Can you say $4 a gallon gas?
August 28, 2005 05:14 PM PST
Lousiana has 17 active refineries, producing about 16% of America's fuel.


Total American refinery capacity utilization was at 93% in 2004.


American refineries are now operating at 97% capacity, processing 17 million barrels of oil a day (American consumes 20.6 million barrels of oil a day.)


If Katrina takes refinery capacity off-line, the effect at the pump will be immediate. Ther is no more capacity available to up output within the counry. Shortfalls will have to be made up from imported gasoline suppliers. They are unlikely to be moved by complaints of gauging from American congressmen.


At this point Americans may ask why no new refinery has been built in the United States since 1976. (There is one on the drawing board for Yuma, Arizona.)


There were 315 refineries operating in the United States in 1981. There are 144 operating today.


BTW: 25% of American oil and natural gas production comes from off-shore drilling in the Gulf. No word yet on Katrina's impact on those operations.


Bottom line: High gasoline prices are the result of decisions made by legislators. It is that simple. Congressmen decided to put in place the laws that have led to these prices, and to the higher ones ahead. They have chosen to cripple refinery construction and domestic oil exploration.


The "they," by the way, are overwhelmingly Democrats. Not exclusively. There are a handful of Republicans who don't mind you paying $3 a gallon and more, soon to be $4 a gallon.


But the vast majority of Republicans want to make new refinery construction easier, and new oil exploration --beginning in ANWR-- lawful.


In fact, the ANWR vite will be coming up soon. You may want to call your elected representatives and ask how they will be voting and what they will be doing to get new refineries under construction.


The Congressional switchboard: 202-225-3121
The previous article is from Hugh Hewitts blog- call the number above and tell them how you feel.

"We no longer deal in facts. We deal in talk radio. You've heard of talk radio, right? That's the game in which one idiot tries to say something more outrageous than the previous idiot."
"We deal in the blog world, too. Blogs are computer bulletin boards in which dweebs have the freedom to say anything about anyone. They talk tough, too, because it's safe and anonymous."

The main stream media, throwing out garbage that the american people have had to sift through over the last 25 years in hopes of finding a thread of truth to live on.
We make news the old fashion way, we churn it. This should be their slogan. It sure does appear to me that they churn and churn until they come up with a concoction that fits their sleazey, left leaning, liberal thinking and spew it out to the general public as if it is the truth. "And thats the way it is" or was it? Isn't that how ol' Walter use to sign off.
They are certainly reaching new lows even today. The NEW YORK TIMES is at it again. Check out the following;
NY TIMES INVESTIGATES ADOPTION RECORDS OF SUPREME COURT NOMINEE'S CHILDREN Drudge Report — Posted 6 hours ago — Permalink The NEW YORK TIMES is looking into the adoption records of the children of Supreme Court Nominee John G. Roberts, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. The TIMES has investigative reporter Glen Justice hot on the case to investigate the status of adoption records of Judge Roberts' two young children, Josie age 5 and Jack age 4, a top source reveals.

Ain't that a shame?