Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is calling for a special session to deal with rising energy prices:
“On energy issues, it has been a do-nothing legislative session,” Blumenthal said Thursday.
“Consumers should be appalled and angry that their legislators have failed to debate or vote, let alone approve, a single significant energy proposal. Inertia and inaction are not an option. As gasoline and electricity prices soar, we are driving jobs and businesses out of our state. Nothing will be done to fix this failed energy system until 2007 unless there is a special session. I hope the governor will join in providing leadership to accomplish the goal of energy rate relief and reform,” Blumenthal said. (Stuart)
However, the New Haven Independent is reporting that Senate Democratic leaders Donald Williams and Martin Looney see "no reason" for a special session (Bass). So it looks like nothing will get done on energy issues this year, which is a shame.
I'm forced to wonder why the attorney general is holding press conferences and calling for special legislative sessions. If he really wanted to influence Connecticut's energy policies, he could have, say, run for governor.
In any event, here's a poll on the legislative session. How do you think they did?
5 comments:
I'm not really sure what Connecticut's legislature could do to drive down fuel prices. Does Connecticut have any refineries? (I don't think so, but I'm not sure). Anyway, the state has basically no influence on the NY Mercantile Exchange price of unleaded fuel. The only things it can possibly influence are the taxes, and perhaps have some regulation about zone pricing.
It could drop fuel taxes somewhat, and a state as small as Connecticut shouldn't have taxes that are significantly higher than the neighboring states. We aren't Colorado, and a significant chunk of our state lives near the border, and can go over the border. More importantly, people travelling up 95, which is about 100 miles in length, will probably wait to RI to buy gas if they're northbound, or will fill up in RI if they're southbound. (Several truck companies have a policy in place that forbids their drivers from filling up in CT). However, we need taxes to pay for roads, and it seems fair that the drivers of the cars and trucks should pay for the roads...
The zone pricing thing I believe gets significantly more blame than it's probably responsible for. First, if the wholesale price were the same for all stations in the state, stations in lower Fairfield county would almost certainly have to charge more to pay for the higher rent and labor costs. Second, I have not seen any indication that every gasoline company implements zone pricing. Getty often has lower prices than other stations: do they zone price? It would be quite easy for an independent gas station to achieve significant sales in Fairfield county by undercutting the zone pricing biggies.
Some of the other things being advocated on this board have been proven wrong time and time again. Price controls on gasoline? Forget about it. Will never happen, and if it did, and oil companies couldn't make a profit, they wouldn't sell gas in the state. What would prevent people from RI, MA and NY from coming over to buy our cheaper gas? Why would the gas companies keep supplying gas at a loss?
Windfall profits tax. On the state level? Would the local franchises pay this tax? What would prevent the oil companies from raising their prices to compensate? (This would send some over the border, but then those profits wouldn't be subject to the windfall tax).
As far as electric power goes, isn't a substantial portion of this state's energy needs met by our importing power from other states and from Quebec? Do you think that if any power company, state-owned or investor-owned, decided they would build a power plant (natural gas, coal, or nuclear) in Fairfield County, that the locals wouldn't go completely nuts? I mean, they practically went ballistic when CL&P first proposed the Norwalk-Bethel interlink.
Let's face it, CT imports most of its energy needs. That makes it hard for us to really do much.
GC,
Another CT. Kid is Dead Because of the ineptitude of the Republican Administration,Republican Congressional cowardice and the complicity of Democrats like Joe Lieberman and there's not one word about this wonderful 20 yr old kid on this blog.
Seems shameful to me.
Bruce,
It's much more than that.Just look at A Different Anonymous (No! Really!) reaction.
He and his ilk were wrong about everything for the last 6 yrs and what really goads him is all those "tree hugging,'Merican hating liberals" were right about every goddam thing they said we were wrong on.
The American people have figured it out and thats why W's newest Diapproval #s are 65%. Republicans Like A Different Anonymous (No! Really!) still hold G Gordan Liddy in Higher esteem than John Dean and have always put loyalty to a man over loyalty to principle and always end up indignant when proven to be foolish and small.
A Different Anonymous (No! Really!) is angry because he doesn't want the Iraq War or the consequences of it discussed here or anywhere else because it shows him for the fool he was and is and I totally undersand that.
Dear A Different Anonymous (No! Really!),
Thanks for admitting you were wrong.It's a good start for your recovery.
The Next step is Admitting that the extremists were the ones who got this country into this mess not the ones who told you what was coming and were proved correct over time.
GC... I can't read comments on any of your current blogs. I only got to this one when I googled some old stuff. But it's been this way for a few hours at least... that is... i can get to your home page, but when i click on the "comments," I just get sent to the top of the homepage. I can neither get to read the comments nor post any comments. You may want to check it. By the way... congrats on the grant. You're getting noticed. I got a call from the Wtby Rep-Am tonight. They're doing a story on blogging.
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