Author Topic: Does he have the Cajones... Will he do it? (Read 3198 times)

Hangtime · « **on:** April 22, 2006, 09:14:59 PM »

Seems there's a precedent for the president to cap gas prices... and limit big oil's profits.

"In 1941, President Roosevelt created the Office of Price Administration (OPA). Congress gave credence to this new governmental agency by passing the Emergency Price Control Act in 1942. The director of the OPA was given the authority to determine the price of a product that he determined to be “generally fair and equitable.” He also had the authority to sue corporations and retailers for damages if they violated the price limits. During the last year of World War II over 71,000 retailers were forced to pay $5.1 million for violating price limits.

Recent polls have shown that rising gasoline prices are one of the most pressing issues that the public wants President Bush to address. Similarly, in 1941 and 1942 polls showed that the public wanted the government to limit corporate profits and the prices of many commodities. Consequently, the OPA simply froze most prices in March 1942. When corporations and retailers attempted to skirt the OPA, President Roosevelt issued an executive order in October 1942 creating an Economic Stabilization Director for the nation.

The director was given the authority to set national prices for most items. And President Roosevelt made him responsible for preventing increases that were unnecessary and unfair. The executive order mandated that the Economic Stabilization Director’s office “…in fixing, reducing, or increasing prices, shall determine price ceilings in such a manner that profits are prevented which in his judgment are unreasonable or exorbitant.”

Today, oil companies would almost certainly complain that these governmental limitations on profits and prices violate their rights. Businessmen made the same objections in World War II. However, the Supreme Court disagreed. In the case of Yakus v. United States, the Court found in 1944 that the price limits were constitutional. The court ruled, “There is no principle of law or provision of the Constitution which precludes Congress from making criminal the violation of an administration regulation.”

When the war ended, the OPA and the Economic Stabilization Director were abolished. Not surprisingly, corporate profits soared. In the year following the end of World War II, consumer prices rose 67.4%. Clearly, one of the significant economic achievements by the Roosevelt administration in World War II was holding down prices, mainly by governmental controls."

http://www.pressaction.com/news/weblog/full_article/gerard04182006/

Question is... will he do it?

DiabloTX · « **Reply #1 on:** April 22, 2006, 09:19:13 PM »

Hang, ya know this thread's gonna get 'jacked, right?

As for me, no, he doesn't have the cajones to do it.

And not just for us "joe public" types either but for the people that have to drive or operate an internal combustion engined-machine for a living, i.e. big rigs, farmers, etc...

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #2 on:** April 22, 2006, 09:23:09 PM »

Nixon tried accross the board price controls. didn't work.

john9001 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 22, 2006, 09:23:45 PM »

FDR also rationed gas in WW2

price controls, gas rationing, you would think we were at war.

midnight Target · « **Reply #4 on:** April 22, 2006, 09:39:12 PM »

I think this falls under that idiotic Bush doctrine - We are at war so I need to do whatever it takes.... but you folks keep on acting like we're not.

Sixpence · « **Reply #5 on:** April 22, 2006, 09:53:21 PM »

Let the prices go up, then demand for alternative fuel sources will be higher than it is now. Alternative energy sources have made leaps and bounds the last ten years. Let the demand rise for alternative energy so entrepreneurs will work even harder to supply that demand. Let capitalism take it's course.

People complain about socialism, then complain that they are being gouged at the pump or at an event ticket office. If you don't like the price, don't buy it. As long as people are buying the big SUV and filling it, the price won't go down.

bj229r · « **Reply #6 on:** April 22, 2006, 10:22:04 PM »

Ya can't mess with supply and demand. When Ford and then Carter were president, gas was relatively cheap....and quite unavailable. If ya make it unprofitable to SELL gas, they won't SELL any. Only when Carter released price controls and let it float on the market did gas become available.

What I don't understand is that Liberals WANT us to use less gas... best way to accomplish that is high prices-- that has been their logic with cigarettes

Mr Big · « **Reply #7 on:** April 22, 2006, 10:47:13 PM »

If Bush followed FDR's policies to the letter, he'd be called "Hitler" by the left.

Leslie · « **Reply #8 on:** April 22, 2006, 11:05:56 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by midnight Target
I think this falls under that idiotic Bush doctrine - We are at war so I need to do whatever it takes.... but you folks keep on acting like we're not.

We are at war MT. And yes, whatever it takes to win.

Les

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #9 on:** April 23, 2006, 12:29:48 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Leslie
We are at war MT. And yes, whatever it takes to win.

As long as we do not lose ourselves in the process, I would have to agree.

Leslie · « **Reply #10 on:** April 23, 2006, 01:07:02 AM »

Loose ourselves??? What the hell does that mean?

Les

J_A_B · « **Reply #11 on:** April 23, 2006, 01:20:04 AM »

Hoping Bush will do something about the oil price gouging seems sort of like hoping the wolves will stop eating the hens. Remember what the guy used to do for a living. That's probably half the reason the oil companies are so emboldened these days--they know it's one of their own in the oval office.

Tragically, I still think he's better than Kerry would have been (not much though). ~300 million people in this country, and the Democrats had to nominate one of perhaps ten of them who was actually worse than GWB. Hopefully they'll be less retarded next time around. At this rate, we'd be better off with one of the "crash test dummies" as POTUS.

J_A_B

Yeager · « **Reply #12 on:** April 23, 2006, 04:56:30 AM »

the US has been a gas pig for 40 years. Guess what, other countries are expanding economically and are needing that gas that we consume for pleasure. So the gas companies are going to jack us up to ween us off our pleasure gas.

Im expecting gas to stabilize at around 3.75-4.00 regular unleaded for the rest of this decade. Unless there is a global war.

Jackal1 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 23, 2006, 05:07:17 AM »

Not but one thing wrong with that. When gas/fuel prices rise, every consumer item price rises also.

DiabloTX · « **Reply #14 on:** April 23, 2006, 05:09:44 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Jackal1
Not but one thing wrong with that. When gas/fuel prices rise, every consumer item price rises also.

So...if we boycot big oil....we boycot Wal*mart??

HELL YEAH I'M IN!!!!