[Rick Lee]

[QUOTE=speeder;4109014]So what you are saying is that the big oil companies are presently holding back on what they could be charging for their product, simply because of the tax-breaks and royalty-free leases that the U.S. tax-payer provides them(??) QUOTE]

Do you doubt for one second that the price we pay will jump overnight if these "subsidies" go away? If not, then you're admitting that WE are the ones being subsidized, aka we are paying less for gas because of them. Oil companies will get their 8-10% margin either way. Again, I don't have a problem with removing these tax breaks or charging more for the leases, etc., but only because I'd like for folks to realize we're the ones being subsidized.