“Sixty bucks! That’s ridiculous,” said one woman filling up her gas tank, on ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” March 12.
Consumer complaints and frequent mentions of "the most expensive gasoline" in the country are used by the media to hype rising gas prices. And what state has the most expensive gasoline? California.
“Let me show you what is the most expensive gasoline location in the country. A gallon of unleaded in California right now going for $3.08 a gallon,” said NBC reporter Tom Costello during the March 12 “Nightly News.”
Costello's report, like many others on NBC, CBS and ABC left out the explanation for exorbitant prices at California pumps: higher taxes and excessive environmental regulation.
According to a 2005 study by the Tax Foundation, Californians pay nearly 30 percent more in gasoline taxes than the national average. 60 cents per gallon compared to 45.9.
Green regulations also play a part according to the Energy Information Administration. "The State of California operates its own reformulated gasoline program with more stringent requirements than Federally-mandated clean gasolines."
More stringent requirements means a scarcity of supply and - you guessed it - higher prices.
But most reports simply leave out the higher taxes and more regulation like March 12 reports on NBC "Nightly News" and ABC "World News with Charles Gibson" did.
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But... but... didn't we jus
March 21, 2007 - 17:03 ET by MidAmericaBut... but... didn't we just watch today Big/footprint Al calling for more taxes on energy to save the planet?
Shouldn't California's high gas prices be held up as a model for all the rest of the country to follow?
Do you have a better suggesti
March 21, 2007 - 17:26 ET by bushwickbillDo you have a better suggestion for reducing smog than creating cleaner-burning gasoline? It costs more, but when you actually have to live with the smog it's not just an abstract, ideological question.
Ah-Ha! Early shift change tod
March 21, 2007 - 17:29 ET by bigtimerAh-Ha!
Early shift change today by a few minutes with the Soros group!
Why do you guys hate Soros so
March 21, 2007 - 17:41 ET by bushwickbillWhy do you guys hate Soros so much? Because he doesn't fit your silly "liberal" stereotype, and you can't call him a communist? Same reason you don't like Buffett, right? C'mon, you're just jealous, admit it!
LMAO!Surely you jest!
March 21, 2007 - 17:46 ET by bigtimerLMAO!
Surely you jest!
Sheik Soros
March 21, 2007 - 18:04 ET by Pragmatic-ManWik, the reason we hate Soros is the same reason you hate Bush. Need more explaining? Thought so... Bush supports many conservative ideals with executive branch power, while Soros promotes the moonbat agenda via large sums of money. In short, he aids the enemy. And why is the liberal stereotype silly? Are you ashamed of your own views? You think you are silly? That does not bode well for your cause. By the way, not all libs are commies. They are not inclusive of each other.
Why do you guys hate Soros
March 21, 2007 - 18:11 ET by Jack BauerWhy do you guys hate Soros so much?
Because he exhibits dangerous totalitarian attitudes with a self-confessed messianic complex, a desire to subvert the democratic process, and the wealth to attempt it.
Apart from that, he's just peachy.
The more interesting question is why the left prostitutes itself at the feet of such a man. But most of us know the answer to that, so I guess that's more of a rhetorical queston, really.
Oh yeah, and of course, I would love his money. So what?
And because he's a criminal..
March 21, 2007 - 18:15 ET by gfrrmanAnd because he's a criminal....
What conservative here is e
March 22, 2007 - 06:55 ET by sarcasmoWhat conservative here is even 1/10th as annoyed at Buffett as they all seem to be at Soros (who IMO is wrong on some issues & right on others, but that's immaterial in this case). Warren Buffett gives me things I like, such as cheap car insurance & well-done car insurance TV commercials. I'm Warren's Geico customer, and there's no greater love than that in my book. Chances are good others here regularly pay the same billionaire, and are just as happy about it as I am.
JMR
I like bufett's especially th
March 22, 2007 - 16:54 ET by Dan The Man 2I like bufett's especially the ones for breakfast. I like breakfast, its the best meal of teh day.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark. -- save my gun, shoot a liberal.
Global Warming and smog are t
March 21, 2007 - 17:40 ET by MidAmericaGlobal Warming and smog are two different things. Actually we need more smog and dirt in the air because it will block sunlight and cool the planet.
The easiest way to end GW would be to drop a nuclear bomb on a nearly active volcano. Volcano eruptions in the past have put the planet in the deep freeze for years.
Couldn't you just see Al dancing for joy and hugging the polar bears because the planet had been saved!
Dont like living in smog? Mov
March 22, 2007 - 08:51 ET by bassndudeDont like living in smog? MoveOn! Pay less taxes, pay less for about everything. And reduce the smog in the LA basin area. All ya gotta do is want to, and you can save money and clean up the air at the same time.
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
MidAmerica, you're a genius
March 22, 2007 - 12:38 ET by SportPoliticsMidAmerica, you're a genius. The liberals can now remove their insane extinction dogma from the public sphere.
I just paid $3.159/gal for
March 21, 2007 - 17:37 ET by John in CAI just paid $3.159/gal for regular at the cheapest place in town.
MidAmerica - yes, but see, of that $3/gal, 2.25 should be taxes. The gasoline should be only .75/gal, even if it means the oil companies have to sell it at a loss. And the demos will make a law that says the oil companies can't cut back on production. It's simple economics, see?
Give a Democrat Party free America a chance!
John..To think people in thes
March 21, 2007 - 17:44 ET by bigtimerJohn..
To think people in these states vote to raise the gas-taxes for enviro' reasons too...I watched Wa. State do this exact thing last Jan. could not believe it..then the newscasters come a year and some later and ask...why are our gas prices so high? Are we being gouged?
Unbelievable!
Cantwell, Murray, Boxer, Fienstien(sp)...
Vote for them again they will if possible.
I just shake my head anymore at the idiocy of people...all just little innocent ill-informed victims...
Puhleeeze!
Al Gore doesn't care if gas
March 21, 2007 - 19:12 ET by motherbeltdelete double post
Al Gore doesn't care if gas
March 21, 2007 - 19:12 ET by motherbeltAl Gore doesn't care if gas hits $5 a gallon; he can afford it.
It all comes down to privilege: Gore can use as much energy as he wants (including 20X the average homeowner) because he is loaded and can afford "offsets". The rest of us (the peons who can't buy offests) can just do without, walk, ride bikes, go to bed at dark, whatever it takes.
BTW, when Congress is bellowing about high gas prices, when was the last time one of them suggested cutting back on the gas taxes to lower the price for a while, in order to help out "working families"?
Mother, Congress bellows on a
March 21, 2007 - 19:55 ET by Winger55Mother, Congress bellows on and on about the evil oil companies' profits, but somehow forgets to mention that for every 20 cents of evil profit, 50 cents go to taxes. Seems only fair though....while technology has eased the means of sucking oil out of the ground, Congress must sign lots of pieces of paper to suck money out of our wallets.
motherbelt,Who on earth cares
March 21, 2007 - 20:13 ET by Blondemotherbelt,
Who on earth cares about Al Bore's stupid "offsets"?
I have some I'll be happy to sell him. Mine are as meaningless, in reality, as his are.
But mine will make me money, whereas his will make him money.
I'll buy some "offsets"....not. I'll spend my "offset" money on extra air conditioning during the summer, extra pool heating during the winter, maybe even a coat with a nice fur collar next winter.
Carbon offsets....what a bunch of hooey!
Blonde: You didn't think I
March 22, 2007 - 04:04 ET by motherbeltBlonde: You didn't think I was being serious, did you? Sarcasm detector needing a tuneup? LOL
That was exactly my point: Carbon offsets are a way for the "priveleged" class to use as much energy as they want, while buying off their guilt. The REST of us are supposed to suffer.
BTW I read that the company that he buys offsets from (which he has stock in, I understand) uses the money to encourage people to use methods that will decrease energy use; OTHER people, that is, not important ones like Algore ;-)
Thank you Al Gore, for securing the destruction of the world
March 22, 2007 - 12:56 ET by SportPoliticsI'd like to take a minute to thank Al Gore for making sure this world will soon enter the Global Warming Spiralling Heatphase resulting in the extinction of mankind.
As I found out during the Al Gore hearing, the astute Senator from Idaho pointed out that the left has zealously blocked nuclear reactor production, and specifically that Al Gore zeroed out the DOE nuclear powerplant budget with slick willie, effectively setting the nuclear power industry back a decade.
Nuclear power therefore only comprises 21% of our energy production, while France enjoys 70% clean non-global warming nuclear energy, and Japan 50%. Since the USA produces the bulk of globalwarming gasses, Al Gore himself has unwittenly condemned all of mankind to this horrific fate of the Spiralling HeatWave that global Warming gasses are soon to reach by Al Gore's own estimate.
If it wasn't for Al Gore and the enviro-zealouts, we could have had 80% of our energy from nuclear power now, and would have reduced worldwide global emissions by a great factor, giving us time to finish the job of reducing CO2 atmospheric levels to normal and human race sustainable levels. Now, it is too late, as constructing the nuclear plants required takes more than a decade.
Instead now, we are all DAMNED TO BURN, thanks to Al Gore.
Al Gore, you have destroyed the human race.
Thank you Al Gore, for securing the destruction of the world, you sick evil person . Your antics can never make up for your gigantic mistake. You, by your own admission of the scientific facts, and by your actions that no look of surprise can change, have unwittingly become DR DOOM.
DAMN YOU AL GORE. SEE YOU IN HELL.
Shouldn't California's high g
March 22, 2007 - 07:22 ET by Dave in TexasShouldn't California's high gas prices be held up as a model for all the rest of the country to follow?
Actually California should be ashamed that it's gas prices are so low. $3.08 a gallon? That's not low enough to deter anyone from using gasoline. They should show they really care for the planet and raise taxes to get gas up to about $12 a gallon. Of course, with their current governor, maybe I should keep my mouth shut.
If ABC thinks gasloine is exp
March 21, 2007 - 17:05 ET by GalvanicIf ABC thinks gasoline is expensive now, wait til the Gore-inspired GHG tax is added.
Gory-Gas
March 21, 2007 - 18:10 ET by Pragmatic-ManSo will we have four grades of gas instead of three in a year or two? Regular Unleaded, Mid-Grade, Premium, and CNGas. No not compressed natural gas... but Carbon-Neutral Gas. Will they just plug the CN factor in on top of the taxes?
How high gas prices changed our ways
March 21, 2007 - 21:44 ET by nkviking75Enviro-wackos love to say that our gas prices should be higher so that people will be forced to turn away from gasoline to alternative fuels. Well, they've doubled since 2000, and things haven't changed much. About the only noticable difference is the burgeoning ethanol industry here in the Midwest, but gasoline is still a big part of the mix. California has some of the highest prices in the nation, and yet it's a state known for its love of cars and heavy traffic.
lets charge gauge them for providing it to cheaply-lol
March 22, 2007 - 01:28 ET by neo0071Bush goes to south america to cut a deal for new fuel and whaks a whopping 54% tax on all imported ethano from brazill!!!! How does that help anyone other than the people trying to make money an alternative energy here in the US. Dont we have an obligation to the people and the enviroment?
$3.50 a gallon is absolute hell in california. It maybe nearly $7 in london but there is good public transport. In cali the oil companies, headed by standard oil in the 20's put a stop to that idea. Thats why we have the most congested road in the world the grand old 405.
Sorry, double post
March 21, 2007 - 21:44 ET by nkviking75Sorry... double post
The people's state of Hawaii
March 21, 2007 - 22:38 ET by upcountrywaterThe people's state of Hawaii has the highest gas prices in the nation ALWAYS. Diesel is higher than premium @ 3.60 / gallon.. Hawaii is #1 in MOST cars per highway mile..
Didn't Hawaii give up on the
March 21, 2007 - 22:51 ET by John in CADidn't Hawaii give up on the gas price caps your RINO govenor implemented last year?
Diesel is often more expensive than premium gas - even here on the continent. There are a number of reasons for that
Give a Democrat Party free America a chance!
Yea market forces blew throu
March 22, 2007 - 01:46 ET by upcountrywaterYea market forces blew through it, It's history.
http://www.hawaii.gov/gov/news/releases/2006/News_Item.2006-05-05.5815
http://starbulletin.com/2004/06/26/news/story1.html
Go with the flow RINO ,eh brah it's Hawaiiieee
Gas Prices
March 22, 2007 - 09:04 ET by Mulligan22I think California should have more choices in gas prices. If normal gas sells for 3.10 a gallon. They should have an enviro-saving- the -planet-carbon- credit- blend that sells for 6.00 a gallon. It's just regular gas with a huge tax on it to go for enviromental causes. That way libs can contribute to their favorite causes when they buy and drive. The rest of us poor slobs can buy the 3 buck gas because we can't afford the more expensive stuff. Otherwise just taxing gas across the board hurts the poor and we know libs always want to help the poor not husrt them.
I see it as a win win. Libs should unite behind this idea.
Mulligan22
March 22, 2007 - 14:28 ET by SportPoliticsI see it as a win-win because the greedy, selfish , self-centered liberal will feel a pang of guilt and shame everytime they pull up to the 3.00 pump, as well as recieving a life lesson they somehow missed out on, for their once a year 6.00 single gallon of gas on Earth Day.
You're brilliant.
upcountry, first, I shouldn't
March 22, 2007 - 10:06 ET by John in CAupcountry, first, I shouldn't point fingers at other RINO governors, since I've got one of the biggest ones here in CA...
When I first heard of HI gas caps, I just shuddered. The guy who had come on the radio show to defend how they would work made it sound very appealing - at least to those who wouldn't know better. There had been some rumblings in CA of doing the same thing. I just sighed and shook my head.
What gets me is the article saying that your gov didn't like it, but was afraid a veto would be overridden. On those type of things I say veto and make the legislature work for what they believe in.
Give a Democrat Party free America a chance!
John, This gas cap crap h
March 22, 2007 - 14:26 ET by upcountrywaterJohn, This gas cap crap has been pushed around for years. RINO with a spine, not in this state. ugg