Reduced demand could lower prices at pump

EXXON, page 3

Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative organization

Past windfall profit taxes have been unsuccessful. The last WPT was in place from 1980-1988 and caused a decrease in the expansion of domestic energy supplies and forced companies to import more oil from outside sources.

These and other unintended consequences are some of the reasons lawmakers and economists have been cautious implementing these measures again.

Heiberger also said, “Could you argue that they should cut their price for gas at the pump?

Yes. But what would be the effect? In the short run, you and I would save some money but it would not solve the real problemgrowing demand. As world demand grows, the prices will continue to rise. The answer is fuel efficiency.”

So, it seems the best answer to lower prices at the pump may be areduction in demand for oil. While big oil company profits are hard for most Americans to swallow,imposing economic limitations on them may not be the answer to lowering gas prices. As President Bush pointed out in his State of the Union address recently; Americans may have to work on their fuel efficiency rather than simply rallying against big oil companies like Exxon.

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TUNOMUKWATHI ASINO ASST.EVENTS EDITOR TA725@CABRINI EDU

Google has declined a federal government’s subpoena to turn over records of its users’search queries. Asubpoena was issued, which AOL, MSM and Yahoo have agreed to while Google has refused, saying that it will result in the violation of people’s privacy. The subpoena is part of the federal government’s plan to fight child pornography.

At Cabrini College, students and staff are divided on whether Google should comply with the subpoena or not.

Dr. Rocco Paolucci is an associate professor and chairman of information science and technology department at Cabrini. Paolucci voiced his opinion of the matter.

“When government casts a ‘wide-net’trying to fish for specific child pornography information accessed through search engines, they might also find unrelated information that could be used for other reasons without anyone knowing about it,” Paolucci said.

Paolucci said, “If the government is really interested in going after child pornography and its consumers, they should go after those web-sites that host child pornography and those who visit them, although this could be technologically challenging.”

Dr.Bobbi Jacquet, director of the library, does not feel that Google should comply with the subpoena. Jacquet relayed that she was speaking in her personal capacity and not on behalf of the library or the college. “I want to applaud Google for resisting the subpoena,” Jacquet said. She feels that the government is getting too much information. “I have an unlisted phone number, people can get it without permission.”

Jacquet does not feel that the subpoena will help control pornography. “If there are people that want pornography, they will get it. Not that I am advocating for pornography.”

Anne Schwelm, coordinator of information access and user services, believes that Google has different motivations than protecting people’s privacy. “Personally, I feel that Google’s refusal to answer the subpoena is not so much that they want to protect people’s privacy but rather that they want to protect their own technology,” Schwelm said.

She also said,“I have to question the ethics of a company which turns over its data and servers to China and then refuses to comply with a U.S government’s subpoena. Google seems to have no qualms about complying with a totalitarian government but won’tdo the same for the democratic society in which they operate. If the subpoena is intended to prevent child pornography, which is a crime—why not agree to prevent that crime.”

At Cabrini College, students were not well-informed about the subpoena. However, most support the idea of the government monitoring internet servers but not monitoring what they search on the internet.

Dominick DiMarzio, a senior political science major,feels that search engines should be monitored because pornography is, “messing up people, and giving them a false perception about the way people are.” DiMarzio said that he did not like the idea of the government monitoring people’s searches.

Andy Culp, a senior political science major,feels that it’s an infringement on people’s privacy. “It’sunfair,” Culp said. He feels that the subpoena will not help fight stop pornography because, “there are people that search for pornography and do not care with what is going on.”

Kristen Longa, a junior education major, feels that pornography should be monitored, “because there are parts of the body that should not be seen.” Longa did not care whether what she was searching was being monitored.

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