Topic: Capitalism

Gas prices: Consumers driving the pain

By James Butler | March 26, 2008 |

As of March 24 2008 the cheapest listed price of gasoline available in Clarksville was $3.08 per gallon for regular grade unleaded (courtesy of TennesseeGasPrices.com) with the indication that, for at least the moment, prices can be expected to remain stable. With the price of oil estimated at approximately $101 per barrel at the current moment, one gallon of gasoline costs approximately $2.61 to produce (figures courtesy of Bloomberg MarketData), meaning that there is a 15.26% profit margin being split amongst the relevant parties (and here we thought they were out to get us with unfair profit margins). Unfortunately for the rest of us, prices are likely to continue to increase for the foreseeable future for a variety of reasons which producers are largely powerless to stop. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Business, Issues | No Comments

Eminent Domain: The continued assault

By James Butler | December 18, 2007 |

Clarksville citizens are certainly up in arms over the proposed Clarksville Center Redevelopment plan, and with good reason. The plan designates large portions of the downtown area as “blighted” (whatever that means) and therefore subject to eminent domain takings. Sadly, unless the council is convinced to repeal or amend the ordinance authorizing the plan there is not much anyone can do to stop such takings.

The Tennessee Code, Constitution, and at least theoretically the United States Constitution provide that private property may only be taken for ‘public use’ and then only after ‘just compensation’ has been given. The Tennessee Code theoretically should prohibit the proposed action, except for the minor problem that theory is fine and well, but as written the title does absolutely nothing to affect the actual eminent domain power with its list of exceptions and lack of definitions of the key terms involved. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues, Opinion, Politics | 3 Comments