OK - a method to CUT Fuel $$$$$

[hammersley]

OK - I know this will get a lot of you ticked of - but so be it... ... ... .



Most of the oil reserves in the US are on FEDERAL LAND-and who owns that YOU AND ME!!! I live in a region where the federal government generates most of the power - US Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation - and is distributed by the Bonneville Power Administration - so the Corps and the Bureau generate electricity through the massive Dams on mostly the Colunbia and Snake Rivers and BPA distributes the power... Now it is recognized by the professionals throughout the Power World - that this is the best power generation and distribution system in existance today - world wide! Sorry - it's NOT PRIVATE! The Government can do GREAT things - this is a shining example as well as the Military!



Now I propose that we do the same with the oil reserves - have the US Government develope and market the oil on Federal Lands - develope something like US OIL - including the outer continental shelf and ANWAR... . and develope those oil reserves INCLUDING REFINERIES - sell Fuel WITHOUT any GREED -- i. e. PROFIT!!!!! Screw Exon/Shell - get some real competition - I hear the socialism statements now - BUT what we have now is the worst part of Capitalism - GREED and more of it!! This will bring COMPETITION and END their greedy monopoly.....



Also to help the economy - I think the government should have a TAX CREDIT of some sort for the increased fuel costs we are all having to pay - that way we can have a fuel surcharge from Uncle... ...



OK - go Crazy NOW!!!!

 

[JFaughn]

Its too bad when something good goes bad [ capitalism ] then people get motivated to go to bad things [ socialism ].
The greed at the top will just make more profit , because they will be paying for just one management , not two , they own both now , they will lay of the other & keep the difference .
I think its better to just get rid of the top [ both sides ] so we can have a chance to do it right again .

 

[Tinman]

You make some intreating points. How about a few counter points.



I don't know a thing about the dams you speak of but remember the gov. doesn't have to earn its money, it seizes it at the point of a gun (I talking about taxes). So you are darn right they can build a great dam, building, whatever; they have no regard for cost efficient, long term use, finishing on time, or making something that returns the cost. When you can use legal force to accomplish your goals, you can do a Jim-Dandy job. Private enterprise could do a better job if given the chance because it has to earn its money, it can't take it.



Military - Darn right. Ours is the best the world has every known and the gov. wins that hands down. Gov. can do that exceptionally well, but that's the only thing.



Define greed. Can't be done.



Profit motivates us all to do whatever it is we do to put food on the table. Plain and simple. Monopoles can be a problem in a capitalistic economy but we have laws against this.



Competition keeps cost down and motivates innovation, gov has no competition. How much of the world's great technologic develpments in the 20th century came from Europe. How much from Amercia and it's evil capitalistic/free ecomony. Nough said.



Do we need to utilize our own oil resources - absolutely. I'd prefer it to be utilized by a private company that won't take my money and pay someone $80K a year to sweep the floors at a gov. owned facility.



More refineries? Oh yeah, we badly need that, especially diesel. It'd also be nice to have one grade/blend of gas too. But what's in the way of these changes..... hummm... . Ahh, government... . and the eco-nazis.



I respect your opinions and you forward some good questions/ideas. But I think this country is (was) great because of it's people and the businesses that make it up. You think this country is great because of gov. Fine. It looks like you get your wish in a few years when Hiltery is in charge and gov. takes over everything. Good luck with that.

 

[10.5 Dave]

I agree on the drilling in Anwar and everywhere else we can get oil from.

Dont agree with the socialist part though.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Profit motivates us all to do whatever it is we do to put food on the table. Plain and simple. Monopoles can be a problem in a capitalistic economy but we have laws against this.

The "laws" become a farce, when the greedy guys can BUY OFF the enforcers with a share of the $poils - just as happens daily by Mafia, etc.



As was stated further above, Capitalism IS great - until it's primary driving force is based upon uncontrolled runaway GREED!

 

[catoiler]

Gary,

You can't use "greed" as it cannot be defined! I can define it,how about when the ceo and the likes get multi millon dollar bonus and the poor sap that actualy does the work gets their hours and health care or retirement cut gets no thanks for the hard work they have done! Thats GREED!!

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Gary,

You can't use "greed" as it cannot be defined! I can define it,how about when the ceo and the likes get multi millon dollar bonus and the poor sap that actualy does the work gets their hours and health care or retirement cut gets no thanks for the hard work they have done! Thats GREED!!

"Greed" isn't all that hard to define - here's one from Wikipedia:

Greed is the selfish desire for or pursuit of money, wealth, food, or other possessions, especially when this denies the same goods to others. It is generally considered a vice, and is one of the seven deadly sins in Catholicism. (People who do not view unconstrained acquisitiveness as a vice will generally use a word other than greed, which has strong negative connotations. )



Some desire to increase one's wealth is nearly universal and acceptable in any culture, but this simple want is not considered greed. Greed is the extreme form of this desire, especially where one desires things simply for the sake of owning them. Greed may entail acquiring material possessions at the expense of another person's welfare (for example, a father buying himself a new car rather than fix the roof of his family's home) or otherwise reflect flawed priorities.

Pretty accurate - and another reasonable example would be Oil Cartels, futures traders and companies who artificially inflate costs to their societies and customers to enrich themselvs FAR beyond all reason and morality...

 

[hammersley]

Gary pretty much NAILED it!!!!!



And as the Good Book states..... in Timothy 6:10:



"For the love of money is a root of all evil... ... ..... " and remember it's NOT the money - BUT the LOVE of it!!!!

 

[tgordon]

Wow, according to Gary I have been greedy since before I even graduated high school. Whats wrong with futures trading? I guess those of us who are saving for retirment are greedy to? Social Security is a perfect example of something that the government fouled up so bad I am willing to bet I will never see a single penny of what I have paid into it. I will at least see some of what I have paid into my IRA back, and more likely than not I will see more.



Hammersly, I will apploud you for at least having an idea, but the major down fall I see in it is tha government has to either build refinarys of their own, or else pay the big guys to do it and then market it.

 

[catoiler]

Social Security is a perfect example of something that the government fouled up so bad I am willing to bet I will never see a single penny of what I have paid into it.

Man don't get me started on this subject!#@$%! SS is the bigest joke in my opinion,you pay into it all your working life then you die before you retire and where does the money go? Not to the surviving family like it should, after all it was your money! oh well you get the point.