Sen. Byrd says "Do Something About Gas Prices"

[LadyTevar]

April 12, 2005
Byrd wants more done about gas prices

With Charlestonians paying $2.35 or more for the cheapest gallon of gasoline, Sen. Robert C. Byrd on Monday asked Congress and the White House to take new steps to curb skyrocketing prices.

In a speech to the Senate, Byrd, D-W.Va., noted that the state’s residents spend more time commuting to work than most Americans. Eighty-six percent of all West Virginians use cars or trucks to go to work and nearly 75 percent commute by themselves.

Nearly one-third of West Virginians travel outside their home counties to get to work, much higher than the national average.

Byrd said rising gasoline prices are also hurting programs like Meals on Wheels that feed people in their homes and government agencies that must pay for school buses, police cars and fire trucks.

“When it comes to dealing with today’s energy mess, the White House is out of gas,” he said.

Byrd wants the federal government to begin making investments to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

“It means investing in fuels that can be made from domestically secure sources such as agricultural residues and through coal gasification. It means investments in building and upgrading our refining and pipeline infrastructure in order to move our petroleum products to market.”

Byrd also asked the White House to order the energy secretary to suspend oil deliveries to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until market conditions improve.

Established after the 1973-74 Arab oil embargo, the SPR gives the president more ability to respond if any disruption in commercial oil supplies threatens the U.S. economy.

Byrd also proposed other specific steps:

The government could expand tax credits for vehicle depreciation to help workers who travel more than 30 miles one way to work.
Congress could approve his call for $15.5 billion in various tax incentives over the next decade, including $2 billion to deploy advanced clean-coal technologies and improve other advanced energy technologies.
Byrd also asked the Federal Trade Commission to review whether oil companies are manipulating oil markets to increase their own profits.

“We need an investigation into ... why the people in West Virginia and other states are getting squeezed and gouged when huge oil companies are enjoying record-breaking profits,” Byrd said.

[Ekiqa]

They need more transit, especially commuter rail services, to get the people to work.

They've gotungodly high numbers of people who drive to work.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Oh you poor, poor Americans with your 4 litre 4x4s and muscle cars that do gallons to the mile. I see the price of Texas tea is starting to hurt, well, too bad.

I guess Sen. Byrd would like someone to magic up a few billion barrels of crude out of thin air. Too bad that won't happen. If they have a big problem, they can do one of three things. Tell China to can it and spread the wealth, convert to a different fuel economy stat or shut the hell up.

[Firefox]

Reducing our fuel consumption seems to be the only solution. Start replacing existing cars on the road with more fuel-efficient vehicles. And for fuck's sake, start discouraging the purchase of SUVs or other fuel-hungry cars and trucks unless they're absolutely necessary. Even then, make the fuckers more efficient.

[Tommy J]

Until we as American consumers get serious about buying vehicles with better fuel economy we need to shut the hell up about gas prices. On the way to work this morning I saw about 8 people driving alone in a Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade cars that in my mind should be classified as a bus not even an SUV.

[Il Saggiatore]

I admit that I am not an expert but when he says

"..why the people in West Virginia and other states are getting squeezed and gouged when huge oil companies are enjoying record-breaking profits?"

shouldn't this be: "... because the people in West Virginia and other states are getting squeezed and gouged, huge oil companies are enjoying record-breaking profits"?

[LadyTevar]

They need more transit, especially commuter rail services, to get the people to work.

They've gotungodly high numbers of people who drive to work.

1. Many of the towns that they commute from didn't have access to major highways until the 1970s. The towns they live in have lost the jobs that were once there, and they have no choice but to commute to larger cities, or leave the state entirely to find better jobs.
My own mother traveled 40 miles one-way each night to get to her job at the main postal service warehouse, because the smaller, closer post offices were already fully staffed, usually only by 2-3 people per office. Even when she did get a post as PostMaster, she was driving 20miles one-way to get there. In my office, there are ladies who live nearly 2hours away from work, but there are no jobs closer to their homes.

2. West Virginia is in the center of the Appalachian Mountains. To build anything, you have to blast your way thru mountain ridges to get to the hollers where the creeks run, which is where the towns grew up over the years.
-- 2a. Some communities have rail lines remaining from coal-town days. 90% of those rails are in disrepair, some were even torn up during WWII for the iron. In some parts of the state, those rails run to the nearest river, not in the direction the commuter needs. The main lines are almost exclusively used by C&O rail freight. The only reason Amtrak runs thru the state on its way out west is because there is a Congressional Rider stating that as long as Amtrak accepts governmental funds there must be a train going to Charleston, WV. (Thank Sen. Byrd, again.)
-- 2b. The logistical and financial problems involved with reviving old lines and/or laying new lines far outweighs the money that might be saved in gas prices. There's just no money in passenger rails in this country, even back in the 1800's when railroads were king.

[LadyTevar]

Oh you poor, poor Americans with your 4 litre 4x4s and muscle cars that do gallons to the mile. I see the price of Texas tea is starting to hurt, well, too bad.

I guess Sen. Byrd would like someone to magic up a few billion barrels of crude out of thin air. Too bad that won't happen. If they have a big problem, they can do one of three things. Tell China to can it and spread the wealth, convert to a different fuel economy stat or shut the hell up.

Us poor WVians who need those 4x4s to get out of the hollers when the snow falls, just like the Colorado folks do. I'll admit that they are gas guzzlers, but they're a necessary evil here in the mountains.

[LadyTevar]

I admit that I am not an expert but when he says

"..why the people in West Virginia and other states are getting squeezed and gouged when huge oil companies are enjoying record-breaking profits?"

shouldn't this be: "... because the people in West Virginia and other states are getting squeezed and gouged, huge oil companies are enjoying record-breaking profits"?

Yes, that is a better way of looking at it.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Us poor WVians who need those 4x4s to get out of the hollers when the snow falls, just like the Colorado folks do. I'll admit that they are gas guzzlers, but they're a necessary evil here in the mountains.

If people can justify their needing one, then they should be able to own one, as you may do, Lady T.

It's those "soccer moms" that we have here more than ever now that drive 4x4s around on their own doing the school route which is not even a mile long that piss me off. It has to stop; these things are guzzling all the damn fuel! If you have half a dozen kids, then buy a gorram MPV with an engine that doesn't have the fuel economy of a fighter jet.

[Fire Fly]

Until we as American consumers get serious about buying vehicles with better fuel economy we need to shut the hell up about gas prices. On the way to work this morning I saw about 8 people driving alone in a Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade cars that in my mind should be classified as a bus not even an SUV.

You know, it goes far beyond mere American consumerism. Cheap energy is essential to lubricating the American economy. This country is huge and it operates on its fleets of trucks to transport goods from city to city, state to state. If gas prices raise noticeably, trucking companies have to charge more and in turn, food prices rise, the cost of paper rises, and essentially everything else does, too.

People who drive SUVs represent only a very small percentage of drivers. Your average drivers out there are middle Americans who require the usage of their vehicles for getting to work, for grocerries, for commuting, for everyday things. Do you have any idea how far my dad has to drive to get to his work place? Its a good 30 minutes away on the highway and that's not unusual for many people.

So if people want to bitch about high gas prices, its fucking legimate, I see it. They'll be affected by high gas prices in more than one ways from education matters to food prices to pay checks.

[RedImperator]

Until we as American consumers get serious about buying vehicles with better fuel economy we need to shut the hell up about gas prices. On the way to work this morning I saw about 8 people driving alone in a Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade cars that in my mind should be classified as a bus not even an SUV.

Except if you can afford a Lincoln Navigator, you can afford $2/gallon for regular. In the meantime, I drive a car 1/3 the weight with thrice the gas mileage, and I'm getting fucked.

I truly and thoroughly hate big SUVs. There's absolutely no reason on Earth to drive one in New Jersey. Classify them as trucks and slap all the regulation trucks get on them--make their drivers get CDLs, ban them from residential roads, and make them stop at weigh stations. That will put an end to them right quick.

[Admiral Valdemar]

That is the problem with them, the fuel costs are easily covered by the people able to buy such things in the first place. Which is why I'll be eager to see what happens when oil break past $100 per barrel as it is expected to sometime in the forseeable future and then comes the real energy crisis where no amount of cash will help you in the end. The sooner hydrogen or ethanol is used instead with fuel-cells, the better.

[Gil Hamilton]

I truly and thoroughly hate big SUVs. There's absolutely no reason on Earth to drive one in New Jersey. Classify them as trucks and slap all the regulation trucks get on them--make their drivers get CDLs, ban them from residential roads, and make them stop at weigh stations. That will put an end to them right quick.

I thought they were already classified as "light trucks" to avoid the regulations that "cars" have, like fuel efficency and emission standards.

[Firefox]

Classify them as trucks and slap all the regulation trucks get on them--make their drivers get CDLs, ban them from residential roads, and make them stop at weigh stations. That will put an end to them right quick.

Good luck getting that law passed.

Quik Trip's already requiring people to either purchase a card to purchase gasoline, or prepay before pumping. Although I hate slippery slopes, I wonder how long it'll be before I'll want to buy a gas lock for my car.

[RedImperator]

I truly and thoroughly hate big SUVs. There's absolutely no reason on Earth to drive one in New Jersey. Classify them as trucks and slap all the regulation trucks get on them--make their drivers get CDLs, ban them from residential roads, and make them stop at weigh stations. That will put an end to them right quick.

I thought they were already classified as "light trucks" to avoid the regulations that "cars" have, like fuel efficency and emission standards.

They are. I'd reclassify them as heavy trucks.

Good luck getting that law passed.

Oh that's nothing compared to some of my ideas.

[Tommy J]

I'm also tired of the conspiracy theorists with regard to why gasoline prices are so high. The rich oil companies. The rich gas station owners. etc. This is simply a supply and demand issue. The Saudi's are pumping the oil out of the ground at nearly capacity. The whole supply chain with regard to this has been investigated ad nausea. Yea, the Arabs are getting rich, AND this is a new phenomenon? Yea, Shell Oil is an extremely profitable company, AND this is a new phenomenon? People act like that either have a moral responsibility to provide them with cheap gas to drive their big ass cars.

Red, I love your ideas in taxing the shit out of SUV owners and making it difficult for them to drive them. To bad either is never going to happen.

[That NOS Guy]

I truly and thoroughly hate big SUVs. There's absolutely no reason on Earth to drive one in New Jersey. Classify them as trucks and slap all the regulation trucks get on them--make their drivers get CDLs, ban them from residential roads, and make them stop at weigh stations. That will put an end to them right quick.

Oh fuck yes, I certaintly feel your pain.

I drive a fucking volvo station wagon, which while still big (and safe!) gets very respectable gas milage. I never understood the need to have an engine rivaling MBTs for gas milage.

-NOS
"It has a hemi" my ass.

[Stravo]

Red, you hate those Titanic like SUV's in Jersey? Imagine those fucking beasts on the streets of NYC. Godawful. They take two parking spots and they manuever like war elephants with arthritis through the narrow side streets and their drivers have somehow forgotten that there are such things as pedestrians and other cars on the road. There is absolutely no fucking reason to own one in the city whatsoever.

[desertjedi]

Classify them as trucks and slap all the regulation trucks get on them--make their drivers get CDLs, ban them from residential roads, and make them stop at weigh stations. That will put an end to them right quick.

Good luck getting that law passed.

Quik Trip's already requiring people to either purchase a card to purchase gasoline, or prepay before pumping. Although I hate slippery slopes, I wonder how long it'll be before I'll want to buy a gas lock for my car.

You don't have a locking gas cap already? Hell I caught some lowlife scumbag siphoning gas out of my Saturn a year ago. Bought a new gas cap the same day. As for paying before pumping... I haven't seen a gas station that didn't do that in almost ten years.

[Tommy J]

Red, you hate those Titanic like SUV's in Jersey? Imagine those fucking beasts on the streets of NYC. Godawful. They take two parking spots and they manuever like war elephants with arthritis through the narrow side streets and their drivers have somehow forgotten that there are such things as pedestrians and other cars on the road. There is absolutely no fucking reason to own one in the city whatsoever.

I don't know why anyone except for a diplomat or someone who needs security would drive period in NYC. It has the best public transportation system in the country. Anyone, driving in NYC because they are too lazy to catch the train is yet another contributor to high gas prices and low supply we're seeing now.

[Stravo]

Red, you hate those Titanic like SUV's in Jersey? Imagine those fucking beasts on the streets of NYC. Godawful. They take two parking spots and they manuever like war elephants with arthritis through the narrow side streets and their drivers have somehow forgotten that there are such things as pedestrians and other cars on the road. There is absolutely no fucking reason to own one in the city whatsoever.

I don't know why anyone except for a diplomat or someone who needs security would drive period in NYC. It has the best public transportation system in the country. Anyone, driving in NYC because they are too lazy to catch the train is yet another contributor to high gas prices and low supply we're seeing now.

Thank you Tommy. I have never owned a car and don't foresee the need to own one in the near future. Anywhere I need to go I can get there by Subway in about an hour in the farthest reaches of the city for about $2.00. If you positively absolutely have to get somewhere fast there's yellow cabs galore. Cars are an absolute luxury in the city that is not needed.

Not to mention those fucking SUV's. What kills me is the obvious drug dealers in my neighborhood driving around in these fucking things. Let me get this straight, you're 19, don't speak much english and never graduated High School yet are sporting a car I could barely afford? Yeah, there's justice in the world.

[desertjedi]

Oh Stravo... you should see some of the cars the high schoolers are sporting here in California and not all of them are from Daddy either. I see the same barely speaking, no education, BMW driving punks all over the place. In San Diego unfortunately, you need a vehicle to get around, unless you're lucky enough to live close to a bus or trolley area, which I do not. They are slowly expanding the trolley system, but it'll be years before it can reach all the parts of the city where it is needed.

[Knife]

They need more transit, especially commuter rail services, to get the people to work.

They've gotungodly high numbers of people who drive to work.

The problem with that is a vast majority of the US is not built right on top of each other. Mass transit only works well in high desity population. When you have suburbia spread all over the place it makes it hard to make mass transit and even if you do, it is then inefficient and you end up driving anyway.


I do find it odd, though, that Byrd wants to invest billions in 'alternate fuel in America' yet IIRC he's not onboard in US drilling. I don't know where he stands on building new US refineries either.

Granted, conservation has it's place and idea's like Red's have great merit. Hell, me and the wife have been discussing buying on of those hybrids in a few years after they start getting sold used.

[Darth Wong]

LadyTevar, with all due respect, I don't buy the "it's bad terrain so we need SUVs" line at all. The fact is that most of the consumer SUVs (particularly the really big models that Tommy J is talking about) are shitty off-road vehicles because of their high mass and long wheelbase. If you want to go off-road or up in the mountains or through rough terrain, you get a relatively light and fuel-efficient jeep, not a Lincoln Navigator.

Giant gas-guzzling luxury SUVs have nothing to do with off-roading and everything to do with assholes showing off their status symbols.