The Week

The election contest is shifting into high gear and the race is neck and neck: Carter—19 per cent; inflation— 18.5 per cent. Discounting the reliability of percentages, Carter is reportedly in a feisty mood. Asked if the strong showing of inflation concerns him, Carter shot back, “I’ll whip its ass.” He did, however, promise not to make depression an election year issue.

Heritage Foundation energy analyst Milton Copulos says the same DOE regulations that produced last summer’s gasoline shortage are still, er, working. So look for a shortage of home heating oil this winter unless we are saved by a mild or late winter. It is not that we don’t have enough fuel—just that it is in the wrong place. DOE has it concentrated in primary storage at the refineries where it can keep tabs on it. Consequently, at the delivery level dealers’ tanks were 27 per cent full as of September 1 compared to 63 per cent full on the same date last year. It takes time to deliver the fuel to the hinterlands, and winter may get there first.

Featured Tags

Religious Persecution

Ted Kennedy

The election contest is shifting into high gear and the race is neck and neck: Carter—19 per cent; inflation— 18.5 per cent. Discounting the reliability of percentages, Carter is reportedly in a feisty mood. Asked if the strong showing of inflation concerns him, Carter shot back, “I’ll whip its ass.” He did, however, promise not to make depression an election year issue.

Heritage Foundation energy analyst Milton Copulos says the same DOE regulations that produced last summer’s gasoline shortage are still, er, working. So look for a shortage of home heating oil this winter unless we are saved by a mild or late winter. It is not that we don’t have enough fuel—just that it is in the wrong place. DOE has it concentrated in primary storage at the refineries where it can keep tabs on it. Consequently, at the delivery level dealers’ tanks were 27 per cent full as of September 1 compared to 63 per cent full on the same date last year. It takes time to deliver the fuel to the hinterlands, and winter may get there first.