Sunday, September 14, 2008

On Pencils and Gasoline


George Will read an interesting book and gives it a glowing review here.



It would be a good thing if the folks charging gas station operators with gouging this morning understood the way a market system allocates goods, but that's probably too much to ask. Hereabouts we are almost totally dependent on a single gasoline pipeline to supply our fuel. That pipeline can be full but if nothing goes into it from the gulf coast area refineries nothing will come out up here. Many stations in our area are already out of gasoline in their underground tanks. Nothing is coming out of the Colonial pipeline because the refineries are shut down half way across America. Originally it was said that the refiners would be operating by today or tomorrow. Now, however, that might be a tad optimistic. So, there's a good possibility there won't be any gasoline at any price around here soon. And the condition could last for quite a while.
For more than 30 years we've been blocked from building oil refineries in this country by the green lobby. Heck, it goes back to the time when the environment was called the ecology. I'm sure that the enviros will find a way to blame Buscheneypalinmccain for our fuel problems this week. Will the electorate ask for more tree-hugging energy policy in the US Congress and White House come November? Not if they understand that "No one can make a pencil"... or a gallon of gasoline at their local station for that matter. I will not hold my breath.