Gas Prices UP,UP,UP

[Billy Bob]

I'm too disgusted with the bastard oil companies and the nit wit in the Oil House, err I mean White House to even comment on the price of gas. :mad:

[TheViking]

We've been spoiled in this country for a loong time with relatively very low prices for fuel. Aside from cleaning up corruption where it exists, there is very little the gov't can be expected to do here. It's supply and demand with a limited natural resource (I understand it's more complicated than that when OPEC and refining capacity, etc, are considered, but the basic issues remain basic).
 
Also, while I agree that any corruption existing in the oil industry should be aggressively prosecuted, we should also realize that those oil companies work for their shareholders, who expect as much profit as possible - as with any company. In fact, many people who rail against them are in fact shareholders themselves. If you don't think you are, you would be wise to check the fund allocations in your IRA/401K/other investments. Chances are you (this is not directed to anyone in particular) are not putting your money where your mouth is.
 
I personally think high prices are good, because the pain we feel when they are high is the *only* thing that will lull us, as a society, out of our complacency on this issue and actually figure out a solution and/or change the way we live. It's not going away. Hybrids are not the solution, they are a bandaid. They still burn fuel, and we put more vehicles on the road every year, so hybrids change nothing in the long term. And we are currently paying very low prices when compared to most in the developed world.

 
ALRIGHT!!!!   Do you work for Shell or Mobil  LOL

[raptor]

ALRIGHT!!!!   Do you work for Shell or Mobil  LOL

Neither.  I'm a US Army officer and I work for you.  I serve voluntarily and proudly, but I'm also tired of getting deployed around the world to fight oil wars for our spoiled nation.  We need to figure out a way to get off the bottle so I can start seeing my family more than one out of every three years.  If that means you all have to pay more for gas for us all to "wake up", then I'm all for it.  Pay up and feel some pain.  I certainly have been.

[SpeakEasy]

THANK YOU, Raptor for your service!!!

[GeneF]

Interesting to note that AAA predicts that the demand for gasoline will increase 1.5% this year over last year even if gas hits $3.00.

Doesn't seem like many people are changing their travel plans drastically.

Gas just jumped 10 cents here.  $2.69 for reg.

[esclark]

Very interesting points mentioned above.  Pop-up camping is still a very affordable way of seeing various sights around the country.  I try not to cpmplain and live each day to the fullest.  There's really not much we can do about gas prices.

[wavery]

We need to figure out a way to get off the bottle

That's the bottom line and I agree 100%. I think that we each need to make that a very personal responsibility. I'm not talking "Hybrid" vehicles either. They are a "Cop-out" IMHO. They are STILL dependent on that almighty glob of crude oil.

IMHO, this nation is moving far tooooooo slowly on hydrogen fuel cell technology. Until we as Americans start demanding and BUYING fuel cell cars and going to solar power for our homes, we are still trapped.

I also cannot figure out for the life of me, why we are not building more nuclear power plants.  If we had more nuclear power, rechargeable electric vehicles would make sense. As long as we are producing electricity with crude oil, rechargeable electric cars make no sense.

BTW, electric vehicles are great for towing too. As apposed to the internal combustion engine, electric motors produce the same HP throughout 90% of their RPM range.

[tackhammer]

Well here in Hendersonville, NC near the interstates $2.85 to $2.99 East end of town $2.75 I'm going south and most the time SC prices are lower. I will fillup there. Have a new tow vehicle this year, went from a 96 Ford E-250 w/ a 4.9 6 banger to a 05 Chevy 1500 W/ a 4.3 6 banger hoping for more that 14mpg.

[howlinowl]

Luckly, I drive a company supplied vehicle for work.  Gas prices don't affect me as much as others.  But, I am kinda concerned about what prices for fuel are going to do to plane ticket prices.  Wife and I are planning on visiting her parents next year.......in Butuan City, Philippines....

[Old Goat]

It went up another five cents over night, it's now $2.84 here in Shelby, NC.....

[madkatz1]

I'm paying about $500 a month  :yikes:  for gas to keep my truck on the road! That's more then the truck payment!  :%

And what's worse is it's going to a bunch of greedy b@st@rd$ with big nameplates at oil companies, and a slew of jerks in a desert who were lucky enough to live in a land where all the oil just happened to be.

You wonder where the heck our government is during all this. I know there's an oil man in the White House, and he probably doesn't want to upset his meal ticket, but the revenue these companies are generating is way past obscene; they're booking record profits each quarter! Unless the Government steps in and stops this madness I'm afraid it's going to continue unabated.

In my opinion, this problem is so huge that you wonder if it's going to start destabilizing the entire economy...

Right On...!!!! Gas in So. Florida is about $2.85/gal and going up every day. That's why I bought a scooter. It gets about 100 miles/gal.

[Miller Tyme]

Around here...about $2.89 a gallon....:eyecrazy:
 
 But...my boss privides me with a gas card(BP) with a 45 gallon limit per month...I haven't bought gas without the card in 8 months......:p

[jawilson]

Aside from cleaning up corruption where it exists, there is very little the gov't can be expected to do here.  It's supply and demand with a limited natural resource (I understand it's more complicated than that when OPEC and refining capacity, etc, are considered, but the basic issues remain basic).

I disagree; there is a LOT more the government can do then they are. The pay scale for the executives of these companies is repulsive, and the profits are borderline illegal. Since EVERYONE in the nation is suffering, while those guys are making money by the tanker full, it's way more then obvious that something is completely out of whack. This is the exact type of situation that the government is supposed to intercede with, when the people are being taken advantage of and they are powerless to do anything about it. The only voice that those glutinous slobs would have no choice but to listen to would be the government -- they wield the stick that we, as individuals, don't have.

Also, while I agree that any corruption existing in the oil industry should be aggressively prosecuted, we should also realize that those oil companies work for their shareholders, who expect as much profit as possible - as with any company.  In fact, many people who rail against them are in fact shareholders themselves.  If you don't think you are, you would be wise to check the fund allocations in your IRA/401K/other investments.  Chances are you (this is not directed to anyone in particular) are not putting your money where your mouth is.

My money is where my mouth is; I've owned Exxon/Mobil stock for years. And you know what? The dividend payments have been absolutely minuscule, while the cash trough is being inhaled by a very few disgustingly fat hogs. Don't think it's true? Here's just one example  of the abuse that's going on right under your nose.

I personally think high prices are good, because the pain we feel when they are high is the *only* thing that will lull us, as a society, out of our complacency on this issue and actually figure out a solution and/or change the way we live.

While there is no doubt that a long term solution to this problem must be found, to take any personal gratification in this potential economy-collapsing nightmare is absurd. Sorry, but that's MY personal opinion of your statement. Take a poll of how many people think the current situation is good and oil company executives and leaders of OPEC will more then likely be the only ones on the list with you. That's some pretty impressive company to be in, isn't it?

I can't see where anyone not reaping some type of staggering compensation from this fiasco could find a single shred of good in this. Guess it's pretty obvious how livid I am, huh? :swear:

[BigJohn]

While I agree with most of the posts, here's what I don't understand.

When gas prices change, unless the station got a same-day delivery, it is the same gas sitting in the ground as it was before prices change. It seems like buying day-old bread at new bread prices....it just doesn't make any sense to me.......JMHO   :eyecrazy:

[SpeakEasy]

Many years ago, while still very young, I worked as a peon in a grocery store. The store owner had just purchased a big shipment of coffee. We had pallets and pallets of it sitting in the back room. Not long after that there was a problem with coffee production in Brazil. Overnight the price of coffee skyrocketed. I think it nearly doubled. I looked at all that "old" coffee sitting in our store-room, and I thought, "Wow, our customers are going to love us. We can keep the price of coffee down for weeks with what we've got in stock."

HAH! Was I wrong!

The store owner jacked up the price of coffee along with everyone else and made an obscene amount of profit on that shipment.

That was the end of my rose-colored glasses.

Of course - the store owner will tell you that it works out the opposite way an equal number of times. He buys high and has to sell low because of forces outside his control.

Welcome to capitalism.

I still believe it is the best economic system on earth.