America needs therapy

[Harmon Seaver]

Eric Murray wrote:

> On Mon, Oct 01, 2001 at 09:55:34AM -0500, Harmon Seaver wrote:
> >       Besides which, the true cost of gasoline at the pump would be
> > $10-15 @ gallon without all the gov't subsidies to the oil industry.
> >
> > http://www.icta.org/projects/trans/rlprexsm.htm
>
> The study says  $5.60 to $15.14, not $10-15.
>

       Sorry, other studies say $10.

>
> A quick glance find some glaring errors--
>
> -it completely ignores taxes paid by the oil industry.

     No, it points out that they are not taxed at nearly as high a rate,
that's part of the subsidy.

>
>
> -under Environmental Health and social costs they count:
> "noise pollution ($6 to $12 billion), and improper disposal of batteries,
> tires, engine fluids, and junked cars ($4.4 billion) also add to the
> environmental consequences wrought by automobiles."
>
> It's quite a stretch to claim those as costs of oil.  We'd have
> significant costs for those kind of items even if we all used electric cars
> or even horse and buggy.  Although I suppose that unlike
> a car's engine, when your horse fails, you can eat it.
>

     True - but most of their points are pretty damning. Let's get rid of all
those that *are* direct subsidies and see where the true cost of gas is --
I'll bet close to $10.


--
Harmon Seaver, MLIS
CyberShamanix
Work 920-203-9633
Home 920-233-5820
hseaver at cybershamanix.com
http://www.cybershamanix.com/resume.html