Letters to the Editor: Is anyone surprised that oil refineries are leaving California?

To the editor: With regard to your article (“Newsom’s push to reduce fossil fuels is clashing with California’s thirst for gasoline,” Aug. 11), why are Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic members of the state Legislature surprised?

The Legislature passes bills that primarily are intended to score points and do more to harass oil companies than they do to reduce air pollution. Newsom applauds these political bills and urges them to pass more.

Many years ago, Democrats in the Legislature pretended to be petroleum engineers and designed a funky political kind of gasoline not used by the other 49 states. This political gasoline is the only kind allowed to be sold in California. It is more costly to make and can only be made by oil refineries modified at great expense.

When oil companies charge more for this extra-cost gasoline, Newsom accuses them of price gouging. If California cannot find oil refiners outside the U.S. who are willing to modify their refineries to make “California-only” gasoline, and who are willing to put up with the state government's false acquisitions and harassment, some owners of gasoline-powered cars will have to relearn their childhood skills at riding bicycles.

Gordon Binder, Pasadena

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To the editor: All this Sturm und Drang over the closing of two refineries in California is misplaced. Any serious study of market trends would conclude that the end of internal combustion will be as soon as 2035, a mere decade from now. Instead of telling readers that a reduction in oil refining is going to cause price increases because of a scarcity of gasoline, point them in the direction of getting off of gas entirely by switching to an electric vehicle.

Americans buy more than 40,000 new cars — about 3,300 of them are EVs — every single day on average. The cheapest gas car is a basic econobox from Nissan for about $17,000. That much money will buy you an excellent used EV that will serve you better without polluting the air or supporting oil companies. And since you aren’t buying gas, demand goes down, reducing the need to raise prices.

I’d like to see California use the talents of our film industry to produce commercials that dissuade folks from buying new gas cars. Reduce demand for gas cars and we’ll get to the end of internal combustion sooner than later.

Paul Scott, Santa Monica

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.