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Politics : Rat's Nest - Chronicles of Collapse -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (4113)	5/9/2006 1:47:33 PM
From: Triffin	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 24210

He also thinks a higher gas tax could be palatable, if presented correctly. The money could go into the highway trust fund, which he says is now suffering, providing a justification for the tax beyond just penalizing drivers. Since such a tax would be highly regressive, disproportionately affecting the poor, who might get stuck driving used SUVs, for example, Heywood also proposes a selective reduction in their income taxes to compensate. Here's my idea for a 'fair' fuel consumption tax with the collected taxes earmarked for specific investment in efficiency/conservation technologies .. I think there are 6 wholesale gasoline pricing districts in the country, so we use those prices adjusted weekly as the 'base' cost for transport fuels .. We level state and federal taxes nationwide on this fuel at say 20% ( 10% feds .. 10% states )of the then current wholesale price per district .. So if your local wholesale prices is $2.50 then your at the pump price would be $3.00 .. Every licensed driver would get a 'national fuel debit card' good for 500 gallons ( pick a number ) at whatever the current retail price happens to be .. This gives all drives the ability to purchase fuel at the going rate sufficient for most motoring needs assuming an average of 20 mpg you get 10,000 miles at the going rate .. Above 500 gallons of annual usage an additional consumption tax is levied for each additional 100 gallons ( pick a number ) consumed of $1.00 per gallon .. such that .. 0 - 500 gals @ 3.00 500 - 600 gals @ 4.00 600 - 700 gals @ 5.00 etc etc This scheme gives everyone ( licensed drivers ) a level playing field for the first 500 gallons of annual consumption, encourages consumers to switch to more fuel efficient vehicles over time and places the burden of the tax on inefficient energy use and on those most able/ willing to pay for excess consumption .. It's not perfect, but has the desired incentives and shouldn't be prohibitive to administer .. Triff ..

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (4113)	5/10/2006 1:44:21 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Respond to of 24210

"Shell had promised to raise its reserve replacement ratio between 2004 and 2008 to 100 per cent, from an industry-lagging 72 per cent average over the past five years." Reserves falling, Shell concedes Thomas Catan, London May 06, 2006 ROYAL Dutch Shell has said it may miss its target of fully replacing oil and gas it pumps in coming years, adding to concerns over its future prospects. Since downgrading its energy reserves by around a third two years ago, the Anglo-Dutch energy group has been struggling to replace its oil and gas stocks. Investors see the reserve replacement ratio as a key indicator of future value of oil companies. Shell had promised to raise its reserve replacement ratio between 2004 and 2008 to 100 per cent, from an industry-lagging 72 per cent average over the past five years. But chief executive Jeroen van der Veer admitted the company might not achieve that, citing the tight market for materials and contractors to build new projects. Mr Van der Veer said the company would drop the commitment and focus instead on the value that projects delivered to investors. "We do not want this target to drive the wrong business decisions, either in the timing of projects or in the type of resources we prioritise," Mr Van der Veer said. The admission signals a change of tack for Shell, which has sought to bolster investor confidence by redoubling efforts to bring new reserves on stream that meet strict guidelines set out by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Some analysts fear that, in its drive to hit the target, Shell could lower the bar on investment decisions and plough billions of dollars into projects that could become unprofitable if the oil price drops. It has already been investing heavily in expensive "unconventional" oil sources such as Canada's oil sands and fuel from natural gas using gas-to-liquids technology. Mr Van der Veer said those energy sources might not, however, qualify as proved oil and gas reserves under SEC guidelines. Shell also reduced its production guidance for this year to 3.5million to 3.6 million barrels of oil equivalent a day, from 3.5million to 3.8 million b/d previously. It is still suffering the after-effects of last year's hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and attacks by rebels in Nigeria, which have halved its production there. Despite the bad news, record energy prices ensured that Shell delivered a 9 per cent rise in first-quarter pre-tax profits, to $US12.3billion ($16 billion). theaustralian.news.com.au