Overview of Snake Oil Policy, or another look at energy bills pending in Congress
Need a rundown of the energy policy bills before Congress? At least one man's view?
Ben Lieberman, a senior policy analyst at the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, has comments worth reading and debating. Basically he says:
- Oil rationing would raise the price of oil to unprecedented levels.
- Requiring 4-billion gallons of corn-based ethanol in 2006 gas supplies was a "disaster."
- "Agriculture pork" is a common theme among many proposed alternative fuel mandates.
- Windfall profits tax is the worst of any Carter-era energy ideas being resurrected.
- Price controls and price-gouging laws will make matters worse
- Raising CAFE means the federal government will dictate vehicle choice.
- The off-shore drilling bill is promising.
Lieberman doesn't mention any good bills before Congress, just criticizes his favorites.
[Source: TCS Daily]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Howard Lee Harkness 12:56PM (9/12/2006)
While some of Lieberman's ideas are on the right track, he is mostly for increasing the use of domestic fossil fuels, which is exactly what we don't need.
While increasing domestic supplies of fossil fuel might accomplish sending less money to people that hate us, it's not the best approach. We need truly renewable energy (as opposed to the pseudo-green ethanol, and positively stupid hydrogen), so that we can also work toward leaving a habitable planet for our grandchildren.
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