| Show Who is to Blame For High Gas Prices S Weekly Whine F. F f h M By s s John Nielson a j I I k Editorial Writer Y I remember going to the gas station in my 76 Buick Century during Operation Desert Storm It is a painful memory because it is such an expensive one It was not uncommon for me to spend thirty bucks for a single fill up I didn't really drive anywhere back then just to school to work and around town on the weekends But that thirty dollar fill up continued I didn't have to drive to school but then what fun is it to buy a car in high school if you cant can't use it I chose to continue driving and paying the war induced higher gas prices I had almost forgotten this scar from the past until earlier earlier earlier ear ear- lier this spring I have never shopped around for the lowest lowest lowest low low- est gas prices Paying a penny more per gallon has never really concerned me I guess it should have I am now a firm believer in the pay cash at Maverick for lower prices method of choosing gasoline One of my jo jobs s requires driving my own vehicle r 3 ra between 60 and 80 miles on a daily basis I dont don't drive a aGeo i Geo Metro so I am at a gas station nearly every day filling filling filling fill fill- ing up At current gas prices I am paying about 60 per week for gas Four months ago I was paying 45 a week That is an increase e of 60 a month that I am paying so I Ican Ican can do my job An Anuno no I didn't get a raise to make up the difference The gas price issue has now become a Campaign 96 issue Congressional Republicans have called for repealing repealing repealing repeal repeal- the federal tax in ing gallon cent gas approved 1993 President Clinton struck back by ordering the federal federal federal fed fed- eral government to sell some of its stockpiled oil to try to ii moderate the p price ce of fuel I really doubt that all of the political grandstanding over this issue is going to reduce the price of gas for the consumer The proposal that Bob Dole introduced would roll rollback rollback rollback back the 93 tax but it runs squarely against the Republicans' Republicans plans to balance the federal budget Clinton's decision to permit the sale of 12 million barrels of the nations nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve is merely a apolitical political gesture President Clinton will be able to say that he has taken action but the action will not reduce the price we are paying right now Clinton's decision has already been criticized by analysts Philip of Charles River Associates said Its like trying to fight a forest fire with a few cupfuls of water The 12 million barrels the US U.S. plans to sell is less than one days day's supply for the nations nation's refineries The petroleum industry is refusing to take responsibility ity for the higher prices Chevron Chairman Ken Derr addressed stockholders at the company's annual meeting and defended his industry against the fundamental misconception misconception misconception mis mis- conception of price gouging saying the temporary rise resulted from four separate but understandable events that came together and sent prices up up- up the combination of short supply and increased demand higher crude oil prices higher manufacturing costs and higher taxes Derr then gave the Chevron stockholders the annual financial report Chevrons Chevron's overall first quarter in 1996 produced operating earnings 56 percent above the first quarter of 1995 Imagine that Chevron made a lot more money this year than last I dont don't want to pick on Chevron alone nearly every major petroleum company is having a record year But they say its it's not their fault at all that we are paying for the lowest grade unleaded available I wish I could use lame excuses like that when I flunked a test Sorry teacher its it's not my fault that I flunked I just never studied for it What are we supposed to do about all this We have heard for years that we should not be so dependent upon foreign oil yet have done nothing about it Companies with large fleets of vehicles are getting big tax breaks by converting all the engines to natural gas burners Individuals are also eligible for these tax savings The only problem is the high cost of making this conversion Maybe its it's time for the US U.S. automobile industry to manufacture manufacture manufacture man man- natural gas burning cars as original equipment Mass transit is another alternative that would reduce the dependency we have on foreign oil UTA has been a Salt Lake institution for many years It seems like the majority of bus riders cant can't afford a car As soon as these riders are able to buy a car they do arid and become former riders So much for mass transit A car car allows total freedom freedom freedom free free- dom for the driver I am driving to Arizona and New Mexico for Memorial Day I have made the trip a couple of times before but this one will surely cost the most I can choose not to go and save the money but that would not be as fun I hope its it's worth it |
