In a post Monday, I had at candidate Kerry for his campaign blathering about gasoline prices. I suggested the repeal of the 18.4-cent/gallon federal gas tax. In a comment, Jaws of JawsBlog suggested that part of the cost was due to “the myriad of environmental rules regarding refining of the fuel.”
This is from a Reuters piece dated this (Wednesday) evening:
[Deputy Energy Secretary Kyle] McSlarrow noted that retail gasoline prices have soared to a record $1.76 per gallon, in part because of the large number of specialized gasoline blends required to meet various air pollution rules in U.S. cities.“There’s no question in mind that that’s a huge part of the problem,'’ he said.
We see the problem. Both Bush and Kerry see the answer as federalizing fuel composition requirements, so that different compositions are required to meet different standards in the several States. And California and New York have applied for exemption to the federal clean-air regs this summer, but that probably won’t happen.
McSlarrow says that we need Congress to pass an energy bill to make things better, but the White House will pursue “any short-term things that can be done.”
The answer is much simpler, except for the special interests who will fight for every last regulation and standard and more, and the government officials themselves who will fight for every 46-cents/gallon for $2.50 gasoline.
