# Gas Prices & Energy Costs

Curated static issue packet for assistant retrieval.

## Links

- App issue page: [Gas Prices & Energy Costs](https://polit.pages.dev/app/?view=issues&issue=gas-prices-energy-costs)
- App idea map: [Gas Prices & Energy Costs ideas](https://polit.pages.dev/app/?view=ideas&issue=gas-prices-energy-costs)
- Machine-readable packet: [gas-prices-energy-costs.json](https://polit.pages.dev/llm/issues/gas-prices-energy-costs.json)
- Issue index: [all curated issues](/llm/issues/index.md)

## Use Rules

- This is a research prototype, not a voter guide, endorsement, or final assessment.
- Many rows are model-generated or unreviewed and should be treated as evidence-navigation aids.
- Missing or limited coverage means the dataset has not ingested, normalized, or balanced that surface yet; it is not evidence that a candidate lacks activity there.
- Use source URLs and record IDs when citing claims. Prefer the linked JSON/JSONL companion files for retrieval.

## Problem Model

High gasoline and energy costs are treated as a household-cost problem with several competing explanations: taxes, refinery margins, regulation, supply constraints, and external market shocks.

### Analysis Questions

- Is the row explaining the price problem or proposing a remedy?
- Does the remedy act through consumer relief, taxes, refinery oversight, regulation, or supply?
- What would happen to transportation funding, climate rules, and refinery investment?

## Idea Groups

- **Consumer fuel relief**: 2 approachs; 5 candidates
- **Regulatory costs and fuel supply**: 2 approachs; 6 candidates
- **Problem framing and external shocks**: 1 approach; 5 candidates
- **Refinery accountability and market oversight**: 1 approach; 2 candidates

## Source-Backed Approaches

### Gas-tax suspension or replacement

- Approach ID: `gas-prices-energy-costs--gas-tax-suspension-reform`
- Summary: Suspends, opposes, reforms, or replaces gas and mileage taxes to reduce regressive fuel-cost burdens while addressing road funding.
- Problem: Fuel taxes are framed as regressive because they hit commuters, working families, or rural drivers before broader cost fixes arrive.
- Mechanism: Suspend, reform, oppose, or replace gas and mileage taxes while finding another way to fund transportation infrastructure.
- Candidate stance rows:
  - Chad Bianco: Opposes this approach (`oppose`); 2 source rows; row mix: 1 opposition row, 1 mixed / conditional row; confidence `0.76`
  - Katie Porter: Supports this approach (`support`); 1 source row; confidence `0.7`
  - Matt Mahan: Supports this approach (`support`); 6 source rows; row mix: 5 support rows, 1 mixed / conditional row; confidence `0.9`
  - Steve Hilton: Supports this approach (`support`); 1 source row; confidence `0.7`

### Fuel costs as household-cost driver

- Approach ID: `gas-prices-energy-costs--fuel-cost-burden`
- Summary: Frames gasoline prices and transportation costs as a broad household affordability problem.
- Problem: High fuel prices raise household budgets directly and can also raise the price of goods through transportation costs.
- Mechanism: Treat fuel prices as a first-order affordability problem before choosing whether the remedy is supply, tax relief, market oversight, or regulation changes.
- Candidate stance rows:
  - Antonio Villaraigosa: Mixed / conditional signal (`qualify`); 4 source rows; confidence `0.72`
  - Chad Bianco: Mixed / conditional signal (`qualify`); 1 source row; confidence `0.6`
  - Steve Hilton: Mixed / conditional signal (`qualify`); 1 source row; confidence `0.6`
  - Tom Steyer: Mixed / conditional signal (`qualify`); 1 source row; confidence `0.6`
  - Xavier Becerra: Mixed / conditional signal (`qualify`); 1 source row; confidence `0.6`

### Refinery profit caps and anti-gouging

- Approach ID: `gas-prices-energy-costs--refinery-market-oversight`
- Summary: Uses refinery profit caps, margin monitoring, anti-price-gouging enforcement, or oil-company accountability to lower fuel prices.
- Problem: Fuel prices are framed as a market-power or profit-margin problem inside the refinery/oil-company system.
- Mechanism: Monitor margins, cap refinery profit per gallon, and use anti-gouging or anti-monopoly enforcement against oil-company behavior.
- Candidate stance rows:
  - Antonio Villaraigosa: Supports this approach (`support`); 3 source rows; row mix: 2 support rows, 1 mixed / conditional row; confidence `0.78`
  - Tom Steyer: Supports this approach (`support`); 4 source rows; confidence `0.82`

### Regulatory cost relief

- Approach ID: `gas-prices-energy-costs--regulatory-cost-relief`
- Summary: Blames state regulation, fuel standards, or refinery rules and proposes cutting or redesigning those costs.
- Problem: Fuel prices are framed as a state-policy cost problem caused by refinery regulation, fuel standards, taxes, or restricted production.
- Mechanism: Cut, redesign, or offset the specific rules and taxes that candidates say raise refinery or fuel costs.
- Candidate stance rows:
  - Antonio Villaraigosa: Supports this approach (`support`); 1 source row; confidence `0.7`
  - Chad Bianco: Mixed / conditional signal (`qualify`); 1 source row; confidence `0.56`
  - Steve Hilton: Supports this approach (`support`); 3 source rows; row mix: 2 support rows, 1 mixed / conditional row; confidence `0.78`
  - Tony K. Thurmond: Supports this approach (`support`); 2 source rows; confidence `0.74`

### Oil supply and production

- Approach ID: `gas-prices-energy-costs--oil-supply-production`
- Summary: Expands, permits, or protects oil production, refinery capacity, drilling, or fuel supply.
- Problem: Fuel prices are framed as a supply problem: California does not produce, refine, or permit enough fuel capacity.
- Mechanism: Increase oil production, fuel supply, permits, or refinery capacity to reduce scarcity and cost pressure.
- Candidate stance rows:
  - Chad Bianco: Supports this approach (`support`); 1 source row; confidence `0.7`
  - Katie Porter: Mixed / conditional signal (`qualify`); 1 source row; confidence `0.56`
  - Steve Hilton: Supports this approach (`support`); 1 source row; confidence `0.7`
  - Xavier Becerra: Supports this approach (`support`); 1 source row; confidence `0.7`

### Oil windfall rebate

- Approach ID: `gas-prices-energy-costs--windfall-profits-rebate`
- Summary: Taxes oil-company windfall profits or excess margins and returns the money directly to Californians.
- Problem: Gas-price spikes are framed as producing excess oil-company profits while households pay more at the pump.
- Mechanism: Tax windfall profits or excess oil-company gains and return the money directly to Californians.
- Candidate stance rows:
  - Tom Steyer: Supports this approach (`support`); 1 source row; confidence `0.76`

## Assistant Guidance

- Use this page for curated issue/approach structure only.
- Stance labels refer to the selected approach statement, not the candidate's whole position on the issue.
- `qualify` means a mixed or conditional source signal; it is not a final verdict that the candidate is generally qualified.
- For candidate-specific detail, follow candidate packets and evidence JSONL links.
- If a natural-language question does not match this issue, do not stretch this issue page to answer it.
