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55mph vs. Gas Tax
and i'm saying it won't work for a variety of reasons. anyway, if you want to make an immediate economic incentive to force people to drive slower (assuming the slight drop in speed is really worth it), don't use speed limits - put a tax on gas and tell everyone to conserve more.
I think we're looking at this slightly differently. Lowering the national speed limit would dramatically save gas, if it were followed. To your point, it won't work because people won't obey it. I agree with this. Even with posted speed limits of 65 and 75 people in non-aerodynamic cars are still racing at 90.
I don't think a gas tax would make a real difference. People are going to pay the price of gas regardless of what it is. After all - you need to get to work. The old "Sorry boss, I can't afford to come to work today," excuse won't last too long! Even if gas were taxed at a dollar a gallon, America would still have cheaper gas than many other places in the world. Good for our government's budget though!
You're right though, people won't slow down or cut back on usage until it really hits the wallet. What hits a wallet? Traffic fines. Speeding tickets. So boost the state troopers budget and have them enforce a lower speed limit. That creates jobs. Their efforts put money back into the state. The effect of their efforts reduces oil consumption. Reduced oil consumption lowers demand from the Middle East. Lower demand drops the price of oil.
This works great until China and India say, "fuck it all" and just burn up the surplus we've saved.
also, as high as the gas prices are, you know the oil companies are making a shitload - even the US ones.
True - but so what? They aren't in the oil business to be altruistic, they're in it for money. To put it into perspective, would you still work for your company if you were told that due to national interest, your services were being socialized and turned into a non-profit organization ... here's your paycut? So it's not really fair that consumers lambast the oil companies for turning a profit at rising prices. That's a sign that capitalism is alive and working.
It would be wise to pump your investment money into energy companies. Why? Because they are turning huge profits. And they know when their supply will exhaust and will be at the forefront of alternative sources ... energy investment is win-win for everyone. Let their "conspiracy dollars" become your dollars. Heck, when you buy gas, you're funding your own investment! They've made my investment portfolio fatten.
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RE: legislation is not always the answer
and i'm saying it won't work for a variety of reasons. anyway, if you want to make an immediate economic incentive to force people to drive slower (assuming the slight drop in speed is really worth it), don't use speed limits - put a tax on gas and tell everyone to conserve more. tax gas at ten cents per gallon or something, and have that tax go directly to government-sponsored energy research. that way, the future tech is also not in the hands of oil companies (who profit from maintaining the status quo).
also, as high as the gas prices are, you know the oil companies are making a shitload - even the US ones. was it texaco or someone that reported ridiculous gains a few quarters ago? actually - chevron was one of them yahoo article. note that this is the same thing that happened in 1973, during the "shortage." Time article from 1974
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