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August 25, 2005

Boneheads

You live on a frickin' island. An island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. You're so far out you can't even make a map of the U.S.. They give you a little 'Hawaii' box, for God's sake! Things have to go thousands of miles BY BOAT to get to you. That costs more money than a freight train to Topeka or a semi to Sioux City. And why it cost us lots of money if we want to fly to your island (ISLAND!!) to spend our money. So STFU. Ride a bike, paddle an outrigger. Because you're going to be the first ones screaming when no one can afford to send your dumba$$es any oil.

Hawaii sets caps on wholesale gas prices
Some analysts warn move may spur supply problems
HONOLULU - In an effort to gain some control over what motorists pay at the pump, Hawaii on Wednesday became the first state in the U.S. to set caps on the wholesale price of gasoline.

The 2004 law authorizing the caps was intended to force Hawaii's two refiners, Chevron Corp. and Tesoro Corp., to set their wholesale prices closer to mainland rates. Proponents of the law said the refiners were taking advantage of the small, isolated market to charge exorbitant prices.


(And from the prices I see in the background of the photo AND in the text, I know people in California would be happier than dog schnoodles to pay $2.76 a gallon. So STFU and quit being stupid.)

Posted by tree hugging sister at August 25, 2005 03:33 PM

Comments

Perhaps they'll cut a side deal with the other box state for some oil on the side.

"Give to me Alaska. Give to me with plenty of lube."

Awww. That was nasty. Sorry. Well, no, I'm not sorry.

Posted by: Cullen at August 25, 2005 04:02 PM

"happier than dog schnoodles"? That's exactly what I paid yesterday and I was not one bit happy.

Posted by: Ken Summers at August 25, 2005 04:22 PM

BTW, does the law actually require the companies to provide gasoline? I see a very easy way out for them if they don't want to sell at the mandated prices.

Posted by: Ken Summers at August 25, 2005 04:23 PM

The only surprising thing is that they didn't limit the low prices to ethnic Hawaiians. They tend to do things like that.

Posted by: Ken Summers at August 25, 2005 04:25 PM

(Oh yeah they do! What's up with thht crap?!)

Posted by: tree hugging sister at August 25, 2005 05:09 PM

Oh, I understand how the come up with that crap. What I don't understand is how they get away with it (you know, Constitution and such).

Posted by: Ken Summers at August 25, 2005 09:33 PM

Um, they CAN'T get away with that. They've been repeatedly sued and smacked down about shit like that, as even the Ninth Circuit recognizes blatant violations of Equal Protection (most of the time).

Posted by: Dave J at August 25, 2005 11:00 PM

Theay actually have two refineries. That's really nice for a state that small. This is the quickest way to shut down those refineries that I know of. Then they will have to paddle their outriggers to the mainland for gas. Paying for gas refined on the mainland is going to be a heck of a lot more expensive than refining the crude before it had to make a trip somewhere else. I mean, they must have tankers come in straight from the Gulf to feed those refineries. Add the expense of a trip to a US refinery and a trip back with the gas, and they'll long for the days of $3.00 per gallon prices.

Posted by: John at August 26, 2005 07:02 AM

Exactly my thoughts, John. What kind of goombas are running that dept? These are global market forces, not petty decisions by the plant managers at the refineries. ("Ooooh! We need an extra $50,000 this week! Jack up the gas another penny!")

Boneheads.

Posted by: tree hugging sister at August 26, 2005 10:01 AM

Yet another example of the ignorance of practical economics by clueless politicians.

Posted by: The Real JeffS at August 26, 2005 10:10 AM

Now JEB and the bunch here did do something last summer that was futile, but impacted no one but state revenues. They suspended the state portion of the gas taxes for a month. Nice gesture. I think the state lost $60 million and then got smacked by Ivan the next month. But it was still a nice gesture.

Can't see them doing it this year.

Posted by: tree hugging sister at August 26, 2005 10:17 AM

Hawiian Pols Do a Favor for Economics Professors

The silver lining around this politically induced foolishness is that it makes the teaching of economics easier.

I taught my first economics class in the Fall of 1982. All of my students then clearly remembered the gasoline shortage of the summer of 1979 -- the long lines, the five-gallon-maximum purchases, the anxiety of not knowing even if you could find a station selling gasoline, and the crazy rationing schemes (such as selling on some days of the week only to motorists whose license tags ended in even numbers, and on other days of the week only to motorists whose license tags ended in odd numbers).

Because my students in the early- and mid-1980s experienced first-hand and recollected all too well the palpable and highly unpleasant effects of oil-price controls, my job of teaching economics was then easier than it is today, when students have no experiences with, or memories of, any such absurd regulations.

So, while I pity poor Hawaiian motorists, I'll have lots of good, modern pictures of queues at gasoline stations to share with my students -- making my task of teaching the consequences of price controls easier than it would be otherwise.

Posted by: nobrainer at August 26, 2005 12:22 PM