to do with supplying said gasoline to the consumer.

So many corporations have our Govt. by the balls that it's just a joke to think they have any real power to change anything for the better.

/sold my soul to the company store

The legislation would give federal authorities the power during presidentially declared energy emergencies to investigate and prosecute anyone selling fuel at a price that is "unconscionably excessive" or "indicates the seller is taking unfair advantage unusual market conditions."

So they can sue the guy who owns the gas station down the street for a 2.5% markup instead of a 2.0%?

What are they going to do about the oil companies? Whip them with a wet noodle until they've had enough?

mass hysteria?


/you guys are slipping

im in yur congress cappin yur gas pricez!

Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!"

Love me some Ghost Busters.
/DRTFA

Weasel3322;

*shakes puny fist in rage*

Good call.

Until gas in my part of southern California goes below $3.75, I don't really give a crap.

/hates east-coasters who biatch about gas going over $2.85

I also play racquetball.

""I was at a funeral Saturday, and when the monsignor greeted me, he said, 'My God, Bart, you have to do something about these gas prices!' " said Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), chief sponsor of the anti-gouging bill."

The monsignor said "My God" referring to the state of gas prices? Isn't that some kind of christian no-no?

yah well great job mr president

the definition of gouging is vague and would make the law difficult to enforce

Yeah, they should define it as (for example) more than 40% higher than the national average, or something like that.

How about letting the oil companies build more refineries and oil drills instead of making it impossible for them to do business.

They need to build more refineries. That is the problem.

The legislation would give federal authorities the power during presidentially declared energy emergencies to investigate and prosecute anyone selling fuel at a price that is "unconscionably excessive" or "indicates the seller is taking unfair advantage unusual market conditions."


I guess that would be anyone selling gas at the current prices.

Ranks right up there with the famous Bush Sr rewrite of the tax deduction tables. That's right, no reduction in the tax, just how much poor people got back at the end of the year. Thanks bunches George. That ranks right up there with Willie Clinton's family leave act where you can take time off, without pay. Wow, the generosity of these acts is just staggering. That congress and president can move mountains. Yeah right.

To his credit Bush the younger did good my most of us with taz relief in the first term.

Will anyone metion that OPEC is illegal in the U.S. and can't operate here already?

"The legislation would give federal authorities the power during presidentially declared energy emergencies to investigate and prosecute anyone selling fuel at a price that is "unconscionably excessive" or "indicates the seller is taking unfair advantage unusual market conditions."

The last time I checked, it was already illegal to price-gouge...so, what does this legislation do again, exactly?

/We've got more than enough laws on the books, but Congress just loves to make-up bills so they can have yet another "presser".

Hammertoe ...

you left off the U.S. Postal Service and AmTrak!!

/though for some strange reason a State-run oil monopoly works just fine South of the Border, no really!

Oh, and there's that pesky signature/veto presidential thingy, too.

I'd love to see Bush try and justify it.

Impeach Bush. - His threatening to veto this is the proof that his interests are not for the American people.

I remember writing to Bart Stupak in high school or middle school for a class assignment.
I'm glad he's the one that stood up to do something. Michigan (particularly Northern Lower MI) has it bad enough already, they really can't afford this gas thing on top of it.

/Michigander born and raised
//Got out of there as soon as I could

TheGreatZarquon
HaHa! You crazy blue-staters and your taxes.

HAMMERTOE: Back in the 90's, when all this EPA regulation was going strong, Big Oil just sat back and said, "Sure, we'll stop building and upgrading refineries. But I don't think you thought your cunning plan all the way through."

How many refineries did they build during the Reagan Bush41 years? you know. back just after those two energy crunches where we had really long lines and rationing?

Meh, this causes a dip in prices in the near-term. It will however go absolutely no-where.

Demos' are just putting on a show for you.

GBTFW

Hobodeluxe

How many refineries did they build during the Reagan Bush41 years? you know. back just after those two energy crunches where we had really long lines and rationing?

i thought one of the oil crisis was about production of crude oil, not refining capacity

countziero
Hit the nail on the head.

Ok, so it prevents one station (maybe) from selling gas 10 cents higher than one across town. But what's 10 cents when they're all collectively raping the consumers by 10x that, atleast.

*Pours Softens_hands_while_you_do_the_dishes another drink*

"Nougat 2007-05-23 07:01:37 PM
They need to build more refineries. That is the problem."

In three years there will be at least two cars getting 80-100 mpg assisted by Lithium ion batteries being charged nightly by plugging into the grid (plugging into a std power outlet). You'll phase the carpet riders out and the local util in, at least for commuting. That's a fact.

Gosling,

"I'd love to see Bush try and justify it".

He could point out that it's a meaningless bill, for starters.

This is the power of a lame-duck president...he doesn't have to try to appease Congress by approving all of their "showboat legislation" that doesn't actually do squat about the real problem.

taz relief

id say at this point, its all about mother farkin taz relief

Bush is going to veto this. Oil is not a free market commodity.

Could that law possibly be any more vague in defining "price gouging"?

/proof that it's a bad idea

How about we acknowledge that we were all idiots for getting this reliant on a scarce resource that is in large part owned by crazy people? In my mind the only way out of this mess is to use less.

Farking retarded.

I've heard some very good defenses of "price gouging" during national emergencies.

The argument is this: If gas is very expensive, say $100/gallon, then the vast vast majority of casual uses go out the window. Certainly you're not going to commute to your job 15 miles away if it will cost you $150 in gas to do so. But if you're mortally wounded and you want to get to the hospital, you'll happily pay the $400 in gas costs for the ambulance, no?

If gas prices are artificially held down, however, what you get is hoarding, by both private individuals and government entities; this means that random chance and political/economic connections determine who gets access to it, rather than pure necessity. That ambulance may not even be able to get fuel at $1,000 per gallon.

You could always respond with, "Well, then, we'll regulate who gets it too!" but I think that ignores the reality that governments are made of people, and people inevitably favor their friends and those who grease their palms.

I love passing laws that have absolutely no real purpose. so we can sue a foreign body now? great, and just who is going to try that case? something tells me suing a foreign corporation/alliance/anything isn't going to fly on the world market.

all this deal does is give representatives something to point at and say "hey looky, we're doing something. keep the votes coming."

I drive a car that burns gasoline and I'm getting a kick out of your response.

/got nuthin

infantry: i thought one of the oil crisis was about production of crude oil, not refining capacity

the one in the early 70's was.

I was just pointing out that Clinton wasn't the only administration that failed to address the problem.
Also there wasn't really a problem until Dubyah came along.
And he has done nothing but add to the problem.

/would really like to have been a fly on the wall of the secret energy meeting of Cheney's back in the early part of 01.