Gas prices

[eyefish]

This morning I heard the federal government has completed an investigation on the rising gas prices and found no reason for the large differences in gas prices from one area to another. From the northern to southern U.S there is almost a 60 cent a gallon difference in gas pricing. The oil companies are saying it's supply and demand. Roughly meaning they have raised the gas prices because they can. We can expect to start seeing the effects of the rising gas prices at every store who's products are delivered via commerical carrier.
During a crisis (hurricane or such) any company that raised their prices due to supply and demand (knowing we can not live without it) have been brought up on gouging charges and are looked upon as the scum of the earth.
Oil companies knowing americans have become gas-aholics and are currently gouging the american public because they CAN. Everytime the oil companies lose a dollar they raise the prices and we have to pay back 5, everytime they have an oil spill, thru the gas pumps we pay to clean it up. I cant help but wonder what it is we are paying for now.
The federal government is currently looking into possible gouging charges against the oil companies, and we should let them know just what kind of scum we think they are.

Thats just my 2 cents worth, I could be wrong.

[Bob Z]

"The government found no reason" Yeah, sure. I heard that also. Our government's taxes and regulations are part of the problem. The politicians will never point a finger at themselves.

[Fish-on]

Bob's right. Lost in all this hoopla is the fact that there's anywhere from 30 to 60 cents a gallon difference in taxes from state to state. In Iowa, 38 cents of every gallon is tax. When gas was 78 cents a gallon in the spring of '99, that means the stations were getting 40 cents a gallon for gas, today's prices represent a 350 percent increase. If that isn't gouging, I don't know what is.

[Redeye]

eyefish. your not wrong. but what can you do when your over the barrel.......pay or stay home. but keep in mind we all Vote!!!!!

[TODD]

> eyefish. your not wrong.
>but what can you do
>when your over the barrel.......pay
>or stay home. but
>keep in mind we all
>Vote!!!!!

[TODD]

REYEYE, YOU ARE RIGHT WE CAN VOTE. BUT, I'M SORRY TO ASK, DO YOU SEE A DIFFERENCE WHEN SOMEONE YOU VOTED FOR GETS ELECTED? I DON'T, IT'S LIKE THEY FORGET WHERE THEY COME FROM OR SOMETHING. WHAT'S SAD TO ME IS THAT IT COSTS 50 OR 60 BUCKS JUST FOR GAS IN THE TRUCK AND BOAT FOR A DAY ON THE WATER LESS THAN 100 MILES FROM HOME. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO SPEND ON WHAT I LOVE TO DO BECAUSE OF THE GREED THE OIL COMPANIES HAVE. ALSO, HOW ABOUT THE QUOTE SUMMER RATES, ISN'T IT SAD WHEN YOU CHARGE MORE TO PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE OF THE TIME OF YEAR. JUST MY THOUGHTS.

[Ray]

It would be nice if everyone voted. But how many do. We can complain all we want about the gas prices but the american people brought it on them selves by going out and buying all these gas gussler cars and trucks. I am sure going to vote this fall and vote out all the skum I hope you do to. One more thing when we do vote lets do it right it is about time we put a new party in office not the same old skum thats been running things.

[AquaMan]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-13-00 AT 10:06AM (CST)[p]Well, since Greenspan's efforts have been unable to stem the economic growth with 5 interest rate increases, the government is allowing this gas hike to continue in an effort slow the economy and avert the predicted sudden down turn (Crash). No matter what anyone tells you that is the bottom line. Nothing else jives with what the "experts" are telling us.

Watching the Today Show this morning, there was a guy on from a "Pretolium Association" spewing and spinning BS about the increased cost of manufacturing fuel with methenol versus non oxygenated fuels and the fact that the midwest requires the methenol for cleaner burning. If you believe that then there are 50 oil fields for sale in North Dakota. I thought that California, New York, Boston, etc required the cleaner fuels???? And if Methenol is derived from corn, why have the corn prices fallen? If supply is high and demand has increased, the prices on fuel should go DOWN not up.

It was the biggest line of B*****t I have ever listened to and you could tell this guy was cought in the headlights several times.

What bothers me, is that our government will dive in on antitrust suits for companies like Microsoft, US West, United Air, etc and leave these petrolium companies alone. OPEC????? Ha! OPEC is a vailed blanket for US controlled fuel world distribution. As the single largest consumer of fuel, The US has enough fuel in our reserves on OUR shores to supply all North American consumption for 15 years, plus billions more barrels still in the ground. This was published in the Wall Street Journal several, or more months ago. It was the writer's opinion that the need for and creation of Opec is/was to maintain a controlling alliance with the Middle East so that the US can hold the carrot over them in case of unrule. A small price to pay for national security....further, why use up our oil when we can suck it out of the enemy, of sorts? The long term goal is to maintain our reserves for "the end."

Though the article went out there a bit, it was plausible and logical, albeit frustrating.

What does this have to do with $2.00+ a gallon? If we spen more at the pump, we spend less elsewhere. Hence the economy slows its eye-popping growth. That is the real goal any way you slice it.


AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Fin Addict]

A 60 cent a gallon swing is enough to encourage some trucking entrepeneur to buy where gas is cheapest and ship to where it is more and then undercut his competition and make a killing. Eventually market forces will level this thing out. Please don't look to Washington or elected officials to fix this. They will most certainly screw it up, like everything the gov't gets its mits onto. I go to a deep discount station and the higher the price goes, the longer the lines become at his station. Soon other stations will follow suit and we will be back on track. Want to drop prices? Stop buying gas! Its all supply and demand, if we willing to pay then they should be able to raise it as high as they want. Eventually we will stop buying and the prices will get back in line. I'd sure hate to have the government tell me that my ability to make a profit were capped.

[John/ND]

Its Clinton-Gore Anti-Energy Policies that contribute to the problem.

They've restricted use of domestic oil and natural gas reserves on federal lands. Alaska has more reserves than Saudi Arabia and we can't hardly touch it. They extended drilling bans on 75% of domestic oil sites until 2012. They grabbed up 1.7 million acres in Utah for a National Park which has alot of coal. Clintons Interior Secretary wants to shut down 50% of all renewable energy sources including hydroelectric dams. Now we could talk about his foriegn policies, but we won't. If we elect Gore, we'll just get More.

[Concerned]

I dont see what difference it makes who's in office. Its the oil companies making the profit. Does matter if B.C. or Joe Shmoes in office the oil companies will charge what they want. Taxes are taxes, if gas is $1 a gallon or $2 the taxes are the same. So some of you that have said the government is raking it in now how can it be? Actually, the government is worse off with gas so high because people are using it less so they make less.

Everyone critisized the government for its intrusion with Microsoft but its the same thing, isn't it? Microsoft ran out the competition, then made inferior products and charged an arm and a leg. So will you all be complaining if the government does the same with oil companies??

I guess thats democracy, either live with it, or move. We still live in the best place in the world. I guess theres a cost for that!

[kingsway]

I agree that we can do alot at the poles this fall, so if you live in Wisconsin check out this site, www.gillespie4wisconsin.com
John Gillespie is a quality man and of the highest integrity. He is running for the U.S.Senate from Wisconsin against incumbent Herb Kohl. Finally we really do have a choice.
Reguards,
Rich

[Larry]

Let's not loose site of the fact that a lot of people back in Texas are reaping megabucks with the high price of gas. The other guy might be very willing to open up more of our protected lands so his Texas supporters can make even more......as long as he gets part of the action.

[porter]

While I do agree with you guys that the price of gas is high I think you are all missing the point, by saying "open up the rest of our reserves or not drilling on 75% of this or that." Maybe Clinton and Gore have the right idea. We live in a society that is heavily dependent on fossil fuels, and one day, no matter when it is, we WILL run out of these natural fuels, and before that day comes we will need to have other sources of power to use. So maybe the pres. is thinking that for national security we need a huge surplus of oil for the good of all Americans and in the meantime people will be complaining about the high price of gasoline and maybe that will push the envelope on alternate sources of power.