steveross

Peak Oil: While Washington Sleeps...

First, gas will have a $5 per gallon consumtion ajuster. This money will be collected every month, devided by the number of drivers, then returned every month, preferably through direct deposit, to all drivers. The average drive will lay out, say $500 which they will get back at the end of the month. The driver who drives less than the average will lay out less money than they get back and effectively will be getting their gas for less than market. For those who say they cannot afford to pay for gas and groceries, by driving less they will save 3 ways. Using less gas, getting back more than they spend for gas, and a lower market price because of reduced consumption. For the average American, they will get back what the extra they pay but will also save from a lower market price for gas. The person who drives more than average will wind up paying for this, as they should, but will also benifit from the lower market price. YES, I realize there will have to be some considerations made for people who use their car for business.

This consumption adjustment shoud not only reduce the amount of miles the average person drives, but it will make alternative energy more competative since they will not have the consumption adjustment.

Secondly, there should be a mpg price adjustment attached to new car sales. Each year we can figure out the average mpg of the cars sold the year before. Then any car that has a lower mpg will have a surcharge, say $1,000 per mpg below the average. The money would then be given as a mpg discout on cars that get more than the average mpg, again say $1,000 per mpg above the average. Auto makers would not have any mandatory mpg that they would have to attain, but they will only stay in business if they can get their mpg up to or above the avarage. Instead of spending money on design, they would be compelled by good business sence to put all their effors into increasing mpg.

I realize there are some issues here along with more government, but this is one time that I think more government might be needed.