RoadToad, what you are calling "profit percentage" is what the Oil Companies, and the Courier Journal, are calling PROFIT MARGIN. It is the amount of profit they make after all the expenzses have been paid. What the C-J article said was that the Oil Companies profit margin (percentage) was .08 cents and the drug companies profit margin was .20 cents. It didn't really explain how either was arrived at.
I agree it is kind of stupid to ask the oil companies to do things (research) that could ultimately put them out of business, or at least drastically cut into their business, but that is what congress is asking for and apparently the oil companies are trying to comply with. However, they are also giving incentives to the automobile indurstry to do the same thing AND THEY ARE NOT DOING ANY BETTER AT IT.
BTW, using your example, I doubt seriously if you (or anyone else) would be satisfied if the Oil Ciompanies gave up their whole profit of $1.44 per 18 gallons of gas, which is another way of making my point that THE OIL COMPANIES PROFFIT is not the problem.
Grumpy
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