Gov. Brown takes emergency action to try to reduce gas prices

[cpzilliacus]

L.A. Times: Gov. Brown takes emergency action to try to reduce gas prices

[ARMOURERERIC]

Waiting for the Sierra Club/Surfrider Foundation lawsuit:  6.................5......................4....................3............

[The High Plains Traveler]

The Sierra Club is responsible for refinery fires, or problems with the changeover from seasonal blends which have been in effect for years? I guess I would look for a conspiracy among refinery operators, were I looking for conspiracies here. Otherwise, the Sierra Club is conspiring to increase oil company profits.

[OCGuy81]

Paid $4.63 yesterday.  Luckily I was between 1/2 and 3/4, so it wasn't TOO painful....

[cpzilliacus]

The Sierra Club is responsible for refinery fires, or problems with the changeover from seasonal blends which have been in effect for years? I guess I would look for a conspiracy among refinery operators, were I looking for conspiracies here. Otherwise, the Sierra Club is conspiring to increase oil company profits.

One of the Sierra Club's highest priorities is to make sure that fuel for rubber-tired vehicles is as expensive as possible.  Their preferred way is with increased taxes, tolls and other revenue from highway users, with all of the additional money diverted to capital and operating subsidies for transit (and especially rail transit), but they don't mind large increases in fuel costs at the pump, as long as the dollars collected do not get spent to expand, improve or maintain the highway network.

[US71]

The Sierra Club is responsible for refinery fires, or problems with the changeover from seasonal blends which have been in effect for years? I guess I would look for a conspiracy among refinery operators, were I looking for conspiracies here. Otherwise, the Sierra Club is conspiring to increase oil company profits.

One of the Sierra Club's highest priorities is to make sure that fuel for rubber-tired vehicles is as expensive as possible.  Their preferred way is with increased taxes, tolls and other revenue from highway users, with all of the additional money diverted to capital and operating subsidies for transit (and especially rail transit), but they don't mind large increases in fuel costs at the pump, as long as the dollars collected do not get spent to expand, improve or maintain the highway network.

The refineries have a hand in that, too, given the amount of gas they export to other countries.
http://tinyurl.com/9lqjybu

[SP Cook]

One of the Sierra Club's highest priorities is to make sure that fuel for rubber-tired vehicles is as expensive as possible.  Their preferred way is with increased taxes, tolls and other revenue from highway users, with all of the additional money diverted to capital and operating subsidies for transit (and especially rail transit), but they don't mind large increases in fuel costs at the pump, as long as the dollars collected do not get spent to expand, improve or maintain the highway network.

Post of the year.  Great job.

[cpzilliacus]

Post of the year.  Great job.

Thank you for your kind comment.

[NE2]

Yay, wingnut conspiracy theories.

[mgk920]

Well, just try to build a new oil refinery these days....



And then there are all of those different 'boutique' blends of fuel that are required to be sold in certain places and that change with the seasons at specified times of the year....



Mike

[Desert Man]

The average cost of gas went up 20-30 cents a gallon in a matter of hours in Cal. so the reserves had to be forced open to keep the gas prices from going too high, because it all adds up when you have 10 or 20 gallons to fill for the regular commute. The problem is state regulations made by environmental groups and foreign oil sources kept us from building a new oil refinery in the last 40 years. We should solve this problem before the price of gas furthermore cost more money to keep our cars simply filled up. (and the economy working).

[Irrelevant political content removed. -S.]

[Brandon]

Yay, wingnut conspiracy theories.

Hardly.  The Sierra Club is a bunch of wingnuts who try to stop common sense road proposals such as IL-53 in Lake County or the I-355 Extension in Will County.  They've gone a long way from being John Muir's conservationists.

[cpzilliacus]

Yay, wingnut conspiracy theories.

Hardly.  The Sierra Club is a bunch of wingnuts who try to stop common sense road proposals such as IL-53 in Lake County or the I-355 Extension in Will County.  They've gone a long way from being John Muir's conservationists.

Add Maryland's Route 200 (ICC) to your list.  And the Md./Va./D.C. Wilson Bridge reconstruction project.

Agreed regarding "wingnuts" (and for the record, I am a lifelong registered Democrat, and a pretty liberal one at that).   

Unfortunately the news media tends to regard Sierra Club members as expert in transportation and land use policies, which they are not.

[NE2]

baa

[Brandon]

baa

So you are a sheep now?

FOUR LANES GOOD!  TWO LANES BETTER!

[StogieGuy7]

Yay, wingnut conspiracy theories.

Hardly.  The Sierra Club is a bunch of wingnuts who try to stop common sense road proposals such as IL-53 in Lake County or the I-355 Extension in Will County.  They've gone a long way from being John Muir's conservationists.

Hate to tell you this, but there's truth in those crazy conspiracy theories. 

I attended a meeting with some environmental attorneys in downtown Chicago a while back.  Gas prices were spiking at the time and the talk at the dinner table revolved around the question of "what's it going to take to get these people out of their cars and SUVs and into buses and trains?"   Those who were involved in the discussion (all of whom make $350,000+ salaries) were commenting that gas really needs to his $8 per gallon before we would see some "beneficial change" to the way in which the "average person" behaves. 

Thankfully, the meal was delicious and my mouth was too preoccupied with food for me to have said anything that would result in an undignified exit from the proceedings.  Besides, it was fascinating to obtain some insight into what these people think of the rest of us.  And yes, this is the mindset.  Get the little people out of their cars and SUVs by having European-style (or higher) fuel prices.  Of course, they're doing good work for everyone and are too important to be taken from their BMWs, Mercs and Range Rovers.  But the average Joe should be in a train.  How dare he drive a truck or SUV?   

It's not a conspiracy theory, it's exactly how those who lead these movements think.  And they brainwash those below them to think that way too. 

[NE2]

Wait, you mean people who claim to care about not fucking up the planet actually want the planet not fucked up? Holy shit!

[Brandon]

Wait, you mean people who claim to care about not fucking up the planet actually want the planet not fucked up? Holy shit!

No, go re-read the post.  It's about "I can have mine, but you can't have yours."  If they really cared, they'd also be on the train instead of driving their gas-guzzling luxury trucks and SUVs.

[NE2]

You reread it. He never said that these people drove to the meeting. (And even if he had, it would likely be an assumption based on bigotry.)

[US71]

Wait, you mean people who claim to care about not fucking up the planet actually want the planet not fucked up? Holy shit!

No, go re-read the post.  It's about "I can have mine, but you can't have yours."  If they really cared, they'd also be on the train instead of driving their gas-guzzling luxury trucks and SUVs.

They aren't the only group who feels that way. Just sayin'.

[vdeane]

They'd also be pushing stuff like research into batteries so we can get practical electric cars, instead of trying to force everyone onto transit.

[Stephane Dumas]

No, go re-read the post.  It's about "I can have mine, but you can't have yours."  If they really cared, they'd also be on the train instead of driving their gas-guzzling luxury trucks and SUVs.

I could said it's also about "Do as I said, not as I do"....>_<

[StogieGuy7]

You reread it. He never said that these people drove to the meeting. (And even if he had, it would likely be an assumption based on bigotry.)

Bigotry?  Really? 

Wow, you're making it very difficult to have any sort of a reasoned discussion here.  There's no need to be offensive. 

Yes, the people to whom I was referring were very wealthy and they all have nice cars.  One of them (a former colleague) drives a classic Mercedes Benz 480SL.  Another had a large BMW (Z5?).  One lived on the Gold Coast, another in Elmhurst, still another in Vernon Hills.   They discussed the subject of gas prices without ever giving hypocrisy a thought. 

"We need to get people out of their cars and SUVs and raising the price of gas is what it will take."  That's the 'tude.   

[cpzilliacus]

Wait, you mean people who claim to care about not fucking up the planet actually want the planet not fucked up? Holy shit!

No, go re-read the post.  It's about "I can have mine, but you can't have yours."  If they really cared, they'd also be on the train instead of driving their gas-guzzling luxury trucks and SUVs.

That's exactly the point. 

I have been to hundreds of public meetings about proposed highway improvements dating back many years, and it always amused me that many of those showing up to object to proposed improvements arrived by private motor vehicles (usually with one person in each  vehicle), even if the meeting facility was directly served by a transit line.

[rarnold]

Hardly.  The Sierra Club is a bunch of wingnuts who try to stop common sense road proposals such as IL-53 in Lake County or the I-355 Extension in Will County.  They've gone a long way from being John Muir's conservationists.

Muir was a preservationist, not a conservationist.