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Voices.IdahoStatesman.com
Why don't they push a local bill
that allows the attorney general to actually investigate price fixing allegations in this state.
An interesting group...As
An interesting group...As you drive through the area note that the gas prices at the Jackson owned stores is usually 5 to 10 cents higher per gallon than their competitors across the street. My question is why can Maverick, Tesaro, Flying J sell their fuel for that much less, but the fuel at the Jackson owned Shell and Chevron stations is always the highest in the area and the last to go down in price? It would appear to me the Jackson family a good part of the problem of high gas prices in the area. They certainly don't lead the charge in lowering their prices when fuel prices start to drop.
Here's why
First off, I'm not defending the Jackson's stations. While all gasoline is "generic" because a distributor will pump gasoline into a pipeline and take delivery of the gas at the other end at the same time, there are some differences. Just because a station offers “name brand” gas, doesn’t mean it lives up to the items below.
-Some gas stations do not regularly change their filters (or they may be missing altogether). This means a slow pump and/or contaminated fuel.
-Gasoline and other fuels travel through the same pipelines. The gasoline at the "name brand" stations is the fuel in the middle. The discounters may be selling the fuel at the ends, which is only "legally" gasoline.
-Additives. The "name brand" gas will have additives mixed in before delivery. Some of them are quite expensive if purchased separately (Techron).
-Ethanol. Most gasoline, especially the discounted gas, contains 10% ethanol now. While cleaner burning and theoretically renewable, there is a performance reduction and there are concerns of damage to vehicles and small engines.
-Freshness. Perhaps someone can correct me, but gasoline only has a shelf life of a few months. I would say it's plausible that some stations sell old gas.
-Credit Cards. I haven’t seen it here, but there are some areas that either don’t take cards or charge extra to accept them.
-Convenience. Sometimes it's worth paying a little more to fuel at a station in a convenient location, or to NOT wait in line at the discount gas stations.
Because....
Their goal is apparently NOT to waste taxpayer dollars on attorney fees.
I mean, seriously? Gas prices rise astronomically and you're interested in trying to blame it on local distributors? Maybe we should get the bull out of the china shop before we worry about the flies that are following him.
Comprehensive? Drill here, drill now is not comprehensive.
It's myopic.
Hmm
I believe it said "The GOP bill would boost domestic oil drilling and promote alternative energy and conservation - a "use less, produce more" approach, Crapo said this week."
Hardly myopic. You can argue with the logic of drilling now vs. driving down oil costs now, but the idea is correct. Produce more=lower the price. Promote alternative energy sources=reduce dependence on oil. You cant lower the price while you develop alternatives if you don't produce what you need in the mean time.
The GOP
has been claiming to be "promoting" alternative energy for the last 6 years. Bush himself in a state of the union address claimed to want ot invest more in a hydrogen based infrastructure for our country, and all he has done is shovel money into the pockets of himself and his oil buddies. I don't trust the GOP to "promote" anything except for their own enrichment and the self interests of special interests. Not seeing this, is myopic.
Not seeing your point of view is myopic?
Of course, if Harry Reid had offered up this bill, you'd be calling it a "sensible solution to a national crisis".
No,
But turning a blind eye to the transgressions of the administration simply because of the "R" is extremely myopic. The only national crisis that offshore drilling is going to immediatly alleviate is the crisis of the CEO of exxon mobile not being quite as rich an arab oil shiek. Not accepting that drilling for more oil is not going to cure our dependance on oil is idiotic. That's like trying to cure alcoholism with vodka.
I think most people would be
I think most people would be on board with a comprehensive plan that promoted renewables and alternatives to oil on and equal level to more oil production. Fact is that we are not going to wean ourselves from oil over night, but we do need to start down that road fast and look to that future. Unfortunately, I don't think this "comprehensive bill" does that.
I wonder how many jobs Jackson has provided.
His drivers have always been at the top of the pay scale. His
store employees have a much better level of benefits than other
C-stores.
I have no doubt that Mr. Jackson has become very wealthy from
all of his TAKING RISK AND WORKING HARD. I congratulate him and
am grateful to have a dynamic company here in Idaho.
Has there ever been rumor that Jackson's could go public?
Boone Pickens
Boone Pickens has a better plan than any of those Washington
windbags.
Drill now, greatly expand wind energy NOW, use natural gas
for a lot of vehicles. Add in 150 new nuke plants and you
will send chills down the backs of Chavez and the Arabs.
That WILL lower prices.
This is the final nail in the coffin
The IdahoStatesman is the crappiest paper I've ever read. Quoting a gas-station owner is the final straw for me.
Crapo speaks out of both sides of his mouth
I wrote him saying no to drilling. He responded that alternatives must be considered. Of course he enjoyed a vacation in the Marianna Islands hosted by big oil.
ha!
I wrote him about a separate issue and got a canned response that didn't address my concern. I wrote again.. and got the same response. Not sure a real person even read either one. If they did, they just looked for a key word and punched out the standard answer.