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Technology Stocks : Energy Conversion Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Allen Bucholski who wrote (2658)	11/19/1998 8:03:00 AM
From: Franck MAZEYRAT	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 8393

From yahoo,two days ago: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tuesday November 17, 3:23 pm Eastern Time Real cost of U.S. gasoline is $15.14 per gallon, report says By Tom Doggett WASHINGTON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - So you think you're getting a good deal on a tank of gasoline these days? Not so, if all the oil industry tax subsidies received from the federal and state governments and other costs that went into producing that gallon of gasoline were included in the pump price. Such external costs push the price of gasoline as high as $15.14 a gallon,according to a new report released Tuesday by the International Center for Technology Assessment. ''In reality, the external costs of using our cars are much more higher than we may realize,'' the Washington-based research group said in its report. The report examined more than 40 separate cost factors the group said it associated with gasoline production but aren't reflected by the price of gasoline at the pump. These external costs total up to $1.69 trillion per year, according to the report. The group points out that the federal government provides the oil industry with tax breaks to help U.S. companies compete with international producers,so gasoline remains cheap for American consumers. The Department of Energy is forecasting that the national price for regular unleaded gasoline will average $1.02 during the current quarter, the lowest price on record for any three-month period when adjusted for inflation. Tax subsidies don't end at the federal level, as the group said most state income taxes are based on oil firms' lower federal tax bills, which result in companies paying $123 million to $323 million less in state taxes. In addition to tax breaks, the federal government provides up to $114.6 billion in subsidies annually that support the extraction, production and use of petroleum, such as research and development and export financing. The federal government also spends up to $1.6 billion yearly on regulatory oversight, pollution cleanup and liability costs connected to the oil industry, the group said. In addition, U.S. Defense Department spending allocated to safeguard the world's petroleum resources totals $55 billion to $96 billion a year, according to the group. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: Allen Bucholski who wrote (2658)	11/21/1998 5:07:00 PM
From: Futurist	Respond to of 8393

I can't remember the exact number, but the research of a number of strategic analysts indicates that any company that achieves something like a 56% market share has a virtual monopoly and dominates a market sector. That's why getting to the market first, even if it racks up losses, has such a high payoff. Toyota seems to understand this, and, unfortunately for us, GM doesn't. GM is acting like it wants to be the Macintosh of the electric vehicle world. Personally, I love the Mac, but I'd rather see GM act like Windows rather than go for the "best" vehicle. Every time I hear Stempel talk about a "big announcement that will be forthcoming any day" from GM, I gag. This is the same tune we've been hearing for a couple of years. I wrote an impassioned letter to a large block of GM executives and directors (appxly 30) along these lines and got zero response. Anyone else want to take a crack?