Our governor wants to lower the price we charge for our oil at the same time that oil and gas prices are going up because of decreased supply and increasing demand. From a free market point of view, this is unsound.
The oil companies make this seem rational by calling the price we charge for our oil a “tax.” Changing “price” to “tax” is nothing but a deceptive trick in language used to fool the citizens of this great state into opposing their own self interest.
At the same time, it has been revealed that the two oil refineries in the state of Alaska are overcharging us for gasoline made from our own oil simply because there is no law against price gouging.
The people of the state of Alaska should be benefitting from this surge in price rather than having to sacrifice for the benefit of oil companies which will overcharge for their product regardless of what we may do. With prices rising, they are not about to stop exploring and drilling just because we ask for a fair price. And we should call it just that; not a tax on their oil, but a price we charge for our oil.
Don Poling