Comments on: What Should the Price of Fuel Be at the Pump? http://chris.pirillo.com/what-should-the-price-of-fuel-be-at-the-pump/ News and Reviews! Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:17:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: überRegenbogen http://chris.pirillo.com/what-should-the-price-of-fuel-be-at-the-pump/#comment-695930 überRegenbogen Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:27:43 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/12/06/what-should-the-price-of-fuel-be-at-the-pump/#comment-695930 $0.046 is less than one half of $0.10—not 4 times. Either you typo'd one of those, or your math jumped a groove. $0.046 is less than one half of $0.10—not 4 times.

Either you typo’d one of those, or your math jumped a groove.

]]> By: Ian Mikutel http://chris.pirillo.com/what-should-the-price-of-fuel-be-at-the-pump/#comment-695783 Ian Mikutel Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:47:15 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/12/06/what-should-the-price-of-fuel-be-at-the-pump/#comment-695783 While you argue that government taxes on oil are "profit", its important to note that taxes ultimately are intended to benefit the people who pay them. I believe its important to remember that in this case. However, overall I couldn't agree more with your major premise. I still remember a CNN piece that ran over the summer, in the midst of our "gas price crisis" here in the US. The piece was done by CNN International correspondents from around the globe, in a variety of countries. They asked the citizens of those countries to comment on our gas price issues and the consensus was unanimous: "What gas crisis? They still are paying 50, 100, 200% less than we are". The American mindset has been distorted by years of cheap oil prices. Our mindset must get corrected if we are ever going to tackle the real problem at hand. No short term solutions. No hot fixes. Real change. One policy solution that I've found interesting and researched a bit is a Carbon Tax. This is something supported by the likes of Al Gore to Ralph Nader. A few articles on it for anyone interested: We Need a Global Carbon Tax (by Ralph Nader) - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122826696217574539.html Is The Moment Ripe For a National Carbon Tax? - http://www.carbontax.org/blogarchives/2008/11/24/is-the-moment-ripe-for-a-national-carbon-tax/ Yes you can change the climate, Mr Obama (New Scientist) - http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026855.800-yes-you-can-change-the-climate-mr-obama.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news While you argue that government taxes on oil are “profit”, its important to note that taxes ultimately are intended to benefit the people who pay them. I believe its important to remember that in this case.

However, overall I couldn’t agree more with your major premise. I still remember a CNN piece that ran over the summer, in the midst of our “gas price crisis” here in the US. The piece was done by CNN International correspondents from around the globe, in a variety of countries.

They asked the citizens of those countries to comment on our gas price issues and the consensus was unanimous: “What gas crisis? They still are paying 50, 100, 200% less than we are”.

The American mindset has been distorted by years of cheap oil prices. Our mindset must get corrected if we are ever going to tackle the real problem at hand. No short term solutions. No hot fixes. Real change.

One policy solution that I’ve found interesting and researched a bit is a Carbon Tax. This is something supported by the likes of Al Gore to Ralph Nader.

A few articles on it for anyone interested:

We Need a Global Carbon Tax (by Ralph Nader) – http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122826696217574539.html

Is The Moment Ripe For a National Carbon Tax? – http://www.carbontax.org/blogarchives/2008/11/24/is-the-moment-ripe-for-a-national-carbon-tax/

Yes you can change the climate, Mr Obama (New Scientist) – http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026855.800-yes-you-can-change-the-climate-mr-obama.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

]]> By: Elliot Lee http://chris.pirillo.com/what-should-the-price-of-fuel-be-at-the-pump/#comment-695777 Elliot Lee Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:32:38 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/12/06/what-should-the-price-of-fuel-be-at-the-pump/#comment-695777 Gas prices should be set by the free market, influenced primarily by supply and demand. The government shouldn't be involved. If government returned to its Constitutionally defined size, they'd have more than enough money from corporate taxes, tariffs, excise taxes, etc. No special gas tax necessary. Gas prices should be set by the free market, influenced primarily by supply and demand. The government shouldn’t be involved.

If government returned to its Constitutionally defined size, they’d have more than enough money from corporate taxes, tariffs, excise taxes, etc. No special gas tax necessary.

]]> By: Tom Woolf http://chris.pirillo.com/what-should-the-price-of-fuel-be-at-the-pump/#comment-695763 Tom Woolf Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:02:28 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/12/06/what-should-the-price-of-fuel-be-at-the-pump/#comment-695763 I have always been tremendously amused at the comparison of US vs Europe concerning our gas taxes. It seems to always be "European taxes are higher to give incentives to save fuel". This implies that we could do the same here, but there is rarely a consideration of what would happen if gas taxes were suddenly increased in the US. The US is BIG, especially compared to Europe. (see http://goeurope.about.com/od/europeanmaps/l/bl-country-size-comparison-map.htm) Think about the two most influential cities in Europe - London and Paris (with apologies to Moscow, Stockholm, etc.). They are less than 400 miles apart. The two largest US cities (New York and Los Angeles) are almost 2800 miles apart. NY to Chicago is still twice the distance of London-Paris. To make a horribly long analogy short (or at least finish it off), there's a whole lot more space between where we go in the US vs. Europe. That is something that we cannot change. I do think of the lost opportunity of not having an extra 5 or 10 cents per gallon over the past 20+ years here. If that money had been collected (with minimal effect on the economy - not like the effect $1-$2 tax would have) and spent on researching fuel efficiency, we'd be in much better shape today. I have always been tremendously amused at the comparison of US vs Europe concerning our gas taxes. It seems to always be “European taxes are higher to give incentives to save fuel”. This implies that we could do the same here, but there is rarely a consideration of what would happen if gas taxes were suddenly increased in the US.

The US is BIG, especially compared to Europe. (see http://goeurope.about.com/od/europeanmaps/l/bl-country-size-comparison-map.htm) Think about the two most influential cities in Europe – London and Paris (with apologies to Moscow, Stockholm, etc.). They are less than 400 miles apart. The two largest US cities (New York and Los Angeles) are almost 2800 miles apart. NY to Chicago is still twice the distance of London-Paris. To make a horribly long analogy short (or at least finish it off), there’s a whole lot more space between where we go in the US vs. Europe. That is something that we cannot change.

I do think of the lost opportunity of not having an extra 5 or 10 cents per gallon over the past 20+ years here. If that money had been collected (with minimal effect on the economy – not like the effect $1-$2 tax would have) and spent on researching fuel efficiency, we’d be in much better shape today.

]]> By: Tyler http://chris.pirillo.com/what-should-the-price-of-fuel-be-at-the-pump/#comment-695722 Tyler Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:08:35 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/12/06/what-should-the-price-of-fuel-be-at-the-pump/#comment-695722 I agree that the price of fuel directly influences the speed at which we develop new energy solutions. High fuel prices were so bittersweet: we were all suffering at the pump, and yet people were finally talking about shirking our dependence on oil. Which is why our current gas prices are also so bittersweet. However, I think it's prudent to remind that a large portion of our gas tax goes to the road system...but it doesn't even cover that. Americans have chosen good, but expensive, roads as our public transportation, which is another reason our gas prices don't approach those of countries with very good and very established public transportation. I agree that the price of fuel directly influences the speed at which we develop new energy solutions. High fuel prices were so bittersweet: we were all suffering at the pump, and yet people were finally talking about shirking our dependence on oil.
Which is why our current gas prices are also so bittersweet.
However, I think it’s prudent to remind that a large portion of our gas tax goes to the road system…but it doesn’t even cover that. Americans have chosen good, but expensive, roads as our public transportation, which is another reason our gas prices don’t approach those of countries with very good and very established public transportation.

]]> By: George http://chris.pirillo.com/what-should-the-price-of-fuel-be-at-the-pump/#comment-695548 George Sun, 07 Dec 2008 01:17:10 +0000 http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/12/06/what-should-the-price-of-fuel-be-at-the-pump/#comment-695548 Yea fuel near me is just $1.88 per gallon now which is pretty cheap. Yea fuel near me is just $1.88 per gallon now which is pretty cheap.

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