Fight rising gas prices

[cfaustus]

Just had to throw my two cents in here because I saw so many people citing the fact that other things have increased in price more than gas has. Gasoline prices are one of the major tools economists use to tweak the economy. Why? Because the cost of everything else is related to it. Want people to stop spending money and start saving it? Well, the theory has been that if you bump up costs then people will stop buying everything but the essentials. How does everything get tot he store? How do all the parts and resources to make things get to the factories? They are transported using oil based fuel. And that is just the transportation costs. Think of all the petroleum based fuels burned to provide the energy needed to make the products! Or the cost of the materials of the products themselves (A lot of plastic is petroleum based and it goes into almost EVERYTHING!)Increase the cost of fuel and the cost of almost every produced good increases as well. When old Greenespan bumped up gas prices 4 years ago, that is exactly what he was trying to do. He thought that by decreasing spending he could reset the economy. The problem is, he over-corrected and sent the whole thing into a spiral. Add to that the fact that most Americans just put themselves into credit card debt rather than not have the luxory's which they think it is their God given right to have, and all of a sudden it becomes clear that this sort of economic policy does not make sense. Leave prices alone and let the market work itself out. If the market is allowed to run its own course then the plan of not buying Exxon/Mobil will work, but the government might just subsidise them thereby nullifying our 'consumer vote'. I am all for trying it, because we have to do something, but ultimately the only solution will be when we are able to detach ourselves from the yolk of the gas companies by driving more efficient or non-oil burning cars, by using more mass transportation and by not buying every little gadget or trinket our hearts desire just to keep up with the Joneses. The way we are heading, this may never happen until all the oil is gone.

So sure, bread costs more, etc etc but a large part of that is due to the cost of the fuels consumed in producing the other items we buy.

[B. SMITH]

THE EXON-MOBILE BOYCOT IS REALITY AND HAS BEEN WORKING IN THE AREAS THAT FIGHT BACK. IN MY AREA THERE IS HARDLY ANYONE IN THEIR STATIONS COMPARED TO THE OTHER CHOICES. MANY PEOPLE INCLUDING MYSELF AND FRIENDS WILL WAIT OUR TURN ELSEWARE WHILE THE EXON-MOBILE STATIONS ARE EMPTY. THEY NOW HAVE LOWERED THEIR PRICES. PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS AT THE GAS PUMPS, INFORMING OTHERS AND CONTINUING THE BOYCOT UNTIL THE PRICE OF CRUDE FALLS.

THE US GOVERNMENT WILL NOT HELP US AS WE HAVE SEEN UNLESS THE ISSUE IS BEING SAVED AS AN ELECTION PAWN.

WHEN EXON-MOBILE LOWERS THEIR CRUDE PURCHASES, THE HOPE IS THAT CRUDE MARKETS WILL RESPOND DOWNWARD. WE ARE FORCING EXON-MOBILE TO USE IT'S PURCHASING POWER IN OUR FAVOUR. THEY ALSO ARE LOSING HUGE IN THEIR CONVENIENCE STORES.

SUPPOSEDLY, OVER 30 MILLION PEOPLE REVEIVED THE BOYCOT E-MAIL. EVEN A FEW MILLION FUEL PURCHASERS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

WHAT HAVE WE GOT TO LOSE BY TRYING? WE GET NO HELP EXCEPT TO HELP OURSELVES. REMEMBER THE BOSTON TEA PARTY.

B. SMITH

[jayscobras]

BEEN WATCHING THIS THREAD FROM THE START. LET'S PREFICE...I AM IN THE OILFIELD BUSINESS...NOT PRODUCTION BUT DRILLING EQUIPMENT SUCH AS DRILL STEM. BEEN DOING IT OR INVOLVED IN IT SINCE I WAS A KID.

MANY PEOPLE ASK ME ABOUT GAS PRICES. PERSONALLY I NEVER LOOK AT PRICES.

NOW TO THE MATTER AT HAND. THERE HAS TO BE SOME GREAT ECONOMIC GURU'S ON THIS SITE THAT EQUATE FROM 1969 AT 29 CENTS A GALLON TO TODAY JUST BY INFLATION INDEXES.

AFTER THAT YOU NEED TO ADD IN GOVERMENTAL CONTROLS SUCH AS OSHA, EPA, CLOSING REFINERIES, DIMINISHED REFINING CAPACITIES, HIGHER TAXES, REDUCED EXPLORATION, STATE TAX INCREASES, FEDERAL TAX INCREASES, HIGHER STEEL PRICES, UNION INCREASES, HIGHER CORPORATE TAXES, DECRESAED DEPRECIATION,,,ETC.

GOT A FIGURE YET? THEN ADD TO THE EQUATION THE NORMAL LY ACCEPTED STANDARD OF LIVING IN THIS COUNTRY. BOTTLED WATER IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN GASOLINE. MOST OF IT FROM CITY WATER SOURCES RUN THROUGH A FILTER.

THEN ENTER THE AMERICAN CONSUMER, SUV OWNER THAT PUTS THE KIDS IN THE CAR, GOES TO McDONALDS, DRIVES 3 MILES TO BASKIN ROBBINS AND PAYS 99 CENTS A SCOOP FOR ICE CREAM FOR THE KIDS, THEN TO THE COFFEE SHOP FOR A $3.75 LATTE FOR THE WIFE AND A $2.50 CUP OF REGULAR FOR THE HUSBAND...AND THEN THEY GRIPE ABOUT FUEL PRICES.

THEN FIGURE IN WHAT THE ENRON DISASTER COST NATURAL GAS PRICES THAT ARE USED FOR REFINING AND FOR PRODUCING ELECTRICITY.

ANY ANSWERS YET?????

HERE IS A GOD EXAMPLE,,,MILK AT BRAUMS...$1.99 PER GALLON. FUEL GOES UP...$2.19 PER GALLON. WAIT A MINUTE! FUEL ONLY WENT UP 2 CENTS. LADY WHO LIVES 1/2 BLOCK FROM BRAUMS GETS IN THE SUV SO SHE CAN GO THROUGH THE DRIVE-THOUGH WINDOW...A MAKEUP DEFFICIENCY.

PEOPLE...IT IS THE WAY WE LIVE AND WHAT WE EXPECT NOT WHAT IS HAPPENING.

WE ARE A PETROLEUM BASED ECONOMY...AND YET WE ARE PENALIZING OUR OWN PRODUCERS. GEENSPAN HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. OUR LIFESTYLE DOES.

I HAVE A GOOD FRIEND THAT OWNS A MOTORHOME AND RV COMPANY....BAD FUEL EFFICIENCY. HIS BEST MONTHS AND YEAR WERE AFTER 9-11. PEOPLE CHOSE TO BUY MOTOR HOMES INSTEAD OF AIR TRAVEL.

YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE...PAY ATTENTION! DON'T BLAME GASOLINE PRICES. BLAME THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE LARGE AND WON'T TAKE RESPONSIBILTY FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN THEIR OWN SELF INTERESTS.

*****ING AND NOT DOING DUE DILIGENCE DOES NOT WORK!

BOY AM I GONNA CATCH HELL FOR THIS ONE BUT IT'S TIME FOR US TO LEARN AND TAKE PART IN WHAT HAPPENS WITH THIS COUNTRY.

JAY NORDSTROM (AN UNPAID EDITORIAL)

[GB]

The U.S. is currently in the process of replentishing our Strategic Oil Reserve. This replentishment has placed an unnatural demand on oil and will continue to until the reserve has been replentished. This spike in demand is partially responsible for the prices you are seeing at the pump. The U.S. currently has the ability to reserve approximately 700 million barrels of oil, last time I heard we were down approximately 100 million barrels. When that reserve is re-established, hopefully we will see a decrease at the pump.

Respectfully,
GB

[Ron61]

Jay,

No enemy here but where in the world did you find gas in 1969 at 29 cents a gallon? Definately not here. We were paying well over $1 dollar per gallon by then. Most people realize that nearly everything is petrolium based and it runs the economy. But if gas has to go up by 25 cents per gallon overnight because of a refinery shutdown, why can't it ever come back down once they are back online? We just had a 45 cent per gallon increase last week overnight. It was $2.19 for the cheapest one afternoon and $2.64 for the same gas the next morning. I can't even use the cheap gas so I have to pay for the GOOD stuff, HA!! which has now dropped all the way down to $2.79 per gallon. That of the highest pump octane we can get here which is supposed to be 93 and I doubt if it is more than 88. It cost me $5.85 just to mow my lawns.

Ron

[maxrpm]

Originally posted by Ron61


We were paying well over $1 dollar per gallon by then.

I believe you are wrong on that.
As far as the Exxon/Mobil boycott, I haven't use either in years. Hess for the daily drivers, Sunoco for the rest.

[SnakeBitt]

Wasn't it good 'ol Bill Clinton who wasted all our reserve a few years back thinking if he "flooded the market" it would bring gas prices down? He used up our reserve, prices never flinched, and we never heard "boo" about his failed "bright idea" from his buddies - the liberal media.

I think another problem is (at least here in the Chicago area) is that 90% of the gas stations are being purchased and run by people from India (along with the Seven 11's, White Hen's and the Dunkin Donuts!). I've been paying more for doughnuts and coffe since they started taking them over a few years back, so I'm not surprised that now we're seeing them jack up the gasoline prices as well. They aren't stupid........what are the lazy people in this country going to do? Start riding a bike to work!? Ha!!! We bend over at the gas station...........they fill us up. I bring my cup to the Dunkin' DotHead in the mornings and he charges me up the wazoo for something it cost him 10 cents to make.
Can't blame them. We continue to alllow all these aliens into our country day after day, and they take advantage of us. Hey, it's the American way.

[G.R.]

I think Jay hit it on the head with his post. We tend to blame everyone else yet do not look at our own daily actions. Yes I hate the price of gas today, I remember gas at .20 cents a gal, and service station "gas wars" 35-40 yrs ago.
Big Deal we are paying around $2.00 a gal +/-, in Europe they passed that price years ago, what is it there $4-6 now?
I do believe though that the oil companies engineer these "shortages" to drive prices up, better for the bottom line. But most companies will do that also.