More California insanity

[T. A. Gardner]

California regulated and taxed the Valero refinery in Benicia into closure. The company owning it has said it can no longer justify keeping the facility open due to operating costs. It's expected, along with other refinery closures to raise California's gasoline prices to the neighborhood of $8 a gallon due to in-state lack of refining capacity.

So, now, the state of California recognizing what a fucking political and economic disaster they've created wants to step in and broker a deal to find a buyer for this refinery to keep it open and operating.

Another short-sighted political fuck up by the Progressive Left putting their insane political agenda ahead of reality and economic common sense.

Exclusive: In rare move, California steps in to find buyer for Valero refinery to avoid closure, sources say

California government officials are trying to find a buyer for Valero Energy's Benicia refinery near San Francisco, three sources familiar with the matter said, an unusual effort as the clock ticks down on the company's planned closure of the facility in April.

www.reuters.com

In Rare Move, California Steps in to Find Buyer for Valero Refinery to Avoid Closure, Sources Say - Energy News, Top Headlines, Commentaries, Features & Events - EnergyNow.com

(Reuters) - California government officials are trying to find a buyer for Valero Energy’s Benicia refinery near San Francisco, three sources familiar with the matter said, an unusual effort as the clock ticks down on the company’s planned closure of the facility in April. The rare attempt by a...

energynow.com

https://pgjonline.com/news/2025/july/california-steps-in-to-prevent-valero-refinery-closure-avert-fuel-shock

 

[Ross Dolan]

California regulated and taxed the Valero refinery in Benicia into closure. The company owning it has said it can no longer justify keeping the facility open due to operating costs. It's expected, along with other refinery closures to raise California's gasoline prices to the neighborhood of $8 a gallon due to in-state lack of refining capacity.

So, now, the state of California recognizing what a fucking political and economic disaster they've created wants to step in and broker a deal to find a buyer for this refinery to keep it open and operating.

Another short-sighted political fuck up by the Progressive Left putting their insane political agenda ahead of reality and economic common sense.

Exclusive: In rare move, California steps in to find buyer for Valero refinery to avoid closure, sources say

California government officials are trying to find a buyer for Valero Energy's Benicia refinery near San Francisco, three sources familiar with the matter said, an unusual effort as the clock ticks down on the company's planned closure of the facility in April.

www.reuters.com

In Rare Move, California Steps in to Find Buyer for Valero Refinery to Avoid Closure, Sources Say - Energy News, Top Headlines, Commentaries, Features & Events - EnergyNow.com

(Reuters) - California government officials are trying to find a buyer for Valero Energy’s Benicia refinery near San Francisco, three sources familiar with the matter said, an unusual effort as the clock ticks down on the company’s planned closure of the facility in April. The rare attempt by a...

energynow.com

https://pgjonline.com/news/2025/july/california-steps-in-to-prevent-valero-refinery-closure-avert-fuel-shock

Yeah...California should take lessons from right-wing America on how to run a state. After all, the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee...are mostly run by the right wing...and look how great they are compared with California. California, for the record, is the US state with an economy so robust, strong, and high...that only three COUNTRIES in the world are ranked higher.

You have got to be shitting, TA. Give it up.

 

[Tbird19482]

Yeah...California should take lessons from right-wing America on how to run a state. After all, the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee...are mostly run by the right wing...and look how great they are compared with California. California, for the record, is the US state with an economy so robust, strong, and high...that only three COUNTRIES in the world are ranked higher.

You have got to be shitting, TA. Give it up.

And most of the states you listed all depend on the money they get from the federal government to run their state and most of that money comes from Blue states like CA and NY.

 

[Lionfish]

Yeah...California should take lessons from right-wing America on how to run a state. After all, the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee...are mostly run by the right wing...and look how great they are compared with California. California, for the record, is the US state with an economy so robust, strong, and high...that only three COUNTRIES in the world are ranked higher.

You have got to be shitting, TA. Give it up.

That Depends frankie. Tell us all something positive, other than the weather, where CA excels.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

Yeah...California should take lessons from right-wing America on how to run a state. After all, the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee...are mostly run by the right wing...and look how great they are compared with California. California, for the record, is the US state with an economy so robust, strong, and high...that only three COUNTRIES in the world are ranked higher.

You have got to be shitting, TA. Give it up.

They haven't pissed away an incredible economy. Think how much greater in wealth California could be if it still had all the industry it used to have before regulating and taxing it out of existence. Just like Detroit and Michigan's auto industry, the Left--Democrats--milked their cash cow to death and now they're trying to figure out why everything's fucked up.

 

[Hawkeye10]

I think I am right in saying that unlike with natural gas CA does not have the ability to import much refined product because there are no pipelines. Shipping it from WA does not work because up here we barely have enough capacity for ourselves.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

And most of the states you listed all depend on the money they get from the federal government to run their state and most of that money comes from Blue states like CA and NY.

Actually, this is a simplistic lie. "Studies" on this simply lump all federal funding, regardless of use, into one pile to get that answer. When you parse out stuff that isn't selective to the state like national parks, military spending, and the like, what you get is states like New York, California, or Illinois being the ones taking the lion's share of social-welfare spending.

What you are doing is parroting the Left wanting to hide social-welfare spending behind a smokescreen of general overall spending.

 

[Trumpet]

California regulated and taxed the Valero refinery in Benicia into closure. The company owning it has said it can no longer justify keeping the facility open due to operating costs. It's expected, along with other refinery closures to raise California's gasoline prices to the neighborhood of $8 a gallon due to in-state lack of refining capacity.

So, now, the state of California recognizing what a fucking political and economic disaster they've created wants to step in and broker a deal to find a buyer for this refinery to keep it open and operating.

Another short-sighted political fuck up by the Progressive Left putting their insane political agenda ahead of reality and economic common sense.

Exclusive: In rare move, California steps in to find buyer for Valero refinery to avoid closure, sources say

California government officials are trying to find a buyer for Valero Energy's Benicia refinery near San Francisco, three sources familiar with the matter said, an unusual effort as the clock ticks down on the company's planned closure of the facility in April.

www.reuters.com

In Rare Move, California Steps in to Find Buyer for Valero Refinery to Avoid Closure, Sources Say - Energy News, Top Headlines, Commentaries, Features & Events - EnergyNow.com

(Reuters) - California government officials are trying to find a buyer for Valero Energy’s Benicia refinery near San Francisco, three sources familiar with the matter said, an unusual effort as the clock ticks down on the company’s planned closure of the facility in April. The rare attempt by a...

energynow.com

https://pgjonline.com/news/2025/july/california-steps-in-to-prevent-valero-refinery-closure-avert-fuel-shock

"California regulated and taxed the Valero refinery in Benicia into closure."
Where did you get this????

 

[T. A. Gardner]

I tried (https://www.reuters.com/sustainabil...efinery-avoid-closure-sources-say-2025-07-23/[/URL]) and this is what I got:

​

We can't find that page​

The page may have moved, or the address may have been entered incorrectly.

Try using the navigation to find stories of interest, or browse our latest stories.

Exclusive: In rare move, California steps in to find buyer for Valero refinery to avoid closure, sources say

California government officials are trying to find a buyer for Valero Energy's Benicia refinery near San Francisco, three sources familiar with the matter said, an unusual effort as the clock ticks down on the company's planned closure of the facility in April.

www.reuters.com

Exclusive: In rare move, California steps in to find buyer for Valero refinery to avoid closure, sources say​

By Nicole Jao, David French and Shariq Khan
July 23, 20252:54 PM MSTUpdated July 23, 2025

NEW YORK, July 23 (Reuters) - California government officials are trying to find a buyer for Valero Energy's (VLO.N), opens new tab Benicia refinery near San Francisco, three sources familiar with the matter said, an unusual effort as the clock ticks down on the company's planned closure of the facility in April.
The rare attempt by a state government to broker the sale of privately-owned infrastructure reflects its growing concerns over protecting fuel supplies in the most populous U.S. state and keeping a lid on prices, where California's nearly 28 million drivers already pay among the highest prices for gasoline in the country.

I'm not going to quote the entire article, however.

 

[Trumpet]

Exclusive: In rare move, California steps in to find buyer for Valero refinery to avoid closure, sources say

California government officials are trying to find a buyer for Valero Energy's Benicia refinery near San Francisco, three sources familiar with the matter said, an unusual effort as the clock ticks down on the company's planned closure of the facility in April.

www.reuters.com

Exclusive: In rare move, California steps in to find buyer for Valero refinery to avoid closure, sources say​

By Nicole Jao, David French and Shariq Khan
July 23, 20252:54 PM MSTUpdated July 23, 2025

NEW YORK, July 23 (Reuters) - California government officials are trying to find a buyer for Valero Energy's (VLO.N), opens new tab Benicia refinery near San Francisco, three sources familiar with the matter said, an unusual effort as the clock ticks down on the company's planned closure of the facility in April.
The rare attempt by a state government to broker the sale of privately-owned infrastructure reflects its growing concerns over protecting fuel supplies in the most populous U.S. state and keeping a lid on prices, where California's nearly 28 million drivers already pay among the highest prices for gasoline in the country.

I'm not going to quote the entire article, however.

It did not work the first time, but since then I have read the article.

 

[FastLane]

California regulated and taxed the Valero refinery in Benicia into closure. The company owning it has said it can no longer justify keeping the facility open due to operating costs. It's expected, along with other refinery closures to raise California's gasoline prices to the neighborhood of $8 a gallon due to in-state lack of refining capacity.

So, now, the state of California recognizing what a fucking political and economic disaster they've created wants to step in and broker a deal to find a buyer for this refinery to keep it open and operating.

Another short-sighted political fuck up by the Progressive Left putting their insane political agenda ahead of reality and economic common sense.

Exclusive: In rare move, California steps in to find buyer for Valero refinery to avoid closure, sources say

California government officials are trying to find a buyer for Valero Energy's Benicia refinery near San Francisco, three sources familiar with the matter said, an unusual effort as the clock ticks down on the company's planned closure of the facility in April.

www.reuters.com

In Rare Move, California Steps in to Find Buyer for Valero Refinery to Avoid Closure, Sources Say - Energy News, Top Headlines, Commentaries, Features & Events - EnergyNow.com

(Reuters) - California government officials are trying to find a buyer for Valero Energy’s Benicia refinery near San Francisco, three sources familiar with the matter said, an unusual effort as the clock ticks down on the company’s planned closure of the facility in April. The rare attempt by a...

energynow.com

https://pgjonline.com/news/2025/july/california-steps-in-to-prevent-valero-refinery-closure-avert-fuel-shock

 

[T. A. Gardner]

It did not work the first time, but since then I have read the article.

And, what I stated in the OP is accurate.

 

[FastLane]

Yeah...California should take lessons from right-wing America on how to run a state. After all, the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee...are mostly run by the right wing...and look how great they are compared with California. California, for the record, is the US state with an economy so robust, strong, and high...that only three COUNTRIES in the world are ranked higher.

You have got to be shitting, TA. Give it up.

California has the highest number of welfare recipients. People are leaving California in such large numbers that Ca is losing seats in the House, California has the largest number of people living on the street.

 

[Trumpet]

And, what I stated in the OP is accurate.

Are you nuts

 

[T. A. Gardner]

"California regulated and taxed the Valero refinery in Benicia into closure."
Where did you get this????

From every source that mentions a reason...

Valero also said it had recorded a $1.1 billion pre-tax impairment related to its California refineries.

Valero CEO Lane Riggs cited challenging regulatory and enforcement environment for the decision to cease operations.

Valero Confirms Benicia Refinery Closure Amid Tough Regulations

“Our current intent is to close the refinery,” Rich Walsh, executive vice president at Valero, said during a call with analysts. Reuters, By Nicole Jao, April 24, 2025 NEW YORK, April …

beniciaindependent.com

Valero Confirms Benicia Refinery Closure Amid Tough Regulations, High Costs​

https://pgjonline.com/news/2025/april/valero-confirms-benicia-refinery-closure-amid-tough-regulations-high-costs

Refiners in California are facing growing regulatory and cost pressures due to the state’s emissions targets, policies relating to sales of gasoline vehicles, and refinery transparency rules.

Conclusion

Refiners find that they cannot survive in California with Governor Newsom’s policies against oil companies and their oil and gasoline production.

California’s Refinery Situation Looks Like It Will Get Worse

Valero announced that it plans to close its San Francisco-area oil refinery in Benicia, California next year. It submitted a notice…

www.instituteforenergyresearch.org

California's Leftist, Democrat monopoly on government has ass fucked the state and it is slowly disintegrating as surely as the Rust Belt did before it for basically the exact same set of reasons. The Left never learns a damn thing. They make the same retarded, idiotic mistakes over and over.

 

[AProudLefty]

They haven't pissed away an incredible economy. Think how much greater in wealth California could be if it still had all the industry it used to have before regulating and taxing it out of existence. Just like Detroit and Michigan's auto industry, the Left--Democrats--milked their cash cow to death and now they're trying to figure out why everything's fucked up.

"Their economy is great but they should make it greater."

 

[T. A. Gardner]

"Their economy is great but they should make it greater."

California's economy, for its size, sucks and it's not getting better. The aerospace industry left. The automotive industry left (yes, there were plants there decades ago). Shipbuilding left. Silicon Valley left. All that's left of that are the code monkeys in cubicles. Everything else has gone to Arizona or Texas and the code monkey part is going to follow. To the extent the military could, they've left. Hollywood has left too. The state's government is running the oil industry off now and would like to kick the nuclear power industry out as well.

California is slowly devolving into a Turd World state where you have a small fraction of uber rich people supported by a small middle class that caters mostly, if not entirely, to them while most of the people in the state are poor and destitute.

It won't happen tomorrow. It's going to play out over several more decades, but it's coming. Just like the Rust Belt collapsed, or the East Coast's equivalent of Silicon Valley from the 1920's to the 70's in Massachusetts and New York got up and left, California is on the same road to ruin for much the same reasons.

 

[AProudLefty]

California's economy, for its size, sucks and it's not getting better. The aerospace industry left. The automotive industry left (yes, there were plants there decades ago). Shipbuilding left. Silicon Valley left. All that's left of that are the code monkeys in cubicles. Everything else has gone to Arizona or Texas and the code monkey part is going to follow. To the extent the military could, they've left. Hollywood has left too.

California is slowly devolving into a Turd World state where you have a small fraction of uber rich people supported by a small middle class that caters mostly, if not entirely, to them while most of the people in the state are poor and destitute.

It won't happen tomorrow. It's going to play out over several more decades, but it's coming. Just like the Rust Belt collapsed, or the East Coast's equivalent of Silicon Valley from the 1920's to the 70's in Massachusetts and New York got up and left, California is on the same road to ruin for much the same reasons.

In other words their economy is great right now.

As to its future, we shall see. Perhaps it'll be like Escape from L.A.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

In other words their economy is great right now.

No, their economy sucks. It would be far, far, better if it weren't burdened by regulation and taxes. As one example of this, look at the rebuilding process from those recent LA fires.

Six Months After the L.A. Wildfires, Here’s Who’s Still Picking Up the Pieces

Local charities are continuing to help displaced Angelenos rebuild their lives following January’s fires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena — even as the rest of the world seems to have moved on.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Los Angeles is rebuilding very slowly from its devastating wildfires. Here's why.

Relaxing environmental rules is only one small step in a fraught process.

www.motherjones.com

For example, if you are in the Palisades area that got hit by the fire, you have to get the California Coastal Commission to review and approve your building plan before you can go to the local city or county government to apply for a building permit. Worse, across the whole of this disaster, permitting costs along with engineering and blueprints will set you back anywhere from $50,000 to a million to get to construction. That's before a single shovel full of dirt is moved.

Even with claimed streamlining by government, the permit process can take upwards of a year or more to complete particularly with the CCC involved.

As to its future, we shall see. Perhaps it'll be like Escape from L.A.

It's already like

 

[MAGA]

California regulated and taxed the Valero refinery in Benicia into closure. The company owning it has said it can no longer justify keeping the facility open due to operating costs. It's expected, along with other refinery closures to raise California's gasoline prices to the neighborhood of $8 a gallon due to in-state lack of refining capacity.

So, now, the state of California recognizing what a fucking political and economic disaster they've created wants to step in and broker a deal to find a buyer for this refinery to keep it open and operating.

Another short-sighted political fuck up by the Progressive Left putting their insane political agenda ahead of reality and economic common sense.

I use to live right near there. I left that dump, thank God.

Of course, this will cause gas prices to go up