How can the President NOT have any impact on gas prices? What is the Energy policy for then?

Question

I fail to see how two big oil men and one big oil woman who are all in the WH can't have any impact on the gas prices!

Answer 1

But the President does have an impact on gas prices. It's not as big as you might think, but it's there. The Pres determines whether to use or refill the Strategic Oil Reserve, he can advocate for tax law that helps or hurts the oil companies, he can decide whether oil companies should be investigated for price-gouging, he can support increases in minimum fuel economy for cars sold in the US, he can incent research into alternative fuels and green technologies.

The fact that Exxon stock is up 300% since 2000 and they have enjoyed record profits shows that the President DOES have an effect on gas prices.

Answer 2

There is basically no difference between the drug cartels in Mexico and the oil cartels of the Middle East. The Energy commission is to make sure this country doesn't really progress past using oil.

Drilling in Anwar would help but the environmental nazi's won't allow it so talk to them about gas prices. They also won't allow the building of more refineries. The only other way the gov't could help would be to not tax it. Ha ha.

Answer 3

An energy policy is of little use without legislation to back it up. President Bush's energy policy sought to expand research into renewable forms of energy, such as hydrogen power, and solar technology, in an effort to reduce our dependence on oil. The Congress, and all of the oil men and women there (shockingly, a lot of them are Democrats), prevented the President's energy policy from becoming the law.

The irony, of course, is that the Democrats were the ones who filibustered the energy policy, and now they are the ones who blame the White House for the outrageous energy prices...

Answer 4

If you remember back to the Clinton years, President Clinton came under attack from the right for gas prices. His response was loosening federal stockpiles and investigating oil companies. It seemed to work as I remember prices dropping to under a buck.

The president sets the tone. We were also sold on the idea that if president Bush's energy plan passed, it would be all free flowing oil for everyone. I heard many oil guys on the radio pushing just that. I knew it was a lie, and now everyone knows it too. The president sets the tone and the tone is greed. Mission accomplished.

Answer 5

Speaking as someone with a degree in economics, I can tell you that the price of gas will always be determined by supply and demand (the one law that cannot be broken). The energy policy of the US can do things that may increase the supply (like allow drilling in ANWAR, or reduce regulations on refineries, etc) or decrease demand (like mandate better MPG on new cars), but many real changes get tied up in Congress as special interests refuse to allow any meaningful changes. The silver lining is that higher prices will lead to things like more people deciding on cars with lower MPG, increased viability of alternative energy (due to a better ability to compete on a price basis), and overall people making choices to save energy. In short, high gas prices are an environmentalists wet dream.

Answer 6

Candidate Ron Paul said one of the first departments he would get rid of is the Department of Energy. There, put your vote to good use and vote for someone who will bring REAL changes to our country even if he only manages to do 10% of what he campaigns for.

Answer 7

Because there are billions of dollars that are needed for the American military, this must be the way the the Government uses all that gas money.

Answer 8

Back in 2000, Bush said, "If I were the president, I would get on the phone to our friends in Saudi Arabia and tall them to open up the taps".

Instead, Cheney held secret energy policy meetings in which the energy companies, including crime syndicates like Enron, dictated Bush's energy policy. Cheney later claimed "executive privilege" and openly bribed Antonin Scalia to keep the truth about those meetings from the American public. He has since claimed he isn't part of the Executive branch.

Just a few of the many thousands of lies which followed from the most dishonest, deluded regime in America's history.

Answer 9

They don't. The US department of energy has always been a totally useless bureaucracy. Any economist will tell you prices are controlled by markets. With inadequate supply, and increasing demand, prices go up.

Answer 10

Then take a class. sigh......